• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2017

The load-carrying capacity and structural behavior of concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) structures is highly influenced by the grouting compactness in the steel tube. Due to the invisibility of the grout in the steel tube, monitoring of the grouting progress in such a structure is still a challenge. This paper develops an active sensing approach with combined piezoceramic-based smart aggregates (SA) and piezoceramic patches to monitor the grouting compactness of CFST bridge structure. A small-scale steel specimen was designed and fabricated to simulate CFST bridge structure in this research. Before casting, four SAs and two piezoceramic patches were installed in the pre-determined locations of the specimen. In the active sensing approach, selected SAs were utilized as actuators to generate designed stress waves, which were detected by other SAs or piezoceramic patch sensors. Since concrete functions as a wave conduit, the stress wave response can be only detected when the wave path between the actuator and the sensor is filled with concrete. For the sake of monitoring the grouting progress, the steel tube specimen was grouted in four stages, and each stage held three days for cement drying. Experimental results show that the received sensor signals in time domain clearly indicate the change of the signal amplitude before and after the wave path is filled with concrete. Further, a wavelet packet-based energy index matrix (WPEIM) was developed to compute signal energy of the received signals. The computed signal energies of the sensors shown in the WPEIM demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method in the monitoring of the grouting progress.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.429-434
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• 2017

Failure of basic structures material is usually accompanied by expansion of interior cracks due to stress concentration at the cracks tip. This phenomenon shows the importance of examination of the failure behavior of concrete structures. To this end, 4 types of mortar samples with different amounts of nano-silica (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) were made to prepare twelve $50{\times}50{\times}50mm$ cubic samples. The goal of this study was to describe the failure and micro-crack growth behavior of the cement mortars in presence of nano-silica particles and control mortars during different curing days. Failure of mortar samples under compressive strength were sensed with acoustic emission technique (AET) at different curing days. It was concluded that the addition of nano-silica particles could modify failure and micro-crack growth behavior of mortar samples. Also, monitoring of acoustic emission parameters exposed differences in failure behavior due to the addition of the nanoparticles. Mortar samples of nano-silica particles revealed stronger shear mode characteristics than those without nanoparticles, which revealed high acoustic activity due to heterogeneous matrix. It is worth mentioning that the highest compressive strength for 3 and 7 test ages obtained from samples with the addition of 1.5% nano-silica particles. On the other hand maximum compressive strength of 28 curing days obtained from samples with 1% combination of nano-silica particles.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.79-79
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• 2017

Metallic biomaterials have been mainly used for the fabrication of medical devices for the replacement of hard tissue such as artificial hip joints, bone plates, and dental implants. Because they are very reliable on the viewpoint of mechanical performance. This trend is expected to continue. Especially, Ti and Ti alloys are bioinert. So, they do not chemically bond to the bone, whereas they physically bond with bone tissue. For their poor surface biocompatibility, the surface of Ti alloys has to be modified to improve the surface osteoinductivity. Recently, ceramic-like coatings on titanium, produced by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), have been developed with calciumand phosphorus-enriched surfaces. A lso included the influences of coatings, which can accelerate healing and cell integration, as well as improve tribological properties. However, the adhesions of these coatings to the Ti surface need to be improved for clinical use. Particularly Silicon (Si) has been found to be essential for normal bone, cartilage growth and development. This hydroxyapatite, modified with the inclusion of small concentrations of silicon has been demonstrating to improve the osteoblast proliferation and the bone extracellular matrix production. Strontium-containing hydroxyapatite (Sr-HA) was designed as a filling material to improve the biocompatibility of bone cement. In vitro, the presence of strontium in the coating enhances osteoblast activity and differentiation, whereas it inhibits osteoclast production and proliferation. The objective of this work was to study Morphology of bone-like apatite formation on Sr and Si-doped hydroxyapatite surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy after plasma electrolytic oxidation. Anodized alloys was prepared at 270V~300V voltages with various concentrations of Si and Sr ions. Bone-like apatite formation was carried out in SBF solution. The morphology of PEO, phase and composition of oxide surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloys were examined by FE-SEM, EDS, and XRD.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.1009-1012
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• 2008

The fiber dispersion performance in fiber-reinforced cementitious composites is a crucial factor with respect to achieving desired mechanical performance. However, evaluation of the fiber dispersion performance in the composite PVA-ECC(Polyvinyl alcohol-Engineered Cementitious Composite) is extremely challenging because of the low contrast of PVA fibers with the cement-based matrix. In the present work, an enhanced fiber detection technique is developed and demonstrated. Using a fluorescence technique on the PVA-ECC, PVA fibers are observed as green dots in the cross-section of the composite. After capturing the fluorescence image with a Charged Couple Device(CCD) camera through a microscope. The fibers are more accurately detected by employing a series of process based on a categorization, watershed segmentation, and morphological reconstruction.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.47-57
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• 2014

The research was conducted to analyze workability and fiber distributions of amorphous steel fiber reinforced concrete by changing fiber length and fiber addition ratio. The inverted slump cone and vebe tests as well as slump test was performed to understand the fluidity of amorphous steel fibers which have quite different appearance compared to conventional steel fibers. Test results showed that thin plate type of amorphous steel fibers required different test approach to figure out workability since the reduction of workability from slump test was different that from inverted slump cone and vebe tests. In conclusion, fluidity of amorphous steel fibers to concrete was significantly degraded as fiber length and addition ratio increase. Also, fibers space in cement matrix was apparently reduced as the increase of fiber length and addition ratios without fiber balling.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.91-103
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• 1986

Experimental study for the leaching behavior of Cs-137 was carried out using the simulated evaporator bottom product of PWR plant. The method of leach test proposed by the IAEA was partially modified using ANS method. The effect of various factors, i.e., sampling method, curing temperature, curing time, leachant temperature, vermiculite addition and volume-to-surface ratio, was considered in this experiment. Diffusion model in semi-infinite slab was in a good agreement with the data obtained from 4-weeks cured specimens. The effective diffusion coefficient of the specimens which were cured at the temperature of $24^{\circ}C$ for 4 weeks was found to be $1.20{\sim}1.47{\times}10^{-11}cm^2/sec$. With the experimentally obtained diffusion coefficient ($1.47{\times}10^{-11}cm^2/sec$), long-term prediction for the leaching of Cs-137 was carried out using finite-slab approximation. The estimated fraction of Cs-137 which remains in the environment is found to be less than 0.25 percent of initial amount after 100 years. About 25 years after the beginning of leaching, its fractional amount in the environment reachs the maximum value, 0.66 percent of initial amount.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 2019

Water-induced strength reduction is one of the most critical causes for rock deformation and failure. Understanding the effects of water on the strength, toughness and deformability of rocks are of a great importance in rock fracture mechanics and design of structures in rock. However, only a few studies have been conducted to understand the effects of water on fracture properties such as fracture toughness, crack propagation velocity, consumed energy, and microstructural damage. Thus, in this study, we focused on the understanding of how microscale damages induced by water saturation affect mesoscale mechanical and fracture properties compared with oven dried specimens along three notch orientations-divider, arrester, and short transverse. The mechanical properties of calcite-cemented sandstone were examined using standard uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) tests. In addition, fracture properties such as fracture toughness, consumed energy and crack propagation velocity were examined with cracked chevron notched Brazilian disk (CCNBD) tests. Digital Image Correlation (DIC), a non-contact optical measurement technique, was used for both strain and crack propagation velocity measurements along the bedding plane orientations. Finally, environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) was employed to investigate the microstructural damages produced in calcite-cemented sandstone specimens before and after CCNBD tests. As results, both mechanical and fracture properties reduced significantly when specimens were saturated. The effects of water on fracture properties (fracture toughness and consumed energy) were predominant in divider specimens when compared with arrester and short transverse specimens. Whereas crack propagation velocity was faster in short transverse and slower in arrester, and intermediate in divider specimens. Based on ESEM data, water in the calcite-cemented sandstone induced microstructural damages (microcracks and voids) and increased the strength disparity between cement/matrix and rock forming mineral grains, which in turn reduced the crack propagation resistance of the rock, leading to lower both consumed energy and fracture toughness ($K_{IC}$).

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.449-455
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• 2022

Concrete is the most widely used construction material. The heavy self-weight of concrete may offer an advantage when developing high compressive strength and good dimensional stability. However, it is limited in the construction of super-long bridges or very high skyscrapers owing to the substantially increased self-weight of the structure. For developing lightweight concrete, various lightweight aggregates have typically been utilized. However, due to the porous characteristics of lightweight aggregates, the strength at the composite level is generally decreased. To overcome this intrinsic limitation, this study aims to develop a construction material that satisfies both lightweight and high strength requirements. The developed cementitious composite was manufactured based on a high volume usage of hollow glass microspheres in a matrix with a low water-to-cement ratio. Regardless of the tested hollow glass microspheres from among four different types, compressive strength outcomes of more than 60 MPa and 80 MPa with a density of 1.7 g/cm³ were experimentally confirmed under ambient and high-temperature curing, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.425-430
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• 2022

Concrete used for the foundation of high-rise buildings is often placed through in an integrated pouring to ensure construction efficiency and quality. However, if concrete is placed integrally, there is a high risk of temperature cracking during the hydration reaction, and it is necessary to determine the optimal mixing design of high-performance, high-durable concrete through the replacement of the admixture. In this study, experiments on salt damage, carbonation, and sulfate were conducted on the specimen manufactured from the optimal high-performance low-heating concrete combination determined in the author's previous study. The resistance of the cement matrix to chlorine ion diffusion coefficient, carbonation coefficient, and sulfate was quantitatively evaluated. In the terms of compression strength, it was measured as 141% compared to the structural design standard of KCI at 91 days. Excellent durability was expressed in carbonation and chlorine ion diffusivity performance evaluation. In particular, the chlorine ion diffusion coefficient, which should be considered the most strictly in the marine environment, was measured at a value of 4.09×E-12m²/y(1.2898×E-10m²/s), and is expected to be used as a material property value in salt damage durability analysis. These results confirmed that the latent hydroponics were due to mixing of the admixture and high resistance was due to the pozzolane reaction.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.261-272
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• 2023

This research concentrates on the potential explosion hazards that could arise from unforeseen accidents in the rapidly proliferating hydrogen refueling stations and Energy Storage System(ESS) facilities. It underscores the pivotal role of structural protection technology in alleviating such risks. The research contributes primary data for the formulation of structure protection design by assessing the impact resistance across various reinforcement techniques used in cement composites. The experimental results elucidate that reinforced concrete, serving as the quintessential structural material, exhibits a 20% advancement in impact resistance in comparison to its non-reinforced counterpart. In situations typified by rapid loads, such as those seen with high-velocity impacts, the reinforcement of the matrix with fibers is demonstrably more beneficial than local reinforcement. These insights accentuate the importance of judiciously choosing the reinforcement method to augment impact resistance in structural design.