• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.217-241
• /
• 2008

In this paper, a total strain-based hysteretic material model based on MCFT is proposed for non-linear finite element analysis of reinforced concrete structures. Although many concrete models have been proposed for simulating behavior of structures under cyclic loading conditions, accurate simulations remain challenging due to uncertainties in materials, pitfalls of crude assumptions of existing models, and limited understanding of failure mechanisms. The proposed model is equipped with a fully generalized hysteresis rule and is formulated for 2D plane stress non-linear finite element analysis. The proposed model has been formulated in a tangent stiffness-based finite element scheme so that it can be used for most general finite element analysis packages. Moreover, it eliminates the need to check that tensile stresses can be transmitted across a crack. The tension stiffening model is a function of the bar orientation and any orientation can be accommodated. The proposed model has been verified with a series of experimental results of 2D RC planar panels. This study also demonstrates how parameters of the proposed model associated with cyclic damage modeling influences the pinched cyclic shear behavior.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.123-148
• /
• 2013

The nonlinear finite element method with eight noded isoparametric quadrilateral element for concrete and two noded element for reinforcement is used for the prediction of the behavior of reinforcement concrete structures. The disturbed state concept (DSC) including the hierarchical single surface (HISS) plasticity model with associated flow rule with modifications is used to characterize the constitutive behavior of concrete both in compression and in tension which is named DSC/HISS-CT. The HISS model is applied to shows the plastic behavior of concrete, and DSC for microcracking, fracture and softening simulations of concrete. It should be noted that the DSC expresses the behavior of a material element as a mixture of two interacting components and can include both softening and stiffening, while the classical damage approach assumes that cracks (damage) induced in a material treated acts as a void, with no strength. The DSC/HISS-CT is a unified model with different mechanism, which expresses the observed behavior in terms of interacting behavior of components; thus the mechanism in the DSC is much different than that of the damage model, which is based on physical cracks which has no strength and interaction with the undamaged part. This is the first time the DSC/HISS-CT model, with the capacity to account for both compression and tension yields, is applied for concrete materials. The DSC model allows also for the characterization of non-associative behavior through the use of disturbance. Elastic perfectly plastic behavior is assumed for modeling of steel reinforcement. The DSC model is validated at two levels: (1) specimen and (2) practical boundary value problem. For the specimen level, the predictions are obtained by the integration of the incremental constitutive relations. The FE procedure with DSC/HISS-CT model is used to obtain predictions for practical boundary value problems. Based on the comparisons between DSC/HISS-CT predictions, test data and ANSYS software predictions, it is found that the model provides highly satisfactory predictions. The model allows computation of microcracking during deformation leading to the fracture and failure; in the model, the critical disturbance, Dc, identifies fracture and failure.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.213-233
• /
• 2006

Over the past years techniques for non-linear analysis have been enhanced significantly via improved solution procedures, extended finite element techniques and increased robustness of constitutive models. Nevertheless, problems remain, especially for real world structures of softening materials like concrete. The softening gives negative stiffness and risk of bifurcations due to multiple cracks that compete to survive. Incremental-iterative techniques have difficulties in selecting and handling the local peaks and snap-backs. In this contribution, an alternative method is proposed. The softening diagram of negative slope is replaced by a saw-tooth diagram of positive slopes. The incremental-iterative Newton method is replaced by a series of linear analyses using a special scaling technique with subsequent stiffness/strength reduction per critical element. It is shown that this event-by-event strategy is robust and reliable. First, the model is shown to be objective with respect to mesh refinement. Next, the example of a large-scale dog-bone specimen in direct tension is analyzed using an isotropic version of the saw-tooth model. The model is capable of automatically providing the snap-back response. Subsequently, the saw-tooth model is extended to include anisotropy for fixed crack directions to accommodate both tensile cracking and compression strut action for reinforced concrete. Three different reinforced concrete structures are analyzed, a tension-pull specimen, a slender beam and a slab. In all cases, the model naturally provides the local peaks and snap-backs associated with the subsequent development of primary cracks starting from the rebar. The secant saw-tooth stiffness is always positive and the analysis always 'converges'. Bifurcations are prevented due to the scaling technique.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.61 no.4
• /
• pp.463-473
• /
• 2017

Reinforced concrete is a complex material to be modeled in finite element domain. A proper material model is necessary to represent the nonlinear behaviour accurately. Though the nonlinear analysis of RC structures evolved long back, still an accurate and reliable model to predict the realistic behaviour of components are limited. It is observed from literature that there are three well-known models to represent the nonlinear behaviour of concrete. These models include Chu model (1985), Hsu model (1994) and Saenz model (1964).A new stress-strain model based on Weibull distribution has been proposed in the present study. The objective of the present study is to analyze a reinforced concrete beam under flexural loading by employing all the models. Nonlinear behaviour of concrete is considered in terms of stress vs. strain, damage parameter, tension stiffening behaviour etc. The ductility of the RC beams is computed by using deflection based and energy based concepts. Both deflection ductility and energy based ductility is compared and energy based concept is found to be in good correlation with the experiments conducted. The behavior of RC beam predicted using ABAQUS has been compared with the corresponding experimental observations. Comparison between numerical and experimental results confirms that these four constitutive models are reliable in predicting the behaviour of RC structures and any of the models can be employed for analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.59 no.3
• /
• pp.559-577
• /
• 2016

There are many theoretical analyses and experimental studies of the hydrodynamics for the tension leg platform (TLP) of a floating wind turbine. However, there has been little research on the arrangement of the TLP's internal structure. In this study, a TLP model and a 5-MW wind turbine model as proposed by the Minstitute of Technology and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been adopted, respectively, to comprehensively analyze wind effects and wave and current combinations. The external additional coupling loads on the TLP and the effects of the loads on variables of the internal structure have been calculated. The study investigates preliminary layout parameters-namely, the thickness of the tension leg body, the contact mode of the top tower on the tension leg, the internal stiffening arrangement, and the formation of the spoke structure-and conducts sensitivity analyses of the TLP internal structure. Stress is found to be at a maximum at the top of the tension leg structure and the maximum stress has low sensitivity to the load application point. Different methods of reducing maximum stress have been researched and analyzed, and the effectiveness of these methods is analyzed. Filling of the spoke structure with concrete is discussed. Since the TLP structure for offshore wind power is still under early exploration, arrangements and the configuration of the internal structure, exploration and improvements are ongoing. With regard to its research and analysis process, this paper aims to guide future applications of tension leg structures for floating wind turbine.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.33-41
• /
• 2011

This study presents modeling technologies applicable to an unbonded post-tension system using a finite element software package. In this study, both direct modeling method and multiple spring method were used. The direct modeling method adopts tube-to-tube contact elements to represent the physical feature of a post-tension system. The multiple spring method uses virtual tendons attached to the real tendons using a number of rigid axial springs that freely rotate at the ends. Both modeling technologies provide accurate predictions. However, only the multiple spring method provides numerically stable and reliable responses with a consideration of concrete tension stiffening effects. Therefore, the multiple spring method turned out to be a generally applicable modeling technology for the unbonded post-tension system. Comparisons were made for the analytical and experimental results for the verification of the selected method, and parameter studies were carried out to confirm the appropriateness of the modeling assumptions and parameters adopted in the analysis.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.64 no.4
• /
• pp.437-447
• /
• 2017

Explicit expressions for rapid prediction of inelastic design quantities (considering cracking of concrete) from corresponding elastic quantities, are presented for multi-storey composite frames (with steel columns and steel-concrete composite beams) subjected to service load. These expressions have been developed from weights and biases of the trained neural networks considering concrete stress, relative stiffness of beams and columns including effects of cracking in the floors below and above. Large amount of data sets required for training of neural networks have been generated using an analytical-numerical procedure developed by the authors. The neural networks have been developed for moments and deflections, for first floor, intermediate floors (second floor to ante-penultimate floor), penultimate floor and topmost floor. In the case of moments, expressions have been proposed for exterior end of exterior beam, interior end of exterior beam and both interior ends of interior beams, for each type of floor with a total of twelve expressions. Similarly, in the case of deflections, expressions have been proposed for exterior beam and interior beam of each type of floor with a total of eight expressions. The proposed expressions have been verified by comparison of the results with those obtained from the analytical-numerical procedure. This methodology helps to obtain the inelastic design quantities from the elastic quantities with simple calculations and thus would be very useful in preliminary design.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.649-665
• /
• 2009

This paper reports part of a comprehensive research study conducted at the University of Queensland on the ability of CFRP web-bonded systems in strengthening an exterior beam-column joint subjected to monotonic loads. One 1/2.2 scaled plain and four CFRP repaired/retrofitted joints subjected to monotonic loads were analysed using the nonlinear finite-element program ANSYS and the results were calibrated against experiments. The ANSYS model was employed in order to account for tension stiffening in concrete after cracking and a modified version of the Hognestad's model was used to model the concrete compressive strength. The stress-strain properties of main steel bars were modelled using multilinear isotropic hardening model and the FRPs were modelled as anisotropic materials. A perfect bond was assumed as nodes were shared between adjacent elements irrespective of their type. Good agreement between the numerical predictions and the experimental observation of the failure mechanisms for all specimens were observed. Closeness of these results proved that the numerical analysis can be used by design engineers for the analysis of web-bonded FRP strengthened beam-column joints with confidence.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.379-397
• /
• 2019

Steel-concrete composite beams are widely employed in constructions and their performance at the serviceability stage is of concern among practitioners and design regulations. In this context, an accurate evaluation of long-term deflections via various rheological concrete models is needed. In this work, the performance and predict capability of some concrete creep and shrinkage models ACI, CEB, B3, FIB and GL2000 are ascertained, and compared by using statistical bias indicators. Ten steel-concrete composite beams with existing experimental and numerical results are then modeled for this purpose. The proposed modeling technique uses the finite element method, where the concrete slab and steel beam are modeled with shell finite elements. Concrete is considered as an aging viscoelastic material and cracking is treated with the common smeared approach. The results show that when the experimental ultimate shrinkage strain is used for calibration, all studied rheological models predict nearly similar deflections, which agree with the experimental data. In contrast, significance differences are encountered for some models, when none calibration is made prior to. A value between twenty and thirty times the cracking strain is recommended for the ultimate tensile strain in the tension stiffening model. Also, increasing the relative humidity and decreasing the ambient temperature can lead to a substantial reduction of slab cracking for beams under negative flexure. Finally, there is not a unique rheological model that clearly excels in all scenarios.

• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.187-195
• /
• 1996

A finite element formulation based on the CFT(Compression Field Theory), considering the effect of compression softening in cracked concrete, and macro-scopic and rotating crack models etc., was presented for the nonlinear behaviour of structural concrete. Considering the computational efficency and the ability of modelling the post-ultimate behaviour as major concerns, the Incremental displacement solution algorithm involving initial material stiffnesses and the relaxation procedure for fast convergence was adopted and formulated in a type of 8-noded quadrilateral isoparametric elements. The analysis program NASCOM(Non1inear Analysis of Structural Concrete by FEM : Monotonic Loading) developed in this way enables the predictions of strength and deformation capacities in a full range, crack patterns and their corresponding widths, and yield extents of reinforcement. As the verification purpose of NASCOM, the predictions were made for Bhide's Panel(PB21) and Leonhardt's deep beam tests. The predicted results shows somewhat stiff behaviour for the panel test, and vice versa for deep beam tests. More refining process would be necessary hereafter in terms of more accurately simulating the effects of tension-stiffening and compression softening in concrete.