• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.71-96
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• 2011

Existing reinforced concrete (RC) beams can be strengthened with externally bolted steel plates to the sides of beams. The effectiveness of this type of bolted side-plate (BSP) beam can however be affected by partial interaction between the steel plates and RC beams due to the mechanical slip of bolts. To avoid over-estimation of the flexural strength and ensure accurate prediction of the load-deformation response of the beams, the effect of partial interaction has to be properly considered. In this paper, a special non-linear macro-finite-element model that takes into account the effects of partial interaction is proposed. The RC beam and the steel plates are modelled as two different elements, interacting through discrete groups of bolts. A layered method is adopted for the formulation of the RC beam and steel plate elements, while a special non-linear model based on a kinematic hardening assumption for the bolts is used to simulate the bolt group effect. The computer program SiBAN was developed based on the proposed approach. Comparison with the available experimental results shows that SiBAN can accurately predict the partial interaction behaviour of the BSP beams. Further numerical simulations show that the interaction between the RC beam and the steel plates is greatly reduced by the formation of plastic hinges and should be considered in analyses of the strengthened beams.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.269-287
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• 2010

High-strength concrete (HSC) is becoming more popular in the construction of beams and columns of tall buildings because of its higher stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio. However, as HSC is more brittle than normal-strength concrete (NSC), it may adversely affect the flexural ductility and deformability of concrete members. Extended from a series of theoretical study conducted on flexural ductility of concrete beams, the authors would in this paper investigate the effects of some critical factors including the degree of reinforcement, confining pressure, concrete and steel yield strength on the flexural deformability of NSC and HSC beams. The deformability, expressed herein in terms of normalised rotation capacity defined as the product of ultimate curvature and effective depth, is investigated by a parametric study using nonlinear moment-curvature analysis. From the results, it is evident that the deformability of concrete beams increases as the degree of reinforcement decreases and/or confining pressure increases. However, the effects of concrete and steel yield strength are more complicated and dependent on other factors. Quantitative analysis of all these effects on deformability of beams has been carried out and formulas for direct deformability evaluation are developed. Lastly, the proposed formulas are compared with available test results to verify its applicability.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.323-338
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• 2000

An analytical approach for the prediction of the behaviour of steel-fiber reinforced concrete beams subjected to torsion is described. The analysis method employs a special stress-strain model with a non-linear post cracking branch for the material behaviour in tension. Predictions of this model for the behaviour of steel-fiber concrete in direct tension are also presented and compared with results from tests conducted for this reason. Further in this work, the validation of the proposed torsional analysis by providing comparisons between experimental curves and analytical predictions, is attempted. For this purpose a series of 10 steel-fiber concrete beams with various cross-sections and steel-fiber volume fractions tested in pure torsion, are reported here. Furthermore, experimental information compiled from works around the world are also used in an attempt to establish the validity of the described approach based on test results of a broad range of studies. From these comparisons it is demonstrated that the proposed analysis describes well the behaviour of steel-fiber concrete in pure torsion even in the case of elements with non-rectangular cross-sections.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.479-501
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• 2014

This paper presents the improvement of the EC-2 and EHE-08 shear strength formulations for concrete beams with shear reinforcement. The employed method is based on the genetic programming (GP) technique, which is configured to generate symbolic regression from a set of experimental data by considering the interactions among precision, accuracy, safety and simplicity. The size effect and the influence of the amount of shear reinforcement are examined. To develop and verify the models, 257 experimental tests on concrete beams from the literature are used. Three expressions of considerable simplicity, which significantly improve the shear strength prediction with respect to the formulations of the different studied codes, are proposed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1353-1368
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• 2015

A finite element model is presented for the analysis of composite steel-concrete beams based on a refined high-order theory. The employed theory satisfies all the kinematic and stress continuity conditions at the layer interfaces and considers effects of the transverse normal stress and transverse flexibility. The global displacement components, described by polynomial or combinations of polynomial and exponential expressions, are superposed on local ones chosen based on the layerwise or discrete-layer concepts. The present finite model does not need the incorporating any shear correction factor. Moreover, in the present $C^1$-continuous finite element model, the number of unknowns is independent of the number of layers. The proposed finite element model is validated by comparing the present results with those obtained from the three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis. In addition to correctly predicting the distribution of all stress components of the composite steel-concrete beams, the proposed finite element model is computationally economic.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.317-334
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• 2008

Seismic performance of coupling beams not designed for ductility is examined. Eight 1:4 scale coupling beam specimens, with seven reinforced concrete sections and one composite section, were tested under cycles of push-pull action. Characteristics of the specimens include moderate shear span ratio in the range of 2.5-3.5, high main reinforcement ratio at 3-4% and small to large stirrup spacing with 90- degree hooks. All the reinforced concrete specimens failed in a brittle manner. Displacement ductility of specimens with large stirrup spacing (${\geq}$140 mm) is in the range of 3 to 5. Seismic performance of the specimens is also examined using the ultimate drift angle and the amount of energy dissipated. Correlating the test data, an empirical relationship is proposed to estimate the ultimate drift angle of a class of coupling beams considered in the study not designed for ductility.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.85-98
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• 2002

The aim of the paper is to present some results about the influence of rheological phenomena on steel-concrete composite beams. Both the cases of slab with normal and high performance concrete for one and two-span beams are analysed. A new finite element model that allows taking into account creep, shrinkage and cracking in tensile zones for concrete, along with non-linear behaviour of connection, steel beam and reinforcement, has been used. The main parameters that affect the response of the composite beam under the service load are highlighted. The influence of shrinkage on the slip over the supports is analysed, together with the cracking along the beam. At last, by performing a collapse analysis after a long-term analysis, the influence of rheological phenomena on the ductility demand of connection and reinforcement is analysed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.237-247
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• 2020

Shear connectors are essential elements in the design of steel-concrete composite systems. These connectors are utilized to prevent the occurrence of potential slips at the interface of steel and concrete. The two types of shear connectors which have been recently employed in construction projects are C- and L-shaped connectors. In the current study, the behavior of C and L-shaped angle shear connectors is investigated experimentally. For this purpose, eight push-out tests were composed and subjected to monotonic loading. The load-slip curves and failure modes have been determined. Also, the shear strength of the connectors has been compared with previously developed relationships. Two failure modes of shear connectors were observed: 1) concrete crushing-splitting and 2) shear connector fracture. It was found that the L-shaped connectors have less shear strength compared to C-shaped connectors, and decreasing the angle leg size increases the shear strength of the C-shaped connectors, but decreases the relative ductility and strength of L-shaped connectors.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.123-134
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• 2019

This paper proposed a new design equation for the inelastic lateral torsional buckling (LTB) of singly symmetric stepped I-beams with non-compact flange sections. The proposed equation was generated using a finite element program, ABAQUS, and a statistical program, MINITAB. The parameters used were the stepped beams parameters; ${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$, and ${\gamma}$ and the length-to-height ratio ($L_b/h$) of the beam. The proposed equation was further validated by means of experimental test, where beams were subjected to four-point bending and supported by roller and lateral braces near the end supports. In addition, finite element models were simulated using the same parameters used in the experimental test to verify the results of the test conducted. It was proved that LTB capacity calculated from the proposed equation is accurate and conservative in comparison with the yielded values from the FEM and actual test, making it a reliable and safe approach in calculating the buckling capacities of singly symmetric stepped beams with non-compact flange sections.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.305-317
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• 2018

Steel reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) components have been proposed for seismic structural applications, for example in coupling beams, infill panels, joints, columns, and flexural members. The development of strain in the steel reinforcement of cementitious components has been shown to vary based on both the steel reinforcement ratio and the applied deformation history. Strain in the steel reinforcement of reinforced ECC components is an important structural response metric because ultimate failure is often by fracture of the steel reinforcement. A recently proposed bond-slip model has been successfully calibrated to cyclically tested reinforced ECC beams wherein the deformation history contained monotonically increasing cycles. This paper reports simulations of two-dimensional finite element models of reinforced ECC beams to determine the appropriateness and significance of altering a phenomenological bond-slip model based on the applied deformation history. The numerical simulations with various values of post-peak bond-slip softening stiffness are compared to experimental results. Varying the post-peak bond-slip softening stiffness had little effect on the cracking patterns and hysteretic response of the reinforced ECC flexural models tested, which consisted of two different steel reinforcement ratios subjected to two different deformation histories. Varying the post-peak bond-slip softening stiffness did, however, affect the magnitude of strain and the length of reinforcing bar that strain-hardened. Overall, a numerical model with a constant bond-slip model represented well various responses in reinforced ECC beams with multiple steel reinforcement ratios subjected to different deformation histories.