Three-Dimensional Fracture Modeling of Epoxy Asphalt Concrete Using a Heterogeneous Cohesive Softening Discrete Element Model

To describe the crack development of epoxy asphalt concrete (EAC) from the three-dimensional (3-D) scale perspective, a 3-D heterogeneous digital sample independent of laboratory is reconstructed. A bilinear cohesive-softening model is implemented into the discrete element method (DEM) framework to simulate the crack behavior. The corresponding micromechanical models describing the interaction of micro-scale components of the virtual specimen are assigned. The simulation results of a single-edge notched beam test are shown to compare favorably with the experimental results and accurately capture the distributions of fracture zone and stress within the model. The developed 3-D visualization modeling technique is capable of simulating the initiation and propagation of cracks during the bending fracture of EAC. ALso the 3-D user-defined microstructural DEM fracture model also has the potential ability to help understand various fracture mechanisms and shows a realistic cracking process of quasi-brittle materials such as EAC.