Development of a computational tool for structural collapse analysis by the positional finite element method

Abstract

This research project aims to better understand and model the phenomena associated with the collapse of structures constituted by thin-walled structural elements. For this purpose, taking advantage of previous developments performed during the candidate's master's program, we intend to develop a very advanced computational tool for the analysis of the collapse of structures, especially of buildings. Original contributions include: (i) the creation of flexible linkage between general thin-walled bars; and between general bars and the shells constituting the slabs and (ii) the development of vertical penalty elements to consider the impact between the slab panels in the structural collapse model. The degree of difficulty of the proposal is high as we consider non-linear geometric analysis, non-linear physical analysis and dynamics of structures. The feasibility of the proposal is based on the candidate's master's degree developments that resulted in the base code for this proposal, and also the availability of equipment with adequate processing capacity for the intended analyses. (AU)