NEW INTEGRATION METHOD FOR FORCE-BASED BEAM-COLUMN ELEMENT IN CONSIDERATION OF DAMAGE DISTRIBUTION

The effects of an integration method in forming beam-column element based on flexibility method are analyzed and a new integration method in consideration of the damage distribution of reinforced concrete beams and columns is proposed. The nonlinear zone of beam-column element is divided into a plastic-hinge zone, a crack zone and a transition zone, which correspond to the weight coefficients of Gauss integration. The plastic-hinge zone could extend to the crack and transition zones if needed, thus the plastic-hinge length varies dynamically in nonlinear analysis. The study case shows that the new integration method is more consistent with the actual damage state of beams and columns, and results in better numerical stability and convergence.