Brittle behavior, reinforced concrete

Since blast-resistant design is based on structural response beyond elastic limits into the inelastic range, buildings should be carefully designed in a manner that minimizes stress concentrations, brittle behavior, and abrupt failures. Some of the significant design considerations for steel and reinforced concrete blast-resistant structures are briefly summarized in this section. 

Similarly to ASCE 41, EC8-3 distinguishes between ductile and brittle actions. For nonlinear analyses, capacities are evaluated on the basis of deformation for ductile actions and strength for brittle ones. Column flexure is considered a ductile actirai, although interestingly strong column-weak beam behavior is enforced for steel moment frames rmly (not reinforced concrete). 

The ejqperimental method for caracterizing brittle roaterieLls is presented by Debicki and cil [6]. CXir perpose is inodelisation of the non-linear behavior of fiber reinforced concretes. 

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