• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.735-755
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• 2011

The capability of a multi-directional fixed smeared crack constitutive model to simulate the flexural/punching failure modes of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) laminar structures is discussed. The constitutive model is implemented in a computer program based on the finite element method, where the FRC laminar structures were simulated according to the Reissner-Mindlin shell theory. The shell is discretized into layers for the simulation of the membrane, bending and out-of-plane shear nonlinear behavior. A stress-strain softening diagram is proposed to reproduce, after crack initiation, the evolution of the normal crack component. The in-plane shear crack component is obtained using the concept of shear retention factor, defined by a crack-strain dependent law. To capture the punching failure mode, a softening diagram is proposed to simulate the decrease of the out-of-plane shear stress components with the increase of the corresponding shear strain components, after crack initiation. With this relatively simple approach, accurate predictions of the behavior of FRC structures failing in bending and in shear can be obtained. To assess the predictive performance of the model, a punching experimental test of a module of a façade panel fabricated with steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete is numerically simulated. The influence of some parameters defining the softening diagrams is discussed.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

The present study emphasizes a nonlinear model to predict the shear behaviour of reinforced concrete interior beam-column joints. To model the shear behaviour of a panel zone in the beam-column joint, a modified softened truss model theory for in-plane shear prediction was introduced. This relationship was changed to define the characteristics for the rotational spring to represent the shear deformation in the joint by an equivalent moment-rotation relationship from the joint equilibrium. The analysis model was compared with experiments on reinforced concrete interior beam-column joints that were subjected to axial and shear forces, and the current model was found to accurately predict not only the shear force but also the shear deformation in the joint.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.48-54
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• 2022

This research describes a quantitative procedure used to estimate the effect of concrete cracking on stiffness degradation of concrete shear walls and provides analytical references for the seismic design of concrete shear walls. As preliminary research on the seismic response of concrete shear walls, nonlinear transient analysis was performed with commercial FE software. The study presents the nonlinear time history analysis results in terms of concrete damage and cracking behavior induced by seismic input motions. By varying the input motions, concrete strength and shear wall thickness, the seismic responses of a shear wall were examined with nonlinear time history analysis, and the progressive cracking behavior and corresponding hysteresis loop were described. Based on the analysis results, frequency and stiffness degradation of the shear wall from progressive concrete damage and cracking were captured with respect to the seismic levels. The results of this study suggest that stiffness degradation from concrete cracking should be appropriately considered when determining the seismic capacity of RC shear wall structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.441-458
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• 2012

The shear strength is an important factor in the design of prestressed concrete beams. Therefore, researchers have utilized various methods to determine the shear strength of these elements for the design purposes. To evaluate some of the proposed theoretical methods, numerous models of post-tensioned beams with or without vertical prestressing are selected and analyzed using the finite element method and assuming nonlinear behavior for the materials. In this regard the validity of modeling is evaluated based on some tests results. In the second part of the study two beam specimens are built and tested and their load-deformation curve and cracking pattern are studied. The analytical results consist of compressive strut slope and mid span load deflection are compared with some experimental results, and the results of some codes' formulas. Finally comparing the results of nonlinear analysis with the experimental values, a new formula is proposed for determining strut slopes in prestressed concrete beams.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.301-311
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• 2020

In this study, shear strength behavior of fine-grained soils was investigated under unsaturated conditions. The samples in the unsaturated state were subjected to a net normal stress (σ-u_a) of 40 kPa and different matric suctions (u_a-u_w) of 50, 100 and 150 kPa. The matric suction values applied in the triaxial tests were selected according to the bubbling pressures determined from the SWC curves. The study was carried out on prepared re-constituted cylindrical samples by uniaxial consolidation of soil slurries. First, consolidated drained (CD) triaxial compression tests were performed on the saturated samples and the cohesion and angle of internal friction were determined. After that, drained triaxial compression tests under matric suctions were performed on the unsaturated samples. In order to obtain unsaturated test results, cohesion and internal friction angle values of saturated samples were used. The nonlinear surface representing the shear strength surface was approximated consisting of two planes (double planar surface). The reason for the nonlinear behavior of some soils is that the amount of sand content contained in it is relatively high and the bubbling pressure/permanent water content value is relatively low.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.181-198
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• 2003

Six large scale models of conventionally reinforced concrete coupling beams with span/depth ratios ranging from 1.17 to 2.00 were tested under monotonically applied shear loads to study their nonlinear behavior using a newly developed test method that maintained equal rotations at the two ends of the coupling beam specimen and allowed for local deformations at the beam-wall joints. By conducting the tests under displacement control, the post-peak behavior and complete load-deflection curves of the coupling beams were obtained for investigation. It was found that after the appearance of flexural and shear cracks, a deep coupling beam would gradually transform itself from an ordinary beam to a truss composed of diagonal concrete struts and longitudinal and transverse steel reinforcement bars. Moreover, in a deep coupling beam, the local deformations at the beam-wall joints could contribute significantly (up to the order of 50%) to the total deflection of the coupling beam, especially at the post-peak stage. Finally, although a coupling beam failing in shear would have a relatively low ductility ratio of only 5 or even lower, a coupling beam failing in flexure could have a relatively high ductility ratio of 10 or higher.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2023

Reinforced concrete flat slab (RCFS) with columns is a standard gravity floor system for tall buildings in North America. Typically, RCFS-column connections are designed to resist gravity loads, and their contribution to resisting seismic forces is ignored. However, past experimental research has shown that RCFS-column connections have some strength and ductility, which may not be ignored. Advanced numerical models have been developed in the past to determine the nonlinear cyclic behavior of RCFS-column connections. However, these models are either too complicated for nonlinear dynamic analysis of an entire building or not developed to model the behavior of modern RCFS-column connections. This paper proposes a new nonlinear model suitable for modern RCFS-column connections. The numerical model is verified using experimental data of specimens with various material and reinforcement properties. A 40-story RC shear wall building was designed and analyzed to investigate the influence of RCFS on the global response of tall concrete buildings. The seismic responses of the building with and without the RCFS were modelled and compared. The results show that the modelling of RCFS has a significant impact on the inter-story drifts and force demands on both the seismic force-resisting and gravity elements.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.1039-1061
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• 2016

Based on Vlasov's torsional theory of open thin-walled members and the nonlinear constitutive relations of materials, a nonlinear analysis model to predict response of open thin-walled RC members subjected to pure torsion is proposed in the current study. The variation of the circulatory torsional stiffness and warping torsional stiffness over the entire loading process and the impact of warping shear deformation on the torsion-induced rotation of the member are considered in the formulation. The torque equilibrium differential equation is then solved by Runge-Kutta method. The proposed nonlinear model is then applied to predict the behavior of five U-shaped thin-walled RC members under pure torsion. Four of them were tested in an earlier experimental study by the authors and the testing data of the fifth one were reported in an existing literature. Results show that the analytical predictions based on the proposed model agree well with the experimental data of all five specimens. This clearly shows the validity of the proposed nonlinear model analyzing behavior of U-shaped thin-walled RC members under pure torsion.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.245-261
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• 2007

Nonlinear time-domain system identification (SI) algorithm is proposed to assess damage in a shear building by synchronously estimating time-varying stiffness and damping parameters using measured acceleration data. Mass properties have been assumed as the a priori known information. Viscous damping was utilized for the current research. To chase possible nonlinear dynamic behavior under severe vibration, an incremental governing equation of vibrational motion has been utilized. Stiffness and damping parameters are estimated at each time step by minimizing the response error between measured and computed acceleration increments at the measured degrees-of-freedom. To solve a nonlinear constrained optimization problem for optimal structural parameters, sensitivities of acceleration increment were formulated with respect to stiffness and damping parameters, respectively. Incremental state vectors of vibrational motion were computed numerically by Newmark-${\beta}$ method. No model is pre-defined in the proposed algorithm for recovering the nonlinear response. A time-window scheme together with Monte Carlo iterations was utilized to estimate parameters with noise polluted sparse measured acceleration. A moving average scheme was applied to estimate the time-varying trend of structural parameters in all the examples. To examine the proposed SI algorithm, simulation studies were carried out intensively with sample shear buildings under earthquake excitations. In addition, the algorithm was applied to assess damage with laboratory test data obtained from free vibration on a three-story shear building model.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.3 no.2_3
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• pp.91-102
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• 2006

To place concrete overlays has become a standard application in the strengthening and rehabilitation of concrete structures such as bridges, tunnels, parking decks and industrial buildings. In general, connectors are used to ensure a monolithic behavior of the two concrete layers. Within the framework of the development of a new connector wedge splitting tests and shear tests were performed, in addition nonlinear finite element analyses were applied to investigate the load transfer behavior of the connectors for different prototypes. The numerical simulation results were compared to experimental data. The computed load-displacement curve demonstrates good correspondence with the curves obtained in the experiments, and the experimental crack patterns are reasonably simulated by the computed crack propagation. Both numerical and experimental investigations on the wedge splitting test and on the shear test served as basis for the development of new type of connectors.