Investigation of flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams using 3D finite element analysis

Many experimental works available in the literature explore the structural behavior of flexural members, but a limited number of studies examined the structural behavior of flexural members using nonlinear finite element modeling (FEM). The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of reinforcement ratio as well as shear span on the flexural and shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams using three-dimensional FEM in ANSYS. Experimental data and results of fifty-five reinforced concrete beams were compared. Concrete was modeled using a three-dimensional SOLID65 solid element, capable of representing the actual behavior of nonlinear brittle materials such as concrete. Discrete reinforcement was modeled using a three-dimensional LINK180 spar element. The outcomes of the finite element model for loading and cracking of flexural members with a discrete modeling approach were in good agreement with theoretical and experimentally obtained results at all stages of loading. Furthermore, it was observed that at the early stage, the finite element model shows a nearly close result to experimental data compared to the result obtained at the ultimate stage. The outcomes of this study are of utmost importance for structural engineers in designing reinforced flexural members.