• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.218-227
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• 2016

Background: Steam explosions may occur in nuclear power plants by molten fuel-coolant interactions when the external reactor vessel cooling strategy fails. Since this phenomenon can threaten structural barriers as well as major components, extensive integrity assessment research is necessary to ensure their safety. Method: In this study, the influence of yield criteria was investigated to predict the failure of a reactor cavity under a typical postulated condition through detailed parametric finite element analyses. Further analyses using a geometrically simplified equivalent model with homogeneous concrete properties were also performed to examine its effectiveness as an alternative to the detailed reinforcement concrete model. Results: By comparing finite element analysis results such as cracking, crushing, stresses, and displacements, the Willam-Warnke model was derived for practical use, and failure criteria applicable to the reactor cavity under the severe accident condition were discussed. Conclusion: It was proved that the reactor cavity sustained its intended function as a barrier to avoid release of radioactive materials, irrespective of the different yield criteria that were adopted. In addition, from a conservative viewpoint, it seems possible to employ the simplified equivalent model to determine the damage extent and weakest points during the preliminary evaluation stage.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.293-302
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• 2020

Connections play a significant role in strength of structures against earthquake-induced loads. According to the post-seismic reports, connection failure is a cause of overall failure in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Connection failure results in a sudden increase in inter-story drift, followed by early and progressive failure across the entire structure. This article investigated the cyclic performance and behavioral improvement of shape-memory alloy-based connections (SMA-based connections). The novelty of the present work is focused on the effect of shape memory alloy bars is damage reduction, strain recoverability, and cracking distribution of the stated material in RC moment frames under seismic loads using 3D nonlinear static analyses. The present numerical study was verified using two experimental connections. Then, the performance of connections was studied using 14 models with different reinforcement details on a scale of 3:4. The response parameters under study included moment-rotation, secant stiffness, energy dissipation, strain of bar, and moment-curvature of the connection. The connections were simulated using LS-DYNA environment. The models with longitudinal SMA-based bars, as the main bars, could eliminate residual plastic rotations and thus reduce the demand for post-earthquake structural repairs. The flag-shaped stress-strain curve of SMA-based materials resulted in a very slight residual drift in such connections.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.4
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• pp.491-503
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• 2020

This study extends previous experimental research on the shear behaviour of macrosynthetic fibre-reinforced concrete beams and compares them to steel fibre-reinforced concrete beams with similar mechanical and geometrical properties. This work employed two fibre types: 60/0.9 (long/diameter) double hooked-end steel fibre and 60/85 monofilament polypropylene fibre. Beams were tested by shear loading covering parameters, such as two different cross-section widths, two shear-span-to-effective-depth ratios, two fibre types and using repetitions with and without transverse reinforcement. For quantitative comparison purposes, crack pattern evolution was studied along increasing loads levels. Effects were studied by photogrammetry, including influence of fibres on crack propagation in uncracked and dowel zones, influence of fibres on stirrup behaviour, and shear deformation or kinematics of critical shear cracks. The results evidenced similar effectiveness for both fibre types in controlling shear crack propagation and horizontal dowel cracking. Both fibres provided similar shear ductility and shear deflections. Consequently, the authors confirm that residual flexural tensile strengths are a convenient parameter for characterising the shear behaviour of fibre-reinforced concrete beams.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.21-43
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• 2005

Masonry is a composite non-homogeneous structural material, whose mechanical properties depend on the properties of and the interaction between the composite components - brick and mortar, their volume ratio, the properties of their bond, and any cracking in the masonry. The mechanical properties of masonry depend on the orientation of the bed joints and the stress state of the joints, and so the values of the shear modulus, as well as the stiffness of masonry structural elements can depend on various factors. An extensive testing programme in several countries addresses the problem of measurement of the stiffness properties of masonry. These testing programs have provided sufficient data to permit a review of the influence of different testing techniques (mono and bi-axial tests), the variations caused by distinct loading conditions (monotonic and cyclic), the impact of the mortar type, as well as influence of the reinforcement. This review considers the impact of the measurement devices used for determining the shear modulus and stiffness of walls on the results. The results clearly indicate a need to re-assess the values stated in almost all national codes for the shear modulus of the masonry, especially for masonry made with lime mortar, where strong anisotropic behaviour is in the stiffness properties.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.241-258
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• 2012

The need for long-span members increases gradually in recent years, which makes issues not only on ultimate strength but also on excessive deflection of horizontal members important. In building structures, the post-tension methods with unbonded tendons are often used for long-span members to solve deflection problems. Previous studies on prestressed flexural members with unbonded tendons, however, were mostly focused on the ultimate strength. For this reason, their approaches are either impossible or very difficult to be implemented for serviceability check such as deflection, tendons stress, etc. Therefore, this study proposed a flexural behavior model for post-tensioned members with unbonded tendons that can predict the initial behavior, before and after cracking, service load behavior and ultimate strength. The applicability and accuracy of the proposed model were also verified by comparing with various types of test results including internally and externally post-tensioned members, a wide range of reinforcement ratios and different loading patterns. The comparison showed that the proposed model very accurately estimated both the flexural behavior and strength for these members. Particularly, the proposed model well reflected the effect of various loading patterns, and also provided good estimation on the flexural behavior of excessively reinforced members that could often occur during reinforcing work.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.657-670
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• 2019

This paper proposes a one-dimensional fiber beam element model taking account of materially non-linear behavior, benefiting the highly efficient elastic-plastic analysis of girders with shear-lag effects. Based on the displacement-based fiber beam-column element, two additional degrees of freedom (DOFs) are added into the proposed model to consider the shear-lag warping deformations of the slabs. The new finite element (FE) formulations of the tangent stiffness matrix and resisting force vector are deduced with the variational principle of the minimum potential energy. Then the proposed element is implemented in the OpenSees computational framework as a newly developed element, and the full Newton iteration method is adopted for an iterative solution. The typical materially non-linear behaviors, including the cracking and crushing of concrete, as well as the plasticity of the reinforcement and steel girder, are all considered in the model. The proposed model is applied to several test cases under elastic or plastic loading states and compared with the solutions of theoretical models, tests, and shell/solid refined FE models. The results of these comparisons indicate the accuracy and applicability of the proposed model for the analysis of both concrete box girders and steel-concrete composite girders, under either elastic or plastic states.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.3-10
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• 2018

Steel fiber reinforced concrete can improve the resistance to cracking by adding steel fibers when mixing concrete. It can reduce the temperature and shrinkage cracks, and its flexural performance can be improved by increasing the effective moment of inertia. In this study, the deck-plate was used to replace the concrete form and reinforcing bars, and the steel fiber reinforced concrete was used to control the shrinkage and temperature cracks, and improve the flexural performance of the slab. Total 9 slab specimens were tested for analyzing the structural performance and serviceability. As a results, flexural capacity of the slab with deck-plate was evaluated to be superior to that of the normal reinforced concrete slab specimens with the same tensile reinforcement. The steel fiber reinforced concrete was found to have about 8% flexural capacity increase depending on the steel fiber content $15.7kg/m^3$. Also, in terms of flexural stiffness, the specimens using steel fiber reinforced concrete for the same parameters were evaluated to have a stiffness increase of about 30% compared with the case of using ordinary concrete. Especially, it was found that the stiffness of the test results was significantly higher than the analytical result because the increase of the tensile strength of the steel fiber reinforced concrete is not reflected in the current structural code.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.6
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• pp.615-624
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• 2023

The focus of this study is on the structural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams in which basalt fiber and SBR latex were added and the cement was partially replaced with 10% of hypo sludge. Eight different mixes of reinforced beam specimens were tested under static loading behaviour. The experiments showed, the structural behaviour with features such as load-deflection relationships, crack pattern, crack propagation, number of crack, crack spacing and moment curvature. A stress-strain relationship to represent the overall behavior of reinforced concrete in tension, which includes the combined effects of cracking and mode of failure along the reinforcement, is proposed. The structural behaviour results of reinforced concrete beams with various types of mix were tested at the age of 28 days. The investigation revealed that the flexural behaviors of hypo sludge reinforced concrete beams with addition of basalt fiber and SBR latex was higher than that of control concrete reinforced beam. The specimen (LHSBFC) with 10% hypo sludge, 0.25% Basalt fiber and 10% SBR latex showed an increase of 5.08% load carrying capacity, 7.6% stiffness, 3.97% ductility, 31.29% energy dissipation when compared to the control concrete beam. The analytical investigation using FEM shows that it was in good agreement with the experimental investigation.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.447-455
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• 2013

In this study, reinforced concrete slabs with steps were experimentally studied to analyze their structural performance and to suggest reinforcing details in the step. Because the stepped slabs may behave very poorly in terms of bending strength, stiffness, deflection, cracking, etc., the study is aimed to suggest proper reinforcing details such that the same bending strength is obtained as that without steps. The bending strengths of 12 test specimens with a variety of different reinforcing detail types or other parameters were compared with each other. The specimen without any additional reinforcement in the step had a very low bending strength and significant damage, and the specimens with diagonal reinforcements in the step showed substantial early cracks, experienced hinging of the step, and had a substantial loss of the bending strength. In contrast, the specimens with a combination of U-bars, reversed U-bars, L-bars, and reversed L-bars performed very well and almost reached to 100% of the slab bending strength. The U-bars and reversed U-bars were effective in controling the diagonal cracks, while the L-bars and reversed L-bars were effective in preventing from yielding of slab reinforcement near the step.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to establish a reasonable analytical method for the estimation of overall behavior characteristic from cracking to yielding of rebar and crushing of concrete and seismic performance of reinforced concrete shear wall with high-strength reinforcing bar. A total of 8 specimens of reinforced concrete walls which have constant aspect ratio and a variety of variables such as reinforcement ratio, reinforcement yielding strength, reinforcement details, concrete design strength, section shape and whether lateral restraint hoop were selected and the analysis was performed by using a non-linear finite element analysis program (RCAHEST) applying the proposed constitutive equation by the authors. The mean and coefficient of variation for maximum load from the experiment and analysis results was predicted 1.04 and 8%. The mean and coefficient of variation for displacement corresponding maximum load from the experiment and analysis results was predicted 1.17 and 19% respectively. The analytical results were predicted relatively well the fracture mode and the overall behavior until fracture for all specimens. These results are expected to be used as basic data for application of high-strength reinforcing bar to design codes in the future.