Achieving the real mechanical performance of construction materials is significantly important for the design and engineering of structures. However, previous researchers have shown that contact friction performs an important role in the results of uniaxial compression tests. Strong discreteness generally appears in concrete-like construction materials due to the random distribution of the components. A numerical meso-scale finite-element (FE) method provides the possibility of generating an ideal material with the same component percentages and distribution. Thus, a well-designed meso-FE model was employed to investigate the effect of friction on the mechanical behavior and failure characteristics of concrete under uniaxial compression loading. The results showed that the mechanical behavior and failure profiles of the simulation matched well with the experimental results. Based on this model, the effect of friction was determined by changing the contact friction coefficient from 0.0 to 0.7. It was found that frictional contact had a slight influence on the elastic compressive mechanical behavior of concrete. However, the nonlinear hardening behavior of the stress–strain curves showed a fairly strong relationship with the frictional contact. The final failure profiles of the experiments showed a “sand-glass” shape that might be expected to result from the contact friction. Thus, the numerical meso-scale FE model showed that contact friction had a significant influence on both the mechanical performance and the failure profiles of concrete. Abstract Achieving the real mechanical performance of construction materials is significantly important for the design and engineering of structures. However, previous researchers have shown that contact friction performs an important role in the results of uniaxial compression tests. Strong discreteness generally appears in concrete-like construction materials due to the random distribution of the components. A numerical meso-scale finite-element (FE) method provides the possibility of generating an ideal material with the same component percentages and distribution. Thus, a well-designed meso-FE model was employed to investigate the effect of friction on the mechanical behavior and failure characteristics of concrete under uniaxial compression loading. The results showed that the mechanical behavior and failure profiles of the simulation matched well with the experimental results. Based on this model, the effect of friction was determined by changing the contact friction coefficient from 0.0 to 0.7. It was found that frictional contact had a slight influence on the elastic compressive mechanical behavior of concrete. However, the nonlinear hardening behavior of the stress–strain curves showed a fairly strong relationship with the frictional contact. The final failure profiles of the experiments showed a “sand-glass” shape that might be expected to result from the contact friction. Thus, the numerical meso-scale FE model showed that contact friction had a significant influence on both the mechanical performance and the failure profiles of concrete. Keywords: concrete; compression; meso-scale FE; contact friction; failure process