Integration of the principle of mesh refinement in the Adaptive Static Condensation (ASC) method
Résumé
In order to evaluate the cracking process in large reinforced and pre-stressed concrete structures, a predictive model of concrete damage with refined mesh and a nonlinear law can be required. Because of the computational load, such modelling is not applicable directly on large-scale structures whose characteristic dimensions are over several meters. To overcome this difficulty, a method based on the static condensation, called “ASC” has been proposed. It concentrates the computational effort on the damaged area, which can evolve
due to crack propagation or initiation. In order to reach a higher level of representativeness, mesh refinement is integrated into the ASC method in the proposed contribution. The method first uses a coarse initial mesh and refines it only in the domain of interest (DI) to reach a density of mesh adapted to a non-local model (order of the centimeter). This principle of refinement, integrated in the ASC method, is described. It is then applied to a notched bending beam. The use of mesh refinement combined to ASC method allow to keep results similar to a calculation with a fine mesh
on the entire structure. However, it also allows a saving in computational time and in memory occupation that increases with the increase in the mesh density of the refined zones.