• Computers and Concrete
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.255-265
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• 2019

The potential of using genetic programming to predict engineering data has caught the attention of researchers in recent years. The present paper utilized weighted genetic programming (WGP), a derivative model of genetic programming (GP), to model the compressive strength of concrete. The calculation results of Abrams' laws, which are used as the design codes for calculating the compressive strength of concrete, were treated as the inputs for the genetic programming model. Therefore, knowledge of the Abrams' laws, which is not a factor of influence on common data-based learning approaches, was considered to be a potential factor affecting genetic programming models. Significant outcomes of this work include: 1) the employed design codes positively affected the prediction accuracy of modeling the compressive strength of concrete; 2) a new equation was suggested to replace the design code for predicting concrete strength; and 3) common data-based learning approaches were evolved into knowledge-based learning approaches using historical data and design codes.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.41-54
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• 2021

This paper introduced three new strengthening systems for isolated footings: BFRP wrapping system, CFRP wrapping system, and steel jacketing system. The proposed systems are more practical than the current traditional methods, which involves installing many dowel bars and splicing reinforcing steels to join new and old concrete segments. In the proposed three new systems, BFRP wraps, CFRP wraps, or steel jackets are installed on the exterior surface of the enlarged footing, with construction adhesive or a few steel dowels being applied to the contact surfaces. To investigate the effectiveness of three systems, forty-four models were constructed in ABAQUS, with different parameters being considered. All footings investigated failed in punching shear, including original and retrofitted footings. According to FEA results and parametric studies, the three strengthening systems were capable of improving the punching shear resistance of footings. By introducing a new factor η, the punching shear equation in Eurocode 2 was modified to predict the punching shear resistances of the strengthened footings. A linear formula was developed to present the relationship between the new factor η and the investigated parameters.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.497-504
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• 2020

Concrete can lose its alkalinity by concrete carbonation causing steel corrosion. Thus, the determination of the carbonation depth is necessary. An empirical model is proposed in this research to predict the carbonation depth of concrete using Gene expression programming (GEP). The GEP model was trained and validated using a large and reliable database collected from the literature. The model was developed using the six parameters that predominantly control the carbonation depth of concrete including carbon dioxide CO2 concentration, relative humidity, water-to-cement ratio, maximum aggregate size, aggregate to binder ratio and carbonation period. The model was statistically evaluated and then compared to the Jiang et al. model. A parametric study was finally performed to check the proposed GEP model's sensitivity to the selected input parameters.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제30권6호
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• pp.377-391
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• 2022

The use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) has widely increased due to its enhancement in the ultimate strength and ductility of the reinforced concrete (RC) structures. This study presents a prediction model for the axial compressive strength and strain of normal-strength concrete cylinders confined with CFRP. Besides, soft computing approaches have been extensively used to model in many areas of civil engineering applications. Therefore, the genetic expression programming (GEP) models to predict axial compressive strength and strain of CFRP-confined concrete specimens were used in this study. For this purpose, the parameters of 283 CFRP-confined concrete specimens collected from 38 experimental studies in the literature were taken into account as input variables to predict GEP based models. Then, the results of GEP models were statistically compared with those of models proposed by various researchers. The values of R² for strength and strain of CFRP-confined concrete were obtained as 0.897 and 0.713, respectively. The results of the comparison reveal that the proposed GEP-based models for CFRP-confined concrete have the best efficiency among the existing models and provide the best performance.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.127-137
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• 2018

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.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.117-126
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• 2018

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.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.31-37
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• 2001

Deicers have used for melting snow on the road during winter season, but they have largely influenced on environment and public assets and human health. The pollution level of snow and soil contained deicer was analyzed and evaluated the characteristics of deicers. The results were as follows 1. In the result of measurement of pollutants in snow contained deicer, the pH was a little higher than a comparative group and the concentration of $Cl^{-}$ ranged from 0.5% to 0.87%, and the electric conductivity ranged 12.4 to 24.6 mmho/cm. The concentration of Cd, As, and Hg was not detected, but those of Cu, Pb, Cr was higher than a comparative group. 2. In soil of the road spreaded with deicer, the pH is getting alkalized and the concentration of $Cl^{-}$ was high in January and returned the level of a comparative grout) in November by physical and chemical reaction with deicer, but the concentration of heavy metals were not connected with deicers. 3. In comparison of deicing efficiency, the concentration of $Cl^{-}$ was 3.3~5times high in spreading with deicer before snowing than after snowing. The concentration of $Cl^{-}$ in NaCl was higher than $CaCl_2$, but the deicing efficiency of Nacl was better than that of $CaCl_2$. Moreover, the new deicer have no salt, but deicing efficiency of new deicer was less than that of NaCl and $CaCl_2$.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.97-110
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• 2005

Rheological behaviour of fresh concrete is an important factor in controlling concrete quality. It is recognized that the measurement of the slump is not a sufficient test method to adequately characterize the rheology of fresh concrete. To further understand the slump measurement and its relationship to the rheological properties, an elasto-viscoplastic, 2-D axisymmetric finite element (FE) model is developed. The FE model employs the Bingham material model to simulate the flow of a slump test. An experimental program is carried out using the Slump Rate Machine (SLRM_II) to evaluate the finite element simulation results. The simulated slump-versus-time curves are found to be in good agreement with the measured data. A sensitivity study is performed to evaluate the effects of yield stress, plastic viscosity and cone withdrawal rate on the measured flow curve using the FE model. The results demonstrate that the computed yield stress compares well with reported experimental data. The flow behaviour is shown to be influenced by the yield stress, plastic viscosity and the cone withdrawal rate. Further, it is found that the value of the apparent plastic viscosity is different from the true viscosity, with the difference depending on the cone withdrawal rate. It is also confirmed that the value of the final slump is most influenced by the yield stress.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.167-181
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• 2015

"Mortar or concrete pneumatically projected at high velocity onto a surface" is called Shotcrete. Models that predict shotcrete design parameters (e.g. compressive strength, slump etc) from any mixing proportions of admixtures could save considerable experimentation time consumed during trial and error based procedures. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been widely used for similar purposes; however, such models have been rarely applied on shotcrete design. In this study 19 samples of shotcrete test panels with varying quantities of water, steel fibers and silica fume were used to determine their slump, cost and compressive strength at different ages. A number of 3-layer Back propagation Neural Network (BPNN) models of different network architectures were used to train the network using 15 samples, while 4 samples were randomly chosen to validate the model. The predicted compressive strength from linear regression lacked accuracy with $R^2$ value of 0.36. Whereas, outputs from 3-5-3 ANN architecture gave higher correlations of $R^2$ = 0.99, 0.95 and 0.98 for compressive strength, cost and slump parameters of the training data and corresponding $R^2$ values of 0.99, 0.99 and 0.90 for the validation dataset. Sensitivity analysis of output variables using ANN can unfold the nonlinear cause and effect relationship for otherwise obscure ANN model.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.172-176
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• 2012

Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean product that provides a major source of protein. In this study, a total of 18 different home-made doenjang samples were examined for the presence of foodborne pathogens and the total aflatoxin levels. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to assess microbial quality and potential public health risk, we showed that total coliform levels in the doenjang samples ranged from 0 to $4.43{\pm}2.32{\times}10^6\;CFU/g$, and the maximum limit of Bacillus cereus was $4.67{\pm}2.0{\times}10^5\;CFU/g$. However, other foodborne pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp., were not detected among the tested samples. One of the samples (S3) showed a maximum limit of $42.2{\pm}9.1\;{\mu}g/kg$ for aflatoxin levels, which was above the safety limit allowed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) regulatory agency. Further research is necessary to determine whether and how doenjang safety can be improved via elimination/reduction of microbial contamination during fermentation and storage or using microbial starter cultures for its fermentation.