Under the combined accident thermal and seismic loadings, the structural response of the AP1000 Auxiliary and Shield Building (ASB) is numerically investigated. A nonlinear Finite Element Model (FEM) of the AP1000 ASB is developed, in which the rebar in the reinforced concrete is explicitly described and the nonlinear behavior of the concrete is considered. The numerical modeling method and material models used by the reinforced concrete are validated by the testing results published in the literature. The propagation of the thermal loading-induced concrete cracks along the wall thickness is studied. Furthermore, the effects of thermal cracks on the wall stiffness, the development of the thermal stress and the axial forces acting on the reinforcement are fully discussed. The impact of thermal concrete cracks on the design demand of the rebar is also investigated. It is worthy of being further studied how to incorporate the appropriate reduction factor caused by concrete cracks into the linear structural design.

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