STRESS-STRAIN RELATIONSHIP OF REINFORCED CONCRETE SUBJECTED TO BIAXIAL TENSION. PAPER BY J.-Y.CHO, N.-S. KIM, N.-S. CHO, AND Y.-S. CHOUN. DISCUSSION.

This brief article comments on a study that of the tensile stress-strain relationship of reinforced concrete (RC) membrane elements. Extensive tests of RC panels with varying reinforcement ratios were performed to derive a reasonable constitutive law of the tensile stress-strain relationship of RC. Test results show that concrete carries substantial tensile stress even after initial cracking. In this discussion, Bischoff contends that the authors analysis of their results takes account of the reinforcing ratio but neglects the effect of shrinkage. Shrinkage can have a significant effect on both the member cracking load and tension stiffening contribution of concrete that is characterized by the average tensile stress in the concrete between cracks. Bischoff reminds readers that the relationships proposed by both the authors and himself are applicable to concrete reinforced with steel only.