Announcement

A computer code utilizing an appropriate finite element, material and constitutive model has been under development as a part of a comprehensive effort by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to develop and validate a realistic methodology for the ultimate load analysis of concrete containment structures. A preliminary evaluation of the reinforced and prestressed concrete modeling capabilities recently implemented in the ABAQUS-EPGEN code has been completed. This effort focuses on using a state-of-the-art calculational model to predict the behavior of large-scale reinforced concrete slabs tested under uniaxial and biaxial tension to simulate the wall of a typical concrete containment structure under internal pressure. This paper gives comparisons between calculations and experimental measurements for a uniaxially-loaded specimen. The calculated strains compare well with the measued strains in the reinforcing steel; however, the calculations gave diffused cracking patterns that do not agree with the discrete cracking observed in the experiments. Recommendations for improvement of the calculational models are given.