• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2017

This paper summarizes the experimental study of the shear behaviour of Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Concrete (HFRC) beams retrofitted by using externally bonded Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) laminates. To attain the set-out objectives of the present investigation, steel fibre of 1% and polypropylene fibre of 0.30% was used for hybrid steel-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete: whereas for hybrid glass-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete, glass fibre by 0.03% and polypropylene fibre of 0.03% by volume of concrete was used. In this study, 9 numbers of beams were cast and tested into three groups (Group I, II & III). Each group containing 3 numbers of beams, out of which one serve as a control beam or a hybrid steel-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete beam or a hybrid glass - polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete beam and the remaining two beams were preloaded until shear cracks appeared up to 75% of ultimate load and then preloaded beams (damaged beams) were retrofitted with GFRP laminates at shear zone in the form of strips, as one beam in vertical position and another beam in inclined position to restrict the shear cracks. Finally, the retrofitted beams were loaded until failure and test results were compared. The experimental tests have been conducted to investigate various parameters of structural performance, such as load carrying capacity, crack pattern and failure modes, load-deflection responses and ductility relations. The test results revealed that beams retrofitted using GFRP laminates considerably increased the load carrying capacity. In addition, it was found that beams retrofitted with inclined strip offers superior performance than vertical one. Comparing the test results, it was observed that hybrid steel-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete beam retrofitted with GFRP laminates showed enhanced behaviour as compared to other tested beams.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2015

This paper presents the effects of elevated temperatures of $400^{\circ}C$ and $800^{\circ}C$ on the residual compressive strength and failure behaviour of fibre reinforced concretes and comparison is made with that of unreinforced control concrete. Two types of short fibres are used in this study e.g., steel and basalt fibres. The results show that the residual compressive strength capacity of steel fibre reinforced concrete is higher than unreinforced concrete at both elevated temperatures. The basalt fibre reinforced concrete, on the other hand, showed lower strength retention capacity than the control unreinforced concrete. However, the use of hybrid steel-basalt fibre reinforcement recovered the deficiency of basalt fibre reinforced concrete, but still slightly lower than the control and steel fibres reinforced concretes. The use of fibres reduces the spalling and explosive failure of steel, basalt and hybrid steel-basalt fibres reinforced concretes oppose to spalling in deeper regions of ordinary control concrete after exposure to above elevated temperatures. Microscopic observation of steel and basalt fibres surfaces after exposure to above elevated temperatures shows peeling of thin layer from steel surface at $800^{\circ}C$, whereas in the case of basalt fibre formation of Plagioclase mineral crystals on the surface are observed at elevated temperatures.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

This study intends to produce an ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) made with hybrid fibres (i.e., steel and polypropylene). Compressive and tensile strength characteristics of the hybrid fibres UHPFRC are considered. A total of 14 fibre-reinforced composites (FRCs) with different fibre contents or types of fibres were prepared and tested in order to determine a suitable hybrid fibre combination. The compressive and tensile strengths of each concrete at 7 days were determined. The results showed that a hybrid mix of micro-polypropylene and steel fibres exhibited good compromising performances and is the ideal reinforcement mixture in a strong, cost-effective UHPFRC. In addition, maximum compressive strength of 167 MPa was achieved for UHPFRC using 1.5% steel fibres blended with 0.5% macro-polypropylene fibres.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.66 no.5
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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.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.419-444
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• 2014

In this study experimental result of a total of eight SCC and FRSCC slabs with the same cross-section were monitored for up to 240 days to measure the time-dependent development of cracking and deformations under service loads are presented. For this purpose, four SCC mixes are considered in the test program. This study aimed to compare SCC and FRSCC experimental results with conventional concrete experimental results. The steel strains within the high moment regions, the concrete surface strains at the tensile steel level, deflection at the mid-span, crack widths and crack spacing were recorded throughout the testing period. Experimental results show that hybrid fibre reinforced SCC slabs demonstrated minimum instantaneous and time-dependent crack widths and steel fibre reinforced SCC slabs presented minimum final deflection.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.509-514
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• 2001

The Fibre-optic Bragg grating (FBG) sensor is broadly accepted as a structural health monitoring device for Fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) materials by either embedding into or bonding onto the structures. The accuracy of the strain measured by using the FBG sensor is highly dependent on the bonding characteristics among the bare optical fibre, protective coating, adhesive layer and host material. In general, the signal extracted from the embedded FBG sensor should reflect the straining condition of the host structure. This paper presents a theoretical model to evaluate the differential strains between the bare fibre and host material with different adhesive thickness and modulus of the protective coating of the embedded FBG sensor.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.709-737
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• 2014

Fibre-reinforced self-compacting concrete (FRSCC) is a high-performance building material that combines positive aspects of fresh properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) with improved characteristics of hardened concrete as a result of fibre addition. To produce SCC, either the constituent materials or the corresponding mix proportions may notably differ from the conventional concrete (CC). These modifications besides enhance the concrete fresh properties affect the hardened properties of the concrete. Therefore, it is vital to investigate whether all the assumed hypotheses about CC are also valid for SCC structures. In the present paper, the experimental results of short-term flexural load tests on eight reinforced SCC and FRSCC specimens slabs are presented. For this purpose, four SCC mixes - two plain SCC, two steel, two polypropylene, and two hybrid FRSCC slab specimens - are considered in the test program. The tests are conducted to study the development of SCC and FRSCC flexural cracking under increasing short-term loads from first cracking through to flexural failure. The achieved experimental results give the SCC and FRSCC slabs bond shear stresses for short-term crack width calculation. Therefore, the adopted bond shear stress for each mix slab is presented in this study. Crack width, crack patterns, deflections at mid-span, steel strains and concrete surface strains at the steel levels were recorded at each load increment in the post-cracking range.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.125-137
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• 2020

As confining materials for concrete, steel and fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have important applications in both the seismic retrofit of existing reinforced concrete columns and in the new construction of composite structures. We present a comprehensive review of the axial stress-strain behaviour of the FRP-confined concrete column. Next, the mechanical performance of the hybrid FRP-confined concrete-steel composite columns are comprehensively reviewed. Furthermore, the results of FRP-confined concrete column experiments and FRP-confined circular concrete-filled steel tube experiments are presented to study the interaction relationship between various material sections. Finally, the combinations of material sections are discussed. Based on these observations, recommendations regarding future research directions for composite columns are also outlined.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.547-557
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• 2020

This paper presents one of the demonstration projects undertaken during the FP7 EU-funded Anagennisi project (Innovative reuse of all tyre components in concrete-2014-2017) on a full-scale (30 m×40 m, thickness: 0.2 m) Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) slab-on-grade using a blend of manufactured steel fibres (MSF) and Recycled Tyre Steel Fibres (RTSF). The aim of the project was to assess the use of RTSF in everyday construction practice. The Anagennisi partners, Dulex Ltd in collaboration with Gradmont-Gradacac Ltd and University of Zagreb, designed, cast and monitored the long-term shrinkage deformations of the indoor slab-on-grade slab at Gradmont's precast concrete factory in Gradacac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A hybrid RTSF mix (20 kg/㎥ of MSF+10 kg/㎥ of RTSF) was used to comply with the design criteria which included a maximum load capacity of 20 kN/㎡. The slab was monitored for one year using surveying equipment and visual inspection of cracks. During the monitoring period, the slab exhibited reasonable deformations (a maximum displacement of 3.3 mm for both, horizontal and vertical displacements) whilst after five years in use, the owners did not report any issues and were satisfied with the construction methodology and materials used. This work confirms that RSTF is a viable and sustainable solution for slab-on-grade applications.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.743-767
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• 2020

Due to the impressive flexural performance, enhanced compressive strength and more constrained crack propagation, Fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) have been widely employed in the construction application. Majority of experimental studies have focused on the seismic behavior of FRC columns. Based on the valid experimental data obtained from the previous studies, the current study has evaluated the seismic response and compressive strength of FRC rectangular columns while following hybrid metaheuristic techniques. Due to the non-linearity of seismic data, Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) has been incorporated with metaheuristic algorithms. 317 different datasets from FRC column tests has been applied as one database in order to determine the most influential factor on the ultimate strengths of FRC rectangular columns subjected to the simulated seismic loading. ANFIS has been used with the incorporation of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic algorithm (GA). For the analysis of the attained results, Extreme learning machine (ELM) as an authentic prediction method has been concurrently used. The variable selection procedure is to choose the most dominant parameters affecting the ultimate strengths of FRC rectangular columns subjected to simulated seismic loading. Accordingly, the results have shown that ANFIS-PSO has successfully predicted the seismic lateral load with R² = 0.857 and 0.902 for the test and train phase, respectively, nominated as the lateral load prediction estimator. On the other hand, in case of compressive strength prediction, ELM is to predict the compressive strength with R² = 0.657 and 0.862 for test and train phase, respectively. The results have shown that the seismic lateral force trend is more predictable than the compressive strength of FRC rectangular columns, in which the best results belong to the lateral force prediction. Compressive strength prediction has illustrated a significant deviation above 40 Mpa which could be related to the considerable non-linearity and possible empirical shortcomings. Finally, employing ANFIS-GA and ANFIS-PSO techniques to evaluate the seismic response of FRC are a promising reliable approach to be replaced for high cost and time-consuming experimental tests.