Plastic analysis of concrete containment structure

Overpressure capacity of a box type concrete containment structure is evaluated. Plastic analysis of the finite element model is performed using a quadrilateral plate element of homogeneous material. A special approach is used to represent nonlinear properties of reinforced concrete, such as concrete cracking and crushing and steel yielding. Those properties are represented by a set of idealized stress-strain curves of equivalent homogeneous sections. The analysis allows for a better estimate of the overpressure capacity of the containment structure while keeping the computer cost low by avoiding the use of the more expensive reinforced concrete brick element. (orig.)