• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.469-477
• /
• 2021

Keratin fibres are waste products of the poultry industry. Natural materials made from chicken feather fibres (CFFs) are used in concrete-reinforced composites in this study. Brittleness is a major problem of high-strength concrete (HSC) that leads to sudden failure at the ultimate capacity of concrete. Hence, this work aims to investigate effects of using CFFs on improving the brittle behaviour of HSC. Two scenarios are performed to analyse the effectiveness of using CFFs. HSC containing different ratios of CFF (0% as the control, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, and 3%) by volume are tested in the first scenario. Glass fibres (GF) are used to replace CFFs in the other scenario. Tests of fresh, hardened and morphological properties for concrete are performed. Results showed the enhanced brittle behaviour of HSC when using both types of fibres. The preferable ratio of both types of fibres is 1% by volume. Flexural and splitting tensile strengths increased by about 44.9 % and 42.65 % for mixes containing 0.1% GF, respectively. While they were increased by about 21.6 % and 21.16 % for mixes containing 0.1% CFF, respectively.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.42 no.4
• /
• pp.447-458
• /
• 2022

Cold-formed steel (CFS) sections are thin-walled, therefore, more susceptible to different types of geometric imperfections. Global type of geometric imperfections has a significant impact on the load-carrying capacity of flexural members. This paper reports an experimental study that discusses the influence of global imperfections on the flexural response of CFS built-up I-beams composed of two lipped channels, with simply supported ends, under four-point loading. Global imperfections of magnitude over eight times the maximum permissible ones were induced in the specimens, leading to their distress. Using various simple stiffening schemes, the capacity and stiffness of the distressed specimens were improvised. The performance comparisons were made based on the maximum loads resisted, flexural stiffnesses offered, and failure modes experienced by the specimens. As experimental data on such distressed specimens are currently lacking in the literature, the test results of the present study will provide the necessary data needed by future researchers to numerically extend this study further, which will help in the development of necessary design guidelines for the same. The stiffening schemes significantly improved the structural efficiency of distressed specimens in terms of strength and stiffness, by over 60%. As a result, an effective and time-saving solution to such realistic structural engineering problems is given.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.603-617
• /
• 2017

This paper presents investigation into the behavior of beam-column joints, with the joint region concrete being replaced by steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) and by ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). A total of ten beam-column joint specimens (BCJ) were tested experimentally to failure under monotonic and cyclic loading, with the beam section being subjected to flexural loading and the column to combined flexural and axial loading. The joint region essentially transferred shear and axial stresses as received from the column. Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) were used as an innovative construction and/or strengthening scheme for some of the BCJ specimens. The reinforced concrete specimens were reinforced with longitudinal steel rebar, 18 mm, and some specimens were reinforced with an additional two ties in the joint region. The results showed that using SFRC and UHPC as a replacement concrete for the BCJ improved the joint shear strength and the load carrying capacity of the hybrid specimens. The mode of failure was also converted from a non-desirable joint shear failure to a preferred beam flexural failure. The effect of the ties in the SFRC and UHPC joint regions could not be observed due to the beam flexural failure. Several models were used in estimating the joint shear strength for different BCJ specimens. The results showed that the existing models yielded wide-ranging values. A new concept to take into account the influence of column axial load on the shear strength of beam-column joints is also presented, which demonstrates that the recommended values for concrete tensile strength for determination of joint shear strength need to be amended for joints subject to moderate to high axial loads. Furthermore, finite element model (FEM) simulation to predict the behaviour of the hybrid BCJ specimens was also carried out in an ABAQUS environment. The result of the FEM modelling showed good agreement with experimental results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.84 no.3
• /
• pp.375-391
• /
• 2022

This paper discussed and analyzed the interfacial stress distribution characteristic of adjacent cracks in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) plate strengthened concrete slabs. One un-strengthened concrete test beam and four CFRP plate-strengthened concrete test beams were designed to carry out four-point flexural tests. The test data shows that the interfacial shear stress between the interface of CFRP plate and concrete can effectively reduce the crack shrinkage of the tensile concrete and reduces the width of crack. The maximum main crack flexural height in pure bending section of the strengthened specimen is smaller than that of the un-strengthened specimen, the CFRP plate improves the rigidity of specimens without brittle failure. The average ultimate bearing capacity of the CFRP-strengthened specimens was increased by 64.3% compared to that without CFRP-strengthen. This indicites that CFRP enhancement measures can effectively improve the ultimate bearing capacity and delay the occurrence of debonding damage. Based on the derivation of mechanical analysis model, the calculation formula of interfacial shear stress between adjacent cracks is proposed. The distributions characteristics of interfacial shear stress between certain crack widths were given. In the intermediate cracking region of pure bending sections, the length of the interfacial softening near the mid-span cracking position gradually increases as the load increases. The CFRP-concrete interface debonding capacity with the larger adjacent crack spacing is lower than that with the smaller adjacent crack spacing. The theoretical calculation results of interfacial bonding shear stress between adjacent cracks have good agreement with the experimental results. The interfacial debonding failure between adjacent cracks in the intermediate cracking region was mainly caused by the root of the main crack. The larger the spacing between adjacent cracks exists, the easier the interfacial debonding failure occurs.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.309-324
• /
• 2014

In the design of reinforced concrete structural walls, in order to ensure adequate inelastic displacement behaviour and to sustain deformation demands imposed by strong ground motions, special reinforcement is considered while designing. However, these would lead to severe reinforcement congestion and difficulties during construction. Addition of randomly distributed discrete fibres in concrete improves the flexural behaviour of structural elements because of its enhanced tensile properties and this leads to reduction in congestion. This paper deals with effect of addition of steel fibres on the behavior of high performance fibre reinforced cement concrete (HPFRCC) slender structural walls with the different volume fractions of steel fibres. The specimens were subjected to quasi static lateral reverse cyclic loading until failure. The high performance concrete (HPC) used was obtained based on the guidelines given in ACI 211.1 which was further modified by prof.Aitcin (1998). The volume fraction of the fibres used in this study varied from 0 to 1% with an increment of 0.5%. The results were analysed critically and appraised. The study indicates that the addition of steel fibres in the HPC structural walls enhances the first crack load, strength, initial stiffness and energy dissipation capacity.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.125-134
• /
• 1989

This study was conducted to investigate the flexural behaviour of sandwich constructions with cement concrete core and polymer concrete facings. Six different cross-sectional shapes using epoxy based polymer concrete facings were investigated. Some of the results from the static tests are given including the load-deflection responses, load-strain relationships, ultimate moment, and mode of failure. From the. results the following conclusions can be made. 1. The various strengths of polymer concrete were very high compared to the strengths for portland cement concrete, while modulus of elasticity assumed an aspect of contrast. 2. The thickness of core and facing exerted a great influence on the deflection and ultimate strenght of polymer concrete sandwich constructions. 3. The variation shape of deflection and strain depend on loading were a very close approximation to the straight line. The ultimate strain of polymer concrete at the end of tensile side were ranged from 625x10-6 to 766x10-6 and these values increased in proportion to the decrease of thickness of core and facings. 4. The ultimate moments of polymer sandwich constructions were 3 to 4 times that of cement concrete constructions which was transformed same section. It should he noted that polymer concrete have an effect on the reinforcement of weak constructions. 5. Further tests are neede to investigate the shear strain of constructions, and thermal expansion, shrinkage and creep of cement and polymer concrete which were composite materials of sandwich constructions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
• /
• v.3 no.1 s.8
• /
• pp.123-131
• /
• 2003

An experiment was carried out to investigate the mechanical behaviour of the circular hollow section reinforced concrete member with internal corrugated steel tube. A specimen, 50cm in diameter and 340cm in length, was made and tested by 3 points bending. The test load was increased slowly (quasi static) to the failure or unacceptable deformation. During the test, lateral displacement at mid point and longitudinal displacement of extreme fiber on compressive and tensile side of the specimen were measured. The measured data were analysed and compared with calculated results for the equivalent member without inserted corrugated steel tube. The comparison shows that the flexural strength and ductility of hollow section reinforced concrete members can be improved by inserting corrugated steel tubes inside.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.213-233
• /
• 2015

A nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) model is presented for simulating the behaviour of recycled aggregate concrete-filled steel tube (RACFST) beam-columns subjected to constant axial compressive load and cyclically increasing flexural loading. The FEA model was developed based on ABAQUS software package and a displacement-based approach was used. The proposed engineering stress versus engineering strain relationship of core concrete with the effect of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement ratio was adopted in the FEA model. The predicted results of the FEA model were compared with the experimental results of several RACFST as well as the corresponding concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) beam-columns under cyclic loading reported in the literature. The comparison results indicated that the proposed FEA model was capable of predicting the load versus deformation relationship, lateral bearing capacity and failure pattern of RACFST beam-columns with an acceptable accuracy. A parametric study was further carried out to investigate the effect of typical parameters on the mechanism of RACFST beam-columns subjected to cyclic loading.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.73 no.3
• /
• pp.353-365
• /
• 2020

In the previous studies, the authors proposed the use of laminated veneer lumber - carbon fiber reinforced polymer (LVL-CFRP) composite beams for structural application. Bond strength of the LVL-to-CFRP interface and flexural strengthening schemes to increase the bending capacity subjected to positive and negative moment were discussed in the previous works. In this article, theoretical models are proposed to predict the moment capacity when the LVL-CFRP beams are subjected to negative moment. Two common failure modes - CFRP fracture and debonding of CFRP are considered. The non-linear model proposed for positive moment is modified for negative moment to determine the section moment capacity. For the debonding based failure, previously developed bond strength model for CFRP-to-LVL interface is implemented. The theoretical models are validated against the experimental results and then use to determine the moment-rotation behaviour and rotational rigidity to compare the efficacy of various strengthening techniques. It is found that combined use of bi- and uni-directional CFRP U-wrap at the joint performs well in terms of both moment capacity and rotational rigidity.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.793-808
• /
• 2018

In this study, the seismic performance of the connections between L-shaped columns composed of concrete-filled steel tubes (L-CFST columns) and H-beams used in high-rise steel frame structures was investigated. Seven full-scale specimens were tested under quasi-static cyclic loading. The variables studied in the tests included the joint type, the axial compression ratio, the presence of concrete, the width-to-thickness ratio and the internal extension length of the side plates. The hysteretic response, strength degradation, stiffness degradation, ductility, plastic rotation capacity, energy dissipation capacity and the strain distribution were evaluated at different load cycles. The test results indicated that both the corner and exterior joint specimens failed due to local buckling and crack within the beam flange adjacent to the end of the side plates. However, the failure modes of the interior joint specimens primarily included local buckling and crack at the end plates and curved corners of the beam flange. A design method was proposed for the flexural capacity of the end plate connection in the interior joint. Good agreement was observed between the theoretical and test results of both the yield and ultimate flexural capacity of the end plate connection.