• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.833-849
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• 2016

Pre-stressing of existing structures using steel cables, FRP cables or FRP laminates has been successfully tried in the past. Retrofitting of beams using pre-stressed laminates does not utilize the full strength of the FRP due to de-bonding of the laminates before the fibre fracture. In the present study attempt has been made to overcome this problem by replacing the FRP laminates by the FRP sheets. In the present paper the effect of initial damage level and pre-stress level on strength, stiffness, cracking behaviour and failure mode of girders retrofitted using pre-stressed CFRP sheets has been studied. The results indicate that rehabilitation of initially damaged girders by bonding pre-stressed CFRP sheets improves the flexural behaviour of beams appreciably. However, it has been observed that with increase in pre-stressing force the load carrying capacity of the girders increases up to a particular level up to which the mode of failure is fibre fracture. Thereafter, the mode of failure shifts from fibre fracture to de-bonding and there is no appreciable increase in load carrying capacity with further increase in pre-stressing force.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제66권5호
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• pp.631-636
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• 2018

This study aims to investigate the flexural behaviour of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminated hybrid fibre reinforced concrete (HFRC) beams. The flexural and ductility performance of GFRP laminated HFRC beams having different proportions of polyolefin and steel fibres with 1.0% of total volume fraction were investigated. The parameters of this investigation included: load and deflection at first crack, yield, and ultimate stages, ductility and crack width. A total of seven beams of $150{\times}250mm$ in cross-section were tested in the laboratory over an effective span of 2800 mm. One reinforced concrete (RC) beam without any internal or external GFRP was taken as the reference beam. Of the remaining six beams, one beam was strengthened with GFRP, one beam with 100% steel fibres was strengthened with GFRP and four beams, each with different volume proportions of polyolefin and steel fibres (20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50) were strengthened with GFRP. All the above beams were tested until failure. The experimental results show that a fibre volume proportion of 40:60 (polyolefin-steel) has significantly improved the overall performance of the tested beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제9권5호
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• pp.397-418
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• 2009

Eight panel specimens were tested in one-way bending to study the behaviour and capacity of composite slab joists consisting of cold-formed steel C-sections and concrete. Various shear transfer mechanisms were implemented on the C-section flange embedded in the concrete to provide the longitudinal shear resistance. Results showed that all specimens reached serviceability limit state while in elastic range and failure was ductile. Shear transfer achieved for all specimens ranged from 42 to 99% of a full transfer while specimens employed with shear transfer enhancements showed a greater percentage and therefore a higher strength compared with those relying only on surface bond to resist shear. The implementation of pre-drilled holes on the embedded flange of the steel C-section was shown to be most effective. The correlation study between the push-out and panel specimens indicated that the calculated moment capacity based on shear transfer resistance obtained from push-out tests was, on average, 10% lower than the experimental ultimate capacity of the panel specimen.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제5권6호
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• pp.573-597
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• 2008

Among artificial intelligence-based computational techniques, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) are particularly suitable for modelling complex systems with known input-output data sets. Such systems can be efficient in modelling non-linear, complex and ambiguous behaviour of cement-based materials undergoing single, dual or multiple damage factors of different forms (chemical, physical and structural). Due to the well-known complexity of sulfate attack on cement-based materials, the current work investigates the use of ANFIS to model the behaviour of a wide range of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) mixture designs under various high-concentration sodium sulfate exposure regimes including full immersion, wetting-drying, partial immersion, freezing-thawing, and cyclic cold-hot conditions with or without sustained flexural loading. Three ANFIS models have been developed to predict the expansion, reduction in elastic dynamic modulus, and starting time of failure of the tested SCC specimens under the various high-concentration sodium sulfate exposure regimes. A fuzzy inference system was also developed to predict the level of aggression of environmental conditions associated with very severe sodium sulfate attack based on temperature, relative humidity and degree of wetting-drying. The results show that predictions of the ANFIS and fuzzy inference systems were rational and accurate, with errors not exceeding 5%. Sensitivity analyses showed that the trends of results given by the models had good agreement with actual experimental results and with thermal, mineralogical and micro-analytical studies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제72권4호
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• pp.409-420
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• 2019

The paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical programme to characterize the behaviour of steel beams reinforcement by composite plates. Important failure mode of such plated beams is the debonding of the composite plates from the steel beam due to high level of stress concentration in the adhesive at the ends of the composite plate. In this new research, an experimental and numerical finite element study is presented to calculate the stresses in the sika carbodur and sika wrap reinforced steel beam under mechanical loading. The main objective of the experimental program was the evaluation of the force transfer mechanism, the increase of the load capacity of the steel beam and the flexural stiffness. It also validated different analytical and numerical models for the analysis of sika carbodur and sika wrap reinforced steel beams. In particular, a finite element model validated with respect to the experimental data and in relation to the analytical approach is presented. Experimental and numerical results from the present analysis are presented in order to show the advantages of the present solution over existing ones and to reconcile debonding stresses with strengthening quality.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.207-215
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• 2019

Application of nanotechnology can be used to tailor made cementitious composites owing to small dimension and physical behaviour of resulting hydration products. Because of high aspect ratio and extremely high strength, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are perfect reinforcing materials. Hence, there is a great prospect to use CNTs in developing new generation cementitious materials. In the present paper, a parametric study has been conducted on cementitious composites reinforced by two types of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) designated as Type I CNT (10-20 nm outer dia.) and Type II CNT (30-50 nm outer dia.) with various concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% by weight of cement. To evaluate important properties such as flexural strength, strain to failure, elastic modulus and modulus of toughness of the CNT admixed specimens at different curing periods, flexural bending tests were performed. Results show that composites with Type II CNTs gave more strength as compared to Type I CNTs. The highest increase in strength (flexural and compressive) is of the order of 22% and 33%, respectively, compared to control samples. Modulus of toughness at 28 days showed highest improvement of 265% for Type II 0.3% CNT composites. It is obvious that an optimum percentage of CNT could exists for composites to achieve suitable reinforcement behaviour and desired strength properties. Based on the parametric study, a tentative optimum CNT concentration (0.3% by weight of cement) has been proposed. Scanning electron microscope image shows perfect crack bridging mechanism; several of the CNTs were shown to act as crack arrestors across fine cracks along with some CNTs breakage.

• 한국건설순환자원학회논문집
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.484-492
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• 2023

본 연구에서는 전기화학적 염화물 추출(ECE) 완료된 RC 보의 구조적 거동을 기존에 주로 사용되었던 부착 강도 측정이 아닌 3점 재하 시험을 통해 분석했다. 그 결과, ECE 처리에 의해 콘크리트 보의 휨 강성은 저하되었으나, 최대하중 측면에서 강도는 향상되는 것으로 나타났다. 또한, ECE에 의해 인장 변형률이 증가하여 인장 균열에 대한 저항성은 향상되었으며, 관성 모멘트 감소율은 감소하였다. 이러한 구조적 거동 측면의 이점에도 불구하고 연성 및 휨 강성은 저하되었다. 콘크리트보의 휨 강성은 선형 탄성 범위에서 유효 단면적의 손실로 인해 감소됐고, 실제로 인장변형에 의해 파손된 상태에서 단면 2차 모멘트는 약 70 %의 손실되었다. 그러나 이러한 단면 손실에 의한 관성 모멘트 감소율은 ECE에 의해 더 낮아졌는데, 이는 균열에 대한 저항성이 증가되는 반면, 변형량이 증가되어 사용성 측면에서의 위험성은 더 증가됨을 의미한다.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.431-446
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• 2020

This paper presents the flexural performance of double skin composite beams (DSCBs) at different Arctic low temperatures. 12 DSCBs were prepared and tested under two-point loading at different Arctic low temperatures of 20, -30, -50, and -70℃. The studied parameters include low-temperature level (T), steel-faceplate thickness (t), shear span ratio (λ), and spacing of headed studs (S). The experimental investigations under two-point loading tests showed that flexural failure occurred to all DSCBs, even including the specimen designed with the small λ ratio of 2.9. The ultimate strength behaviours of DSCBs were improved due to the improved mechanical properties of constructional materials and the confinement on shear connectors. The DSCB subjected to two-point loading and low temperatures exhibits a five-stage working mechanism. The stiffness and strength indexes of DSCBs increase linearly with temperature and t value increasing, while decreasing as shear span ratio boosts. In the contrast, the change of S value from 150 to 200 mm has little effect on the ultimate strength behavior of DSCB.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.19-32
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• 2019

One way to provide safe buildings and to protect tenants from the terrorist attacks that have been increasing in the world is to study the behavior of buildings members after being exposed to dynamic loads. Buildings behaviour after being exposed to attacks inspired researchers all around the world to investigate the effect of impact loads on buildings members like slabs and to deeply study the properties of High Performance Concrete. HPC is well-known in its high performance and resistance to dynamic loads when it is compared with normal weight concrete. Therefore, the aim of this paper is finding out the impact of dynamic loads on RPC slabs' flexural capacity, serviceability loads, and failure type. For that purpose and to get answers for these questions, three concrete slabs with 0.5, 1, and 2% steel fiber contents were experimentally tested. The tests results showed that the content of steel fiber plays the key role in specifying the static capacity of concrete slabs after being dynamically loaded, and increasing the content of steel fiber led to improving the static loading capacity, decreased the cracks numbers and widths at the same time, and provided a safer environment for the buildings residents.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.443-456
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• 2017

Many authors have established the usefulness of concrete filled steel tubular (CFST) sections as compression members while few have proved their utility as flexural members. To explore their prospective as part of CFST frame structures, two types of connections using extended end plate and seat angle are proposed for exterior joints of CFST beams and CFST columns. To investigate the performance and failure modes of the proposed bolted connections subjected to static loads, an experimental program has been executed involving ten specimens of exterior beam-to-column joints subjected to monotonically increasing load applied at the tip of beam, the performance is appraised in terms of load deformation behaviour of joints. The test parameters varied are the beam section type, type and diameter of bolts. To validate the experimental behaviour of the proposed connections in CFST beam-column joints, finite element analysis for the applied load has been performed using software ATENA-3D and the results of the proposed models are compared with experimental results. The experimental results obtained agree that the proposed CFST beam-column connections perform in a semi-rigid and partial strength mode as per specification of EC3.