Nowadays numerical methods, like finite element method (FEM), are used to perform analysis on concrete structural systems. ABAQUS is a general-purpose finite element analysis tool that is used to simulate engineering and mathematical problems. For modeling concrete structures, ABAQUS offers three constitutive models; namely cracking model for concrete (CMC), concrete smeared cracking model (CSCM) and concrete damaged plasticity model (CDPM). However, there is no clear information about the effectiveness of these models and which one best characterizes the behavior of concrete structural systems accurately. This study evaluates the performance and effectiveness of concrete constitutive models available in ABAQUS in characterizing the behavior of concrete material under major actions. For validating the models, 4 standard experimental tests conducted by other researchers are considered from literature. The concrete models are evaluated for flexure dominated failure, shear dominated failure and mixed-mode failure by considering corresponding experimental tests. A total of 16 different tests are considered. Threedimensional modeling under static or quasi-static loading is employed in all numerical models. Analyses and experimental outputs of different actions are compared with deformation response and failure patterns. It is observed that both CMC and CSCM have input parameters that are clear for the user and has direct relation with the mechanical properties of concrete obtained from tests. However, input parameters of CDPM are abstract that has no direct relation to the mechanical property of concrete. CMC is effective only for tension failure and hence it does not capture the compressive behavior of the material. Under compressive loading, CSCM overestimates the peak load (up to 10%) for the unconfined state of stress and underestimates the peak load (up to 40 %) for a confined state of stress. CSCM cannot capture the post-peak behavior of the concrete structures in most of numerical analyses considered in this study. Linear softening mechanism always results in higher peak load for all analyses. “M”-shaped responses with two peak points are insisted on shear dominated failure due to direct shear in CDPM. This study revealed the possibility of using mode I fracture energy for modeling shear dominated, torsion dominated and mixed-mode dominated failure of concrete. Failure pattern is descriptively represented by CDPM.