PROBABILISTIC MODEL FOR MATERIAL BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS AND APPRAISEMENT OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Description of the nonlinear behaviour of materials and structures is often deterministic and the obtained results (ultimate loads, load-displacement response, patterns of cracking, etc.) are generally supposed to be correct. The purpose of this Paper is to show that these results can be debated and that the deterministic models are insufficient if a more accurate approach of safety is required. The Paper shows how a model on a probabilistic basis can improve the quality of the numerical simulation of the loading of concrete specimens. It shows also that a stochastic approach can give very important information on the problem of the localization of cracks in a heterogeneous material like concrete.