ABSTRACT
In this paper, the procedure used in EC8 for design of ductile reinforced concrete (RC) members is reviewed. Whereas the EC8 sequence of calculations is maintained, the formulations used in the calculation of the critical section curvature ductility demand and provision of confinement to satisfy the required curvature ductility are appraised and alternatives are proposed. In deriving the suggested formulations, use is made of a newly developed computer program (CRELIC) for the analysis of reinforced concrete sections, incorporating realistic cyclic models for steel and concrete. The program is used to conduct extensive parametric studies, the results of which shed light on the behaviour of critical zones in R/C members and possible improvements in existing EC8 design techniques.
