Classification of failure modes in ductile and non-ductile concrete joints

In reinforced concrete structures, the behavior of beam-column connections has a significant effect on the overall behavior of the structure. Therefore, knowledge of the failure mode in these elements can be essential. In this article, two methods are proposed that can determine the failure mode type of the reinforced concrete joints, those with sufficient transverse reinforcement (ductile joints) and in concrete joints with no or little transverse reinforcement (non-ductile joints), in a probabilistic manner with high accuracy. For this purpose, two classification structures based on a number of classifiers for exterior and interiors concrete joints were utilized to determine the type of failure modes. A collection of laboratory tests were used to create and validate the classifications. It was concluded from the results that the models presented in this paper have the ability to determine the failure mode. The use of these models are simple and do not need any complex calculation. They also can be useful tools in structural engineering problems such as the initial investigation of damages in existing concrete structures or for retrofitting applications.