Finite element modelling of reinforced concrete structures with laboratory verification

The presence of reinforcement has a significant influence on the stress-strain behaviour of reinforced concrete structures, expecially when the failure stage of the structures is approached. In the present paper, the constrained and non-constrained zones of concrete due to the presence of reinforcement is developed and the stress-stress-strain behaviour of concrete is enhanced by a reinforcement confinement coefficient, Furthermore, a flexible method for the modelling of reinforcement with arbitrary orientation and not passing the nodes of concrete element is also proposed. Numerical examples and laboratory tests have shown that the coefficient and the modelling technique proposed by the author are satisfactory.