Calibration of a simulation model to predict the flexural capacity of pre-stressed concrete beams

This work approaches the adaptation of a simulation model to the lineal structural elements behavior made of pre-stressed concrete, using the finite element method (MEF). Thus, the main objective was to calibrate the model in order to predict the flexural capacity of any other structural elements, and therefore, the achievement of a double optimization in the design and in the strength behavior. To do so, diverse flexural experiments have been conducted for several concrete elements with different typologies (Prestressed joist and tubular prestressed joist). Simultaneously, the same structural elements were analyzed by MEF simulation up to obtain the calibration of the model to the experimental results. The MEF analysis have been performed using ATENA software of Cervenka Consulting (Chez Republic), specific software designed to analyze structural concrete elements by non-linear methods. The model was calibrated using the results obtained in the flexural experiments by a loading frame of 500kN capacity. The results of the calibrated model show very similar results to the obtained ones by the loading experiments with an error average of a 6% in the analysis-experiment comparison. As a conclusion, the simulation suggests that getting the optimum strength levels requires the control of prestressing losses in the manufacturing process of the joist. Furthermore, the analysis shows how the flexural capacity of any analyzed element can be increased up to 20-30% when the real prestressing losses are fitted to the theoretical estimated ones.