A material model for cementitious composite materials with an exterior point Eshelby microcrack initiation criterion

A micromechanical model for cementitious composite materials is described in which microcrack initiation, in the interfacial transition zone between aggregate particles and cement matrix, is governed by an exterior-point Eshelby solution. The model assumes a two-phase elastic composite, derived from an Eshelby solution and the Mori–Tanaka homogenization method, to which circular microcracks are added. A multi-component rough crack contact model is employed to simulate normal and shear behaviour of rough microcrack surfaces. The development of the microcrack initiation criterion and the rules adopted for microcrack evolution are a particular focus of the paper. Finally, it is shown, on the basis of several numerical simulations, that the model captures key characteristics of the behaviour of cementitious composites such as concrete.