The strain-weighted energy damage model for structural steel under cyclic loading

By analyzing the energy dissipation capacity of structural steel under cyclic loading, it is found that the strain-weighted energy dissipation is a good parameter to quantify the damage. A new damage model is proposed for structural steel under cyclic loading using the maximum plastic strain and strain-weighted energy dissipation. The accuracy of the model is validated in the cyclic tests of Chinese structural steel Q345 and Q420 under large strain (± 10%). Compared to the other models considering the combination of maximum deformation and energy dissipation, the calibration process is simplified, and the model provides better insight into damage accumulation as each parameter has a clear meaning. The model is able to predict fracture of structural steel using cyclic test data or only tensile test data.