Compression field modeling of confined concrete

The three-dimensional behavior of confined concrete was investigated, including strength<br />enhancement due to triaxial compressive stresses, lateral expansion, compression softening, cover spalling<br />and post-peak ductility. A finite element program based on a nonlinear elasticity methodology was<br />employed to evaluate the ability to model triaxial behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) by combining<br />constitutive models proposed by several researchers. The capability of compression field based models to<br />reproduce the softening behavior of lightly cracked confined concrete was also investigated. Data from<br />tested specimens were used to evaluate the validity of the formulations. Good agreement with the<br />experimental results was obtained.