Determination of Plastic Hinge Length for RC Beams Designed with Different Failure Modes under Static Load
Y. Sümer
Department of Civil Engineering, Technology Faculty, Sakarya University, 54187 Sakarya, Turkey
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Inelastic deformation without substantial loss of strength can lead to the dissipation of seismic energy in reinforced concrete structures during the earthquakes. Inelastic deformations are concentrated in specific areas within the structure, so called plastic hinge zones, and they are designed to redistribute the plastic moments. Dynamic response of the entire structure relies on these specific areas. Therefore, modeling them as close to its real location value within the structural element plays an important role especially in numerical analysis. The behavior and location of plastic hinge of reinforced concrete elements has been studied by conducting experiments. More research still need to be done by considering different parameters due to the high complexity engaged in the behavior. This study involves parametric study to determine the plastic hinge length of reinforced concrete beams using experimentally verified nonlinear finite element approach. Different failure behavior of reinforced concrete beams is selected as the parameter in the numerical analysis. Different failure modes are achieved with three different steel reinforcement ratio and with three different shear span ratio defining failure by means of ductility and slenderness, respectively. Results proved that both slenderness and the ratio of tensile reinforcement has effect on the plastic hinge length. Existing conclusions in the literature determine the plastic hinge length shorter than that found from numerical modelling. Thus, existing expressions approach to the energy dissipation phenomenon more conservatively.

DOI:10.12693/APhysPolA.135.955
topics: reinforced concrete beams, plastic hinge length, finite element analysis, failure modes