ADVANCED DAMAGE‑PLASTICITY MODELLING AND CALIBRATION STRATEGIES FOR ACCURATE FINITE‑ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF UNREINFORCED CONCRETE IN THIN‑WALLED STRUCTURES

Abstract

Accurate finite‑element representation of unconventional concretes – slag‑blended, recycled‑aggregate, fiber‑reinforced, or ultra‑thin formwork mixes requires more than the legacy smeared‑crack tools that still dominate industrial workflows. This theses reviews research on 3D material modelling of plain, fiber‑ and aggregate‑modified concretes in the ANSYS environment, with emphasis on constitutive law selection, experimental calibration, and numerical tactics that preserve convergence once cracking and crushing initiate. Damage‑plasticity formulations such as Concrete Damaged Plasticity (CDP) consistently outperform simpler Drucker–Prager or Willam–Warnke approaches, provided their numerous parameters are tuned to targeted laboratory data. Special issues arising in thin‑walled elements and permanent formwork stability, mesh objectivity, staged casting pressure are examined, and five recent case studies are dissected to illustrate best practice. The review concludes with recommendations for practitioners and identifies emerging trends, notably machine‑learning‑assisted calibration and phase‑field fracture, that are poised to reshape concrete simulation in commercial FEA.