• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-75
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• 2021

The lightweight superstructure is beneficial for bridges in remote areas and emergency erection. In such weight-sensitive applications, the combination of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) as a material and box-beams as a structural system have enormous scope. This combination offers various advantages, but as a thin-walled structure, their designs are often governed by buckling criteria. FRP box-beams lose their stability either by flange or web buckling mode. In this paper, the web buckling behavior of simply supported FRP box-beam subjected to transverse load has been studied by modeling full box-beam to consider the effect of real state of stress (stress variation in length direction) and boundary conditions (rotational restraint at web-flange junction). A parametric study by varying the sectional geometry and fiber orientation is carried out by using ANSYS software. The accuracy of the FE models was ensured by verifying them against the available results provided in the literature. With the help of developed database the influential parameters (i.e., αs, βw, δw and γ) affecting the web bucklings are identified. Design trends have been developed which will be helpful to the designers in the preliminary stage. Finally, the importance of governing parameters and design trends are demonstrated through pedestrian bridge design.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2021

This paper studies the effect of using multi-scale reinforcement additives on mechanical strengths, damage performance, microstructure, and water absorption of cementitious composites. Small dosages of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or polypropylene (PP) microfibers; 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% by weight of cement; were added either separately or simultaneously into cement mortar. The experimental results show the ability of these additives to enhance the mechanical behavior of the mortar. The best improvement in compressive and flexural strengths of cement mortar reaches 28% in the case of adding a combination of 0.1% CNTs and 0.2% PP fibers for compression, and a combination of 0.2% CNTs and 0.2% PP fibers for flexure. Adding CNTs does not change the brittle mode of failure of plain mortar whereas the presence of PP fibers changes it into ductile failure and clearly enhances the fracture energy of the specimens. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of the fracture surfaces highlights the role of CNTs in improving the adhesion between the PP fibers and the hydration products and thus enhance the ability of the fibers to mitigate cracks propagation and to enhance the mechanical performance of the mortar.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.633-647
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• 2020

This paper aims to study the seismic performance of external diaphragm connection between SST (square steel tube) column and H-shaped beam through experimental and analytical study involving finite element (FE) method and theoretical analysis. In the experimental study, three external diaphragm connection specimens with weak panel zone were tested under axial pressure on the top of the column and antisymmetric cyclic loads at the beam end to investigate the seismic performance of the panel zone. The hysteretic behavior, failure mode, stiffness and ductility of the specimens were discussed. Key point to be explored was the influence of the thickness of the steel tube flange on the shear capacity of the specimens. In the analytical study, three simplified FE models were developed to simulate the seismic behavior of the specimens for further analysis on the influence of steel tube flange. Finally, four existing calculation formulas for the shear capacity of the external diaphragm connection were evaluated through comparisons with the results of experiments and FE analysis, and application suggestions were put forward.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.111-126
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• 2021

Concrete cracking due to brittle tension strength significantly prevents fully utilization of the materials for "flexural-shear failure" type shear walls. Theoretical and experimental studies applying fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) have achieved fruitful results in improving the seismic performance of "flexural-shear failure" reinforced concrete shear walls. To come to an understanding of an optimal design strategy and find common performance prediction method for design methodology in terms to FRC shear walls, seismic performance on shear walls with PVA and steel FRC at edge columns and plastic region are compared in this study. The seismic behavior including damage mode, lateral bearing capacity, deformation capacity, and energy dissipation capacity are analyzed on different fiber reinforcing strategies. The experimental comparison realized that the lateral strength and deformation capacity are significantly improved for the shear walls with PVA and steel FRC in the plastic region and PVA FRC in the edge columns; PVA FRC improves both in tensile crack prevention and shear tolerance while steel FRC shows enhancement mainly in shear resistance. Moreover, the tensile strength of the FRC are suggested to be considered, and the steel bars in the tension edge reaches the ultimate strength for the confinement of the FRC in the yield and maximum lateral bearing capacity prediction comparing with the model specified in provisions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.304-313
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• 2021

Nickel base Alloy X-750, which is used as fastener parts in light-water reactor (LWR), has experienced many failures by environmentally assisted cracking (EAC). In order to improve the reliability of passive components for nuclear power plants (NPP's), it is necessary to study the failure mechanism and to predict crack growth behavior by developing a probabilistic failure model. In this study, The Bayesian inference was employed to reduce the uncertainties contained in EAC modeling parameters that have been established from experiments with Alloy X-750. Corrosion fatigue crack growth rate model (FCGR) was developed by fitting into Paris' Law of measured data from the several fatigue tests conducted either in constant load or constant ΔK mode. These parameters characterizing the corrosion fatigue crack growth behavior of X-750 were successfully updated to reduce the uncertainty in the model by using the Bayesian inference method. It is demonstrated that probabilistic failure models for passive components can be developed by updating a laboratory model with field-inspection data, when crack growth rates (CGRs) are low and multiple inspections can be made prior to the component failure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.6
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• pp.769-780
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• 2022

This paper studies the dynamic behavior of laminated composite circular cylindrical shells interacting with a fluid. The mathematical formulation of the dynamic problem for an elastic body is developed based on the variational principle of virtual displacements and the relations of linear elasticity theory. The behavior of an ideal compressible fluid is described by the potential theory, the equations of which together with boundary conditions are transformed to a weak form. The hydrodynamic pressure exerted by the fluid on the internal surface of the shell is calculated according to the linearized Bernoulli equation. The numerical implementation of the mathematical formulation has been done using the semi-analytical finite element method. The influence of the ply angle and lay-up configurations of laminated composites on the natural vibration frequencies and the hydroelastic stability boundary have been analyzed for shells with different geometrical dimensions and under different kinematic boundary conditions set at their edges. It has been found that the optimal value of the ply angle depends on the level of filling of the shell with a fluid. The obtained results support the view that by choosing the optimal configuration of the layered composite material it is possible to change upwards or downwards the frequency and mode shape, as well as the critical velocity for stability loss over a wide range.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.13-27
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• 2023

The model production for large-scale (lateral length ≥ 2.0 m) capillary barrier (CB) model tests is time and cost-intensive. To address these limitations, the framework of a small-scale CB (SSCB) model test under the lateral no-flow condition has been established. In this study, to validate the experimental methodology of the SSCB model test, a series of seepage analyses on the SSCB model test and engineered slopes in the same and additional test conditions was performed. First, the seepage behavior and diversion length (L_D) of the CB system were investigated under three rainfall conditions. In the seepage analysis for the engineered slopes with different slope angles and sand layer thicknesses, the L_D increased with the increase in the slope angle and sand layer thickness, although the increase rate of the L_D with the sand layer thickness exhibited an upper limit. The L_D values from the seepage analysis agreed well with the results estimated from the laboratory SSCB mode test. Therefore, it can be concluded that the experimental methodology of the SSCB model test is one of the promising alternatives to efficiently evaluate the water-shielding performance of the CB system for an engineered slope.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2023

Welded hollow spherical joints are commonly used joints in space grid structures. An internal stiffener is generally adopted to strengthen the joints when large hollow spheres are used. To further strengthen it, external stiffeners can be used at the same time. In this study, axial compression tests are conducted on four full-scale 550 mm spherical joints. The failure modes and strengths of the tested joints are investigated. It shows that the external stiffeners are able to increase the strength of the joint up to 25%. A numerical model for large spherical joints with stiffeners is established and verified against the experimental results. Parametric studies are executed considering six main design factors using the verified model. It is found that the strength of the spherical joint increases as the thickness, height and number of the external stiffeners increase, and the hollow sphere's diameter has a neglectable effect on the enhancement caused by the external stiffeners. Based on the experimental and numerical results, a practical formula for the compressive bearing capacity of large welded hollow spherical joints with both internal and external stiffeners is proposed. The proposed formula gives a conservative prediction on the compressive capacity of large welded hollow spherical joints with both internal and external stiffeners.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.745-757
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• 2023

In order to study the fatigue performance of the flat steel plate-lightweight aggregate concrete hollow composite bridge slab subjected to fatigue load, both static test on two specimens and fatigue test on six specimens were conducted. The effects of the arrangement of the steel pipes, the amplitude of the fatigue load and the upper limit as well as lower limit of fatigue load on failure performance were investigated. Besides, for specimens in fatigue test, strains of the concrete, residual deflection, bending stiffness, residual bearing capacity and dynamic response were analyzed. Test results showed that the specimens failed in the fracture of the bottom flat steel plate regardless of the arrangement of the steel pipes. Moreover, the fatigue loading cycles of composite slab were mainly controlled by the amplitude of the fatigue load, but the influences of upper limit and lower limit of fatigue load on fatigue life was slight. The fatigue life of the composite bridge slabs can be determined by the fatigue strength of bottom flat steel plate, which can be calculated by the method of allowable stress amplitude in steel structure design code.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.101-118
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• 2022

The seismic performance of the reinforced concrete (RC) special-shaped column to steel beam connections with steel jacket used in the RC column to steel beam fabricated frame structures was investigated in this study. The three full-scale specimens were subjected to cyclic loading. The failure mode, ultimate bearing capacity, shear strength capacity, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation capacity, and strain distribution of the specimens were studied by varying the steel jacket thickness parameters. Test results indicate that the RC special-shaped column to steel beam connection with steel jacket is reliable and has excellent seismic performance. The hysteresis curve is full and has excellent energy dissipation capacity. The thickness of the steel jacket is an important parameter affecting the seismic performance of the proposed connections, and the shear strength capacity, ductility, and initial stiffness of the specimens improve with the increase in the thickness of the steel jacket. The calculation formula for the shear strength capacity of RC special-shaped column to steel beam connections with steel jacket is proposed on the basis of the experimental results and numerical simulation analysis. The theoretical values of the formula are in good agreement with the experimental values.