Several concrete material models with unique theoretical backgrounds are available in different finite element analysis (FEA) software packages such as ABAQUAS, ATENA, DIANA, and LS-DYNA. In the simulation of structural responses of concrete using FEA software, various parameters such as strength, stiffness, softening, strain rate, and dilation are required to be provided. Though depending on each concrete material model, all of these parameters do not hold equal importance during a single type of loading. This paper presents the relevance of using the three most widely used concrete material models available in LS-DYNA: Karagozian & Case Concrete (KCC) model, Winfrith Concrete Model, and Continuous Surface Cap Model (CSCM) for simulation of concrete structures under reversed cyclic loading when only limited material properties are available. In this paper, a series of nonlinear 3D-finite element analyses of non-ductile reinforced concrete (RC) column subjected to lateral cyclic loading were carried out with these three concrete models. The results from each model were compared with documented experimental results. The capacity of each material model to capture the cyclic load reversal behavior, softening due to cyclic compression and tension, and damages are the major foci of this paper. Based on a series of numerical analyses of an RC column under cyclic loading, review of a single element analysis, and a theoretical overview of each model, recommendations for the selection of an appropriate concrete material model under cyclic loading were made.
