Analysis of reinforced concrete panels loaded axially and laterally

Reinforced concrete panels supported on four edges and subjected simultaneously to inplane and lateral loads are encountered commonly in civil engineering structures. In many cases one of the two load types can be neglected or the coupling effect of the two loadings is not significant and their effects can be treated separately. However, in some applications, such as bridge decks, offshore structures, etc, inplane and transverse loads must be considered simultaneously to adequately predict the response and the ultimate carrying capacity of such elements. A research program involving experiments and numerical modelling has been undertaken at the University of Alberta to study the behavior of reinforced concrete panels loaded axially and transversely. In the present study, the modelling of reinforced concrete panels with the finite element method is described.;The finite element model predictions are compared to the results of various experimental investigations: reinforced concrete members loaded axially in tension, prestressed concrete wall segments loaded in biaxial tension, reinforced concrete panels subjected to shear and combined shear and biaxial compression, and finally, reinforced concrete plates loaded axially and transversely.;The finite element model is also used to carry out a parametric study on reinforced concrete panels subjected to inplane and lateral loads, in which the geometry of the panels, their boundary conditions and the type of loading are varied.;The development of an incremental hypoelastic plane stress material model for reinforced concrete and its implementation in a 3D degenerated plate shell element are described. The material model for concrete allows for strain softening after cracking and crushing and includes fixed and rotating crack models. A rational tension stiffening relationship is introduced, in which the post cracking stress strain response is described in terms of the reinforcement ratios and the angle of the crack to the reinforcement.