Influencia del tipo de rótula plástica en el análisis no lineal de estructuras de hormigón armado

An adequate modelling of the plastic hinges generated during the pushover analysis is crucial in order to obtain accurate results. Thus, empirical expressions must be used appropriately in order to model the generalised force-deformation relationship of plastic hinges. The main aim of this article is to study the influence of different plastic hinge models on the non-linear structural behaviour of reinforced concrete structures. To that end, several non-linear analyses have been performed using the following plastic hinge models: the model included in the code FEMA-356 and two additional models developed by some researchers by using empirical expressions calibrated with different experimental data. The results obtained show that plastic hinges modelled with empirical expressions can be used to more precisely model the behaviour of structural elements in ordinary buildings located in seismic areas, and to compare with the results offered by the models included in seismic building design codes.