Rotation capacity of prestressed concrete members

Abstract

A numerical investigation on the behaviour of plastic hinges in prestressed concrete structures is presented. The object of the study is to determine the rotation capacity of prestressed concrete members which is needed to predict the amount of moment redistribution in hyperstatic prestressed concrete structures. A numerical model has been developed for the analysis of plastic hinges in prestressed concrete structures. It is based on a simply supported beam which simulates the region between two points of zero moment in a continuous beam. A discrete crack model has been applied in the numerical analysis. Realistic constitutive laws of steel, concrete and bond of reinforcing and prestressing steel have been assumed, respectively. The developed model enables an accurate analysis of the load deformation response of a statically determinate prestressed concrete beam with bonded or unbonded tendons under monotonic loading throughout all behaviour states up to failure . The parameters influencing the rotation capacity of prestressed concrete beams were studied by means of the numerical model.