Application of new material testing integrated (MTI) simulation paradigm for studying concrete confinement

This paper presents a new experimental–numerical simulation framework for investigating the impacts of unconventional material behaviors on the global response of structural systems. The new framework is specifically designed to address: (1) knowledge gaps related to the lack of analytical tools for predicting the behavior of materials under nontraditional loading environments, and (2) high costs associated with large-scale experimental testing. The new simulation method, named material testing integrated (MTI) simulation, incorporates physical material test data into numerical simulation of structural system or component to provide more accurate structural performance evaluation based on reliable constitutive behavior of materials. To demonstrate the new concept, this paper utilizes MTI simulation to study and compare the seismic response of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns rehabilitated with steel and shape memory alloy spiral reinforcement. The experimental-based MTI simulation responses of the columns are compared with that of conventional numerical simulation. The results show that the test data utilized in the MTI simulation are well reflected in the global seismic response of the RC columns.