Translations:Analysis of reinforced concrete with FEM/23/en

As a word of caution, it takes much more to design a safe and durable concrete structure than what the FEM work bench can currently provide. For example, the method does not calculate crack width (important for durability and functionality), accurate deformations (FEM results for concrete are simply linear-elastic) or take account of reinforcement anchoring requirements (causing an increase of required reinforcement ratios in anchoring zones). It also doesn’t predict concrete crushing (although an indication of that can be obtained by plotting the Mohr Coulomb stress - see further), which could mean that the concrete fails before the reinforcement yields, causing brittle failure of the overall structure. These and other limitations mean that the FEM concrete functionality can only be used to assess conceptual designs, whereas detailed design decisions critical to safety and performance should be left to qualified professionals.