Size effects in unreinforced and lightly reinforced concrete beams failing in flexure

Fracture-based models commonly use a characteristic length as the basis for determining size effects in concrete beams. The characteristic length is related to the concrete fracture process zone and defined in terms of the concrete fracture properties. Semi-empirical constants are then developed to accommodate any unidentified (geometric or crack bridging) parameters. However, a reliance on semi-empirical factors can limit the applicability to...