• Carbon letters
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• v.19
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• pp.23-31
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• 2016

Carbon rich fly ash was recently reported to have compositions that are ideal for use as a precursor and catalyst for carbon nanotube growth. This fly ash powder is mostly composed of pure carbon, predominantly present as sp². In this work, the effect of sonication time on the morphology and structural properties of carbon rich fly ash particles is reported. The obtained results show that ultrasound treatment is an effective tool for producing ultrafine particles/fragments with higher porosity, which might be suitable for the adsorption of gasses. Moreover, carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) of this fly ash were produced in parallel using the ball milling technique, and were evaluated as reinforcements for epoxy based composites. These CNPs have almost spherical shapes with particle sizes of around 30 nm. They were found to have strong C=O carbonyl group bonds, which might be generated during the ball milling process. The tensile testing results of a fly ash CNP reinforced epoxy composite showed significant improvements in the mechanical properties, mainly in the stiffness of the polymer. The stiffness value was increased by around 23% of that of neat epoxy. These CNPs with chemically active groups might also be useful for other applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 2017

This paper describes verification of APR1400 reactor vessel by applying the system engineering approach, in which the design re-engineering method is used to check the design parameters of APR1400 RV (reactor vessel). The RV is classified as safety class 1 and therefore must adhere strictly to the rules of ASME BPVC section III, subsection NB and seismic category I. This study explores designing the RV by following the ASME guidelines and making a comparative study with the current design. To meet this objective we apply system engineering methodologies to structure the process and allow for verification and validation of the major RV design parameters such as thickness of RV. The structural thicknesses of various part of RV are determined as well as reinforcements on the RV major nozzles. A 3D virtual reality model was created based on the design parameters using CATIA V5 and animation using Dassault Composer V2016. A comparison of re-engineered ARP1400 RV and standard APR1400 RV was done to show which design parameters were taken more conservative approach.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.123-136
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• 2015

The proposed techniques to repair concrete members such as steel plates, fiber-reinforced polymers or concrete have important deficiencies in adherence and durability. The use of ultra high performance fiber concrete (UHPFC) can overtake effectively these problems. In this paper, the possibility of using UHPFC to strengthen reinforced concrete beams under torsion is investigated. Seven specimens of concrete beams reinforced with longitudinal and transverse reinforcements. One of these beams consider as control specimen while the others was strengthened by UHPFC on four, three, and two sides. This study includes experimental results of all beams with different types of configurations and thickness of UHPFC. As well as, finite element analysis was conducted in tandem with experimental test. Results reveal the effectiveness of the proposed technique at cracking and ultimate torque for different beam strengthening configurations, torque - twist graphs and crack patterns. The UHPFC can generally be used as an effective external torsional reinforcement for RC beams. It was noted that the behavior of the beams strengthen with UHPFC are better than the control beams. This increase was proportional to the retrofitted beam sides. The use of UHPFC had effect in delaying the growth of crack formation. The finite element analysis is reasonably agreement with the experimental data.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.497-517
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• 2015

In this study, nonlocal nonlinear buckling analysis of embedded polymeric temperature-dependent microplates resting on an elastic matrix as orthotropic temperature-dependent elastomeric medium is investigated. The microplate is reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in which the equivalent material properties nanocomposite are estimated based on the rule of mixture. For the carbon-nanotube reinforced composite (CNTRC) plate, both cases of uniform distribution (UD) and functionally graded (FG) distribution patterns of SWCNT reinforcements are considered. The small size effects of microplate are considered based on Eringen's nonlocal theory. Based on orthotropic Mindlin plate theory along with von K$\acute{a}$rm$\acute{a}$n geometric nonlinearity and Hamilton's principle, the governing equations are derived. Generalized differential quadrature method (GDQM) is applied for obtaining the buckling load of system. The effects of different parameters such as nonlocal parameters, volume fractions of SWCNTs, distribution type of SWCNTs in polymer, elastomeric medium, aspect ratio, boundary condition, orientation of foundation orthtotropy direction and temperature are considered on the nonlinear buckling of the microplate. Results indicate that CNT distribution close to top and bottom are more efficient than those distributed nearby the mid-plane for increasing the buckling load.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.68 no.3
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• pp.289-297
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• 2018

The real behavior of the RC structures constructed based on the assumed specifications of the used materials is matched with the designed ones when the assumed and the applied specifications in construction are the same. Despite in the construction phase of the reinforced concrete (RC) structures always it is tried to implement the same specifications of materials as given in the executive drawings, but considering the unpredicted/uncontrolled parameters that affect the specification of materials, always there is a deviation between the constructed and the designed materials' specifications. The objective of this paper is to submit a guideline for the evaluation of the strength and damage to the existing RC structures encountered deviation in materials' strengths. To achieve this goal, the lateral strength (plastic behaviors) and damage to twenty-five RC moment-resisting frames (MRFs) are studied by applying the inelastic analysis. In this study, a couple of concrete and reinforcement strengths' deviations are investigated. The obtained results indicate that in general, there is a semi-linear relationship between the deviation in the strength of reinforcement and the changes in the lateral strength values of the MRFs. The relative effect of the deviation in the strength of reinforcements is more than the relative effect of the deviation in the concrete strength on the damage rate. The obtained results could be a guideline for the engineers in the survey of the existing buildings encountered deviation in materials' strengths during their construction phase.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2014.05a
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• pp.80-81
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• 2014

Generally significant reinforcement is used for nuclear power plant structures and may cause potential problems when concrete is poured. In particular pouring concrete into structural member joint area is more difficult than other areas since the joint area is very congested due to hooked bars, embedded plates, and other reinforcements. The purpose of this study is to solve the problem by applying high-strength(ASTM A615 Gr. 75/80) bars. In addition large-sized(#14 & #18) headed deformed bar could be used as alternative of standard hooked bars to relieve the congestion to some extent. In order to apply headed deformed bars to nuclear power plant structures effectively, the large-sized diameter bars and the high-strength bars shall be used as thick as clear cover thickness 1". Therefore, test results were obtained by taking bar size, yield strength, and clear cover thickness as variables.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.625-633
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• 2003

For the construction of open-topped steel box girder bridges, prefabricated concrete slab could offer several advantages over cast-in-situ deck including good quality control, fast construction, and elimination of the formwork for concrete slab casting. However, precast decks without reinforcements at transverse joints between precast slabs should be designed to prevent the initiation of cracking at the joints, because the performance of the joint is especially crucial for the integrity of a structural system. Several prestressing methods are available to introduce proper compression at the joints, such as internal tendons, external tendons and support lowering after shear connection. In this paper, experimental results from a continuous composite bridge model with precast decks are presented. Internal tendons and external tendons were used to prevent cracking at the joints. Judging from the tests, precast decks in negative moment regions have the whole contribution to the flexural stiffness of composite section under service loads if appropriate prestressing is introduced. The validity of the calculation of a cracking load fur serviceability was presented by comparing an observed cracking load and the calculated value. Flexural behavior of the continuous composite beam with external prestressing before and after cracking was discussed by using the deflection and strain data.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.741-771
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• 2007

Tests were conducted on two partially pre-stressed concrete solid beams subjected to combined loading of bending, shear and torsion. The beams were designed using the Direct Design Method which is based on the Lower Bound Theorem of the Theory of Plasticity. Both beams were of $300{\times}300mm$ cross-section and 3.8 m length. The two main variables studied were the ratio of the maximum shear stress due to the twisting moment, to the shear stress arising from the shear force, which was varied between 0.69 and 3.04, and the ratio of the maximum twisting moment to the maximum bending moment which was varied between 0.26 and 1.19. The required reinforcement from the Direct Design Method was compared with requirements from the ACI and the BSI codes. It was found that, in the case of bending dominance, the required longitudinal reinforcements from all methods were close to each other while the BSI required much larger transverse reinforcement. In the case of torsion dominance, the BSI method required much larger longitudinal and transverse reinforcement than the both the ACI and the DDM methods. The difference in the transverse reinforcement is more pronounce. Experimental investigation showed good agreement between design and experimental failure loads of the beams designed using the Direct Design Method. Both beams failed within an acceptable range of the design loads and underwent ductile behaviour up to failure. The results indicate that the Direct Design Method can be successfully used to design partially prestressed concrete solid beams which cater for the combined effect of bending, shear and torsion loads.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.19-40
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• 2014

Reinforced concrete deep beams are structural beams with low shear span-to-depth ratio, and hence in which the strain distribution is significantly nonlinear and the conventional beam theory is not applicable. A strut-and-tie model is considered one of the most rational and simplest methods available for shear strength prediction and design of deep beams. The strut-and-tie model approach describes the shear failure of a deep beam using diagonal strut and truss mechanism: The diagonal strut mechanism represents compression stress fields that develop in the concrete web between diagonal cracks of the concrete while the truss mechanism accounts for the contributions of the horizontal and vertical web reinforcements. Based on a database of 406 experimental observations, this paper proposes a new strut-and-tie-model for accurate prediction of shear strength of reinforced concrete deep beams, and further improves the model by correcting the bias and quantifying the scatter using a Bayesian parameter estimation method. Seven existing deterministic models from design codes and the literature are compared with the proposed method. Finally, a limit-state design formula and the corresponding reduction factor are developed for the proposed strut-andtie model.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2014

The addition of steel fibers in concrete mixture is recognized as a non-conventional mass reinforcement scheme that improves the torsional, flexural, and shear behavior of structural members. However, the analysis of fiber reinforced concrete beams under combined torsion, bending, and shear is limited because of the complicated nature of the problem. Therefore, nonlinear 3D finite element analysis was conducted using the "ANSYS CivilFEM" program to investigate the behavior of fiber reinforced concrete L-beams. These beams were tested at different reinforcement schemes and loading conditions. The reinforcement case parameters were set as follows: reinforced with longitudinal reinforcement only and reinforced with steel bars and stirrups. All beams were tested under two different combined loading conditions, namely, torsion-to-shear ratio (T/V) = 545 mm (high eccentricity) and T/V = 145 mm (low eccentricity). Eight intermediate L-beams were constructed and tested in a laboratory under combined torsion, bending, and shear to validate the finite element model. Comparisons with the experimental data reveal that the program can accurately predict the behavior of L-beams under different reinforcement cases and combined loading ratios. The ANSYS model accurately predicted the loads and deformations for various types of reinforcements in L-beams and captured the concrete strains of these beams.