RUPTURE OF FRAMED STRUCTURES, LUMPED DAMAGE MECHANICS ANDINTERNET

Abstract

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES A GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RUPTURE OF FRAMED STRUCTURES CALLED LUMPED DAMAGE MECHANICS. THIS THEORY COMBINES FRACTURE MECHANICS, DAMAGE MECHANICS AND THE CONCEPT OF PLASTIC HINGE. IN THE PARTICULAR CASE OF REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAMES, THE MAIN MECHANISM OF DETERIORATION IS CRACKING OF CONCRETE UNDER OVERLOADS. CRACKING IN A FRAME ELEMENT IS LUMPED AT THE PLASTIC HINGES. CRACKING EVOLUTION IS ASSUMED TO FOLLOW A GENERALIZED GRI±TH CRITERION. THUS, AN EXPRESSION OF THE ENERGY RELEASE RATE OF A PLASTIC HINGE WITH CRACKING IS OBTAINED. THE BEHAVIOR OF THE DAMAGED PLASTIC HINGE IS DESCRIBED VIA THE STRAIN EQUIVALENCE HYPOTHESIS. THIS MODEL OF DAMAGE FOR FRAMED STRUCTURES HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN A ¯NITE ELEMENT PROGRAM SPECIALLY CONCEIVED FOR THIS PURPOSE. THIS PROGRAM IS A WEB-BASED PARALLEL FE CODE THAT AT THE MOMENT ONLY HAS ONE ELEMENT, THE ONE BASED ON THE LUMPED DAMAGE THEORY. THE SYSTEM IS ALSO COMPOSED BY A PREPROCESSOR AND A POSTPROCESSOR THAT CAN BE ACCESSED VIA ANY COMMERCIAL BROWSER. THE PREPROCESSOR ALLOWS FOR THE DIGITALIZATION OF RC FRAMES. THE FILE WITH THE DATA OF THE FRAME IS SENT VIA WEB TO THE FE PROGRAM AND THE RESULTS CAN BE VISUALIZED BY THE POSTPROCESSOR OR BY RESULTS FIES.