• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.545-556
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• 2019

Bridge piers with bending failure mode are seriously damaged only in the area of plastic hinge length in earthquakes. For this situation, a modified method for the layout of longitudinal reinforcement is presented, i.e., the number of longitudinal reinforcement is increased in the area of plastic hinge length at the bottom of piers. The quasi-static test of three scaled model piers is carried out to investigate the local longitudinal reinforcement at the bottom of the pier on the seismic performance of the pier. One of the piers is modified by increased longitudinal reinforcement at the bottom of the pier and the other two are comparative piers. The results show that the pier failure with increased longitudinal bars at the bottom is mainly concentrated at the bottom of the pier, and the vulnerable position does not transfer. The hysteretic loop curve of the pier is fuller. The bearing capacity and energy dissipation capacity is obviously improved. The bond-slip displacement between steel bar and concrete decreases slightly. The finite element simulations have been carried out by using ANSYS, and the results indicate that the seismic performance of piers with only increasing the number of steel bars (less than65%) in the plastic hinge zone can be basically equivalent to that of piers that the number of steel bars in all sections is the same as that in plastic hinge zone.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.291-302
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• 2018

Rigid body spring method (RBSM) is an effective tool to simulate the cracking process of structures, and has been successfully applied to investigate the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) members. However, the theoretical researches and engineering applications of this method mainly focus on two-dimensional problems as yet, which greatly limits its applications in actual engineering projects. In this study, a three-dimensional (3-D) RBSM for RC structures is proposed. In the proposed model, concrete, reinforcing steels, and their interfaces are represented as discrete entities. Concrete is partitioned into a collection of rigid blocks and a uniform distribution of normal and tangential springs is defined along their boundaries to reflect its material properties. Reinforcement is modeled as a series of bar elements which can be freely positioned in the structural domain and irrespective of the mesh geometry of concrete. The bond-slip characteristics between reinforcing steel and concrete are also considered by introducing special linkage elements. The applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method is firstly confirmed by an elastic T-shape beam, and then it is applied to analyze the failure processes of a Z-type component under direct shear loading and a RC beam under two-point loading.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.285-294
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• 2019

In the present paper, the fiber theory has been employed to model the reinforced concrete (RC) deep beams (DBs) considering the reinforcing steel bar-concrete interaction. To simulate numerically the behavior of materials, the uniaxial materials' constitutive laws have been employed for reinforcements and concrete and the bond stress-slip between the reinforcing steel bars and surrounding concrete are taken into account. Because of the high sensitivity of DBs to shear deformations, the Timoshenko beam theory has been applied. The shear stress-strain (S-SS) relationship has been defined by the modified compression field theory (MCFT) model. By modeling about 300 RC panels and employing a produced numerical database, a study has been carried out to show the sensitivity of the MCFT model. This is performed based on the multiple linear regression (MLR) models. The results of this research also illustrate how different parameters such as characteristic compressive strength of concrete, yield strength of reinforcements and the percentages of reinforcements in different directions get involved in the shear behavior of RC panels without applying complex theories. Based on the results obtained from the analysis of the MCFT S-SS model, a relatively simplified numerical S-SS model has been proposed. Application of the proposed S-SS model in modeling and analyzing the considered samples indicates that there is a good agreement between the simulated and the experimental test results. The comparison between the proposed S-SS model and the MCFT model indicates that in addition to the advantage of better accuracy, the main advantage of the proposed method is simplicity in application.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.77-83
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• 2015

PURPOSES : In this study, a fracture-based finite element (FE) model is proposed to evaluate the fracture behavior of fiber-reinforced asphalt (FRA) concrete under various interface conditions. METHODS : A fracture-based FE model was developed to simulate a double-edge notched tension (DENT) test. A cohesive zone model (CZM) and linear viscoelastic model were implemented to model the fracture behavior and viscous behavior of the FRA concrete, respectively. Three models were developed to characterize the behavior of interfacial bonding between the fiber reinforcement and surrounding materials. In the first model, the fracture property of the asphalt concrete was modified to study the effect of fiber reinforcement. In the second model, spring elements were used to simulated the fiber reinforcement. In the third method, bar and spring elements, based on a nonlinear bond-slip model, were used to simulate the fiber reinforcement and interfacial bonding conditions. The performance of the FRA in resisting crack development under various interfacial conditions was evaluated. RESULTS : The elastic modulus of the fibers was not sensitive to the behavior of the FRA in the DENT test before crack initiation. After crack development, the fracture resistance of the FRA was found to have enhanced considerably as the elastic modulus of the fibers increased from 450 MPa to 900 MPa. When the adhesion between the fibers and asphalt concrete was sufficiently high, the fiber reinforcement was effective. It means that the interfacial bonding conditions affect the fracture resistance of the FRA significantly. CONCLUSIONS : The bar/spring element models were more effective in representing the local behavior of the fibers and interfacial bonding than the fracture energy approach. The reinforcement effect is more significant after crack initiation, as the fibers can be pulled out sufficiently. Both the elastic modulus of the fiber reinforcement and the interfacial bonding were significant in controlling crack development in the FRA.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.6
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• pp.643-657
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• 2020

This study presents experimental and numerical investigations on circular steel tube confined ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) columns under axial compression. The plain UHPC without fibers was designed to achieve a compressive strength ranged between 150 MPa and 200 MPa. Test results revealed that loading on only the UHPC core can generate a significant confinement effect for the UHPC core, thus leading to an increase in both strength and ductility of columns, and restricting the inherent brittleness of unconfined UHPC. All tested columns failed by shear plane failure of the UHPC core, this causes a softening stage in the axial load versus axial strain curves. In addition, an increase in the steel tube thickness or the confinement index was found to increase the strength and ductility enhancement and to reduce the magnitude of the loss of load capacity. Besides, steel tube with higher yield strength can improve the post-peak behavior. Based on the test results, the load contribution of the steel tube and the concrete core to the total load was examined. It was found that no significant confinement effect can be developed before the peak load, while the ductility of post-peak stage is mainly affected by the degree of the confinement effect. A finite element model (FEM) was also constructed in ABAQUS software to validate the test results. The effect of bond strength between the steel tube and the UHPC core was also investigated through the change of friction coefficient in FEM. Furthermore, the mechanism of circular steel tube confined UHPC columns was examined using the established FEM. Based on the results of FEM, the confining pressures along the height of each modeled column were shown. Furthermore, the interaction between the steel tube and the UHPC core was displayed through the slip length and shear stresses between two surfaces of two materials.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.409-420
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• 2017

This paper theoretically studies the cyclic behavior of hybrid connections between steel coupling beams and concrete shear walls with embedded steel columns. Finite element models of connections with long and short embedded steel columns are built in ABAQUS and validated against the test results in the companion paper. Parametric studies are carried out using the validated FE model to determine the key influencing factors on the load-bearing capacity of connections. A close-form solution of the load-bearing capacity of connections is proposed by considering the contributions from the compressive strength of concrete at the interface between the embedded beam and concrete, shear yielding of column web in the tensile region, and shear capacity of column web and concrete in joint zone. The results show that the bond slip between embedded steel members and concrete should be considered which can be simulated by defining contact boundary conditions. It is found that the loadbearing capacity of connections strongly depends on the section height, flange width and web thickness of the embedded column. The accuracy of the proposed calculation method is validated against test results and also verified against FE results (with differences within 10%). It is recommended that embedded steel columns should be placed along the entire height of shear walls to facilitate construction and enhance the ductility. The thickness and section height of embedded columns should be increased to enhance the load-bearing capacity of connections. The stirrups in the joint zone should be strengthened and embedded columns with very small section height should be avoided.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.78 no.3
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• pp.231-253
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• 2021

Pure bending loading conditions are not frequently occurred in practical engineering, but the flexural researches are important since it's the basis of mechanical property researches under complex loading. Hence, the objective of this paper is to investigate the flexural behavior of concrete-filled rectangular steel tube (CFRT) through combined experimental and numerical studies. Flexural tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical performance of CFRT under bending. The load vs. deflection curves during the loading process was analyzed in detail. All the specimens behaved in a very ductile manner. Besides, based on the experimental result, the composite action between the steel tube and core concrete was studies and examined. Furthermore, the feasibility and accuracy of the numerical method was verified by comparing the computed results with experimental observations. The full curves analysis on the moment vs. curvature curves was further conducted, where the development of the stress and strain redistribution in the steel tube and core concrete was clarified comprehensively. It should be noted that there existed bond slip between the core concrete and steel tube during the loading process. And then, an extensive parametric study, including the steel strength, concrete strength, steel ratio and aspect ratio, was performed. Finally, design formula to calculate the ultimate moment and flexural stiffness of CFRTs were presented. The predicted results showed satisfactory agreement with the experimental and FE results. Additionally, the difference between the experimental/FE and predicted results using the related design codes were illustrated.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.497-512
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• 2023

Using light weight concrete as infill material in conventional cold-formed steel (CFS) shear wall systems can considerably increase their load bearing capacity, ductility, integrity and fire resistance. The compressive strength of the filler concrete is a key factor affecting the structural behaviour of the composite wall systems, and therefore, achieving maximum compressive strength in lightweight concrete while maintaining its lightweight properties is of significant importance. In this study a new type of optimum polystyrene lightweight concrete (OPLC) with high compressive strength is developed for infill material in composite CFS shear wall systems. To study the seismic behaviour of the OPLC-filled CFS shear wall systems, two full scale wall specimens are tested under cyclic loading condition. The effects of OPLC on load-bearing capacity, failure mode, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, and stiffness degradation of the walls are investigated. It is shown that the use of OPLC as infill in CFS shear walls can considerably improve their seismic performance by: (i) preventing the premature buckling of the stud members, and (ii) changing the dominant failure mode from brittle to ductile thanks to the bond-slip behaviour between OPLC and CFS studs. It is also shown that the design equations proposed by EC8 and ACI 318-14 standards overestimate the shear force capacity of OPLC-filled CFS shear wall systems by up to 80%. This shows it is necessary to propose methods with higher efficiency to predict the capacity of these systems for practical applications.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.4A
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• pp.267-279
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• 2009

A numerical model that can simulate the nonlinear behavior of ultra high strength fiber reinforced concrete (UHSFRC) structures subjected to monotonic loading is introduced. The material properties of UHSFRC, such as compressive and tensile strength or elastic modulus, are different from normal strength reinforced concrete. The uniaxial compressive stress-strain relationship of UHSFRC is designed on the basis of experimental result, and the equivalent uniaxial stress-strain relationship is introduced for proper estimation of UHSFRC structures. The steel is uniformly distributed over the concrete matrix with particular orientation angle. In advance, this paper introduces a numerical model that can simulate the tension-stiffening behavior of tension part of the axial member on the basis of the bond-slip relationship. The reaction of steel fiber is considered for the numerical model after cracks of the concrete matrix with steel fibers are formed. Finally, the introduced numerical model is validated by comparison with test results for idealized UHSFRC beams.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.101-108
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• 2008

This study is to examine bond strength of beam reinforced with GFRP rebar under 4-point fatigue bending test by adopting BRITISH STANDARD. The variables were made to have bonding length of 5times(5db), and 15times(15db) of the nominal diameter of GFRP rebar and were done to analyze the relationship between the bonding strength and the slip. In the result of the test, pull-out failure was dominant in the 5db specimen, patterns of the pull-out failure and concrete shear failure appeared in the 15db specimen showed only concrete shear failure at the end of bonding length. Therefore, The strain development consist of three different stage : A rapid increases form 0 to about 10% of total fatigue life. A uniform increases form 10% to about 70%~90%. Then a rapid increases until failure, if failure takes place. It seems that stress level has not influence on the secant modules of elasticity. And also according to the outcome the existing strengthening method came out to be the most superiority in S-N graphs.