CONVERGENCE PROBLEMS WITH ANSYS'S SOLID 65 FINITE ELEMENT IN CONCRETE-FILLED TUBULAR (CFT) COLUMNS AS A CASE STUDY

Using limited materials for numerical modeling of structural samples and comparing the behavior of samples with each other in order to reduce the number of straw test samples in order to reduce laboratory costs is one of the best methods today. ANSYS is one of the finite element software that is used for modeling reinforced concrete elements by Solid65 element. As a case study, a concrete-filled steel column under cyclic loading is examined and the best value for the Crushed Stiffness Factor (CSTIF) parameter that is one of Solid65 element parameters is suggested to confirm the modeling. By investigating the results, it can be concluded that this parameter is one of the most important factors that plays a significant role in convergence in ANSYS software for modeling CFT columns.