Simulating the behavior of prestressed beams with different degrees of prestressing

Abstract

The paper covers numerical analysis of an experiment with five T-beams that are loaded to failure. The beams are designed to have the same ultimate bearing capacity with different ratios of prestressed to classic reinforcement. A detailed overview of the experiment is shown with exact section dimensions, as well as exact position and ratio of prestressed to classic steel. As a result of the experiment, force-displacement diagrams for each beam are presented and analyzed. Numerical model of the beams, reinforced in accordance with the experiment, is also shown. Two models for materials are used to analyze the beams: design model to check the design failure force and a new material model with concrete tension to simulate the actual behavior of the beams. All beams are gradually loaded to numerical failure by incrementally increasing the load that simulates press load. At the end, an analysis and comparison between experimental and numerical results is conducted to determine if the numerical model is a good representation of actual beam behavior.