Modeling the Propagation of a Prefabricated Brittle Crack Using Phase-field Method within the Framework of ABAQUS

It is necessary to study the propagation path of cracks in concrete materials and its influence on the loading capacity of specimens. The phase-field method for fracture offers a distinct benefit in simulating the crack propagation behavior of brittle materials, which is achieved by implementing a phase field that continuously fluctuates to approximate the crack configuration, abolishing the need for mesh reconstruction and tracking the cracks. In this paper, we have implemented a phase field model using ABAQUS, whose reliability is verified through a tensile test. Then, the splitting test of Brazilian disc is simulated and the results are similar to those of the laboratory experiment. Furthermore, the crack configuration of the prefabricated cracked discs with different tilt angles and different initial lengths is explored. The two important parameters of the phase field method, Gc and l0, are discussed in the Discussion section. A larger Gc value means a larger material toughness and a larger failure load, and a larger l0 value means a larger crack smear range as well as a smaller failure load.