Local state method applied on the formulation of damage constitutive models for concrete

This work deals with some Thermodynamics principles related to continuum media that are particularized to the Local State Method used in the formulation of damage models. Initially, some aspects of Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) are discussed, which is an applicable tool for macroscopic modelling of materials. In a general way, this paper intends to show the efficiency of constitutive models based on Thermodynamics principles, presenting a constitutive model applied to the analysis of reinforced concrete structures. To show the accuracy of the proposed formulation, the numerical results of a simply supported beam with different reinforcement rates are compared with its experimental data.