No abstract

Abstract. To assess the seismic vulnerability of existing reinforced concrete structures, a large number of degrees of freedom is involved. Consequently, efficient numerical tools are required. In the case of slender elements, enhanced beam elements have been developed to try to introduce shear effects, but in these models, the transverse steel is sometimes taken into consideration with approximated manner or often not at all. However, as shown by some experimental tests, the amount of transverse reinforcement triggers significantly the behavior of beam elements, especially under cyclic loading. Thus, the main goal of this work is to investigate solutions for an enhanced multifiber beam element accounting for vertical stretching of the cross section, occurring due to the presence of transverse reinforcement. The efficiency of the proposed modeling strategies is tested with results obtained from tension and flexure tests conducted on an elastic linear material.

No abstract