• Computers and Concrete
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.193-206
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• 2019

Although concrete is the most widely used construction material, its deficiency in shrinkage and low tensile resistance is undeniable. However, the aforementioned defects can be partially modified by addition of fibers. On the other hand, possibility of adding waste materials in concrete has provided a new ground for use of recycled concrete aggregates in the construction industry. In this study, a constant combination of recyclable coarse and fine concrete aggregates was used to replace the corresponding aggregates at 50% substitution percentage. Moreover, in order to investigate the effects of fibers on mechanical and durability properties of recycled aggregate concrete, the amounts of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% steel fibers (ST) and 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.15% polypropylene (PP) fibers by volumes were used individually and in hybrid forms. Compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), water absorption, toughness, elastic modulus and shrinkage of samples were investigated. The results of mechanical properties showed that PP fibers reduced the compressive strength while positive impact of steel fibers was evident both in single and hybrid forms. Tensile and flexural strength of samples were improved and the energy absorption of samples containing fibers increased substantially before and after crack presence. Growth in toughness especially in hybrid fiber-reinforced specimens retarded the propagation of cracks. Modulus of elasticity was decreased by the addition of PP fibers while the contrary trend was observed with the addition of steel fibers. PP fibers decreased the ultrasonic pulse velocity slightly and had undesirable effect on water absorption. However, steel fiber caused negligible decline in UPV and a small impact on water absorption. Steel fibers reduce the drying shrinkage by up to 35% when was applied solely. Using fibers also resulted in increasing the ductility of samples in failure. In addition, mechanical properties changes were also evaluated by statistical analysis of MATLAB software and smoothing spline interpolation on compressive, flexural, and indirect tensile strength. Using shell interpolation, the optimization process in areas without laboratory results led to determining optimal theoretical points in a two-parameter system including steel fibers and polypropylene.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Accurate and simple analytical method determining Fluxametamid residue was necessary in various food matrices. Additionally, fulfilment of the international guideline of Codex (Codex Alimentarius Commission CAC/GL 40) was required for the analytical method. In this study, we developed Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to determine the Fluxametamid residue in foods. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fluxametamid was extracted with acetonitrile, partitioned and concentrated with dichloromethane. To remove the interferences, silica SPE cartridge was used before LC-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry) analysis with $C_{18}$ column. Five agricultural commodities (mandarin, potato, soybean, hulled rice, and red pepper) were used as a group representative to verify the method. The liner matrix-matched calibration curves were confirmed with coefficient of determination ($r^2$) greater than 0.99 at calibration range of 0.001-0.25 mg/kg. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.001 and 0.005 mg/kg, respectively. Mean average accuracies were shown to be 82.24-115.27%. The precision was also shown to be less than 10% for all five samples. CONCLUSION: The method investigated in this study was suitable to the Codex guideline for the residue analysis. Thus, this method can be useful for determining the residue in various food matrices as routine analysis.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

The use of non-linear analysis of structures in a functional way for evaluating the structural seismic behavior has attracted the attention of the engineering community in recent years. The most commonly used functional method for analysis is a non-linear static method known as the "pushover method". In this study, for the first time, a cyclic pushover analysis with different loading protocols was used for seismic investigation of curved bridges. The finite element model of 8-span curved bridges in plan created by the ZEUS-NL software was used for evaluating different pushover methods. In order to identify the optimal loading protocol for use in astatic non-linear cyclic analysis of curved bridges, four loading protocols (suggested by valid references) were used. Along with cyclic analysis, conventional analysis as well as adaptive pushover analysis, with proven capabilities in seismic evaluation of buildings and bridges, have been studied. The non-linear incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) method has been used to examine and compare the results of pushover analyses. To conduct IDA, the time history of 20 far-field earthquake records was used and the 50% fractile values of the demand given the ground motion intensity were computed. After analysis, the base shear vs displacement at the top of the piers were drawn. Obtained graphs represented the ability of a cyclic pushover analysis to estimate seismic capacity of the concrete piers of curved bridges. Based on results, the cyclic pushover method with ISO loading protocol provided better results for evaluating the seismic investigation of concrete piers of curved bridges in plan.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.355-367
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• 2021

This paper investigates the mechanical response of simply supported one-way reinforced concrete slabs under fire through numerical analysis. The numerical model is constructed using the software ABAQUS, and verified by experimental results. Generally, mechanical response of the slab can be divided into four stages, accompanied with drastic stress redistribution. In the first stage, the bottom of the slab is under tension and the top is under compression. In the second stage, stress at bottom of the slab becomes compression due to thermal expansion, with the tension zone at the mid-span section moving up along the thickness of the slab. In the third stage, compression stress at bottom of the slab starts to decrease with the deflection of the slab increasing significantly. In the fourth stage, the bottom of the slab is under tension again, eventually leading to cracking of the slab. Parametric studies were further performed to investigate the effects of load ratio, thickness of protective layer, width-span ratio and slab thickness on the performance of the slab. Results show that increasing the thickness of the slab or reducing the load ratio can significantly postpone the time that deflection of the slab reaches span/20 under fire. It is also worth noting that slabs with the span ratio of 1:1 reached a deflection of span/20 22 min less than those of 1:3. The thickness of protective layer has little effect on performance of the slab until it reaches a deflection of span/20, but its effect becomes obvious in the late stages of fire.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.565-576
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• 2020

Experimental and discrete element methods were used to investigate the effects of angle of Y shape non-persistent joint on the tensile behaviour of joint's bridge area under brazilian test. concrete samples with diameter of 100 mm and thikness of 40 mm were prepared. Within the specimen, two Y shape non-persistent notches were provided. The large notch lengths were 6 cm, 4 cm and 2 cm. the small notch lengths were 3 cm, 2 cm and 1 cm. The angle of larger notch related to horizontal axis was 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°. Totally, 12 different configuration systems were prepared for Y shape non-persistent joints. Also, 18 models with different Y shape non-persistent notch angle and notch length were prepared in numerical model. The large notch lengths were 6 cm, 4 cm and 2 cm. the small notch lengths were 3 cm, 2 cm and 1 cm. The angle of larger notch related to horizontal axis was 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150. Tensile strength of model materil was 1 MPa. The axial load was applied to the model by rate of 0.02 mm/sec. This testing showed that the failure process was mostly governed by the Y shape non-persistent joint angle and joint length. The tensile strengths of the specimens were related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the discontinuities. It was shown that the tensile behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of the induced tensile cracks which are increased by increasing the joint length and joint angle. The minimum tensile strength occurs when the angle of larger joint related to horizontal axis was 60°. Also, the maximum compressive strength occurs when the angle of larger joint related to horizontal axis was 90°. The tensile strength was decreased by increasing the notch length. The failure pattern and failure strength are similar in both methods i.e. the experimental testing and the numerical simulation methods.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.31-45
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• 2022

Experimental and numerical simulation were used to investigate the effects of angle and number of T shape non-persistent crack on the shear behaviour of crack's bridge area under uniaxial compressive test. concrete samples with dimension of 150 mm×150 mm×40 mm were prepared. Within the specimen, T shape non-persistent notches were provided. 16 different configuration systems were prepared for T shape non-persistent crack based on two and three cracks. In these configurations, the length of cracks were taken as 4 cm and 2 cm based on the cracks configuration systems. The angle of larger crack related to horizontal axis was 0°, 30°, 60° and 90°. Similar to cracks configuration systems in the experimental tests, 28 models with different T shape non-persistent crack angle were prepared in numerical model. The length of cracks were taken as 4 cm and 2 cm based on the cracks configuration systems. The angle of larger crack related to horizontal axis was 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90°. Tensile strength of concrete was 1 MPa. The axial load was applied to the model. Displacement loading rate was controlled to 0.005 mm/s. Results indicated that the failure process was significantly controled by the T shape non-persistent crack angle and crack number. The compressive strengths of the specimens were related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the discontinuities. Furthermore, it was shown that the compressive behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of the induced tensile cracks which are increased by increasing the crack number and crack angle. The strength of samples decreased by increasing the crack number. In addition, the failure pattern and failure strength are similar in both methods i.e. the experimental testing and the numerical simulation methods (PFC2D).

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.549-557
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• 2021

Nowadays, strengthening of buildings is an inclusive and effective field in civil engineering that is not only applicable to the buildings but also it can be developed for the bridges. Rehabilitation and strengthening of structures are highly recommended for the existing structures due to the alter in codes and provisions as well as buildings' use change. Extensive surveys have been conducted in this field in the world that propose wide variety of methods for strengthening of structures. In recent years, more specific researches have been carried out that present novel materials for rehabilitation beside proposing methods and performing techniques. In the current study, a novel technique for developing the bending capacity of reinforced concrete beams to enhance their performance as well as rehabilitating and reforming the performance of reinforced concrete beams with nonstandard lap splices, has been proposed. In this method, a post-tensioned concrete layer is added to the side face of the concrete beams built in 1:1 scale. Results reveals that addition of the post-tensioned layer enhances the beams' performance and covers their weaknesses. In this method, 18 reinforced concrete beams were prepared for the bending test which were subjected to the four-point pushover test after they were reinforced. The testing process ended when the samples reached complete failure status. Results show that the performance and flexural capacity of reinforced beams without lap splice is improved 22.7% compared to the samples without the post-tensioned layer, while it is enhanced up to at least 80% compared to the reinforced beams with nonstandard lap splice. Furthermore, the location of plastic hinges formation was transformed from the beam's mid-span to the 1/3 of span's end and the beam's cracking pattern was significantly improved.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.349-358
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• 2023

This paper describes an in-depth analysis on flexural strength of a girder-deck system experiencing a strand debonding damage with various strengthening systems, based on finite element software ABAQUS. A detailed finite element analysis (FEA) model was developed and verified against the relevant experimental data performed by other researchers. The proposed analytical model showed a good agreement with experimental data. Based on the verified FE model, over a hundred girder-deck systems were investigated with the consideration of following variables: 1) debonding level, 2) span-to-depth ratio (L/d), 3) strengthening type, 4) strengthening material thickness. Based on the data above, a new detailed analytical model was developed and proposed for estimating residual flexural strength of the strand-debonding damaged girder-deck system with strengthening systems. It was demonstrated that both finite element model and analysis model could be used to predict flexural behaviors for debonding damaged prestressed girder-deck systems. Since the strands are debonding from surrounding concrete over a certain zone over the length of the beam, the increase of strain in strands can be linked with a ratio ψ, which is L_p/c. The analytical model was proposed and developed regarding the ratio ψ. By conducting procedure of calculating ψ, the ψ value varies from 9.3 to 70.1. Multiple nonlinear regression analysis was performed in Software IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0.1 to derive equation of ψ. ψ equation was curved to be an exponential function, and the independent variable (X) is a linear function in terms of three variables of debonding level (λ), span length (L), and amount of strengthening material (A_s). The coefficient of determinate (R²) for curve fitting in nonlinear regression analysis is 0.8768. The developed analytical model was compared to the ultimate capacities computed by FEA model.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.395-403
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• 2023

The paper investigates the effect of two parameters - sand content (SC) and grain migration during shearing - on the mechanical properties of gravel-sand mixtures. Consolidated undrained (CU) triaxial tests were carried out on eight series of mixtures containing gravel (1<d<16 mm) and sand (0.1<d<1 mm). The prepared mixtures have sand contents of 0, 10, 15, 20, 40, 54, 94 and 100%, and a relative density of 60%. The transition sand content (TSC) is experimentally defined and marks the transition from gravel-driven to sand-driven behavior. For SC<TSC, the dry density of the mixture increases with SC. This induces an increase in undrained peak strength and dilative trend. The slope and position of the critical state line (CSL) are also deeply dependent on SC. At SC=TSC, the mixtures exhibit the largest dry density and yield the highest undrained peak strength and the largest dilative trend. During shearing, large internal migration of grains was observed at the TSC, causing heterogeneity in the sample. Analysis of the CSL deduced from the final points of the triaxial tests shows that, at the TSC, failure appears to correspond to the behavior of the coarsest fraction of the soil. This fraction is located in the upper part of the sample, where the sand particles had been eliminated by suffusion. On the other hand, in the more stable materials, the CSL is consistent with the bulk grain size distribution of the soil.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.351-363
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• 2023

Reducing the self-weight of reinforced concrete structures problem is discussed in this paper by using two types of self-weight reduction, the first is by using lightweight coarse aggregate (crushed brick) and the second is by using styropor block. Experimental and Numerical studies are conducted on (LWAC) lightweight aggregate reinforced concrete slabs, having styropor blocks with various sizes of blocks and the ratio of shear span to the effective depth (a/d). The experimental part included testing eleven lightweight concrete one-way simply supported slabs, comprising three as reference slabs (solid slabs) and eight as styropor block slabs (SBS) with a total reduction in cross-sectional area of (43.3% and 49.7%) were considered. The holes were formed by placing styropor at the ineffective concrete zones in resisting the tensile stresses. The length, width, and thickness of specimen dimensions were 1.1 m, 0.6 m, and 0.12 m respectively, except one specimen had a depth of 85 mm (which has a cross-sectional area equal to styropor block slab with a weight reduction of 49.7%). Two shear spans to effective depth ratios (a/d) of (3.125) for load case (A) and (a/d) of (2) for load case (B), (two-line monotonic loads) are considered. The test results showed under loading cases A and B (using minimum shear reinforcement and the reduction in cross-sectional area of styropor block slab by 29.1%) caused an increase in strength capacity by 60.4% and 54.6 % compared to the lightweight reference slab. Also, the best percentage of reduction in cross-sectional area is found to be 49.7%. Numerically, the computer program named (ANSYS) was used to study the behavior of these reinforced concrete slabs by using the finite element method. The results show acceptable agreement with the experimental test results. The average difference between experimental and numerical results is found to be (11.06%) in ultimate strength and (5.33%) in ultimate deflection.