A new 3D experimentally consistent XFEM to simulate delamination in FRP-reinforced concrete

FRP-based reinforcements are increasingly used for the structural rehabilitation of buildings damaged by seismic loadings. Single-lap shear tests on FRP-reinforced concrete blocks are often performed to assess the maximum transferable load before delamination. In this paper, an effective 3D regularized extended finite element model (XFEM) is proposed to study single-lap shear tests. The bending of the FRP plate, the influence of FRP plate width, and the two-way delamination for variable bonding length are assessed. Based on a suitable choice of the level sets associated with the XFEM enrichment, the proposed model can be used for design purposes besides, or in alternative to, experimental tests.