Development of Strut-and-Tie Models Using Load Path in Structural Concrete
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 5
Abstract
Strut-and-tie modeling (STM) is widely used in the design of discontinuity regions (D-regions) in structural concrete, but can be hampered by hand-based and experience-dependent problems in the construction of the model. Inspired by the conceptual load-path method, this paper presents the theoretical background and algorithms for automatically generating strut-and-tie models from loads paths in two-dimensional (2D) members. In the proposed approach, the stress field in a concrete continuum is transformed first into load paths, and then the curved load paths are converted into strut-and-tie models. Through the definition of the load path and the formulation of its analytical features, the gap between the stress field and the idealized truss is bridged. Algorithms are programmed in a general-purpose finite-element package to enable convenient applications. Worked examples demonstrate that the proposed approach is qualified for the automatic generation and solving of strut-and-tie models in typical D-regions.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request (code compiled in ANSYS version 10.0 using the parametric design language for automatically generating load paths and strut-and-tie models).
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2017YFC0703402) and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20180063). The financial support is appreciated.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 5 • May 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 21, 2019
Accepted: Nov 1, 2019
Published online: Mar 4, 2020
Published in print: May 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Aug 4, 2020
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