Latest revision as of 14:47, 19 June 2017

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical model for the non-linear analysis of concrete structures under monotonic loading up to failure, the main features of which are as follows: threedimensional finite element modelling, brittle constitutive law for concrete, smeared modelling of cracking and incremental loading and cracking procedure. Three different structural elements of known experimental performance are analysed. The analyses of a plain concrete prism exhibiting a brittle failure and a reinforced concrete beam failing in flexure show that the predictions of ultiinate loads are rather insensitive to the adopted finite element mesh. Finally, the predictions for a reinforced concrete beam failing in shear show that the results may be very sensitive to the updating strategy of the iterative procedure due to lack of convergence or to divergence caused by propagation of spurious mechanisms.

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