Computer Simulations of RC Structures for Practice

This paper presents some recent research on the nonlinear computer simulations of reinforced concrete (RC) structures for practice, carried out at Graz University of Technology, with emphasis on the concrete material modeling and the use of numerical simulations to solve problems in practical engineering. The theoretical development and performance of a new concrete constitutive model formulated within the microplane theory framework is first introduced. A recent application of nonlinear finite element method (FEM) simulation to predict the load-carrying capacity of a RC parapet element with low transverse reinforcement ratio is presented in details. It is shown, compared with conventional design and analysis procedures, that nonlinear FEM simulations incorporating sophisticated concrete constitutive models are able to describe more realistically the real failure and ultimate load of RC structures in engineering practice.