Inelastic Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Beam Elements

Abstract

Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures are constructed to cater the need of functional re- quirements of developers. Such structures are subjected to various types of loads resulting from various activities and accessories associated with it. Therefore, to study behaviour of RC elements is important so as safe, stable and durable structure can be designed. Reinforced Concrete element undergoes deformation resulting into cracking of an element due to loading conditions. Most of the time, reinforced concrete element subjected to loads stressed beyond elastic zone and enters to nonlinear zone before showing distressed conditions. Thus, Linear static analysis is no longer remains valid and non linear analysis is soughted. Since resent past, design of RC elements are carried out based on Non-Linear structural analysis. Such analysis helps to estimate more realistically strength, stiffness, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of the RC element. Thus, it is important to study in- elastic behaviour of RC element like beam experimentally. The main objective of present project is to study in-elastic behaviour of RC beam sub- jected to vertical loading experimentally. Two different types of RC beams, namely, Simply Supported Beam and Fixed Beam are casted and are tested under Single Point Load, Two Point Load and Uniformly Distributed Load to assess their behaviour under Shear, Bending and combination thereof. It has been found that beam subjected to two point load for both types of Boundary Condition shows maximum in-elastic capacity as compared to both types of beam with Single Point Load & Uniformly Distributed Load. It is also observed that beam with fixed boundary condition yields more in-elastic as com- pared to beam with Simply Supported boundary conditions for all three different type of loading. Apart it has been found that Displacement Ductility & Curvature Ductility for both type of beams; i.e, Simply Supported & Fixed boundary conditions subjected to three types of loading are comparable.