Mahdi Bamdad - Department of Engineering, Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
Abdolreza Sarvghad Moghadam - Associate Professor, International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, Tehran, Iran

The nonlinear finite element method is one the most effective methods of predictingthe behavior of RC beams from zero-load to failure and its fracture, yield and ultimatestrengths. The advantage of this method is its ability to make this prediction for allsections of the assessed RC beam and all stages of loading. This paper compares theexperimental results obtained for a RC frame with the numerical results calculated byABAQUS software, and plots both sets of results as hysteresis–displacementdiagrams. This comparison shows that the numerical FEM implemented viaABAQUS software produce valid and reliable results for load bearing capacity of RCframes subjected to cyclic loads, and therefore has significant cost and time efficiencyadvantages over the alternative approach

ABAQUS, reinforced concrete frame, loading history