SP-237CD This CD-ROM is a collection of 19 papers presented at a workshop sponsored by Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 447, Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structures, and JCI Committee 016SP, in Maui, Hawaii, USA, in November 2003. A broad range of topics was addressed, including the creation of new experimental data sets for use in developing, calibrating, and validating models; the development and validation of plain, reinforced, and fiber-reinforced concrete constitutive models; new approaches to simulating the response of reinforced concrete continua; new element formations to enable improved simulation of component response; and new computational techniques.

Irregular lattice models are developed as an alternative means for failure analyses of RC structures. The paper describes fundamental aspects of the model and comments on its use in promoting the iterative design of RC structures. Simulation results are provided for RC structures under quasi-static, monotonic loading. In particular, results are given for the incremental lateral load analysis of a 1/3 scale model of a lightly reinforced shear wall structure. Preliminary work on extending the model to accommodate dynamic loading is described.

A finite element model is developed for the analysis of fiber reinforced concrete plane stress members failing by mode I fracture. The constitutive law is built on the variable engagement model where the behavior of a fiber composite is obtained by integration of its parts (fibers and concrete matrix) over the cracked surface. In developing the model in this way the formulation is made generally applicable to any type of steel fiber-cement based matrix and to fiber cocktails with any combination of fibers in the mix in any ratios. The model is demonstrated for a reactive powder concrete girder failing in shear using local and non-local modeling. The finite element formulation is shown to be capable of modeling the girder, with good accuracy observed for the global load versus displacement history and is shown to correctly capture the localized shear failure mechanism.

Snapback load-deflection relations of shear failing beams are numerically obtained using Arc Length Method with Selected Displacement Control Points. Identifying stress loading area while load decreases, failure process of snapback shear failure of a beam was clarified. The fundamental understanding of the phenomena is extended to failure concept of a structure through energy balance calculation.

Damage assessment has become more important than ever since structural designers started to employ performance based design methods, which require structural and member behaviors at different limit states be predicted precisely. This study aims to clarify the confining effect of concrete of a plastic hinge zone of a reinforced concrete column confined by shear reinforcement, so that a designer can accurately predict damage when columns experience seismic loadings that includes large axial force and bilateral deformations. In an experimental program, eight half-scale columns and eight full-scale columns were tested under the reversal bilateral displacement with constant or varying axial load in order to study the effects of loading history and intensity on the confining effect. Since shear failure was inhibited by providing enough transverse reinforcement, as defined by the previous Japanese design guidelines, damage gradually progressed in a flexural mode with concrete crushing and yielding of reinforcing bars. The damage level depended on the bilateral loading paths and the axial load history. In an analytical program, a section analysis using a fiber model was employed and the effect of confinement on the behavior of core concrete was studied. The analysis predicted the observed deterioration of moment capacity and longitudinal shortening under different loading conditions and for different specimen sizes. The study is considered to increase the accuracy with which damage in reinforced concrete columns subjected to severe loading is assessed.