A STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF STEEL REINFORCEMENT IN FORCE PATHS IN RC STRUCTURES USING TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION
Palavras-chave:
Topology optimization, Strut-and-tie models, Reinforced density methodResumo
Strut-and tie models are mechanism-based models used to describe the complex behavior of
reinforced concrete structures that do not satisfy the Bernoulli hypothesis. The continuum structure is
replaced by truss representing the force paths inside the cracked continuum. This paper uses topology
optimization techniques to generate the force paths automatically in reinforced concrete structures. The
traditional density approach is adopted to represent the behavior of the concrete continuum and, in
addition, truss elements are used to represent the steel reinforcement. Bi-linear models are associated to
each material in order to separate the tensile and compressive paths. A numerical example shows the
influence of the reinforcement in the final force path.
