• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2024

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) have a proven strength enhancement capability when installed into Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams. The brittle failure of traditional FRP strengthening systems has attracted researchers to develop novel materials with improved strength and ductility properties. One such material is that known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This study presents a numerical investigation of the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams externally strengthened with PET-FRP systems. This material is distinguished by its large rupture strain, leading to an improvement in the ductility of the strengthened structural members compared to conventional FRPs. A three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) model is developed in this study to predict the load-deflection response of a series of experimentally tested beams published in the literature. The numerical model incorporates constitutive material laws and bond-slip behavior between concrete and the strengthening system. Moreover, the validated model was applied in a parametric study to inspect the effect of concrete compressive strength, PET-FRP sheet length, and reinforcing steel bar diameter on the overall performance of concrete beams externally strengthened with PET-FRP.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2019

This paper describes an experimental investigation on hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HYFRC) beams. And the main aim of this present paper is to examine the dynamic characteristics and damage evaluation of undamaged and damaged HYFRC beams under free-free constraints. In this experimental work, totally four RC beams were cast and analyzed in order to evaluate the dynamic behavior as well as static load behavior of HYFRCs. Hybrid fiber reinforced concrete beams have been cast by incorporating two different fibers such as steel and polypropylene (PP). Damage of HYFRC beams was obtained by cracking of concrete for one of the beams in each set under four-point bending tests with different percentage variation of damage levels as 50%, 70% and 90% of maximum ultimate load. And the main dynamic characteristics such as damping, fundamental natural frequencies, mode shapes and frequency response function at each and every damage level has been assessed by means of non-destructive technique (NDT) with hammer excitation. The fundamental natural frequency and damping values obtained through dynamic tests for HYFRC beams were compared with control (reference) RC beam at each level of damage which has been acquired through static tests. The static experimental test results emphasize that the HYFRC beam has attained higher ultimate load as compared with control reinforced concrete beam.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.763-783
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• 2016

A methodology based on Teaching Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO) algorithm is proposed for optimum design of reinforced concrete retaining walls. The objective function is to minimize total material cost including concrete and steel per unit length of the retaining walls. The requirements of the American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-05-Building code requirements for structural concrete) are considered for reinforced concrete (RC) design. During the optimization process, totally twenty-nine design constraints composed from stability, flexural moment capacity, shear strength capacity and RC design requirements such as minimum and maximum reinforcement ratio, development length of reinforcement are checked. Comparing to other nature-inspired algorithm, TLBO is a simple algorithm without parameters entered by users and self-adjusting ranges without intervention of users. In numerical examples, a retaining wall taken from the documented researches is optimized and the several effects (backfill slope angle, internal friction angle of retaining soil and surcharge load) on the optimum results are also investigated in the study. As a conclusion, TLBO based methods are feasible.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.773-790
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• 2013

Bending behaviors of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) beams under repeated loading were investigated experimentally. A total of twenty test specimens, including four non-corrosion and sixteen corrosion reinforced concrete beams, were prepared and tested. A numerical model for flexural and cracking behaviors of the beam under repeated loading was also developed. Effects of steel corrosion on reinforced concrete beams regarding cracking, mid-span deflection, stiffness and bearing capacity of corroded beams were studied. The impact of corrosion on bond strength as the key factor was investigated to develop the computational model of flexural capacity. It was shown from the experimental results that the bond strength between reinforcement and concrete had increased for specimen of low corrosion levels, while this effect was changed when the corrosion level was higher. It was indicated that the bearing capacity of corrosion beam increased even at a corrosion level of about 5%.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.299-302
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• 2005

This study deals with the quasi-static tests on steel reinforced concrete composite columns with single embedded steel or multiple members. For the design of bridge piers, the composite section needs to have low steel ratio for cost savings because the dimension of the pier section is usually large. There is lack of design guidelines for these composite columns with low steel ratio, but the design provisions for the normal reinforced concrete column can be used for the design because of the low steel ratio. It is necessary to provide the design provisions in terms of the strength limit state and seismic performance by the detail requirements on the longitudinal steel and the transverse steel. The test parameters in this study were determined considering the current design provisions on RC columns. Through the quasi-static tests, the seismic performance of the composite columns were discussed.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.105-121
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• 2013

This paper investigates the parameters that control the design of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) reinforced concrete flexural members proportioned following the ACI 440.1R-06. It investigates the critical parameters that control the flexural design, such as the deflection limits, crack limits, flexural capacity, concrete compressive strength, beam span and cross section, and bar diameter, at various Mean-Ambient Temperatures (MAT). The results of this research suggest that the deflection and cracking requirements are the two most controlling limits for FRP reinforced concrete flexural members.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.267-280
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• 2014

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) braces can be used to reduce seismic residual deformations observed in steel braced Reinforced Concrete (RC) frames. To further enhance the seismic performance of these frames, the use of SMA bars to reinforce their beams is investigated in this paper. Three-story and nine-story SMA-braced RC frames are designed utilizing regular steel reinforcing bars. Their seismic performance is examined using twenty seismic ground motions. The frames are then re-designed using SMA reinforcing bars. Different design alternatives representing different locations for the SMA reinforcing bars are considered. The optimum locations for the SMA bars are identified after analysing the design alternatives. The seismic performance of these frames has indicated better deformability when SMA bars are used in the beams.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.602-609
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• 2001

A strut-and-tie model was proposed to predict the shear strength of RS beam which is a hybrid steel beam with reinforced concrete ends. The proposed model is capable of considering the concrete softening effects due to diagonal shear cracks at the embedded area of steel in concrete. It can predict tile failure strength of RS beam from the mathematical formulations which are based on equilibrium, compatibility, and the constitutive laws of cracked reinforced concrete. The previous experimental results of 15 RS beams were analyzed with the proposed model and the analytical results were also compared with formulas currently available. The comparison revealed that the proposed model can predict the strength of RS beam better than the others. The average ratio of experimental strengths to analytical results was 1.02 and the standard deviation was 0.126.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1997.04a
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• pp.598-604
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• 1997

In recent years, strengthening by epoxy-bonded steel plates, carbon fiber sheets, aramid fiber sheets and so on, is spotlighted. Among them, the method using steel plates is most widely applied. Most studies have dealt with strengthening by epoxy-bonded steel plates. However the actual behavior of strengthened RC beams are not well established. Particularly, the studies on the separation load thar affects failure load of the beam are relatively insufficient. In this study, test parameters are the magnitude of pre-load, plate length, plate thickness, existence and spacing of anchor bolt, the number of plate layer and the height of side strengthening, 17reinforced concrete beams are strengthened by steel plates according to test parameters. Deflection, failure load, strains of reinforcing bar, concrete and plate are measured from tests(4 points loading). The failure mode, and separation load are analyzed from these measured data. The difference between Robert's theory and test results is discussed, and the prediction equation for separation load in the case of rip off is proposed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.397-406
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• 2017

The use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) for torsional strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) single cell box beams has been analyzed considerably by researchers worldwide. However, little attention has been paid to torsional strengthening of multicell box girders in terms of both experimental and numerical research. This paper reports the experimental work in an overall investigation for torsional strengthening of multicell box section RC girders with externally-bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer CFRP strips. Numerical work was carried out using non-linear finite element modeling (FEM). Good agreement in terms of torque-twist behavior, steel and CFRP reinforcement responses, and crack patterns was achieved. The unique failure modes of all the specimens were modeled correctly as well.