• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.295-316
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• 2015

A bridge widening technology using steel-concrete composite system was developed and is presented in this paper. The widened superstructure system consists of a newly built composite steel-concrete girder with concrete deck and steel diaphragms attached to the existing concrete girders. This method has been applied in several bridge widening projects in China, and one of those projects is presented in detail. Due to the higher stiffness-to-weight ratio and the rapid erection of composite girders, this widening method reveals benefits in both mechanical performance and construction. As only a few methods for the design of bridges with different types of girders are recommended in current design codes, a more accurate analytical method of estimating live load distribution on girder bridges was developed. In the analytical model, the effects of span length, girder pacing, diaphragms, concrete decks were considered, as well as the torsional and flexural stiffness of both composite box girders and concrete T girders. The study shows that the AASHTO LRFD specification procedures and the analytical models proposed in this paper closely approximate the live load distribution factors determined by finite element analysis. A parametric study was also conducted using the finite element method to evaluate the potential load carrying capacities of the existing concrete girders after widening.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2015

This paper presents the effects of elevated temperatures of $400^{\circ}C$ and $800^{\circ}C$ on the residual compressive strength and failure behaviour of fibre reinforced concretes and comparison is made with that of unreinforced control concrete. Two types of short fibres are used in this study e.g., steel and basalt fibres. The results show that the residual compressive strength capacity of steel fibre reinforced concrete is higher than unreinforced concrete at both elevated temperatures. The basalt fibre reinforced concrete, on the other hand, showed lower strength retention capacity than the control unreinforced concrete. However, the use of hybrid steel-basalt fibre reinforcement recovered the deficiency of basalt fibre reinforced concrete, but still slightly lower than the control and steel fibres reinforced concretes. The use of fibres reduces the spalling and explosive failure of steel, basalt and hybrid steel-basalt fibres reinforced concretes oppose to spalling in deeper regions of ordinary control concrete after exposure to above elevated temperatures. Microscopic observation of steel and basalt fibres surfaces after exposure to above elevated temperatures shows peeling of thin layer from steel surface at $800^{\circ}C$, whereas in the case of basalt fibre formation of Plagioclase mineral crystals on the surface are observed at elevated temperatures.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2020

Retrofitting is an alteration of existing member or component of the structure. In civil engineering point of view, it is called strengthening of the old structure. Deterioration of structures may be due to aging, corrosion, failure of joints, earthquake forces, increase in service loads, etc. Such structures need urgent repair, retrofitting and strengthening to avoid collapse, cracking and loss in strength or deflection. Advanced techniques are required to be developed for the repair of structural components to replace conventional techniques. This paper focuses exclusively on torsional behaviour of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams and retrofitted RC beams wrapped with aramid fiber. Beams were retrofitted with aramid fiber by full wrapping and in the form of 150 mm wide strips at a spacing of 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm respectively using epoxy resin and hardener. A total 15 numbers of RC beams of 150 mm×300 mm×1300 mm in size were cast, 3 beams are tested as control specimens, and 12 beams are tested for torsion up to the failure and then retrofitted with aramid fiber. Experimental results are validated with the help of data obtained by finite element analysis using ANSYS. The full wrapping configuration of aramid fiber regains 105% strength after retrofitting. With the increase in spacing of fabric material, torsional strength reduces to 82% with about 45% saving in material.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.93-102
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• 2020

In this study, we examined the relationship among the rheological properties, workability, and extrudability in the construction of concrete structures using additive manufacturing. We altered the component materials (binder type, water-binder (W/B) ratio, sand ratio) to assess their effect on the rheological properties experimentally. The results indicated that the W/B and sand ratios had the largest effect on the rheological properties. In particular, when the sand ratio increased, it indicated that adjusting the sand ratio would facilitate control over the rheological properties. Additionally, we compared the rheological properties with the results of a traditional workability evaluation, namely the table flow test. This indicated the possibility of inferring the rheological properties by using traditional methods. Finally, we evaluated extrusion quantity according to table flow. The extrusion rate was 350 g/s for a flow of 210 mm and 170 g/s for a flow of 130 mm, indicating that extrusion rate increased as flow increased; however, we concluded that a flow standard of approximately 140-160 mm is suitable for controlling the actual extrusion quantity and rate.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2020

Geometric nonlinearity can significantly affect load-carrying capacity of slender columns. Dependence of structural stability on columns necessitates the consideration of second-order effects in the design process of columns, appropriately. On the whole, the design codes present a simplified procedure for second order analysis of slender columns. In this approximate method, the end moments of columns resulted from linear analysis (first-order) are multiplied by the recommended moment amplification factors of codes to achieve magnified moments of the second-order analysis. In the other approach, the equilibrium equations are directly solved for the deformed configuration of structure, so the resulting moments and deflections contain the influence of slenderness and increase more rapidly than do loads. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of moment amplification factors of Iranian national building code whose provisions are similar to the ACI requirement. Herein, finite element method is used to achieve magnified end moments of reinforced concrete moment resisting frames, and the outcomes are compared with the moments acquired based on the proposed approximate method by Iranian national building code. The results show that the approximate method of Iranian code for calculating magnified moments has significant errors for both unbraced and braced columns.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 2020

The present work looks at the possibilities of recycling more than once demolished concrete as coarse aggregates, to produce new concrete. Different concrete mixes were made with substitutions of 50%, 75% and 100% of recycled concrete aggregates respectively as coarse aggregates. The physico-mechanical characterization tests carried out on the recycled concrete aggregates revealed that they are suitable for use in obtaining a structural concrete. The resulting concrete materials had rheological parameters, compressive strengths and tensile strengths very slightly lower than those of the original concrete even when 100% of two cycles recycled concrete aggregates were used. The durability of the recycled aggregates concrete was assessed through water permeability, water absorption and chemical attacks. The obtained concretes were thought fit for use as structural materials. A linear regression was developed between the strength of the material and the number of cycles of concrete recycling to anticipate the strength of the recycled aggregates concrete. From the results, it appear clear that recycling demolished concrete represents a valuable resource for aggregates supply to the concrete industry and a the same time plays a key role in meeting the challenge for a sustainable development.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2020

This paper presents an innovative stress-function variational approach in formulating the interfacial shear and normal stresses in an externally bonded concrete joint using carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) plies. The joint is subjected to surface traction loadings applied at both ends of the concrete substrate layer. By introducing two interfacial shear and normal stress functions on the CFRP-concrete interface, based on Euler-Bernoulli beam idea and static stress equations of equilibrium, the entire stress fields of the joint were determined. The complementary strain energy was minimized in order to solve the governing equation of the joint. This yields an ordinary differential equation from which the interfacial normal and shear stresses were proposed explicitly, satisfying all the multiple traction boundary conditions. Lamination theory for composite materials was also employed to obtain the interfacial stresses. The proposed approach was validated by the analytic models in the literature as well as through a comprehensive computational code generated by the authors. Furthermore, a numerical verification was carried out via the finite element software ABAQUS. In the end, a scaling analysis was conducted to analyze the interfacial stress field dependence of the joint upon effective issues using the devised code.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2020

In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyacrylamide (PAM) have been used as self-curing agents to produce self-curing concrete (SC). Compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), bulk electrical resistivity, chloride ion penetrability, water permeability, and main microstructural characteristics were examined under different curing regimes, and compared to those of the control concrete mixture with no self-curing agents. One batch of a control mixture and one batch of a SC mixture were air-cured in the lab to act as non-water-cured samples. The water curing regimes for the control mixture included continuous water curing for 3, 7, and 28 days and periodical moist curing using wetted burlap for 3 and 7 days. Curing regimes for the SC mixtures included 3 days of water curing and periodical moist curing for 3 and 7 days. SC mixtures showed better microstructure development and durability performance than those of the air-cured control mixture. A short water curing period of 3 days significantly improved the performance of the SC mixtures similar to that of the control mixture that was water cured for 28 days. SC concrete represents a step towards sustainable construction due to its lower water demand needed for curing and hence can preserve the limited water resources in many parts of the world.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.289-299
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• 2020

To investigate the long-term behavior of eccentrically loaded RC columns, which are more realistic in practice than concentrically loaded RC columns, long-term eccentric loading tests were conducted for 10 RC columns. Test parameters included concrete compressive strength, reinforcement ratio, bar yield strength, eccentricity ratio, slenderness ratio, and loading pattern. Test results showed that the strain and curvature of the columns increased with time, and concrete forces were gradually transferred to longitudinal bars due to the creep and shrinkage of concrete. The long-term behavior of the columns varied with the test parameters, and long-term effects were more pronounced in the case of using the lower strength concrete, lower strength steel, lower bar ratio, fewer loading-step, higher eccentricity ratio, and higher slenderness ratio. However, in all the columns, no longitudinal bars were yielded under service loads at the final measuring day. Meanwhile, the numerical analysis modeling using the ultimate creep coefficient and ultimate shrinkage strain measured from cylinder tests gave quite good predictions for the behavior of the columns.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.327-335
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• 2020

Concrete pipes are considered important structures playing integral role in spread of cities besides transportation of gas as well as oil for far distances. Further, concrete structures under seismic load, show behaviors which require to be investigated and improved. Therefore, present research concerns dynamic stress and strain alongside deflection assessment of a concrete pipe carrying water-based nanofluid subjected to seismic loads. This pipe placed in soil is modeled through spring as well as damper. Navier-Stokes equation is utilized in order to gain force created via fluid and, moreover, mixture rule is applied to regard the influences related to nanoparticles. So as to model the structure mathematically, higher order refined shear deformation theory is exercised and with respect to energy method, the motion equations are obtained eventually. The obtained motion equations will be solved with Galerkin and Newmark procedures and consequently, the concrete pipe's dynamic stress, strain as well as deflection can be evaluated. Further, various parameters containing volume percent of nanoparticles, internal fluid, soil foundation, damping and length to diameter proportion of the pipe and their influences upon dynamic stress and strain besides displacement will be analyzed. According to conclusions, increase in volume percent of nanoparticles leads to decrease in dynamic stress, strain as well as displacement of structure.