A FULLY STRESSED DESIGN METHOD TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM STRUT-AND-TIE MODEL FOR BEAM-COLUMN CONNECTIONS

Topology optimization and strut-and-tie model methods have a remarkable success in the detailing of reinforced concrete structures, especially for discontinuity regions of the beam-column connections. However, it has always been complicated to determine an optimum design throughout all the offers of an optimization process, since it is not obvious which of the decision variables should be considered in order to select the optimum design. This paper presents the application of a new selection method on topology optimization and strut-and-tie modeling of the beam-column connections. A performance index formulation assists the selection of the optimum design from the process by considering the fully stressed design concept unlikely other performance indices. Former indices take just one of the structural criterions into consideration such as stress, strain energy, displacement, etc. The efficiency and capability of the approach have been demonstrated by the comparison of element removal criterions and different parameter values on several bidimensional design examples.