CHAPTER FIVE FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS PhD Thesis, Hayfaa Dhumad Hasan

CHAPTER FIVE
FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

5.1 General

The finite element technique is a means of structural analysis in which

approximate and appropriate solution to structural problems is produced
through the analysis of structural components represented by elements that
formed from a set of nodal points connected to each other. This system named
as mesh. The solution of any problem can be obtained after applying the initial
and boundary conditions on the specified nodes. The finite element technique
is widely accepted and considered as an important numerical procedure which
is used for predicating the solution to various engineering problems and this
technique eliminates the need for experimental investigation tests carried out
by researchers. The non-linear response of reinforced concrete structural
elements is due to several factors: nonlinearity behavior of concrete and steel,
interaction of concrete and steel reinforcement, the dowel action of steel
reinforcement through cracks, interlock of aggregate at cracks, concrete
cracking, tension stiffening, creep, shrinkage, temperature, humidity and
history of loading, Kwak and Filippou, (1990). In this chapter, ABAQUS
program is used for simulation the response of reinforced concrete beams
with/without lacing reinforcement under static and fatigue loads. Concrete
damaged plasticity model available in ABAQUS program is used to model the
concrete. This model is shown in the Appendix E. There are two methods to
simulate the cracks in finite element analysis, discrete and smeared methods.
In the smeared crack model, the cracks are represent as continuous cracks
within the solid element as shown in Figure (5.1a), while the discrete method
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show the cracks as separated element as shown in Figure (5.1b). In this work
the smeared crack model is adopted which available in ABAQUS package.

(a) (b)

Figure (5.1): (a) Smeared cracks; (b) discrete cracks methods, Pankaj, P.
(2010).

In this section, the finite element analysis results are presented and compared
with experimental results of tested beams.
5.2 Idealization of Materials in Finite Element Method

Finite element method has been used to modeling the reinforced concrete
beams with/without lacing reinforcement by ABAQUS software. Table (5.1)
illustrates the type of structural elements which is used to modeling the beams
according to material types.

Table (5.1): Types of element for beams model.

Type of material ABAQUS element

Concrete C3D8R
longitudinal steel bar T3D2
Lacing steel bar T3D2
Cross bar T3D2

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5.2.1 Representation of Concrete

In the current analysis work, three dimensional 8-nodes hexahedral brick

elements (C3D8R) are used to represent the concrete. C3D8R element has
three degree of freedom in X, Y and Z directions for each node as shown in
Figure (5.2).

Figure (5.2): Linear Brick element (8 nodes, C3D8R), ABAQUS user's

manual V. 6.13.

5.2.2 Representation of Reinforcement

Three types of reinforcement representation are existed in finite element

method, which are: the discrete, embedded and smeared models, Kwak and
Filippou, (1990). as shown in Figure (5.3).

Figure (5.3): Representation Models for Reinforcement, Kwak and

Filippou, (1990): (a) discrete, (b) embedded and (c) smeared.
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Figure (5.3): Representation Models for Reinforcement, Kwak and

Filippou, (1990): (a) discrete, (b) embedded and (c) smeared.

In this work, the embedded model is used to model all steel reinforcement
(flexural, lacing and cross bar) uses T2D2 element that shard same node with
concrete element. T2D2 element can be defined as three dimensional truss
elements of two nodes and three degree of freedom in X, Y and Z directions
for each node, where the X- axis is extend along the length of the T2D2
element as shown in Figure (5.4). The steel reinforcement element connected
to the concrete element by using embedded element option which is available
in ABAQUS program, the steel reinforcement is designed as embedded
element and the concrete is used as the host element, which the translation
degree of freedom in each node of steel reinforcement element (embedded
element) is restricted to translation degree of freedom of the concrete element
(host element), Hu et al. (2004).

Figure (5.4): Linear truss element (2 nodes, T3D2), ABAQUS user's

manual V. 6.13.

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5.3 Nonlinear Solution Techniques

In general, algebraic equations are used to model structural problem in

finite element method as follows:

[ ]{ } { } (5.1).

Where:

{ }: The vector of the unknown nodal displacement.

{ }: The vector of the nodal applied force.

[ ]: The stiffness matrix.

[ ] ∫[ ] [ ][ ] (5.2).

Where:

[ ] is the matrix of strain-nodal displacement based on shape function of the

element.

The solution of structural problems with linear elastic behavior could be

predicted directly in finite element method. But for nonlinear structural
problem, the direct solution cannot be reached due to dependence of stiffness
matrix [ ] on the level of displacement. For that, the displacement of the
unknown nodal { } must be calculated first. The nonlinear analytical
technique used in this study is the incremental-iterative procedure, Nyssen,
(1981) as shown in Figure (5.5). In this procedure, the total load is applied
with subsequent steps of appropriate increasing load. For each increment,
numbers of iterations are conducted to reach the equilibrium and the
convergence of the solution.

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Figure (5.5): Nonlinear analytical technique (the incremental-iterative

procedure), Nyssen, (1981).

5.3.1 Solution Control and Termination Criterion in ABAQUS Program

It is certain that the results of any complex nonlinear problem credence on

the parameters of nonlinear control. To estimate the correct peak load by using
the non-convergence criterion is difficult and it is depends on the input
parameters and method of stopping criterion. In this study, three finite element
analysis techniques are used and presented, the first one is static Riks
procedure (ABAQUS/STANDARED) that has been used to simulate the non-
linear behavior of all reinforced concrete beam under static loading and it can
be defined as a nonlinear static incremental procedure which is used in static
analysis and also called arc length method (illustrated in Appendix E, pp. E-21
to E-27). This procedure is recommended for buckling and unstable problems
resulting from material and geometric especially when the beam behavior is
fully unstable when cracks are progressed, Fink et al. (2006) as shown in
Figure (5.6). During the unstable response period, the displacement and/or
load can be reduced when the solution progresses. The other two methods
(static/general and direct cyclic) are used to obtain the response of laced
reinforced concrete beams subjected to fatigue loading as described in the

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fatigue load analysis section. In order to specify the geometric nonlinearities

in ABAQUS program, the Nlgeom option must be activated in ON option
which is used for large- displacement formulation. For stopping criterion,
automatic incrimination type is used. The maximum number of increments is
set at a high value and cannot be reached. Also within increment size option,
the initial and minimum increments are set with the smallest value.

Figure (5.6): Typical unstable static response, ABAQUS user's manual V.

6.13.

5.5 Material Models

The uniaxial response of concrete in compression is modeled using the

analytical model proposed by MacGregor, (1992) and it is described as
follows:

√ in MPa (5.3)

(5.4)
( )

(5.5)

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(5.6)

where:
f: Stress at any strain,
: Strain of concrete
: Strain at ultimate compressive strength f'c
E: Tangent modulus of elasticity

To model the concrete response in ABAQUS program, the concrete

damaged plasticity model is used. This model is described in Appendix E. The
parameters of concrete damaged plasticity model are defined by using
ABAQUS default values which are listed in Table (5.2).

Table (5.2): The parameters of concrete damage plasticity model,

ABAQUS user's manual V. 6.13.

Concrete damaged plasticity/ Plasticity (parameters)

Dilation angle 31
Flow potential eccentricity 0.1
The ratio of initial equbixial compressive 1.16
yield stress to initial uniaxial compressive
yield stress ⁄
The ratio of the second stress invariant on ⁄
the tensile meridian, q(TM), to that on the
compressive meridian, q(CM),
Viscosity parameter ( 0

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The steel reinforcement is modeled analytically as elastic-perfectly plastic as

shown in Figure (5.7). For linear isotropic part is defined by modulus of
elasticity of steel reinforcement ( and poisson's ratio ( which are taken
as , respectively. For bilinear isotropic part is defined by
yield stress ( . The input data in ABAQUS program for concrete and steel
reinforcement are based on the experimental test results as presented in
chapter three.

Figure (5.7): Steel reinforcement model, Hu, H.T. et al. (2004).

5.6 Finite Element Mesh

The modeling of reinforced concrete beams in a finite element method is

defined by dividing the model into small elements linked to each other by
points. The stress and strain in these elements is calculated by means of
integration points, Bathe (1996). The concrete part is divided by datum plane
order at the places where the longitudinal reinforcement meets the shear
reinforcement to force the elements mesh pass at the partition points; therefore
the size of these elements was selected and chosen. The created elements for
concrete and all steel reinforcement (flexural bar, shear bar (stirrups and
lacing bars) are illustrated in Figures (5.8) to (5.13).

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Figure (5.8): Elements mesh for concrete beams.

Figure (5.9): The modeling of steel reinforcement (flexural and single

lacing bar inclined with 30 degree to horizontal axis) for beams 6SLRC-S-
30 and 8SLRC-S-30.

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Figure (5.10): The modeling of steel reinforcement (flexural and single

lacing bars inclined with 45 degree to horizontal axis) for beams 6SLRC-
S-45, and 8SLRC-S-45.

Figure (5.11): The modeling of steel reinforcement (flexural and single

lacing bars inclined with 60 degree to horizontal axis) for beams 6SLRC-
S-60 and 8SLRC-S-60.

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Figure (5.12): The modeling of steel reinforcement (flexural and doubly

lacing bars inclined with 45 degree to horizontal axis) for beam
8DLRC-S-45.

Figure (5.13): The modeling of steel reinforcement (flexural and doubly

lacing bars inclined with 60 degree to horizontal axis) for beams 6DLRC-
S-60 and 8DLRC-S-60.

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The boundary conditions for concrete supports are divided into two types:
roller and hinge are applied on created
points. The load is distributed as pressure force on two equal areas
(0.16m*0.04m) at the top of the elements located on both sides of the central
line of the tested beam as in experimental test as shown in Figure (5.14).

(a)

(b)

Figure (5.14): Beam boundary conditions and loading configuration.

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