Publication
High-performance concretes are increasingly employed in various civil engineering applications due to their exceptional short- and long-term performance. As a result, there is a significant need for simplified numerical simulation methods to effectively interpret the mechanical and fracture behavior of these materials under different loading conditions. This paper evaluates the mechanical performance of several concrete types, specifically normal concrete (NC), steel fiber high performance concrete (SFHPC), recycled steel fiber high performance concrete (RSFHPC), and ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). A four-linear curve model created from experimental data is suggested to make it easier to design material models in finite element modeling (FEM) software. Even though first comparisons with experimental results showed a good degree of agreement, the authors admitted that more experimental research would strengthen the model’s robustness. The goal of future research will be to methodically examine the variables affecting the predictions made by the four-linear model. The concrete damage plasticity (CDP) model is employed to simulate the nonlinear behavior of these concrete types, while the element deletion approach (EDA) is utilized to further simulate the fracture behavior of specimens under compressive loads. The results indicate that the proposed methods, including CDP and EDA, accurately predict the failure modes and behaviors of the concrete specimens. Additionally, parametric research was conducted to assess and compare the benefits of each concrete type in enhancing the shear resistance of beams without the use of shear stirrups.