Search results

An efficient implementation of a constitutive model for reinforced concrete plates is discussed in this work. The constitutive model is set directly in terms of stress resultants and their energy conjugate strain measures, relating their total values. The latter simplification is justified by our primary goal being an evaluation of the limit load of a reinforced concrete plate. A concept of the ‘rotating crack model’ is utilized in proposing the constitutive model to relate the principal values of bending moments and the corresponding values of curvatures. Efficient implementation is provided by a very robust, but inexpensive plate element. The element is based on an assumed shear strain field and a set of incompatible bending modes, which provides that the non‐linear computations, pertinent to constitutive model, can be carried out locally, i.e. independently at each numerical integration point. Set of numerical examples is presented to demonstrate a very satisfying performance of the proposed model.