ABSTRACT
While many engineering problems can be treated in just two dimensions, some situations demand the full three-dimensional analysis. Nowadays, with the advance in material research and the rapid progress in computing machines, three-dimensional analyses can be performed within affordable time and cost. In this chapter, the authors present recent developments in full three-dimensional analysis of RC, which is an important step towards the development of a versatile computational tool. The main concepts in constructing a three-dimensional RC solid element are similar to the two-dimensional one, that is, RC is idealized as a composite material consisting of concrete with reinforcement to be superimposed. By combining the constitutive laws expressed in terms of average stress and average strain of concrete and reinforcement [1], an RC brick element can be devised (Figure 3.1).
