Energy dissipation models for RC members and structures

The unloading parameters of hysteretic models for RC members are given in terms of their shear-span-to-depth ratio and the viscous damping used to model other energy dissipation sources. They reflect the energy dissipation in full post-yield load cycles in 534 tests of rectangular or circular members. Pre-yield hysteretic energy dissipation-ignored if the model is elastic till yielding-amounts in the tests to a mean viscous damping around 8.5% and can be considered in nonlinear response-history analysis through a new model which combines constant elastic stiffness in virgin loading with hysteretic energy dissipation both before and after yielding. Models with linear behavior till yielding and hysteretic energy dissipation only after it come closer to the results of the new model if viscous damping is 5%.