Bond Plastic Model for Steel–Concrete Damaged Interface Element

Abstract

A bond failure criterion, a wave propagation–based dowel action, and an inelastic, three-dimensional, damaged interface element are proposed. The present approach models the behavior of steel–concrete interaction under quasi-static loading and unloading. The decay of the steel–concrete interface is included for variable confinement levels. Existing bond models neglect either the bond path dependency or accurate unloading behavior. Both are addressed in this research. Existing methods model dowel action through empirical relations or contact-based algorithms. However, proper contact surfaces are tedious to define and difficult to stabilize because they may experience abrupt failures in cases involving major damage to concrete. To simulate dowel action, an alternative method to contact and empirical methods is proposed based on the concept of wave propagation. The present interface element is comfortably applied without remarkable complications. Comparison with test results from the literature demonstrates the validity of the proposed element.