Evaluation of seismic performance of aged massive RC wall structure restrained by adjacent members using RBSM

Abstract

Aging management and maintenance are essential processes to ensure the safety of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings in nuclear power plants (NPPs). This is because several phenomena induce cracking behavior and mechanical property changes (MPC) in concrete that might change the structural performance and durability of massive RC structures. Although massive RC structures have not been encountered with excessive loading or severe environmental conditions, structural performance and durability have changed owing to cracks regarding restraint volumetric changes (e.g., thermal and drying-shrinkage cracks) and MPC of concrete throughout the service life. This study numerically investigated the whole history of massive RC structures observed under the general conditions of NPPs in Japan. The alternation in seismic performance according to the whole history of the structure was investigated using a rigid body-spring model. The impacts of restrained cracks, the interaction with structural cracks, and the MPC of concrete were determined to clarify their significance, which is generally neglected for the design and inspection process in the engineering practice.