Modelling of R/C members accounting for shear failure localisation: Finite element model and verification

Reinforced concrete (R/C) frame buildings designed according to older seismic codes represent a large part of the existing building stock worldwide. Their structural elements are often vulnerable to shear or flexure-shear failure, which can eventually lead to loss of axial load resistance of vertical elements and initiate vertical progressive collapse of a building. In this study, a computationally efficient member-type finite element model for the hysteretic response of shear critical R/C frame elements up to the onset of axial failure is presented; it accounts for shear-flexure interaction and considers, for the first time, the localisation of shear strains, after the onset of shear failure, in a critical length defined by the diagonal failure plane. Its predictive capabilities are verified against experimental results of column and frame specimens and are shown to be accurate not only in terms of total response, but also with regard to individual deformation components. The accuracy, versatility, and simplicity of this finite element model make it a valuable tool in seismic analysis of complex R/C buildings with shear deficient structural elements.