• 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.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.201-218
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• 2018

In this study, the effects of magnesium sulfate on the mechanical performance and the durability of confined and unconfined geopolymer concrete (GPC) specimens were investigated. The carbon and basalt fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) fabrics with 1-layer and 3-layers were used to evaluate the performances of the specimens under static and cyclic loading in the ambient and magnesium sulfate environments. In addition, the use of FRP materials as a rehabilitation technique was also studied. For the geopolymerization process of GPC specimens, the alkaline activator has selected a mixture of sodium silicate solution ($Na_2SiO_3$) and sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) with a ratio ($Na_2SiO_3/NaOH$) of 2.5. In addition to GPC specimens, an ordinary concrete (NC) specimens were also produced as a reference specimens and some of the GPC and NC specimens were immersed in 5% magnesium sulfate solutions. The mechanical performance and the durability of the specimens were evaluated by visual appearance, weight change, static and cyclic loading, and failure modes of the specimens under magnesium sulfate and ambient environments. In addition, the microscopic changes of the specimens due to sulfate attack were also assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the macroscale behavior of the specimens. Results indicated that geopolymer specimens produced with nano-silica and fly ash showed superior performance than the NC specimens in the sulfate environment. In addition, confined specimens with FRP fabrics significantly improved the compressive strength, ductility and durability resistance of the specimens and the improvement was found higher with the increased number of FRP layers. Specimens wrapped with carbon FRP fabrics showed better mechanical performance and durability properties than the specimens wrapped with basalt FRP fabrics. Both FRP materials can be used as a rehabilitation material in the sulfate environment.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.407-418
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• 2022

This paper numerically investigates the effect of changes in the mechanical properties (displacement, strain, and stress) of the ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) without rebar and the reinforced concrete (RC) using steel re-bars. This reinforced concrete is mostly used in the concrete bridge decks. A mixture of sand, gravel, cement, water, steel fiber, superplasticizer, and micro silica was used to fabricate UHPC specimens. The extended finite element method as used in the ABAQUS software is applied for considering the mechanical properties of UHPC, RC, and ordinary concrete specimens. To calibrate the ABAQUS, some experimental tests have been carried out in the laboratory to measure the direct tensile strength of UHPC by the compressive-to-tensile load converting (CTLC) device. This device contains a concrete specimen and is mounted on a universal tensile testing apparatus. In the experiments, three types of mixed concrete were used for UHPC specimens. The tensile strength of these specimens ranges from 9.24 to 11.4 MPa, which is relatively high compared with ordinary concrete specimens, which have a tensile strength ranging from 2 to 5 MPa. In the experimental tests, the UHPC specimen of size 150×60×190 mm with a central hole of 75 mm (in diameter)×60 mm (in thickness) was specially made in the laboratory, and its direct tensile strength was measured by the CTLC device. However, the numerical simulation results for the tensile strength and failure mechanism of the UHPC were very close to those measured experimentally. From comparing the numerical and experimental results obtained in this study, it has been concluded that UHPC can be effectively used for bridge decks.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2016.10a
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• pp.28-29
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• 2016

By Testing restrained shrinkage, it is possible to estimating the cracking tendency of concrete such as time to cracking, tensile stress and tensile creep. In this study, tensile creep properties of concrete under restraint shrinkage were investigation through comparison of specimens that JIS and AASHTO proposed. As a results, tensile creep strains in concrete ring specimens were 15% higher than those in uniaxial specimens.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.262-264
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• 2004

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) has been used to image inside concrete specimens embedded with steel bars and delamination. An imaging algorithm has been developed to improve measurement output generated from a commercial radar system. For the experiments, laboratory size concrete specimens are made with the dimensions of $1,000mm(W){\times}1,000mm(L){\times}250mm(D)$. The results have shown improved output of the radar measurements compared to commercially available processing methods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.42-50
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• 2008

This study, push-off tests for the initially uncracked specimens were conducted to investigate shear transfer mechanism in reinforce concrete elements. Experimental programs for shear transfer were undertaken to investigate the effect of the concrete compressive strength, the presence of steel stirrups as shear reinforcement and the amount of steel stirrups. As the shear plane is loaded, several cracks form in a direction inclined to the shear plane, creating compression struts in the concrete. For this stage, shear is being transferred through a truss-like action produced by the combination of the compressive force in the concrete struts and the tensile force that the steel reinforcement crossing the shear plane develops. In the normal strength concrete specimens with steel stirrups, ultimate failure occurred when the compression struts crushed in concrete. In the high strength concrete specimens, on the other hand, ultimate failure occurred when the steel stirrups developed their yield strength.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.239-244
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• 1999

The reduction phenomena of the compressive strength of concrete with respect to the size of specimens have been extensively investigated. However, adequate analysis technique have not been developed until now. Existing researches have shown that the larger member size, the smaller the strength. This indicated the necessity of nonlinear fracture mechanics theory in order to analyze the fracture behaviors of concrete. The are some models that predict the size effect of compressive strength of cylindrical specimens. Theses equations, however, are developed not considering the difference of fracturing mechanism which depends on both geometry of specimen and the strength level of concrete. In this paper, a model to predict compressive strength of cylindrical concrete specimens with respect to diameters, h/d ratios, and the strength level of concrete, is suggested. For this purpose, theoretical and statistical analyses are conducted. Experimental constants used in the model of new size effect are formulated in terms of strength levels of concrete based on existing experimental data.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.9-10
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• 2010

In this study, the static and low velocity impact tests for two-way concrete specimens strengthening with the CFRP sheets were carried out. The specimens that had a dimension of $50{\times}350{\times}350mm$ with 40 MPa plain concrete and steel fiber reinforced concrete which had same mixture to plain concrete and 0.75% steel fibers were fabricated. The specimens reinforced with the CFRP or steel fibers showed mixed failure modes, splitting and punching, also splitting cracks and fragments were much reduced than plain concrete specimens'. Two-way concrete members reinforced with the CFRP and steel fiber simultaneously dissipated 6.8 times larger energy than not-retrofitted members' under the low-velocity impact loading.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.207-220
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of recycled materials, namely, shredded scrap tire (SST), reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and class C fly ash (CFA) on compressive and tensile strength of concrete. Either SST or RAP was used as an aggregate replacement and class C fly ash (CFA) as Portland cement replacement for making concrete. A total of two types of SST and RAP, namely, chips and screenings were used for replacing coarse and fine aggregates, respectively. A total of 26 concrete mixes containing different replacement level of SST or RAP and CFA were designed. Using the mix designs, cylindrical specimens of concrete were prepared, cured in water tank, and tested for unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and indirect tensile strength (IDT) after 28 days. Experimental results showed aggregate substitution with SST decreased both UCS and IDT of concrete. On the contrary, replacement of aggregate with RAP improved UCS values. Specimens containing RAP chips resulted in concrete with higher IDT values as compared to corresponding specimens containing RAP screenings. Addition of 40% CFA was found to improve UCS values and degrade IDT values of SST containing specimens. Statistical analysis showed that IDT of SST and RAP can be estimated as approximately 13% and 12% of UCS, respectively.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.417-435
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• 2021

The optimal distribution of steel fibers over different layers of concrete can be considered as an appropriate method in improving the structural performance and reducing the cost of fiber-reinforced concrete members. In addition, the use of waste tire rubber in concrete mixes, as one of the practical ways to address environmental problems, is highly significant. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the flexural behavior of functionally graded steel fiber-reinforced concrete containing recycled tire crumb rubber, as a volume replacement of sand, after exposure to elevated temperatures. Little information is available in the literature regarding this subject. To achieve this goal, a set of 54 one-, two-, and three-layer concrete beam specimens with different fiber volume fractions (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 1.25%), but the same overall fiber content, and different volume percentages of the waste tire rubber (0, 5, and 10%) were exposed to different temperatures (23, 300, and 600℃). Afterward, the parameters affecting the post-heating flexural performance of concrete, including flexural strength and stiffness, toughness, fracture energy, and load-deflection diagrams, along with the compressive strength and weight loss of concrete specimens, were evaluated. The results indicated that the flexural strength and stiffness of the three-layer concrete beams respectively increased by 10 and 7%, compared to the one-layer beam specimens with the same fiber content. However, the flexural performance of the two-layer beams was reduced relative to those with one layer and equal fiber content. Besides, the flexural strength, toughness, fracture energy, and stiffness were reduced by approximately 10% when a 10% of natural sand was replaced with tire rubber in the three-layer specimens compared to the corresponding beams without crumb rubber. Although the flexural properties of concrete specimens increased with increasing the temperature up to 300℃, these properties degraded significantly with elevating the temperature up to 600℃, leading to a sharp increase in the deflection at peak load.