A COMPUTATIONAL INVESTIGATION FOR THE SEISMIC RESPONSE OF RC STRUCTURES STRENGTHENED BY CABLE ELEMENTS

Abstract eng:
A numerical investigation is presented for the seismic analysis of existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures, which have been damaged due to extreme actions and are seismically upgraded by cable elements (tension-ties). A double discretization, in space by the Finite Element Method and in time by a direct incremental approach, is used. The unilateral behavior of the cable-elements, which can undertake tension stresses only, is strictly taken into account and results to inequality constitutive conditions. So, in a first numerical approach, a non-convex linear complementarity problem is solved in each time-step. Alternatively, in a second numerical approach, an incremental problem formulation and treatment is applied. The decision for the optimal cable-strengthening scheme in praxis problems of RC structures under multiple earthquakes excitation can be obtained on the basis of computed damage indices. A calibration of the numerical approaches is realized in a typical example problem by comparing the computational results with available experimental ones. It is shown that cable strengthening has significant effects on the earthquake response and, hence, can be used effectively for the seismic upgrading of existing RC structures.

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