Fedeaslab - a Matlab Toolbox for for Instruction and Research in Nonlinear Analysis for Earthquake Engineering

Abstract eng:
Performance-based earthquake engineering requires advanced analysis methods for the assessment of the nonlinear response of structures to collapse. Nonlinear geometry and material effects need to be considered, and suitable solution strategies need to be selected under static and dynamic loads. Teaching these concepts in a way that permits the students to appreciate the details without investing time in tedious calculations, and that allows them to extend existing methods and explore new solutions with little overhead for auxiliary knowledge should be an important goal of modern courses on the subject. Moreover, the exploration of new concepts in research and the validation of these for moderate size problems in a user-friendly environment facilitates deployment of new ideas for the assessment of structural and geotechnical systems under extreme loading conditions. The paper presents a Matlab® based toolbox called FEDEASLab for instruction and research in nonlinear analysis for earthquake engineering and other extreme load effects, like blast and fire. The toolbox has dual purpose: (a) support of instruction in nonlinear structural analysis and finite element methods under static and dynamic loads, (b) concept development and validation of new material and element models and new solution strategies before deployment in general computing frameworks for earthquake engineering analysis like OpenSees. Similarities in the modular architecture of FEDEASLab and OpenSees facilitates the transfer of ideas and permits researchers to move between the two platforms, as they explore the development of new materials and elements and their full scale deployment. The paper covers the architecture of the toolbox and gives specific examples of its capabilities in the context of instruction and research in earthquake engineering. Emphasis is placed on the nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of frame and shear wall structures. Extensions to the simulation of large displacements for surface structures like cable nets, slabs and shells will also be discussed.

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