Simplified Approach for Finite Element Analysis of Laced Reinforced Concrete Beams

A laced reinforced concrete (LRC) structural element consists of equal reinforcement in tension and compression faces along with lacings. Conventional finite element modeling of structural components made of reinforced concrete (RC)/LRC requires concrete and steel to be considered as separate entities, which makes modeling tedious and time consuming. In this paper a new approach for,finite element modeling of RC/LRC structural elements that are primarily under flexure is proposed. The current approach considers RC/LRC as a homogenous material whose stress-strain characteristics are derived based on the moment-curvature relationship of the structural component. Numerical studies on LRC beams are carried out and the results are compared with those of the experimental values to validate the proposed approach. The application of the proposed approach for analysis of uniformly loaded LRC slabs is demonstrated. The proposed approach can be extended to ordinary RC by modifying the ultimate stress and strain values.