• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.229-241
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• 2013

The objective of this study is to reveal the sufficiency of neural networks (NN) as a securer, quicker, more robust and reliable method to be used in seismic assessment of existing reinforced concrete buildings. The NN based approach is applied as an alternative method to determine the seismic performance of each existing RC buildings, in terms of damage level. In the application of the NN, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) with a back-propagation (BP) algorithm is employed using a scaled conjugate gradient. NN based model wasd eveloped, trained and tested through a based MATLAB program. The database of this model was developed by using a statistical procedure called P25 method. The NN based model was also proved by verification set constituting of real existing RC buildings exposed to 2003 Bingol earthquake. It is demonstrated that the NN based approach is highly successful and can be used as an alternative method to determine the seismic performance of each existing RC buildings.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.109-129
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• 2013

This work presents an approach to model concrete shrinkage. The goal is to permit the concrete industry's experts to develop independent prediction models based on a reduced number of experimental data. The proposed approach combines fuzzy logic and genetic algorithm to optimize the fuzzy decision-making, thereby reducing data collection time. Such an approach was implemented for an experimental data set related to self-compacting concrete. The obtained prediction model was compared against published experimental data (not used in model development) and well-known shrinkage prediction models. The predicted results were verified by statistical analysis, which confirmed the reliability of the developed model. Although the range of application of the developed model is limited, the genetic-fuzzy approach introduced in this work proved suitable for adjusting the prediction model once additional training data are provided. This can be highly inviting for the concrete industry's experts, since they would be able to fine-tune their models depending on the boundary conditions of their production processes.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.273-284
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• 2007

The paper considers a theoretical model for the study of the process of transfer of sulfate ions in saturated porous media - mineral composites. In its turn, the model treats diffusion of sulfate ions into cement based composites, accounting for simultaneous effects such as filling of micro-capillaries with ions and chemical products and liquid push out of them. The proposed numerical algorithm enables one to account for those simultaneous effects, as well as to model the diffusive behavior of separate sections of the considered volume, such as inert fillers. The cases studied illustrate the capabilities of the proposed model and those of the algorithm developed to study diffusion, considering the specimen complex configuration. Computations show that the theoretical assumptions enable one to qualitatively estimate the experimental evidence and the capabilities of the studied composite. The results found can be used to both assess the sulfate corrosion in saturated systems and predict and estimate damage of structures built of cement-based mineral composites.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2018

In this study an implicit algorithm for modeling of propagation of macrocracks in 3D concrete structures suffering from alkali-silica reaction has been developed and implemented. The formulation of the problem prior to the onset of localized deformation is based on a chemo-elasticity approach. The localized deformation mode, involving the formation of macrocracks, is described using a simplified form of the strong discontinuity approach (SDA) that employs a volume averaging technique enhanced by a numerical procedure for tracing the propagation path in 3D space. The latter incorporates a non-local smoothening algorithm. The formulation is illustrated by a number of numerical examples that examine the crack propagation pattern in both plain and reinforced concrete under different loading scenarios.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.313-334
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• 2006

A novel formulation aiming to achieve optimal design of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is presented here. Optimal sizing and reinforcing for beam and column members in multi-bay and multistory RC structures incorporates optimal stiffness correlation among all structural members and results in cost savings over typical-practice design solutions. A Nonlinear Programming algorithm searches for a minimum cost solution that satisfies ACI 2005 code requirements for axial and flexural loads. Material and labor costs for forming and placing concrete and steel are incorporated as a function of member size using RS Means 2005 cost data. Successful implementation demonstrates the abilities and performance of MATLAB's (The Mathworks, Inc.) Sequential Quadratic Programming algorithm for the design optimization of RC structures. A number of examples are presented that demonstrate the ability of this formulation to achieve optimal designs.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.221-237
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• 2010

In this study 72 different high strength concrete (HSC) mixes were produced according to the Taguchi design of experiment method. The specimens were divided into four groups based on the range of their compressive strengths 40-60, 60-80, 80-100 and 100-125 MPa. Each group included 18 different concrete mixes. The slump and air-content values of each mix were measured at the production time. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and water absorption properties were obtained at 28 days. Using this data the Genetic Programming technique was used to construct models to predict mechanical properties of HSC based on its constituients. These models, together with the cost data, were then used with a Genetic Algorithm to obtain an HSC mix that has minimum cost and at the same time meets all the strength and workability requirements. The paper describes details of the experimental results, model development, and optimization results.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.593-603
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• 1997

Connection admission decision in ATM networks requires decision made in real time using fast algorithm. It is difficult to construct a model of the multiplexed traffic and thus, approximation of the traffic load is necessary. In this paper, we propose a measurement-based dynamic CAC(Connection admission Control) in ATM(Asynchronous Transfer Mode) networks, which observes current traffic by the moving window and set the window size to the value which is computed from the measured cell loss amount. It is based on the measurements of the traffic load over an admission period that is load enough to reflect the current traffic behavior instead of analytic modeling. And, the dynamic reallocation of bandwidth for each class leads to effective bandwidth utilization. The performance of proposed method is analyzed through computer simulation. The performance of proposed method is analyzed by using SIMAN simulation package and FORTRAN language. As can be seen in the simulation result, cell loss performance and bandwidth utilization have been increased.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2012

The performance of a concrete is significantly influenced by its mixture proportion and the coating thickness on aggregate surface. The concrete in this study is designed by estimating the blending ratio of aggregate using a densified mixture design algorithm (DMDA) based on an ideal grading curve and estimating the paste volume as the sum of the amount of paste needed to provide an assigned coating paste thickness. So as to obtain appropriate concrete amount, and thus can accurately estimate the property of concrete. Deduction of this mix design formula is simple and easy understanding, and meanwhile to obtain result is fast. This estimation model of mix design is expected to reward to industry and effectively upgrade concrete quality.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.533-547
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• 2010

Recent developments in concrete mixing made possible the production of concretes with high compressive strength showing, simultaneously, high workability. These concretes also present high strengths at young ages, allowing the application of loads sooner. It is of fundamental importance to verify if creep models developed for current concrete still apply to these new concretes. First, a FEM-based software was adopted to test available creep models, most used for normal strength concrete, considering examples with known analytical results. Several limitations were registered, resulting in an incorrect simulation of three-dimensional creep. Afterwards, it was implemented a Kelvin-chain algorithm allowing the use of a chosen number of elements, which adequately simulated the adopted examples. From the comparison between numerical and experimental results, it was concluded that the adopted algorithm can be used to model creep of high strength concrete, if the material properties are previously experimentally assessed.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.311-320
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• 2019

The substructuring technique is one of the efficient methods for reducing computational effort and memory usage in the finite element method, especially in large-scale structures. Proper mesh partitioning plays a key role in the efficiency of the technique. In this study, new algorithms are proposed for mesh partitioning based on an element search technique. The computational cost function is optimized by aligning each element of the structure to a proper substructure. The genetic algorithm is employed to minimize the boundary nodes of the substructures. Since the boundary nodes have a vital performance on the mesh partitioning, different strategies are proposed for the few number of substructures and higher number ones. The mesh partitioning is optimized considering both computational and memory requirements. The efficiency and robustness of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated in numerous examples for different size of substructures.