Crack identification in reinforced concrete beams using ANSYS software

Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model of reinforced concrete beam has been developed in this study. The general purpose finite element package, ANSYS 8.0, is employed for the numerical analyses. Using SOLID65 solid elements, the compressive crushing of concrete is facilitated using plasticity algorithm while the concrete cracking in tension zone is accommodated by the nonlinear material model. Smeared reinforcement is used and introduced as a percentage of steel embedded in concrete. Comparison with hand calculated results is presented for the concrete beam. Convergence of analytical results is showed. The capability of the model to capture the critical crack regions, loads and deflections for various types of loadings in reinforced concrete beam has been illustrated.