Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Elements Including Shear Effects

This paper deals with the analysis of reinforced concrete (RC)plane frames under monotonic and cyclic loading, including axial,bending, and shear effects. A force-based two-dimensional (2D)element based on the Timoshenko beam theory is introduced. Theelement formulation is general and yields the exact solution withinthe Timoshenko beam theory. A simple, nonlinear, shear force-shear deformation law is used at the section level, together with aclassical fiber section for the axial and bending effects. Sheardeformations are thus uncoupled from axial and bending effects inthe section stiffness, but shear and bending forces become coupledat the element level because equilibrium is enforced along thebeam element. The element is validated through comparisons withexperimental data on the shear performance of bridge columns.The seismic analysis of a viaduct that collapsed during the 1995 Kobe earthquake is presented.