Unified theory of reinforced concrete-A summary

A unified theory has recently been developed for reinforced concrete structures (Hsu 1993), subjected to the four basic actions - bending, axial load, shear and torsion. The theory has five components, namely, the struts-and-ties model, the equilibrium (or plasticity) truss model, the Bernoulli compatibility truss model, the Mohr compatibility truss model and the softened truss model. Because the last three models can satisfy the stress equilibrium, the strain compatibility and the constitutive laws of materials, they can predict not only the strength, but also the load-deformation history of a member. In this paper the five models are summarized to illustrate their intrinsic consistency.