• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.183-198
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• 2015

Chloride ingress implies a complex interaction between physical and chemical process, in which heat, moisture and chloride ions transport through concrete cover. Meanwhile, reinforced concrete structure itself undergoes evolution due to variation in temperature, relative humidity and creep effects, which can potentially change the deformation and trigger some micro-cracks in concrete. In addition, all of these process show time-dependent performance with complex interaction between structures and environments. In the present work, a time-dependent behavior of chloride transport in reinforced concrete beam subjected to flexural load is proposed based on the well-known section fiber model. The strain state varies because of stress redistribution caused by the interaction between environment and structure, mainly dominated by thermal stresses and shrinkage stress and creep. Finally, in order to clear the influence of strain state on the chloride diffusivity, experiment test were carried out and a power function used to describe this influence is proposed.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.83-94
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• 2007

Woven sisal textile fiber reinforced composites were used to evaluate fracture toughness, tensile and three-point bending. The water absorption testing of all specimens was repeated five times in this study. All specimens were immersed in pure water during 9 days at room temperature, and dried in 1 day at $50^{\circ}C$. Two kinds of polymer matrices such as epoxy and vinyl-ester were used. Fractured surfaces were taken to study the failure mechanism and fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion. It is shown that it can be enhanced to improve their mechanical performance to reveal the relationship between fracture toughness and water absorption fatigue according to different polymer matrices. Water uptake of the epoxy composites was found to increase with cycle times. Mechanical properties are dramatically affected by the water absorption cycles. Water-absorbed samples showed poor mechanical properties, such as lower values of maximum strength and extreme elongation. The $K_{IC}$ values demonstrated a decrease in inclination with increasing cyclic times of wetting and drying for the epoxy and vinyl-ester.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.71-83
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• 2006

This paper deals with the effects of various moisture environments on the structural behavior of concrete beams. The presented results were obtained within a large experimental program carried out at the Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chauss$\acute{e}$es (LCPC), with Electricit$\acute{e}$ de France (EDF) as a partner. The aim of this paper is to point out and to quantify the strains resulting from unidirectional moisture conditions: a drying gradient applied during 14 months, followed by the re-wetting of the dried surface during 9 months. The effect of reinforcement on the shrinkage and on the deformation due to water absorption is pointed out. Moreover, a lot of tests on companion cylinders and prisms were carried out to determine the mechanical characteristics of the material and help checking analysis methods. The paper focuses on numerous measurements obtained during the 23 months on one plain concrete beam and one reinforced concrete beam: variation of water content, followed by precise weighing and gammadensitometry, relative humidity measurements, local and global deformations in the three directions and deflection of the beams. Thus, the effects of drying and water absorption on the behavior of concrete structures are documented and analyzed in comparison with existing representation of water diffusion.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.461-469
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• 2022

One of the most important factors that should be considered for using any ground improvement technique is the stability of stabilized soil and the durability of the provided solution for getting the required engineering properties. Generally, most of the earth structures that are constructed on clayey soils are exposing movements due to the long periods of drying or wetting cycles. Over time, environmental changes may result in swells or settlements for these structures. In order to mitigate this problem, this research has been performed on mixtures of high plasticity clay with traditional additives such as lime, cement and non-traditional additives such as polypropylene fiber. The purpose of the research is to assess the most appropriate ground improvement technique by using commercially available additives for resisting the developed desiccation cracks during the drying process and resisting the volume changes that may result during wet/dry cycles as an attempt to simulate the changes of environmental conditions. The results show that the fiber-reinforced samples have the lowest volumetric deformation in comparision with cement and lime stabilized samples, and the optimum fiber content is identified as 0.38%. In addition, the desiccation cracks were not visible on the samples' surface for both unreinforced and chemically stabilized samples. Regarding cracks resistance resulting from the desiccation process, it is observed, that the resistance is connected with the fiber content and increases with the increase of the fiber inclusion, and the optimum content is between 1% and 1.5%.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.306-310
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• 2007

Characteristics of GDL (Gas Diffusion Layer) mainly determine the gas diffusion and water removal in a cell, thereby changing the performance and affecting durability of PEFC. To optimize the water management and understand the two phase flow in a GDL, it is important to study the behaviors of GDL micro structure under the real operating condition. In the clamped condition of cell, the GDL beneath the rib is more compressed than beneath the channel. Many researches on physical, electrochemical, mechanical behaviors of gas diffusion layer has been conducted. However, changes in surface properties under clamped condition have rarely studied. In present study, the morphology of broken connections of carbon fibers and detachment of PTFE coatings on the fibers were shown from the microscopic observations. In addition, changes in wetting properties of GDL by compression were investigated by using XPS and liquid uptake methods. The hydrophobic characteristics of GDL surface beneath the rib of the flow field plate are changed due to the deformation of micro structure.