Design of Thick Concrete Beams : Using Non-Linear FEM

Sammanfattning: The experimental studies performed on the behaviour of very thick concrete beams subjected to static loads have revealed that the shear mechanisms play an important role in the overall response and failure behaviour. The aim of this thesis is to recommend suitable design methods for thick concrete beams subjected to off-centre static concentrated load according Eurocode 2 by using non-linear finite element analysis (NLFEA). To achieve this task, Abaqus/Explicit has been used by employing constitutive material models to capture the material non-linearity and stiffness degradation of concrete. Concrete damaged plasticity model and perfect plasticity model has been used for concrete and steel respectively. Three dilation angles (30º, 38º and 45º) and fracture energy from FIB 1990 (76 N/m) and FIB 2010 (142 N/m) has been used to investigate their influence on the finite element model. The dilation angle of 38º and FIB 2010 fracture energy was adopted as the suitable choice that reasonably matched with the experimental results. In verifying and calibrating the finite element model, the experimental results of the thick reinforced concrete beam conducted by the American Concrete Institute have been used. Three design approaches in the ultimate and serviceability limit state according to Eurocode 2 recommendations have been used namely; the beam method, strut and tie method and shell element method. Using the reinforcement detailing of the hand calculations of beam method and strut and tie method and linear finite element analysis of shell element method, non-linear finite element models have been pre-processed and analysed in Abaqus/Explicit. During the post-processing, the results have been interpreted and compared between the three design methods. The results under consideration are hand-calculated load at 0.3 mm crack width, FE-load at 0.3 mm crack width, amount of reinforcement and FE-failure load. The comparison of the results between the three design approaches (beam method, strut and tie method and shell element method) indicates that strut and tie method is better design approach, because it is relatively economic with regards to the quantity of reinforcement bars, has the higher load capacity and has a higher load at crack width of 0.3 mm crack width.