The paper presents a review of damage models for reinforced concrete (RC) structures, analyzing their theoretical foundations, advantages, limitations, and fields of application. Four key models are considered: Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM), damage–plasticity models (CDP), microplane models, and fatigue/accumulative damage models. Their performance is compared based on such criteria as the ability to describe stiffness degradation, universality of application, computational complexity, and prediction accuracy. In addition, practical parameters for numerical implementation are summarized, and the applicability of models to different tasks is outlined. The results of the review demonstrate that none of the models is universal. Ultimately, the study emphasizes the need for integrating physically based methods with modern digital technologies, which can expand the scope of damage models in industrial and civil construction.
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