THE INELASTIC ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE SLABS

The goal of this project is the development of an analysis technique to predict the response of a beam-slab type highway bridge superstructure subjected to the passage of an overload vehicle. This report describes an approach for the flexural analysis of reinforced concrete slabs using a piecewise linear tangent stiffness finite element incremental method applied to a layered plate element. Each layer of each element is assumed to be in-plane state of stress. Each layer has its own biaxial stress-strain characteristics type stress-strain curve and may have inelastic, cracking, crushing and yielding nonlinearities. Comparisons with laboratory tests of six reinforced concrete slabs and one beam are presented. The agreement between analytic and laboratory load deflection curves is quite good. Comparisons with experimentally observed crack patterns, steel strains, and concrete strains are also presented if these data were available.