Abstract
In this paper a numerical analysis of three-pile caps is developed to study the influence of concrete compressive characteristic strength in pile caps resistance capacity. A three-pile cap model derived from Miguel's [1] work was adopted. From this model, variations on the compressive characteristic strength were made in order to observe modifications in its structural behavior. The numerical analysis was developed with finite element software ATENA 3D [2]. The results demonstrated that an increase in the compressive characteristic strength was not followed by a significant increment in pile cap's strength, since models' ruin were due to concrete splitting (opening cracks parallel to principal compressive stresses as a result of perpendicular tension stresses within the structure) and ties steel bars yielding. In the models analyzed high-tension stresses were developed along the struts and at the bottom of the pile cap's section, demonstrating that pile cap's ultimate resistance is not influenced by the compressive strength.
Highlights
Pile caps are an important structural element which transmits forces of the superstructure to the infrastructure
The results demonstrated that an increase in the compressive characteristic strength was not followed by a significant increment in pile cap’s strength, since models’ ruin were due to concrete splitting and ties steel bars yielding
Through numerical modeling of three-pile caps using the finite element software ATENA 3D, this paper demonstrates that the variation on the concrete compressive strength is not followed by a significant gain in pile cap’s resistance
Summary
Pile caps are an important structural element which transmits forces of the superstructure to the infrastructure. It is possible to analyze pile caps’ behavior in detail, observing stress flow in the struts and ties, crack pattern, plastic strains, among other relevant aspects. Studies in this field have proved that the struts and ties model is the best representation of the structural behavior of pile caps. Buttignol [17] analyzed numerical models with splitting reinforcement (steel bars disposed perpendicular to the struts in order to combat tensile stresses and to resist concrete splitting) as proposed by [6], demonstrating an increase in pile cap’s resistance, which presented high strains in the struts cross-section as a result of tensile stresses action within this region
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