Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Elements Including Shear Effects

The response of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is often governed by shear failure. This article reports on a study of RC plane frames under monotonic and cyclic loading, including axial, bending, and shear effects. The authors introduce a force-based two-dimensional (2D) element based on the Timoshenko beam theory. The element formulation is general and yields the exact solution within the Timoshenko beam theory. The authors use a simple, nonlinear, shear force-shear deformation law at the section level, together with a classical fiber section for the axial and bending effects. The authors validate their hypotheses through comparisons with experimental data on the shear performance of bridge columns. A case example using a viaduct that collapsed during the 1995 Kobe earthquake is presented. The results highlight the importance of accounting for the limited shear capacity of the piers in predicting the failure mechanism of the structure.