GENERATING REINFORCEMENT IN FE MODELING OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES

An automatic procedure for spatial modeling and inclusion of straight segments of embedded reinforcement in a mesh of solid-isoparametric elements representing concrete is presented. This procedure alleviates the laborious task of generating the input data for the embedded-bar elements in three-dimensional finite-clement analysis of reinforced-concrete structures, particularly when modifications/refinements to the concrete-element mesh are made, and/or reinforcement arrangement is changed. Each straight segment of reinforcement is identified by the coordinates of its two end points, and its intersections with the faces of solid elements are determined. The stiffness of each composite reinforced-concrete element can then be computed using an inverse-mapping procedure to obtain the coordinates of the integration points along the reinforcement element(s) in the concrete parent element axes.