• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2013

Modal testing, widely accepted and applied method for determining the dynamic characteristics of structures for operational conditions, uses known or unknown vibrations in structures. The method's common applications includes estimation of dynamic characteristics and also damage detection and monitoring of structural performance. In this study, the structural identification of concrete arch dams is determined using ambient vibration tests which is one of the modal testing methods. For the purpose, several ambient vibration tests are conducted to an arch dam. Sensitive accelerometers were placed on the different points of the crest and a gallery of the dam, and signals are collected for the process. Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition technique is used for the extraction of natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios. A total of eight natural frequencies are attained by experimentally for each test setup, which ranges between 0-12 Hz. The results obtained from each ambient vibration tests are presented and compared with each other in detail. There is a good agreement between the results for all measurements. However, the theoretical fundamental frequency of Berke Arch Dam is a little different from the experimental.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.253-272
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• 2013

The use of steel bracing systems is a popular method for the strengthening of existing reinforced concrete (RC) frames and may lead to a substantial increase of both strength and stiffness. However, in most retrofitting cases, the main target is the increase of the energy dissipation capacity. This paper studies numerically the efficiency of a specific strengthening methodology which utilizes a steel link element having a cross-section of various shapes, connected to the RC frame through bracing elements. The energy is dissipated through the yielding of the steel link element. The case studied is a typical one bay, single-storey RC frame, constructed according to older code provisions, which is strengthened through two different types of link elements. The presented numerical models are based on tests which are simulated in order to gain a better insight of the behaviour of the strengthened structures, but also in order to study the effects of different configurations for the link element. The behaviour of the strengthened frames is studied with respect to the one of the original bare frame. Moreover, the numerically obtained results are compared to the experimentally obtained ones, in order to verify the effectiveness of the applied simulation methodology.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 2013

Post earthquake fire (PEF) can lead to the collapse of buildings that are partially damaged in a prior ground-motion that occurred immediately before the fire. The majority of standards and codes for the design of structures against earthquake ignore the possibility of PEF and thus buildings designed with those codes could be too weak when subjected to a fire after an earthquake. An investigation based on sequential analysis inspired by FEMA356 is performed here on the Life-Safety performance level of structures designed to the ACI 318-08 code after they are subjected to two different earthquake levels with PGA of 0.35 g and 0.25 g. This is followed by a four-hour fire analysis of the weakened structure, from which the time it takes for the weakened structure to collapse is calculated. As a benchmark, the fire analysis is also performed for undamaged structure and before occurrence of earthquake. The results show that the vulnerability of structures increases dramatically when a previously damaged structure is exposed to PEF. The results also show the damaging effects of post earthquake fire are exacerbated when initiated from second and third floor. Whilst the investigation is for a certain class of structures (regular building, intermediate reinforced structure, 3 stories), the results confirm the need for the incorporation of post earthquake fire in the process of analysis and design and provides some quantitative measures on the level of associated effects.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 2013

Upon completion of new concrete structures, the achieved construction quality always shows a high scatter and variability, and in severe environments, any weaknesses and deficiencies will soon be revealed whatever durability specifications and materials have been applied. To a certain extent, a probability approach to the durability design can take the high scatter and variability into account. However, numerical solutions alone are not sufficient to ensure the durability and service life of concrete structures in severe environments. In the present paper, the basis for a probability-based durability design is briefly outlined and discussed. As a result, some performance-based durability requirements are specified which are used for quality control and quality assurance during concrete construction. The final documentation of achieved construction quality and compliance with the specified durability are key to any rational approach to more controlled and increased durability. As part of the durability design, a service manual for future condition assessment and preventive maintenance of the structure is also produced. It is such a service manual which helps provide the ultimate basis for achieving a more controlled durability and service life of the given concrete structure in the given environment.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2013

Discrete steel fibres can increase significantly the bending and the shear resistance of concrete structural elements when Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) is designed in such a way that fibre reinforcing mechanisms are optimized. To assess the fibre reinforcement effectiveness in shallow structural elements failing in bending and in shear, experimental and numerical research were performed. Uniaxial compression and bending tests were executed to derive the constitutive laws of the developed SFRC. Using a cross-section layered model and the material constitutive laws, the deformational behaviour of structural elements failing in bending was predicted from the moment-curvature relationship of the representative cross sections. To evaluate the influence of the percentage of fibres on the shear resistance of shallow structures, three point bending tests with shallow beams were performed. The applicability of the formulation proposed by RILEM TC 162-TDF for the prediction of the shear resistance of SFRC elements was evaluated. Inverse analysis was adopted to determine indirectly the values of the fracture mode I parameters of the developed SFRC. With these values, and using a softening diagram for modelling the crack shear softening behaviour, the response of the SFRC beams failing in shear was predicted.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.17-29
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• 2017

Geopolymer concrete is environmentally friendly and could be considered as a construction material to promote the sustainable development. In this paper fly ash based geopolymer concretes with different percentages of alccofine were made by mixing sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate as an alkaline activator and cured at ambient as well as heat environment in an electric oven at $90^{\circ}C$. Effects of various parameters such as the percentage of alccofine, curing temperature, a period of curing, fly ash content, was studied on compressive strength as well as workability of geopolymer concrete. The study concludes that the presence of alccofine improves the properties of geopolymer concrete during a fresh and hardened state of concrete. Geopolymer concrete in the presence of alccofine can be used for the general purpose of concrete as required compressive strength can be achieved even at ambient temperature. The 28 days compressive strength of 73 MPa, when cured at 90-degree Celsius, confirmed that it is also very suitable for precast concrete components.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.31-48
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• 2017

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) have turned out to be a vital portion of extraordinary strength and performance concrete. Metakaolin (MK) is one of SCM material is acquired by calcinations of kaolinite. Universally utilised as pozzolanic material in concrete to enhance mechanical and durability properties. This study investigates the fresh and hardened properties of conventional concrete (CC) and self compacting concrete (SCC) by partially replacing cement with MK in diverse percentages. In CC and SCC, partial replacement of cement with MK varies from 5-20%. Fresh concrete properties of CC are conducted by slump test and compaction factor tests and for SCC, slump flow, T500, J-Ring, L-Box, V-Funnel and U-Box tests. Hardened concrete characteristics are investigated by compressive, split tensile and flexural strengths at age of 7, 28 and 90 days of curing under water. Carbonation depth, water absorption and density of MK based CC and SCC was also computed. Fresh concrete test results indicated that increase in MK replacement increases workability of concrete in a constant w/b ratio. Also, outcomes reveal that concrete integrating MK had greater compressive, flexural and split tensile strengths. Optimum replacement level of MK for cement was 10%, which increased mechanical properties and robustness properties of concrete.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.493-512
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• 2017

Blast loads may considerably affect the response of structures. In previous years, before computer analysis programs, the parameters of blast effects were calculated with empirical methods, consequently some researchers had proposed equations to find out the phenomenon. In recent year's computer analysis programs have developed already, so detailed solutions can be made numerically. This paper describes the blasting response of the structures using numerical and empirical methods. For the purpose, a reinforced concrete retaining wall is modelled using ANSYS Workbench software, and the model is imported to ANSYS AUTODYN software to perform explicit analyses. In AUTDYN software, a sum of TNT explosive is defined 5,5 m away from the wall and solution is done. Numerical results are compared with those of obtained from empirical equations. Similar study is also considered for equal explosive which is the 4 m away from the wall. The results are represented by graphics and contour diagrams of such as displacements and pressures. The results showed that distance of explosive away from the wall is highly affected the structural response of it.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.423-436
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• 2017

Today, pozzolans are widely used in construction for various reasons such as technical and economic efficiency. In this research, in order to evaluate some of important properties of concrete, silica fume and fly ash have been used as a replacement for cement in different mass percentages. Concrete mixtures were made from a water-cement ratio of (0.45) and cured under similar conditions. The main focus of this study was to evaluate the permeability and mechanical properties of concrete made from binary and ternary cementitious mixtures of fly ash and silica fume. In this study permeability of concrete was studied by evaluating the sorptivity, water absorption, water penetration depth, electrical resistivity and rapid chloride permeability (RCP) tests. Mechanical properties of concrete were evaluated with compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the effects of silica fume and fly ash on the pore structure and morphology of concrete with cement based matrix. The results indicated that the incorporation of silica fume and fly ash increased the mechanical strength and improved the permeability of concrete.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.539-561
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• 2017

In this study, the effects of initial damage of concrete columns on the post-repair performance of reinforced concrete (RC) columns strengthened with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite are investigated experimentally. Four kinds of compression-damaged RC cylinders were reinforced using external CFRP composite wraps, and the stress-strain behavior of the composite/concrete system was investigated. These concrete cylinders were compressed to four pre-damaged states including low -level, medium -level, high -level and total damage states. The percentages of the stress levels of pre-damage were, respectively, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of that of the control RC cylinder. These damaged concrete cylinders simulate bridge piers or building columns subjected to different magnitudes of stress, or at various stages in long-term behavior. Experimental data, as well as a stress-strain model proposed for the behavior of damaged and undamaged concrete strengthened by external CFRP composite sheets are presented. The experimental data shows that external confinement of concrete by CFRP composite wrap significantly improves both compressive strength and ductility of concrete, though the improvement is inversely proportional to the initial degree of damage to the concrete. The failure modes of the composite/damaged concrete systems were examined to evaluate the benefit of this reinforcing methodology. Results predicted by the model showed very good agreement with those of the current experimental program.