This paper on "The Application of the Finite Element Method for the Design of a Complex Reinforced Concrete Section" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on Design, Simulation & Optimisation: Reliability & Applicability of Computational Methods - 9-11 April 1997, Stuttgart, Germany.

Summary

The prime objective of the design of a reinforced concrete structural element is the evaluation of the stresses in the concrete and determination of the necessary reinforcement to ensure that the section can safely withstand any imposed loads.
Design of concrete structures conventionally consists of two steps, namely, the overall structural analysis followed by the element section analysis.
However, for complex structures with complicated and large cross-sectional elements the use of this conventional method may prove to have limitations as, firstly, the stiffness of the system may be heavily dependent upon the applied loads and, secondly, the complex shape of the element section may not be appropriate for the direct application of codes of practice rules.
This paper addresses this subject and proposes a practical method in this respect using the finite element approach. The potential application of the method is illustrated in two examples and results are compared with those obtained from the conventional method.