On structural finite element modeling strategies and their influence on the optimization of final constructability of reinforced concrete structures

International audienceThe design of nuclear civil structures based on rules in European standards makes extensive use of the Finite Element Method (FEM). The size and complexity of the models are continuously increasing. Lately, the post-processing of the FEM results has centered the engineers' contribution on analyzing the reinforcement density produced using automated methods dealing with shell or plate models, which often leads to excessive plate use even in D-regions (discontinuity or disturbance region). This practice is particularly problematic for nuclear structures, which exhibit a large set of massive parts due to radiation protection requirements in many areas such as the reactor pit, the raft, or th