Cyclic behavior of exposed base plates with extended anchor bolts in Abaqus

Column base connections are among the most critical components of Steel Moment Frames, their behavior profoundly influences the overall performance of SMFs. Early investigations on Column-base connections alongside remarkable experimental programs on large-scale specimens. have provided insight into their behavior and failure modes. These tests led to the development of prominent analytical models to characterize the strength of Column-base connections

In this tutorial, the simulation of the Cyclic behavior of exposed base plates with extended anchor bolts in Abaqus has been investigated. All parts are modeled as three-dimensional solids. You can see figures of the assembled parts below in Abaqus assembly

To do the cyclic loading both general static and dynamic implicit steps can be used. In this example, a general static step with some changes in the convergence model is considered. Abaqus provides many material models for concrete and steel materials under all loading and situations. The Concrete Damage Plasticity material model for the concrete foundation and the proper hardening model in the cyclic loading for the steel members are selected. All interactions and constraints are applied to the parts.

Cyclic loading is applied to the top nodes of the column and fixed boundary to the concrete foundation. The mesh should be fine to obtain the correct results. After the simulation, all results such as stress, strain, failure, Hysteresis diagram, separation, and others are available. You can see some figures for the results below