Optimal shakedown analysis of plane reinforced concrete frames according to Eurocodes

Abstract

We present an updated mathematical model of shakedown optimization for reinforced concrete plane frames subjected to variable and repeated uncertain loading within a known domain. In such structures, plastic redistribution of forces is known to occur, and various mechanisms of system collapse at shakedown have been identified, such as plastic yielding and sign-changing. We develop a general nonlinear mixed-integer optimization problem that reduces to a linear programming problem, and we demonstrate the duality of the linear programming problem for the static and kinematic formulations. We derive strength conditions according to Eurocode 2 and an iterative process of optimization, where stiffness properties of frame elements are allowed to vary. The frame cross-sections are rectangular and made from doubly reinforced concrete; the material is considered composite. We successfully demonstrate the numerical optimization procedure on a two-storey reinforced concrete plane frame. We present variations of interaction loci of each optimized section in graphical form.