Viscoelastic peridynamic fracture analysis for concrete beam with initial crack under impact

•The viscoelastic peridynamic method is applied to simulate the impact fracture of the concrete beam.•The strain rate evolution law of the concrete beam during loading is visualized intuitively.•The cracking mechanism of the concrete beam with initial crack is revealed.•The coupling influence law of impact velocity and initial crack on the fracture mode of the concrete beam is obtained.