• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.573-594
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• 2024

This article presents a research study, with both laboratory and field tests, of a deep foundation in a markedly anisotropic medium. Particularly it has focused on the evaluation of the behavior of a pile, one meter in diameter, embedded in a rocky environment with difficult conditions, in the Flysch of the Spanish city of San Sebastián. To carry out the research, the site of a bridge over the Urumea River was chosen, which was supported by pre-excavated reinforced concrete piles. 4 borings were carried out, by the rotation and washing method, with continuous sampling and combined with flexible dilatometer tests. In the field, an Osterberg load test (O-cell) was performed, while in the laboratory, determinations of natural moisture, natural unit weight, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), point load strength (PLS), compressive wave propagation velocity (V_c) and also triaxial and direct shear tests were carried out. The research results indicate the following: a) the empirical functions that correlate the UCS with the PLS are not always linear; b) for the studied Flysch it is possible to obtain empirical functions that correlate the UCS with the PLS and with the V_c; c) the bearing capacity of the studied Flysch is much greater than if it is evaluated by different load capacity theories; d) it is possible to propose an empirical function that allows evaluating the mobilized shear strength (τ_m), as a function of the UCS and the displacement relative of the pile (δ_r).

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.481-496
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• 2024

Internal erosion around pipes can lead to the failure of earth dams through various mechanisms. This study investigates the displacement patterns in earth dam models under three different failure modes due to internal erosion, using digital image correlation (DIC) methods. Three failure modes—erosion along a pipe (FM1), pipe leakage leading to soil erosion (FM2), and erosion in a pipe due to defects (FM3)—are analyzed using two- and three-dimensional image- processing techniques. The internal displacement of the cross-sectional area and the surface displacement of the downstream slope in the dam models are monitored using an image acquisition system. Physical model tests reveal that FM1 exhibits significant displacement on the upper surface of the downstream slope, FM2 shows focused displacement around the pipe defect, and FM3 demonstrates increased displacement on the upstream slope. The variations in internal and surface displacements with time depend on the segmented area and failure mode. Analyzing the relationships between internal and surface displacements using Pearson correlation coefficients reveals various displacement patterns for the segmented areas and failure modes. Therefore, the image-based characterization methods presented in this study may be useful for analyzing the displacement distribution and behavior of earth dams around pipes, and further, for understanding and predicting their failure mechanisms.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.509-518
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• 2024

In this study, we investigated the effect of shear-key placement on the performance of grouted connections in offshore wind-turbine structures. Considering the challenges of height control during installation, we designed and analyzed three grouted connection configurations. We compared the crack patterns and strain distribution in the shear keys under axial loading. The results indicate that the misalignment of shear keys significantly influences the ultimate load capacity of grouted connections. Notably, when the shear keys were positioned facing each other, the ultimate load decreased by approximately 15%, accompanied by the propagation of irregular cracks in the upper shear keys. Furthermore, the model with 50% misalignment in the shear-key placement exhibited the highest ultimate strength, indicating a more efficient load resistance than the reference model. This indicates that tensile-load-induced cracking and the formation of compressive struts in opposite directions significantly affect the structural integrity of grouted connections. These results demonstrate the importance of considering buckling effects in the design of grouted connections, particularly given the thin and slender nature of the inner sleeves. This study provides valuable insights into the design and analysis of offshore wind-turbine structures, highlighting the need for refined design formulas that account for shifts in shear-key placement and their structural implications.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.519-533
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• 2024

Many materials including cementitious concrete-type materials undergo material property changes during high-rate loading. There is a wealth of research regarding this phenomenon for concrete in compression and tension. However, there is minimal knowledge about how mortar material used in concrete masonry unit (CMU) construction behaves in high-rate shear loading. A series of experiments was conducted to examine the bond strength of mortar bonded to CMU units under high-rate shear loading. A novel experimental setup using a shock tube and dynamic ram were used to load specially constructed shear triplets in a double lap shear configuration with no pre-compression. The Finite Element Method was leveraged in conjunction with data from the experimental investigation to establish if the shear bond between concrete masonry units and mortar exhibits any rate dependency. An increase in shear bond strength was observed when loaded at a high strain rate. This data indicates that the CMU-mortar bond exhibits a rate dependent strength change and illustrates the need for further study of the CMU-mortar interface characteristics at high strain rates.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Aggressive environmental conditions, and especially the acidic effects of sulfate ion penetration, have reduced the lifetime of concrete structures in some areas, especially coastal and marine areas. In this research, at first, samples made of type II and V cement were kept in a solution of magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) for a period of 90 and 180 days, the change of appearance. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), were used to analyze the microstructure and the complex mineral composition of the concrete after exposure to corrosive environments. Then solving the differential equation governing the sulfate ion penetration, which is based on the second Fick law, it has been tried to determine the concentration of sulfate ions inside the concrete. In the following, an attempt has been made to improve the prediction of sulfate ion concentration in concrete by using Crank's penetration equation. At the same time, the coefficient in the Crank's solution have been optimized by using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO algorithm). The comparison between the results shows that the values obtained from Crank's relation are closer to the experimental results than the equation obtained from Fick's second law and shows a more accurate prediction.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2024

In this study, contact analysis in a functionally graded (FG) layer loaded with two circular punches is solved using the finite element method (FEM). The problem is consisted of a functionally graded layer that resting on an elastic semi-infinite plane and is loaded with two rigid punches of circular geometry. External loads P and Q are transferred to the layer via two rigid punches. The finite element model of the functionally graded layer is created using the ANSYS package program and a 2-dimensional analysis of the problem is analyzed. The contact lengths, obtained as a result of the analysis are compared with the analytical solution in the literature. In the study, the effects of parameters such as distances between punches, loads, inhomogenity parameter on contact zones, initial separation loads and distances, normal stresses, stresses across depth and contact stresses are investigated. As a result, in this study, it can be said that the magnitude of the stresses occurring in the FG layer is less than the homogeneous layer, therefore the life of FG materials will be longer than the homogeneous layer. When the distance between the punches is 2.25, the initial separation distance is 6.98, and when the distance between the punches is 4, the initial separation distance decreases to 6.10. In addition, when the load increased in the second punch, the initial separation load decreased from 55 to 18. The obtained results are presented in the form of graphs and tables.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.41-53
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• 2024

Under constant and cyclic axial compression, square composite short columns reinforced with Self Compacting Concrete (SCC) added with scrap rubber infilled inside steel tubes and with different types of concrete were cast and tested. The test is carried out to find the effectiveness of utilizing an aggregate manufactured from industrial waste and to address the problems associated with the need for alternative reinforcements along with waste management. The main testing parameters are the type of concrete, the effect of fiber inclusion, and the significance of rubber-infilled steel tubes. The failure modes of the columns and axial load-displacement curves of the steel tube-reinforced columns were all thoroughly investigated. According to the test results, all specimens failed due to compression failure with a longitudinal crack along the loading axis. The fiber-reinforced column specimens demonstrated improved ductility and energy absorption. In comparison to the normal-weight concrete columns, the lightweight concrete columns significantly improved the axial load-carrying capacity. The addition of basalt fiber to the columns significantly increased the yield stress and ultimate stress to 9.21%. The corresponding displacement at yield load and ultimate load was reduced to 10.36% and 28.79%, respectively. The precision of volumetric information regarding the obtained crack quantification, aggregates, and the fiber in concrete is studied in detail through image processing using MATLAB environment.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 2024

Beam-shaped components commonly rotate along a fixed axis when massive mechanical structures like rotors, jet engine blades, motor turbines, and rotating railway crossings perform their functions. For these structures to be useful in real life, their mechanical behavior is essential. Therefore, this is the first article to use the modified shear deformation theory type hyperbolic sine functions theory and the FEM to study the static bending response of rotating functionally graded GPL-reinforced composite (FG-GPLRC) beams with initial geometrical deficiencies in thermal media. Graphene platelets (GPLs) in three different configurations are woven into the beam's composition to increase its strength. By comparing the numerical results with those of previously published studies, we can assess the robustness of the theory and mechanical model employed in this study. Parameter studies are performed to determine the effect of various geometric and physical variables, such as rotation speed and temperature, on the bending reactions of structures.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2024

This article investigates the thermal and post-buckling problems of graphene platelets reinforced metal foams (GPLRMF) beams with initial geometric imperfection. Three distribution forms of graphene platelet (GPLs) and foam are employed. This article utilizes the mixing law Halpin Tsai model to estimate the physical parameters of materials. Considering three different boundary conditions, we used the Euler beam theory to establish the governing equations. Afterwards, the Galerkin method is applied to discretize these equations. The correctness of this article is verified through data analysis and comparison with the existing articles. The influences of geometric imperfection, GPL distribution modes, boundary conditions, GPLs weight fraction, foam distribution pattern and foam coefficient on thermal post-buckling are analyzed. The results indicate that, perfect GPLRMF beams do not undergo bifurcation buckling before reaching a certain temperature, and the critical buckling temperature is the highest when both ends are fixed. At the same time, the structural stiffness of the beam under the GPL-A model is the highest, and the buckling response of the beam under the Foam-II mode is the lowest, and the presence of GPLs can effectively improve the buckling strength.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.285-299
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• 2024

Recently, many engineering computations have realized their digital transformation to Machine Learning (ML)-based systems. Predicting the behavior of a structure, which is mainly computed with structural analysis software, is an essential step before construction for efficient structural analysis. Especially in the seismic-based design procedure of the structures, predicting the lateral load capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) columns is a vital factor. In this study, a novel ML-based model is proposed to predict the maximum lateral load capacity of RC columns under varying axial loads or cyclic loadings. The proposed model is generated with a Deep Neural Network (DNN) and compared with traditional ML techniques as well as a popular commercial structural analysis software. In the design and test phases of the proposed model, 319 columns with rectangular and square cross-sections are incorporated. In this study, 33 parameters are used to predict the maximum lateral load capacity of each RC column. While some traditional ML techniques perform better prediction than the compared commercial software, the proposed DNN model provides the best prediction results within the analysis. The experimental results reveal the fact that the performance of the proposed DNN model can definitely be used for other engineering purposes as well.