Probabilistic assessment of axial force–biaxial bending capacity domains of reinforced concrete sections

• Published in: Meccanica (Milan) Vol. 54; no. 9; pp. 1451 - 1469
• Main Authors: Sessa, Salvatore, Marmo, Francesco, Vaiana, Nicoló, Rosati, Luciano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Automotive Engineering; Axial forces; Bending; Building codes; Civil Engineering; Classical Mechanics; Computation; Computer simulation; Concrete structures; Domains; Failure; Internal forces; Mechanical Engineering; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Random variables; Reinforced concrete; Statistical analysis; Stochastics and Probability in Engineering Mechanics; Limit analysis; Capacity surface; Ultimate limit state; Reinforced concrete
• ISSN: 0025-6455; 1572-9648
• DOI: 10.1007/s11012-019-00979-4

Capacity domains of reinforced concrete elements, computed according to Eurocode 2 provisions, have been investigated from a probabilistic perspective in order to examine the variability of the failure probability over different regions of the domain boundary. To this end, constitutive parameters, such as limit stresses and strains, have been defined as random variables. Discretized ultimate limit state domains have been computed by a fiber-free approach for a set of cross sections. In addition, the failure probability relevant to each point of the domain’s boundary has been evaluated by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The numerical results prove that the failure probability presents a significant variability over the domain boundary; it attains its maximum nearby pure axial force while it drastically decreases in presence of significant bending contributions. Finally, the iso-probability surface, i.e. the locus of the internal forces corresponding to a fixed value of the failure probability, is presented. It permits to establish a probabilistic interpretation of the axial force–biaxial bending capacity check consistently with the underlying philosophy of recent structural codes.