• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.391-403
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• 2024

The flexural behavior of composite sandwich wall panels with different thicknesses, numbers of holes, and hole forms, and arrangement form of longitudinal steel bar (uniform type and concealed-beam type) are investigated. A total of twelve composite sandwich wall panels are prepared, utilizing modified polystyrene particles mixed with foam concrete for the flexural performance test. The failure pattern of the composite sandwich wall panels is influenced by the extruded polystyrene panel (XPS) panel thickness and the reinforcement ratio in combination, resulting in both flexural and shear failure modes. Increasing the XPS panel thickness causes the specimens to transition from flexural failure to shear failure. An increase in the reinforcement ratio leads to the transition from flexural failure to shear failure. The hole form on the XPS panel and the steel bar arrangement form affect the loading behavior of the specimens. Plum-arrangement hole form specimens exhibit lower steel bar strain and deflection compared to linear-arrangement hole form specimens. Additionally, specimens with concealed beam-type steel bar display lower steel bar strain and deflection than uniform-type steel bar specimens. However, the hole form and steel bar arrangement form have a limited impact on the ultimate load. Theoretical formulas for cracking load are provided for both fully composite and non-composite states. When compared to the experimental values, it is observed that the cracking load of the specimens with XPS panels closely matches the calculations for the non-composite state. An accurate prediction model for the ultimate load of fully composite wall panels is developed. These findings offer valuable insights into the behavior of composite sandwich wall panels and provide a basis for predicting their performance under various design factors and conditions.

• Wind and Structures
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.141-161
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• 2024

Engineering structures often suffer significant damage in the horizontal outflow region of downburst. The wall jet model, which simplifies the simulation device by only modeling the horizontal outflow region of downburst, has been widely employed to study downburst flow characteristics. However, research on downburst wind fields over hilly terrain using the wall jet model is limited, and the relationship between the downburst wind fields generated by wall jet and impinging jet remains unclear. This study investigates the flow characteristics of downburst-like wind over a 3D ideal hill model using wind tunnel tests with the wall jet and impinging jet models. The effects of hill height, slope, shape, and radial position on the speed-up ratio are examined using the wall jet flow. The results indicate that slope and radial position significantly affect the speed-up ratio, while hill height have a slight impact and shape have a minimal impact. Additionally, this study investigates the wind field characteristics over flat terrain using the impinging jet, and investigated the connection between the impinging jet model and the wall jet. Based on this connection, a comparison of the downburst-like flow characteristics over the same 3D ideal hill using the wall jet and impinging jet models is conducted, which further validates the reliability of the wall jet model for studying downburst flow characteristics over hilly terrain.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.405-418
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• 2024

To study the influence of different reduced beam section (RBS) on the mechanical performance of modular boltedwelded hybrid connection joints (MHCJs), this article uses ABAQUS to establish and verify the finite element model (FEM) of the test specimens on the basis of quasi-static test research. Based on, 14 joint models featuring different RBS are devised to evaluate their influence on seismic behavior, such as joint failure mode, bending moment (M)-rotation angle (θ) curve, ductility, and energy consumption. The results indicate that when the flange and web are individually weakened, they alleviate to some extent the concentrated stress of the core module (CM) and column end steel skeleton in the joint core area, but both increase the stress on the flange connecting plate (FCP). At the same time, the impact of both on seismic performance such as bearing capacity, stiffness, and energy consumption is relatively small. When simultaneously weakening the flange and web of the steel beam, forming plastic hinges at the weakened position of the beam end, significantly alleviated the stress concentration of the CM and the damage at the FCP, improving the overall deformation and energy consumption capacity of joints. But as the weakening size of the web increases, the overall bearing capacity of the joint shows a decreasing trend.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제52권4호
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• pp.419-434
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• 2024

A flat slab is a structural system where columns directly support it without the presence of beam elements. However, despite its wide advantages, this structural system undergoes a major deficiency where stresses are concentrated around the column perimeter, resulting in the progressive collapse of the entire structure as a result of losing the shear transfer mechanisms at the cracked interface. Predicting the punching shear capacity of RC flat slabs is a challenging problem where the factors contributing to the overall slab strength vary broadly in their significance and effect extent. This study proposed a new expression for predicting the slab's capacity in punching shear using a nonuniform concrete tensile stress distribution assumption to capture, as well as possible, the induced strain effect within a thick RC flat slab. Therefore, the overall punching shear capacity is composed of three parts: concrete, aggregate interlock, and dowel action contributions. The factor of the shear span-to-depth ratio (a_v/d) was introduced in the concrete contribution in addition to the aggregate interlock part using the maximum aggregate size. Other significant factors were considered, including the concrete type, concrete grade, size factor, and the flexural reinforcement dowel action. The efficiency of the proposed model was examined using 86 points of published experimental data from 19 studies and compared with five code standards (ACI318, EC2, MC2010, CSA A23.3, and JSCE). The obtained results revealed the efficiency and accuracy of the model prediction, where a covariance value of 4.95% was found, compared to (13.67, 14.05, 15.83, 19.67, and 20.45) % for the (ACI318, CSA A23.3, MC2010, EC2, and JSCE), respectively.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.127-148
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• 2024

Estimating cable tension is important in the maintenance of cable structures, such as cable-stayed bridges. In practice, the higher-order vibration method based on natural frequencies is used. In recent years, dampers have been installed onto cables to suppress aerodynamic vibration. Because the higher-order vibration method is suitable to cables without a damper, the damper must be removed before using this method. Because damper removal is time-consuming and labor-intensive, a previous study proposed a tension estimation method for a cable with a damper based on the natural frequencies, which does not require the damper's removal. However, the previous method relies on the modeling accuracy of the damper's complex stiffness. The damper design formula, while intended for design purposes, does not consistently reflect the damper's actual complex stiffness. Therefore, the estimation accuracy deteriorates when the damper's actual complex stiffness deviates from the damper design formula. With this background, this paper introduces a novel tension estimation method based on mode shapes, which circumvents damper modeling errors since mode shapes are independent of the damper's complex stiffness. In the numerical verification using 90 models, the proposed method estimated tension accurately with an estimation error within 0.59%. In the experimental verification, the proposed method estimated tension accurately with an estimation error within 4.17% except for one case, while the previous method had an estimation error of 44% when the damper design formula was used. The proposed method was found to be superior to the previous method in terms of accuracy and practicality by numerical simulation and experiment.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.137-147
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• 2024

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are considered a promising alternative to graphene for future nanoelectronic applications. However, GNRs-based device modeling is still at an early stage. This research models the electronic properties of n-doped rough-edged 13-armchair graphene nanoribbons (13-AGNRs) and quantum transport properties of n-doped rough-edged 13-armchair graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistors (13-AGNRFETs) at different doping concentrations. Step-up and edge doping are used to incorporate doping within the nanostructure. The numerical real-space nearest-neighbour tight-binding (NNTB) method constructs the Hamiltonian operator matrix, which computes electronic properties, including the sub-band structure and bandgap. Quantum transport properties are subsequently computed using the self-consistent solution of the two-dimensional Poisson and Schrödinger equations within the non-equilibrium Green's function method. The finite difference method solves the Poisson equation, while the successive over-relaxation method speeds up the convergence process. Performance metrics of the device are then computed. The results show that highly doped, rough-edged 13-AGNRs exhibit a lower bandgap. Moreover, n-doped rough-edged 13-AGNRFETs with a channel of higher doping concentration have better gate control and are less affected by leakage current because they demonstrate a higher current ratio and lower off-current. Furthermore, highly n-doped rough-edged 13-AGNRFETs have better channel control and are less affected by the short channel effect due to the lower value of subthreshold swing and drain-induced barrier lowering. The inclusion of dopants enhances the on-current by introducing more charge carriers in the highly n-doped, rough-edged channel. This research highlights the importance of optimizing doping concentrations for enhancing GNRFET-based device performance, making them viable for applications in nanoelectronics.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.127-133
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• 2024

Textile reinforced concrete (TRC) has gained attention as a viable alternative to conventional reinforced concrete due to its improved mechanical properties and design adaptability. Despite significant research into the mechanical properties of TRC, studies regarding the flexural effect of pre-stretching with different numbers of textile reinforcements are currently limited. Therefore, this research focuses on assessing the flexural characteristics of TRC panels with the incorporation of mesh pre-stretching. Additionally, the study compares the flexural behaviour between alkali-resistant (AR) glass fibre TRC and carbon fibre TRC. A three-point bending test was conducted to assess the flexural behaviour of TRC, investigating the impact of the number of textile layers and the application of pre-stretching on flexural strength and post-cracking stiffness. The findings, exhibited by the flexural stress vs. displacement curve, indicate that applying pre-stretching to carbon fibre TRC effectively increases the flexural strength of carbon textiles and enhances post-cracking stiffness. Moreover, the greater the number of carbon textiles, the higher the flexural stress of the specimens, provided the textiles are placed in the tensile zone. Nevertheless, when comparing carbon fibre TRC with AR glass fibre TRC, it is found that the increase in flexural strength is more significant for carbon fibre TRC. Overall, applying pre-stretching to carbon fibre significantly improves the TRC's flexural performance, specifically during the post-cracking stage and in crack distribution. Furthermore, due to the higher elastic modulus and tensile strength of carbon fibre, TRC reinforced with carbon textiles shows greater flexural strength and ductility compared to AR glass fibre TRC.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.151-158
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• 2024

The calculation of the natural frequencies versus Young's modulus of carbon nanotubes with modified continuum shell is the subject of current research. When designing these tubes, it is important to understand their frequencies because excessive vibrations might cause fatigue. These tubes are designed and built to meet specific needs and have been suitably modified to investigate their vibratory response. There are numerous uses for carbon nanotube free vibration analysis in the mechanical sciences. The fundamental frequency with Young's modulus for clamped-free and simply supported end conditions, which is connected to the carbon nanotubes, is calculated theoretically for chiral single carbon nanotubes. When Young's modulus rises, so does the frequency curve pattern. Young's modulus influences the single-walled carbon nanotube's dynamic response by simulating it as a modified continuum shell. The Young's modulus of chiral tube and the value of frequency increased as the chiral tube's index increased. The results are checked against past studies to ensure the problem's validity and are determined to be accurate.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.291-300
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• 2024

Uncertainty of the model, system delay and drive dynamics can be considered as normal uncertainties, and the main source of uncertainty in the seismic control system is related to the nature of the simulated seismic error. In this case, optimizing the management strategy for one particular seismic record will not yield the best results for another. In this article, we propose a framework for online management of active structural management systems with seismic uncertainty. For this purpose, the concept of reinforcement learning is used for online optimization of active crowd management software. The controller consists of a differential controller, an unplanned gain ratio, the gain of which is enhanced using an online reinforcement learning algorithm. In addition, the proposed controller includes a dynamic status forecaster to solve the delay problem. To evaluate the performance of the proposed controllers, thousands of ground motion data sets were processed and grouped according to their spectrum using fuzzy clustering techniques with spatial hazard estimation. Finally, the controller is implemented in a laboratory scale configuration and its operation is simulated on a vibration table using cluster location and some actual seismic data. The test results show that the proposed controller effectively withstands strong seismic interference with delay. The goals of this paper are towards access to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services, promotion of inclusive and sustainable urbanization and participation, implementation of sustainable and disaster-resilient buildings, sustainable human settlement planning and manage. Simulation results is believed to achieved in the near future by the ongoing development of AI and control theory.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.135-150
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• 2024

Nano-silica's growing use in construction, known for enhancing strength and durability by reducing porosity, drives this research's significance, especially considering Ecuador's reliance on cement in construction. A comprehensive comparative study on mortars made with General Use cement and aggregates from Pifo and San Antonio quarries has been studied. It explores the impact of incorporating nano-silica in varying proportions (0.75%, 1.00%, 1.25%) on mortar properties, contrasting them with conventional and prefabricated mortars. laboratory Testing is conducted according to standards to assess both fresh and hardened state properties, and microscopic analysis reveals the optimal nano-silica proportion's effects on mortar characteristics. Results shows that Incorporating 0.75% nano-silica resulted in a 61% increase in compressive strength at 7 days and. For a nanosilica content of 1.25%, a 14% increase in compressive strength was observed at 28 days in relation to the conventional mortar and the permeability of the mortar decreased by 30% when adding 0.75% nanosilica. It discusses economic viability and provides insights through SEM and EDS analyses. Overall, it underscores nano-silica's potential to enhance mortar properties and its relevance in creating more efficient and durable construction materials.