• Computers and Concrete
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.23-29
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• 2017

In this study engineered steel fibres used as reinforcement for concrete were characterized by number of key mechanical and spatial parameters, which are easy to measure and quantify. Such commonly used parameters as length, diameter, fibre intrinsic efficiency ratio (FIER), hook geometry, tensile strength and ductility were considered. Effective classification of various fibres was demonstrated using simple multivariate computations involving principal component analysis (PCA). Contrary to univariate data mining approach, the proposed analysis can be efficiently adapted for fast, robust and direct classification of engineered steel fibres. The results have revealed that in case of particular spatial/geometrical conditions of steel fibres investigated the FIER parameter can be efficiently replaced by a simple aspect ratio. There is also a need of finding new parameters describing properties of steel fibre more precisely.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.53-62
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• 2020

Concrete is the most widely used substance in construction industry, so it's been required to improve its quality using new technologies. Nowadays, nanotechnology offers new frontiers for improving construction materials. In this paper, we study the stability analysis of the Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNT) reinforced concrete cylindrical shell embedded in elastic foundation using the Donnell cylindrical shell theory. In this regard, we propose a new explicit analytical formula of the critical buckling load which takes into account the distribution of SWCNT reinforcement through the thickness of the concrete shell using the U, X, O and V forms and the elastic foundation using Winkler and Pasternak models. The rule of mixture is used to calculate the effective properties of the reinforced concrete cylindrical shell. The influence of diverse parameters on the stability behavior of the reinforced concrete shell is also discussed.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.21-30
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• 2020

Buckling and post-buckling behaviors of geometrically imperfect annular sector plates made from nanoparticle reinforced composites have been investigated. Two types of nanoparticles are considered including graphene oxide powders (GOPs) and silicone oxide (SiO₂). Nanoparticles are considered to have uniform and functionally graded distributions within the matrix and the material properties are derived using Halpin-Tsai procedure. Annular sector plate is formulated based upon thin shell theory considering geometric nonlinearity and imperfectness. After solving the governing equations via Galerkin's technique, it is showed that the post-buckling curves of annular sector plates rely on the geometric imperfection, nanoparticle type, amount of nanoparticles, sector inner/outer radius and sector open angle.

• Carbon letters
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.13-21
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• 2010

Coconut shell activated carbon (CSAC) was investigated for its ability in the removal of two neutral chlorinated organic compounds, namely trichloroethylene (TCE) and dichloromethane (DCM) from aqueous solution using a packed bed column. The efficiency of the prepared activated carbon was also compared with a commercial activated carbon (CAC). The important design parameters such as flow rate and bed height were studied. In all the cases the lowest flow rate (5 mL/min) and the highest bed height (25 cm) resulted in maximum uptake and per cent removal. The experimental data were analysed using bed depth service time model (BDST) and Thomas model. The regeneration experiments including about five adsorption-desorption cycles were conducted. The suitable elutant selected from batch regeneration experiments (25% isopropyl alcohol) was used to desorb the loaded activated carbon in each cycle.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.169-188
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• 2004

A coupled damage-viscoplasticity model is presented for the analysis of localisation and size effects. On one hand, viscosity helps to avoid mesh sensitivity because of the introduction of a length scale in the model and, on the other hand, enables to represent size effects. Size effects were analysed by means of three-point bending tests. Correlation between the fracture energy parameter measured experimentally and the density fracture energy modelling parameter is discussed. It has been shown that the dependence of nominal strength and fracture energy on size is determined by the ligament length in comparison with the width of the fracture process zone.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.189-209
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• 2004

Several extensions to the Thelandersson phenomenological model for concrete under transient high temperatures are explored. These include novel expressions for the temperature degradation of the elastic modulus and the temperature dependency of the coefficient of the free thermal strain. Furthermore, a coefficient of thermo mechanical strain is proposed as a bi-linear function of temperature. Good qualitative agreement with various test results taken from the literature is demonstrated. Further extensions include the effects of plastic straining and temperature dependent Poisson's ratio. The models performance is illustrated on several simple benchmark problems under uniaxial and biaxial stress states.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.131-150
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• 2004

We present in this work a coupled phenomenological chemo-mechanical model that represents the degradation of concrete-like materials. The chemical behaviour is described by the nowadays well known simplified calcium leaching approach. And the mechanical damage behaviour is described by a continuum damage model which involves the gradient of the damage quantity. The coupled nonlinear problem at hand is addressed within the context of the finite element method. For the equation governing the calcium dissolution-diffusion part of the problem, special care is taken to treat the highly nonlinear calcium conductivity and solid calcium functions. The algorithmic design is based on a Newton-type iterative scheme where use is made of a recently proposed relaxed linearization procedure. And for the equation governing the damage part of the problem, an augmented Lagrangian formulation is used to take into account the damage irreversibility constraint. Finally, numerical simulations are compared with experimental results on cement paste.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.151-168
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• 2004

A two-dimensional nonlinear finite element model is developed to simulate time-dependent cracking of reinforced concrete members under service loads. To predict localized cracking, the crack band model is employed to model individual crack opening. In conjunction with the crack band model, a bond-interface element is used to model the slip between concrete and reinforcing steel permitting large slip displacements between the concrete element nodes and the steel truss element nodes at crack openings. The time-dependent effects of concrete creep and shrinkage are incorporated into the smeared crack model as inelastic pre-strains in an iterative solution procedure. Two test examples are shown to verify the finite element model with good agreement between the model and the observed test results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.19-30
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• 2005

We study the kinetics of absorption of water in Portland cement concretes added with 60, 70 and 80% of granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) cured in water and at open air and preheated at 50 and $100^{\circ}C$. A mathematical model is presented that allows describing the process not only in early ages where the capillary sorption is predominant but also for later and long times where the diffusive processes through the finer and gel pores are considered. The fitting of the model by computerized methods enables us to determine the parameters that characterize the process: i.e., the sorptivity coefficient (S) and diffusion coefficient (D). This allows the description of the process for all times and offers the possibility to know the contributions of both, the diffusive and capillary processes. The results show the influence of the curing regime and the preheating temperature on the behavior of GGBS mortars.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.55-77
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• 2005

The closed form solution of the equilibrium equations in the ultimate design of reinforced concrete sections under biaxial bending is presented. The stresses in the materials are described by the Model Code 1990 equations. Computation of the integral equations is performed generally in terms of all variables. The deformed shape of the section in the ultimate conditions is defined by Heaviside functions. The procedure is convenient for the use of mathematical manipulation programs and the results are easily included into nonlinear analysis codes. The equations developed for rectangular sections can be applied for other sections, such as T, L, I for instance, by decomposition into rectangles. Numerical examples of the developed model for rectangular sections and composed sections are included.