REINFORCED-CONCRETE SHELL ELEMENTS SUBJECTED TO BENDING AND MEMBRANE LOADS

Large-scale reinforced concrete shell elements were tested under conditions of biaxial bending and in-plane normal forces. The details and results of the test program are described, and the observed behavior patterns are discussed. The test data obtained are analyzed to corroborate constitutive models currently available for representing the effects of post-cracking tensile stresses in concrete. The ability of nonlinear finite element analysis procedures to accurately model shell element behavior is also examined.