• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.231-241
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the practical application of high-flowing concrete for a steel-concrete panel (SCP) module for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tank. We evaluated the physical properties and filling performance of the developed concrete for the SCP module. First, slump tests were performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed standards for the filling tests. All the concrete mixes showed satisfactory performance. Based on the results of the previous study, the reliability of the required time measured using the T₅₀₀ test and the rheometer results measured before and after pumping was 0.94, indicating that segregation and blocking should not occur. L-box and U-box tests were conducted before and after pumping. All the recommended standards showed satisfactory performance. The SCP structural module for LNG storage tanks was fabricated to a full scale to evaluate its practical application at the final site. Satisfactory filling performance was confirmed for all the specimens.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.79-91
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• 2024

The settlement, bearing capacity, axial force, and skin friction responses of pervious and impervious concrete piles in silty and sandy underlying layer foundations and of pervious concrete piles in model tests were determined. The results showed that pervious concrete piles can exhibit high strengths, provide drainage paths and thus reduce foundation consolidation time. Increasing the soil layer thickness and pile length could eliminate the bearing capacity difference of pervious piles in a foundation with a silty underlying layer. The pervious concrete piles in the sandy underlying layer were more efficacious than those in the silty underlying layer because the sandy underlying layer can provide more bearing capacity than the silty underlying layer. The results indicated that the performances of the pervious concrete piles in the sand and silt foundations differed. The pervious concrete piles functioned as floating piles in the underlying layer with a lower bearing capacity and as end-bearing piles in the underlying layer with a higher bearing capacity.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.3
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• pp.239-250
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• 2024

With the aim to provide better predication about fracture behavior, a numerical simulating strategy based on the rigid spring model is proposed for reinforced concrete (RC) structures in this study. According to the proposed strategy, concrete is partitioned into a series of irregular rigid blocks based on the Voronoi diagram, which are connected by interface springs. Steel bars are simulated by bar elements, and the bond slip element is defined at bar element nodes to describe the interaction between reinforcement and concrete. A concrete damage evolution model based on the separation criterion is adopted to describe the weakening process of interface spring between adjacent blocks, while a nonlinear bond slip model is introduced to simulate the synergy behaviour of reinforced steel bars and concrete. In the damage evolution model of concrete, the influence of compressive stress perpendicular to the interface on the shear strength is considered. To check the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed modelling, experimental and numerical studies about a simply-supported RC beam and the two-notched concrete plates in Nooru-Mohamed's experiment are conducted, and the grid sensitivity are investigated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.91 no.6
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• pp.607-626
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• 2024

This study explores the use of advanced concrete types to improve the performance of composite steel shear walls (CSPSWs), particularly in delaying cracking and failure. A two-phase approach is implemented. Phase I utilizes non-linear finite element analysis and Gene Expression Programming to develop a novel method for determining the minimum concrete thickness required in CSPSWs. Phase II investigates the effect of concrete type, opening area, and location on the behavior of CSPSWs with openings. The results demonstrate that ultra-high performance concrete (UHPFRC) significantly reduces out-of-plane displacement and tensile cracking compared to normal concrete. Additionally, the study reveals a strong correlation between opening position and load-bearing capacity, with position L3 exhibiting the greatest reduction as opening size increases. Finally, UHPFRC's superior energy dissipation translatesto a higher equivalent viscous damping coefficient.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.539-550
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• 2018

Concrete is highly non-linear material which is originating from the transition zone in the form of micro-cracks, governs material response under various loadings. In this paper, the constitutive models published by many researchers have been used to generate novel stiffness parameters and constitutive curves for concrete. Following such linear material formulations, where the energy is conservative during the curvature, and a nonlinear contribution to the concrete has been made and investigated. In which, nonlinear concrete elastic modulus modeling has been developed that is capable-of representing concrete elasticity for grades ranging from 10 to 140 MPa. Thus, covering the grades range of concrete up to the ultra-high strength concrete, and replacing many concrete models that are valid for narrow ranges of concrete strength grades. This has been followed by the introduction of the nonlinear Hooke's law for the concrete material through the replacement of the Young constant modulus with the nonlinear modulus. In addition, the concept of concrete elasticity index (${\varphi}$) has been proposed and this factor has been introduced to account for the degradation of concrete stiffness in compression under increased loading as well as the multi-stages micro-cracking behavior of concrete under uniaxial compression. Finally, a sub-routine artificial neural network model has been developed to capture the concrete behavior that has been introduced to facilitate the prediction of concrete properties under increased loading.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.123-126
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• 2010

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 2020

The present work looks at the possibilities of recycling more than once demolished concrete as coarse aggregates, to produce new concrete. Different concrete mixes were made with substitutions of 50%, 75% and 100% of recycled concrete aggregates respectively as coarse aggregates. The physico-mechanical characterization tests carried out on the recycled concrete aggregates revealed that they are suitable for use in obtaining a structural concrete. The resulting concrete materials had rheological parameters, compressive strengths and tensile strengths very slightly lower than those of the original concrete even when 100% of two cycles recycled concrete aggregates were used. The durability of the recycled aggregates concrete was assessed through water permeability, water absorption and chemical attacks. The obtained concretes were thought fit for use as structural materials. A linear regression was developed between the strength of the material and the number of cycles of concrete recycling to anticipate the strength of the recycled aggregates concrete. From the results, it appear clear that recycling demolished concrete represents a valuable resource for aggregates supply to the concrete industry and a the same time plays a key role in meeting the challenge for a sustainable development.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.655-661
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• 2017

Fiber reinforced concretes exhibit higher tensile strength depending on the percent and type of the fiber used. These concretes are used to reduce cracks and improve concrete behavior. The use of these fibers increases the production costs and reduces the compressive strength to a certain extent. Therefore, the use of fiber reinforced concrete in regions where higher tensile strength is required can cut costs and improve the overall structural strength. The behavior of fiber reinforced concrete and normal concrete adjacent to each other was investigated in the present study. The concrete used was self-compacting and did not require vibration. The samples had 0, 1, 2 and 4 wt% polypropylene fibers. 15 cm sample cubes were subjected to uniaxial loads to investigate their compressive strength. Fiber Self-Compacting Concrete was poured in the mold up to 0, 30, 50, 70 and 100 percent of the mold height, and then Self-Compacting Concrete without fiber was added to the empty section of that mold. In order to investigate concrete behavior under bending moment, concrete beam samples with similar conditions were prepared and subjected to the three-point bending flexural test. The results revealed that normal Self-Compacting Concrete and Fiber Self-Compacting Concrete may be used in adjacent to each other in structures and structural members. Moreover, no separation was observed at the interface of Fiber Self-Compacting Concrete and Self-Compacting Concrete, either in the cubic samples under compression or in the concrete beams under bending moment.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.881-896
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• 2015

A simultaneous analytical, experimental and numerical analysis of crack initiation, propagation and breaking process of the Central Straight through Crack Brazilian Disk (CSCBD) specimens under diametrical compression is carried out. Brazilian disc tests are being accomplished to evaluate the fracturing process based on stress intensity factors (SIFs). The effects of crack inclination angle and crack length on the fracturing processes have been investigated. The same experimental specimens have been numerically modeled by a higher order indirect boundary element method (HDDM). These numerical results are compared with the existing experimental results proving the accuracy and validity of the proposed numerical method.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.233-245
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• 2014

In this paper, a rule based Mamdani type fuzzy logic model for prediction of slippage at maximum tensile strength and slippage at rupture of structural lightweight concretes were discussed. In the model steel rebar diameters and development lengths were used as inputs. The FL model and experimental results, the coefficient of determination R2, the Root Mean Square Error were used as evaluation criteria for comparison. It was concluded that FL was practical method for predicting slippage at maximum tensile strength and slippage at rupture of structural lightweight concretes.