LAUSR

Abstract This work addresses the numerical modeling and simulation of prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCVs) using the damaged-plasticity model for concrete and accounting for its interactions with the steel materials (i.e., the steel rebars, liner plate and prestressed tendons). Specifically, the 1:4-scale PCCV model tested by the Sandia National Lab (SNL) is considered. For concrete a novel fracture energy based method is employed to produce the data for the softening curve and damage evolution law such that mesh size independent numerical results can be guaranteed. To facilitate the finite element modeling, the interactions between steel and concrete are indirectly modeled by modifying appropriately the stress-strain relations of the steel materials as in Hsu and Mo (2010). The SNL PCCV model is then numerically modeling and symmetrically investigated. The effects of various strategies in modifying the steel stress-strain relations are discussed. It is found that, in addition to the prestressed tendons, the interactions between the liner plate/steel bars and concrete play non-negligible roles in correctly predicting the limit capacity and ultimate failure mode of the PCCV model. The numerical results obtained from the presented method, i.e., the limit capacity, failure mode, deformations and strains around crucial locations, etc., agree well with the experimental data, illustrating its capability in modeling the mechanical behavior of the PCCV like structures.