Coupled model for the nonlinear analysis of sections made of anisotropic materials, subjected to general 3D loading. Part 2: Implementation and validation

A numerical model for the coupled analysis of cross-sections made of anisotropic materials under general combined loading was formulated in an accompanying paper (1). In this paper, additional aspects concerning its implementation and the scheme for nonlinear analysis are discussed. The model is validated by analyzing several isotropic and anisotropic elastic problems; excellent accuracy was obtained compared to closed-form solutions. Further, the case of a RC section presenting crack-induced anisotropy is investigated. The capability of the model to capture interactions between tangent and normal forces is proved. The conclusion drawn is that the developed model is a suitable sectional constitutive equation for 3D beam elements for realistic structural analysis.