From Large-Scale Tests to Detailed Simulations of Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Elements

Wednesday, 21/09/2022 15:00
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Alex Brodsky

Abstract
The presentation will cover different aspects of the non-linear behaviour of reinforced and prestressed concrete elements (RC and PC) subjected to extreme conditions. Structural systems comprising RC frames with masonry infill walls are widely implemented in residential and public buildings. The masonry infill wall is usually considered as a non-structural element. Yet, even if not meant to, it plays a major role in the structural response in the case of an extreme event such as local impact, blast or earthquake and shear failures of the frame commonly observed. The results of large-scale laboratory tests on RC infilled frames subjected to vertical displacement field and a unique testing facility that allows measuring the infill-frame interaction will be presented. In addition, the presentation will be discussing a multi-scale modelling technique for the modelling of RC infilled frames and particularly brittle shear failures of the RC frame. A detailed non-linear response of the RC elements using the Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT) will be presented and its applications for the response of infilled frames under earthquake action and sudden column removal. The implementation of the model in Hybrid-Multi-Platform simulations to improve computational efficiency will be shown. The presentation will include discussion of a detailed investigation into the structural safety of a large segmental PC West Seattle Bridge (WSB) and a sectional-based analysis methodology for the evaluation of the shear strength of disturbed regions.
About the speaker
Alex Brodsky is a Lyon Sachs Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada. He obtained his B.Sc. (Summa Cum Laude) and Ph.D. (direct track) in Structural Engineering from Technion. In his Ph.D. he investigated the behavior of masonry infilled frame-structures to reduce the likelihood of Progressive collapse. His research focuses on the behavior of structures under extreme loads and conditions. Alex has extensive experience in large scale-experimental tests and failure investigations of structures. In his current research, Alex deals with multi-scale simulations, ductile failures in reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete elements.