SUMMARYThis paper presents a fibre beam-column element for the non-linear static and dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete frames. It is assumed that plane sections remain plane and normal to the longitudinal axis. The effects of shear and bond-slip are, thus, presently neglected. The non-linear hysteretic behaviour of the element derives from the constitutive relations of concrete and reinforcing steel fibres into which each section is divided. The element formulation is flexibility-based and relies on force interpolation functions that strictly satisfy the equilibrium of bending moments and axial force along the element. Since the element does not make use of displacement interpolation functions, an iterative algorithm is needed for the determination of the resisting forces during the element state determination. The proposed algorithm is accurate and stable, even in the presence of strength loss, and is, thus, capable of tracing very well the highly non-linear behaviour of R/C members under cyclic load combinations of bending moment and axial force.
SUMMARYA companion paper presents the formulation of a fibre beam-column element for the non-linear static and dynamic analysis of R/C frames. This paper illustrates the application of the proposed element in the simulation of the hysteretic behaviour of several R/C beam and column specimens. The specimens are subjected to uniaxial and biaxial loading histories with varying axial load. The proposed element shows computationally stable and robust numerical behaviour, while being able to describe very well the hysteretic behaviour of the reinforced concrete members under the imposed complex loading histories.
A series of earthquakes, the highest of magnitude M w 5.9, hit a portion of the Po Valley in Northern Italy, which was only recently classified as seismic. The paper reports the findings and the lessons learnt from a preliminary field survey which was conducted immediately after the second event. As a result of the economic attitude of the affected area, and possibly of the characteristics of the event, an unprecedented number of industrial precast buildings were affected, resulting into most of the casualties as well as in large economic losses. Whereas most of the damaged and collapsed buildings were designed for gravity loads only, evidence of poor behavior of some precast buildings designed according to seismic provisions were discovered. The paper provides a description of the performance of precast buildings, highlighting the deficiencies that led to their poor behavior as well as some preliminary recommendations.
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