Yield Line Analysis of Folded Plate Structures

A method is presented for determining the collapse loading and associated displacement pattern for the simply supported, prismatic, reinforced concrete, folded plate structure using the methods of limit analysis. The displacement patterns consist of appropriate combinations of transverse, longitudinal, and diagonal bending together with longitudinal extension and contraction. A computer program developed for the numerical solution of the controlling equations is discussed. The program is used to solve three examples involving loading of three structures which had been previously tested to failure by others. Comparison is made of the reported test results and the computer solutions.