Finite Element Modeling of Reinforced Concrete Beams Under Static Loading Using Abaqus Software

Paper ID: EIJTEM_2026_13_2_202-213

Author's Name: Sai Pavan Bandaru, Anjaneyulu G, Kalyani Gurram, Maheswararao R and Venugopal P

Volume: 13

Issue: 2

Year: 2026

Page No: 202-213

Abstract:

The flexural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams is examined in this work in relation to concrete strength and reinforcement details. Under two-point loads, uniform-sized beam specimens with concrete grades M25, M30, and M40 and reinforcement ratios ranging from 0.50% to 1.28% were tested. According to the findings, M25, M30, and M40 had 28-day compressive strengths of 27.6 MPa, 32.8 MPa, and 43.2 MPa, respectively, indicating a 56% improvement in material stiffness and quality. Performance testing showed that when reinforcement ratios increased, the ultimate loads increased from 55.0 kN to 75.0 kN and the first fracture load increased from 16.5 kN for M25 to 22.5 kN for M40. Furthermore, the mid-span deflection decreased from 11.2 mm to 7.6 mm. Beams with higher reinforcement showed multiple finer cracks, which are a sign of enhanced ductility, while those with lesser reinforcement showed fewer but wider fissures. The dependability of the FEM model was confirmed by finite element analysis (FEM) using ABAQUS, which supported the experimental results with a variation of 2% to 5% between FEM and experimental data. Fracture initiation patterns were consistent with flexural theory, and stress contours showed the anticipated compression and tension distributions. Overall, the results show that while concrete grade is still essential for stiffness and fracture resistance, higher reinforcing percentage improves load capacity and ductility, greatly impacting structural performance. It is advised to use the verified FEM model as a useful tool for predicting RC behavior and optimizing structural design.

Keywords: Concrete Grade, Reinforcement Ratio, ABAQUS, Finite Element Analysis, Concrete Damaged Plasticity.

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