GEOMETRIC AND MATERIAL NONLINEAR ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE SLABS AT FIRE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

In the present study a nonlinear finite element analysis is presented to predict the fire resistance of reinforced concrete slabs at fire environment. An eight node layered degenerated shell element utilizing Mindlin/Reissner thick plate theory is employed. The proposed model considered cracking, crushing and yielding of concrete and steel at elevated temperatures. The layered approach is used to represent the steel reinforcement and discretize the concrete slab through the thickness. The reinforcement steel is represented as a smeared layer of equivalent thickness with uniaxial strength and rigidity properties.
Geometric nonlinear analysis may play an important role in the behavior of reinforced concrete slabs at high temperature. Geometrical nonlinearity in the layered approach is considered in the mathematical model, which is based on the total Lagrangian approach taking into account Von Karman assumptions.
Finally two examples for which experimental results are available are analyzed, using the proposed model .The comparison showed good agreement with experimental results.

KEYWORDS: Fire resistance, Material and Geometrical nonlinearity, Reinforced
Concrete Slabs