• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.6D
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• pp.905-913
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• 2008

Recently, concrete tracks are introduced into high-speed railroads as an alternative to ballast tracks. Concrete tracks are superior to ballast tracks in the aspect of durability, maintenance and safety. However, deteriorated stiffness of railroad bed and settlement of soft ground induced by trapped or seepage water lead to problems in safety of train operation. In this research, flexural rigidity of concrete tracks was employed as an index of track displacement and a new seismic technique called FRACTAL (Flexural-Rigidity Assessment of Concrete Tracks by Antisymmetric Lamb Waves) method was proposed to delineate flexural rigidity of concrete tracks in a 2-D image. In this paper, to establish theoretical background, parametric research was performed using numerical simulations of stress-wave tests at concrete tracks. Feasibility of the FRACTAL technique was proved at a real concrete track for Korean high-speed trains. Validity of the FRACTAL technique was also verified by comparing the results of impulse-response tests performed at the same measurement array and the results of DC resistivity survey performed at a shoulder nearby the track.

• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.207-214
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• 1997

This study was performed to verify the effect of axial force due to restraint on the mechanical behavior and the average crack spacing of the reinforced concrett. ilexural menlbers. For. this purpose, the flexural sttvngt.h and rigidity werc experimentally investigated undcl. axially rcstmined and unr.est.rainrd conditions. Furthermore , the average crack spacing was also checkcd for the axilly restrained contlit.ion. Thc test results showd that the flexual strength and rigidity of t,he restrained beam were higher. than those of the unrestrained beam. The major. factors affecting on the average crack spacing were steeel stress, axial force, cicumference of reinforcing bar and effective tension arm of concrete. However. the concrete compressive strength was minor effect. Including thesc factors, a prediction equation for the average crack spacing of the restrained member was proposed.