REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAME SUBJECTED TO EARTHQUAKE

LOADING

1 Description
This problem shows a reinforced concrete frame infilled with bricks and subjected to
earthquake loading. Figure 1 shows the geometry and reinforcement of the frame and
bricks. Simulation is performed using 6872 elements, as shown in Fig. 2. The frame
thickness is assumed 0.25 meters while the wall thickness is assumed as 0.125 meters.
The applied excitations are shown in Fig. 3. Nonlinear dynamic analysis is performed for
the structure. It took about 24 hours using PC to simulate the first 20 seconds of the
earthquake.
 0.60
0.25
As=10 cm2
2.40
0.60

0.60 As=10 cm2

Beam Sec.
2.40
As=10 cm2
top/bottom
0.60

0.25
2.40 0.50

18.00
Column Sec.
0.60

2.40

Brick Wall:
0.60 Thick=0.12 m.

2.40
Stirrups:
2
0.60 As=5 cm/25 cm

2.40
Solid Ground

0.60 3.40 0.60 3.40 0.60

8.60
Fig. 1, Geometry and Reinforcement Distribution of a Frame Subjected to Cyclic
Loading
 Element of Time History Graph

Point of Stress Calculation

Fig. 2, Mathematical Model

 m/sec2
10

0 Sec.
0 4 8 12 16 20

-5

-10
Fig. 3, Applied Ground Excitations

2 Material properties
2.1 Steel
For reinforcement springs, the model presented in the previous research1) is used and it is
shown in Fig. 4. The tangent stiffness of reinforcement is calculated based on the strain
from the reinforcement spring, loading status (either loading or unloading) and the
previous history of steel spring, which controls the Bauschinger's effect. The main
advantage of this model is that it can consider easily the effects of partial unloading and
Baushinger's effect without any additional complications to the analysis. No models were
used for steel failure.

Stress
σy1 Tension
Eo/n

Eo
Strain

Compression σy2

Fig. 4 Stress-Strain curve for Steel 3)

n= post yield slope=100

Young’s Modulus (E)
( kN / m2 )
σy1 σy2
(kN / m2 ) (kN / m2 )
2.10E+08 2.40E+05 2.40E+05
2.2 Concrete
As a material modeling of concrete under compression condition, Maekawa compression
model3), as shown in Fig. 5, is adopted. In this model, the initial Young's modulus, the
fracture parameter, representing the extent of the internal damage of concrete, and the
compressive plastic strain are introduced to define the envelope for compressive stresses
and compressive strains. Therefore unloading and reloading can be conveniently
described. For more details, refer to Ref. (2). The tangent modulus is calculated
according to the strain at the spring location. To consider the biaxial confinement effects
in compression zones, Kupfer3) biaxial failure function is adopted. A modified
compressive strength, fceq, is calculated using Eq. (1). This indicates that the
compressive resistance associated with each spring is variable and depends mainly on the
stress situation at the spring location. To determine the principal stress components σ1
and σ2, refer to Sec. 2.3.

1 + 3.65(σ1 σ 2 )
f ceq = fc (1)
(1 + σ1 σ 2 )2

After peak stresses, spring stiffness is assumed as a minimum value to avoid negative
stiffness. This results in difference between calculated stress and stress corresponds to the
spring strain. These residual stresses are redistributed by applying the redistributed force
values in the reverse direction. For concrete springs subjected to tension, spring stiffness
is assumed as the initial stiffness till reaching the cracking point. After cracking, stiffness
of springs subjected to tension is set to be zero.

S tr e s s
σc
in g
ad

C o m p re s s io n
Lo

g
d in

g
a d in
lo a
Re

U n lo

εp
S tr a in
T e n s io n
σt
Fig. 5 Stress-Strain curve for Concrete2)

Young’s Modulus (E)

(kN / m2 )
σc σt γ
2 2
(kN / m ) (kN / m ) (t / m 3 )
2.10E+07 1.70E+03 20.00E+03 12.5
2.3 Bricks
It is assumed that the bricks used is stiffer than the mortar connecting it together.
Therefore, the cracks are assumed to be around the bricks only. For mortar springs, it is
assumed that it has the same material model of concrete, with difference in tension
strength values. The assumed material models for mortar are:

Young’s Modulus (E)

(kN / m2 )
σc σt γ
(kN / m2 ) (kN / m2 ) (t / m 3 )
2.10E+06 0.50E+03 20.00E+03 2.5

2.4 Cracking Model

One of the main problems associated with the use of elements having three degrees of
freedom is the modeling of diagonal cracking. Applying Mohr-Coloumb’s failure criteria
calculated from normal and shear springs, not based on principal stresses, has some
problems. When the structure is really composed of individual elements, such as granular
material or brick masonry buildings, Mohr-Coloumb’s failure criteria is reasonable.
However, when we use elements by dividing the structure virtually, which is not really
composed of elements, for convenience of numerical simulation, adopting Mohr-
Coloumb’s failure criteria leads to inaccurate simulation of fracture behavior of the
structure. It was proved in Ref. 4 that stresses and strains around each element could be
calculated accurately. The idea of the proposed technique is how to use the calculated
stresses around each element to detect the occurrence of cracks. To determine the
principal stresses at each spring location, the following technique is used. Referring to
Fig. 6, the shear and normal stress components (τ and σ1) at point (A) are determined
from the normal and shear springs attached at the contact point location. The secondary
stress (σ2) can be calculated by Eq. 2 from normal stresses in points (B) and (C), as
shown in Fig. 6.
σ2 =
x
σB +
(a − x ) σ
C (2)
a a

The principal tension is calculated:

2
 σ + σ2   σ1 − σ 2 
 + (τ ) (3)
2
σp =  1 + 
 2   2 

The value of principal stress (σp) is compared with the tension resistance of the studied
material. When sp exceeds the critical value of tension resistance, the normal and shear
spring forces are redistributed in the next increment by applying the normal and shear
spring forces in the reverse direction. These redistributed forces are transferred to the
element center as a force and moment, and then these redistributed forces are applied to
the structure in the next increment. The redistribution of spring forces at the crack
location is very important for following the proper crack propagation. For the normal
spring, the whole force value is redistributed to have zero tension stress at the crack
faces. Although shear springs at the location of tension cracking might have some
resistance after cracking due to the effect of friction and interlocking between the crack
faces, the shear stiffness is assumed zero after crack occurrence.
 σP σ1
τ
σC σ2 σΒ
(C) (A) (B)
d

Contact point

a
Fig. 6 Principal Stress determination

2.5 Shear Model

Shear model is approximately considered in the analysis according to Fig. 7. The shear
stress-strain relation is assumed linear till reaching the cracking point. After cracking, due
to shear transfer and shear locking, a part of the shear stresses is redistributed (RV). The
RV factor was taken as 0.5 in this simulation.

τ Cracking point

Redistributed
value (RV)

G
γ Cracking
Fig. 7 Shear Stress-Strain Relation Before and After

2.6 Limitations of Used Models

It should be emphasized that some other failure phenomena, like buckling of
reinforcement and spalling of concrete cover, are not considered in the analysis in this
paper. However, the shear transfer and shear softening are approximately considered in
the analysis. Although the element shape effects are minor in case of monotonic loading
conditions, as proved in Ref. 5, it has more dominant effects in case of cyclic loading as
proved in Ref. 6.

3 Results
Many interesting results can be shown in this sample, the following factors were
considered in the analysis:
1- The crack initiation and propagation can be traced easily till failure
2- The cracking closure phenomenon can also be traced
3- The nonlinear behavior of reinforcement bars, stirrups and concrete in both
tension and compression can be simulated
4- Displacements, velocities and accelerations of any point at any time can be traced
easily.
5- The program accepts load and displacement control loading
6- The program accepts the changes of loading position during loading.
7- Changes of Eigen periods are also presented. Ten Eigen modes are calculated
after each loading cycle to check the damage of the entire frame, as shown in Fig.
9.
8- Normal and shear stresses and strains can be traced at any point, steel or concrete,
at any loading step.

Figure 10 shows the load-displacement relation obtained from the analysis while Fig. 11
shows the stress-strain relation at the reinforcement bar point shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 8, Changes of Eigen Periods after Loading Cycles

Fig. 9, Cracking patterns of the wall.
 Displacement Time History

0.12
0.1
0.08
X-Displacement (m)

0.06
0.04
0.02
0
-0.02 0 5 10 15 20
-0.04
-0.06
-0.08
Time (Sec.)

Fig. 9, Time history of X-Displacement at Element Shown in Fig. 3

Stress-Strain Curver in RFT Bar

500000
400000
300000
200000
Stress (kN/m 2)

100000
0
-0.004 -100000 0
-0.002 0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012
-200000
-300000
-400000
-500000
Strain

Fig. 10, Stress-Strain Relation at point shown in Fig. 3.

4 References
1. Ristic D., Yamada Y., and Iemura H.: Stress-strain based modeling of hystertic structures under earthquake
induced bending and varying axial loads, Research report, No. 86-ST-01, School of Civil Engineering, Kyoto
University, 1986.
2. Okamura H. and Maekawa K.: Nonlinear analysis and constitutive models of reinforced concrete, Gihodo Co.
Ltd., Tokyo, 1991.
3. Kupfer H., Hilsdorf, H.K., Rusch H.: Behavior of concrete under biaxial stresses, ACI journal, V. 66, No. 8, pp.
656-666, Aug. 1969.
4. Meguro K. and Tagel-Din H.: Applied Element Method for structural analysis: theory and application for linear
materials, Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCE, Vol. 17, No. 1, 21s-35s, April 2000.
5. Hatem Tagel-Din and Kimiro Meguro: Applied Element Method for simulation of nonlinear materials: theory and
application for RC structures, Structural Eng./Earthquake Eng., JSCE Vol. 17, No. 2, 137s-148s, July 2000.
6. Kimiro Meguro and Hatem Tagel-Din: Applied Element Simulation of RC Structures under Cyclic Loading,
Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, Vol. 127, No. 11, Nov. 2001