A simplified model of concrete for analysis of reinforced concrete elements

Abstract

The elastic-plastic material model for concrete developed by considering the stress softening and degradation of the deformation modulus for the concrete was presented in the paper. A reduced plane stress state for the compression/tension range with shear was assumed. During the loading process, the model describes four phases of concrete behaviour during compression: achieving the elastic compressive concrete strength, perfectly plastic flow, material softening, and failure/crushing. The model describes three tension phases: achieving elastic tensile concrete strength, material softening, and failure/cracking. The failure phases were interpreted as achieving a stressless state in the material softening process. The proposed model is simplified and very effective to describe the most important properties of nonlinear behaviour of material. The model of concrete can be used for analysis of failure mechanism of reinforced concrete structural elements.