Analysis of R/C Elements Including Shear Effects

This paper deals with the analysis of R/C plane frames under monotonic and cyclic loading, including axial, bending and shear effects. A force-based 2D element based on the Timoshenko beam theory is introduced. The element formulation is general and yields the “exact” solution within the Timoshenko beam theory. A simple nonlinear shear force-shear deformation law is used at the section level, together with a classical fiber section for the axial and bending effects. Shear deformations are thus uncoupled from axial and bending effects in the section stiffness, but shear and bending forces become coupled at the element level because equilibrium is enforced along the beam element. The element is validated through comparisons with experimental data on the shear performance of bridge columns. The seismic analysis of a viaduct that collapsed during the 1995 Kobe earthquake is presented.