Establishment of test methods to assess the fresh properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) are required to ensure the homogeneity in fresh and hardened states. This paper discusses the suitability of a simple test method for assessing the slump flow and stability of SCC by testing on self-compacting mortar (SCM) fraction. The proposed test method aims at investigating slump flow diameter test and sieve stability test of SCC by testing SCM fraction with a plunger penetration apparatus. A central composite modeling design was performed to evaluate the effects of water/cement ratio (W/C), superplasticizer dosage (SP) and powder marble content (MP) on slump flow diameter, stability and plunger penetration test of fresh SCC. The responses of the derived statistical models are slump flow (Sf), sieve stability (S) and plunger penetration (P). Relationships obtained in this study show acceptable correlations between plunger penetration test value and slump flow diameter test results and stability. It should note that the developed relationships are very useful to predict slump flow diameter and stability of studied SCC mixtures by carrying out a simple plunger penetration test on its mortar, which can save labour and time in laboratory experiments.

This research investigate the behavior of reinforced normal and lightweight aggregate concrete hollow core slabs with different core shapes, shear span to effective depth (a/d). The experimental work includes testing seven reinforced concrete slabs under two vertical line loads. The dimensions of slab specimens were (1.1 m) length, (0.6 m) width and (0.12 m) thickness. The maximum reduction in weight due to aggregate type was (19.28%) and due to cross section (square and circular) cores was (17.37 and 13.64%) respectively. The test results showed that the decrease of shear span to effective depth ratio from 2.9 to 1.9 for lightweight aggregate solid slab cause an increase in ultimate load by (29.06%) and increase in the deflection value at ultimate load or the ultimate deflection by (17.79%). The use of lightweight aggregate concrete in casting solid slabs give a reduction in weight by (19.28%) and in the first cracking and ultimate loads by (16.37%) and (5%) respectively for constant (a/d=2.9).The use of lightweight aggregate concrete in casting hollow circular core slabs with constant (a/d=2.9) (reduction in weight 32.92%) decrease the cracking and ultimate loads by (12%) and (5.18%) respectively with respect to the solid slab. These slab specimens were analyzed numerically by using the finite element computer program ANSYS. Good agreements in terms of behavior, cracking load (load at first visible crack) and ultimate load (maximum value of testing load) was obtained between finite element analysis and experimental test results.

In this study, the behavior of the number of anchorage bolts on the glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) plates adhered to the surfaces of reinforcing concrete (RC) T-beams was investigated analytically. The analytical results were compared to the test results in term of shear strength, and midpoint displacement of the beam. The modelling of the beams was conducted in ABAQUS/CAE finite element software. The Concrete Damaged Plasticity (CDP) model was used for concrete material modeling, and Classical Metal Plasticity (CMP) model was used for reinforcement material modelling. Model-1 was the reference specimen with enough sufficient shear reinforcement, and Model-2 was the reference specimen having low shear reinforcement. Model-3, Model-4 and Model-5 were the specimens with lower shear reinforcement. These models consist of a single variable which was the number of anchorage bolts implemented to the GFRP plates. The anchorage bolts of 2, 3, and 4 were mutually mounted on each GFRP plates through the beam surfaces for Model-3, Model-4, and Model-5, respectively. It was found that Model-1, Model-3, Model-4 and Model-5 provided results approximately equal to the test results. The results show that the shear strength of the beams increased with increasing of anchorage numbers. While close results were obtained for Model-1, Model-3, Model-4 and Model-5, in Model-2, the rate of increase of displacement was higher than the increase of load rate. It was seen, finite element based ABAQUS program is inadequate in the modeling of the reinforced concrete specimens under shear force.

Due to enhanced construction requirement, ready mixed concrete are being popular day by day. The current study aimed to develop ready mixed concrete using GBFS contained cement and determine its properties of fresh and hardened states. A real scale experiment was set up in a ready mixed plant for measuring workability and compressive strength. The workability was tested after mixing (within 5 minutes), 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 minutes of the running of bulk carrier. The ready mixed carrier employed spinning motion i.e., rotating around its axis with 20 RPM and running on road with 1km/h speed. The mixing ratio of cement: sand:gravel, water to cement ratio, super plasticizer were, 1:1.73:2.47, 0.40 and 6% of cement, respectively. The chemical composition of raw material was determined using XRF and the properties of cements were measured according to ASTM standards. The experimental results confirm that the cement with composition of 6.89% of GBFS, 4% of Gypsum and 89.11% of clinker showed the good compressive strength and workability of concrete after 150 minutes of the spinning motion in bulk carrier.

This paper investigated the influence of binary and ternary blends of mineral admixtures in self-compacted mortar (SCM) on the fresh, mechanical and durability properties. For this purpose, 25 mortar mixtures were prepared having a total binder content of $640kg/cm^3$ and water/binder ratio between 0.41 and 0.50. All the mixtures consisted of Portland cement (PC), fly ash (FA) and silica fume (SF) as binary and ternary blends and air-entrained admixture wasn't used while control mixture contained only PC. The compressive and tensile strength tests were conducted for 28 and 91 days as well as slump-flow and V-funnel time tests whilst freeze-thaw (F-T) resistance and capillary water absorption tests were made for 91-day. Finally, in general, the use of SF with FA as ternary blends improved the tensile strength of mortars at 28- and 91-day while the use of SF15 with FA increased the compressive strength of the mortars compared to binary blends of FA. SCM mixtures with ternary blends had lower the sorptivity values than that of the mortars with binary blends of FA and the control mixture due to the beneficial properties of SF while the use of FA with SF as ternary blends induced the F-T resistance enhancement.

This article presents the flexural behaviour of reinforced fly ash (FA)-based geopolymer concrete (GPC) beams with partial replacement of FA for about 10% by weight with paper sludge ash (PSA). The beams were made of M35 grade concrete and cured under three curing conditions for comparison viz., ambient curing, external exposure curing, and oven curing at $60^{\circ}C$. The beams were experimentally tested at the 28th day of casting after curing by conducting two-point loading flexural test. Performance aspects such as load carrying capacity, first crack load, load-deflection and moment-curvature behaviours of both types of beams were experimentally studied and their results were compared under different curing conditions. To verify the response of reinforced GPC beams numerically, an ANSYS 13.0 finite element program was also used. The result shows that there is a good agreement between computer model failure behaviour with the experimental failure behaviour.

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is a type of ultra-high strength cement-based material with a dense microstructure, which is made of ultra-fine powders. RPC demonstrate a very brittle behavior, thus adding fibers improves its mechanical properties. In this study, it was attempted to investigate the effect of using steel and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers as well as their combination on the properties of RPC. In this regard, hooked-end crimped steel fibers together with short PVA fibers were utilized. Steel and PVA fibers were used with the maximum volume fraction of 3% and 0.75%, respectively, and also different combinations of these fibers were used with the maximum volume fraction of 1% in the concrete mixes. In total, 107 concrete specimens were prepared, and the effect of fiber type and volume fraction on the physico-mechanical properties of RPC including compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, density, and failure mode was explored. In addition, the effect of the curing type on the properties of compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and density of RPC was evaluated. Finally, coefficients for conversion of cubic compressive strength to cylindrical one for the RPC specimens were obtained under the two curing regimes of heat treatment and standard water curing.

In order to solve the life prediction problem of damaged coating steel bar in magnesium cement concrete, this study tries to establish the marginal distribution function by using the corrosion current density as a single degradation factor. Representing the degree of steel corrosion, the corrosion current density were tested in electrochemical workstation. Then based on the Copula function, the joint distribution function of the damaged coating was established. Therefore, it is indicated that the corrosion current density of the bare steel and coated steel bar can be used as the boundary element to establish the marginal distribution function. By using the Frank-Copula function of Copula Archimedean function family, the joint distribution function of the damaged coating steel bar was successfully established. Finally, the life of the damaged coating steel bar has been lost in 7320d. As a new method for the corrosion of steel bar under the multi-dimensional factors, the two-dimensional Copula function has certain practical significance by putting forward some new ideas.

A discrete element approach is used to investigate the effects of confining stress on the shear behaviour of joint's bridge area. A punch-through shear test is used to model the concrete cracks under different shear and confining stresses. Assuming a plane strain condition, special rectangular models are prepared with dimension of $75mm{\times}100mm$. Within the specimen model and near its four corners, four equally spaced vertical notches of the same depths are provided so that the central portion of the model remains intact. The lengths of notches are 35 mm. and these models are sequentially subjected to different confining pressures ranging from 2.5 to 15 MPa. The axial load is applied to the punch through the central portion of the model. This testing and models show that the failure process is mostly governed by the confining pressure. The shear strengths of the specimens are related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the discontinuities. The shear behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of induced shear bands which are increased by increasing the confining pressure while the cracks propagation lengths are decreased. The failure stress and the crack initiation stress both are increased due to confining pressure increase. As a whole, the mechanisms of brittle shear failure changes to that of the progressive failure by increasing the confining pressure.

With the development of concrete technology, producing concrete products that have the ability to flow under their own weights and do not need internal or external vibrations is an important achievement. In this study, assessments are made on using travertine, marble and limestone rock flours in self-compacting lightweight concrete (SCLC). In fact, the effects of these powders on plastic and hardened phases of SCLC are studied. To address this issue, concrete mixtures with water to cementitious materials ratios of 0.42 and 0.45 were used. These mixtures were made with 0 and 10% silica fume (SF) replacement levels by cement weight. To achieve lightweight concrete, lightweight expanded clay aggregate (Leca) with the bulk density of about $520kg/m^3 $was utilized. Also two kinds of water were consumed involving tap water and magnetic water (MW) for investigating the possible interaction of MW and rock flour type. In this study, 12 mixtures were studied, and their specific weights were in the range of $1660-1692kg/m^3$. To study the mixtures in plastic phase, tests such as slump flow, J-ring, V-funnel and U-box were performed. By using marble and travertine powders instead of limestone flour, the plastic viscosities and rheology were not changed considerably and they remained in the range of regulations. Moreover, SCLC showed better compressive strength with travertine, and then with marble rock flours compared to limestone powders. According to the results of the conducted study, MW showed better performance in both fresh and hardened phases in all the mixes, and there was no interaction between MW and rock flour type.

The dynamic compressive behavior of concrete after freezing and thawing tests are investigated by using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) technique. The stress-strain curves of concrete under dynamic loading are measured and analyzed. The setting numbers of freeze-thaw cycles are 0, 25, 50, and 75 cycles. Test results show that the dynamic strength decreases and peak strain increases with the increasing of freeze-thaw cycles. Based on the Weibull distribution model, statistical damage constitutive model for dynamic stress-strain response of concrete after freeze-thaw cycles was proposed. At last, the fragmentation test of concrete subjected to dynamic loading and freeze-thaw cycles is carried out using sieving statistics. The distributions of the fragment sizes are analyzed based on fractal theory. The fractal dimensions of concrete increase with the increasing of both freeze-thaw cycle and strain rate. The relations among the fractal dimension, strain rates and freeze-thawing cycles are developed.

In this paper, a modified rigid body spring model (RBSM) is proposed and used to analyze the damage and failure process of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In the proposed model, the concrete is represented by an assembly of rigid blocks connected with a uniform distribution of normal and tangential springs to simulate the macroscopic mechanical behavior of concrete. Steel bars are evenly dispersed into rigid blocks as a kind of homogeneous axial material, and an additional uniform distribution of axial and dowel springs is defined to consider the axial stiffness and dowel action of steel bars. Perfect bond between the concrete and steel bars is assumed, and tension stiffening effect of steel bars is modeled by adjusting the constitutive relationship for the tensile reinforcement. Adjacent blocks are allowed to separate at the contact interface, which makes it convenient and easy to simulate the cracking process of concrete. The failure of the springs is determined by the Mohr-Coulomb type criterion with the tension and compression caps. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by elastic analyses of a cantilever beam under different loading conditions and failure analyses of a RC beam under two-point loading.