• Journal of the Korean Society for Advanced Composite Structures
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2013

This project investigated the use of two types of thermoplastic pipes, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Poly-vinyl Chloride (PVC), as cross-drains under highways. Pipes ranging from 0.3 m (12 in.) to 1.5 m (60 in.) in diameter were evaluated under deep fills, minimum cover, and construction loads. In addition to a comprehensive literature review, an analytical study into the allowable fill heights for thermoplastic pipes and a field study to observe the installation and performance of the pipe in service conditions were conducted. Based on the study findings, recommendations regarding how and when thermoplastic pipe should be installed are provided.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.435-444
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• 2017

In the past, the progressive collapse resulting from local failures during accidents has caused many tragedies and loss of life. Although long-span spatial grid structures are characterised by a high degree of static indeterminacy, the sudden failure of key members may lead to a catastrophic progressive collapse. For this reason, it is especially necessary to research the progressive collapse resistance capacity of long-span spatial grid structures. This paper presents an evaluation method of important members and a novel dynamic analysis method for simulating the progressive collapse of long-span spatial grid structures. Engineering cases were analysed to validate these proposed method. These proposed methods were eventually implemented in the progressive collapse analysis of the main stadium for the Universiade Sports Center. The roof of the structure was concluded to have good resistance against progressive collapse. The novel methods provide results close to practice and are especially suitable for the progressive collapse analysis of long-span spatial grid structures.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.271-295
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• 2016

In this study, an extensive literature review has been conducted on the material characterization of UHPC and its potential for large-scale field applicability. The successful production of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) depends on its material ingredients and mixture proportioning, which leads to denser and relatively more homogenous particle packing. A database was compiled from various research and field studies around the world on the mechanical and durability performance of UHPC. It is shown that UHPC provides a viable and long-term solution for improved sustainable construction owing to its ultrahigh strength properties, improved fatigue behavior and very low porosity, leading to excellent resistance against aggressive environments. The literature review revealed that the curing regimes and fiber dosage are the main factors that control the mechanical and durability properties of UHPC. Currently, the applications of UHPC in construction are very limited due to its higher initial cost, lack of contractor experience and the absence of widely accepted design provisions. However, sustained research progress in producing UHPC using locally available materials under normal curing conditions should reduce its material cost. Current challenges regarding the implementation of UHPC in full-scale structures are highlighted. This study strives to assist engineers, consultants, contractors and other construction industry stakeholders to better understand the unique characteristics and capabilities of UHPC, which should demystify this resilient and sustainable construction material.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.891-899
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• 2014

Over the past several decades, substantial amounts of sensors and sensing systems have been developed for civil infrastructure systems. This special issue focuses on state-of-the-art robotics and automation technologies, including construction automation, robotics, instrumentation, monitoring, inspection, control, and rehabilitation for civil infrastructure. The issue also covers construction informatics supporting sensing, analysis and design activities needed to operate smart and sustainable civil infrastructure. Examples include robotic systems applied to civil infrastructure and equipped with various sensing technologies, such as optical sensors, laser sensors, wireless sensors, multi-sensor fusion, etc. This special issue is published in an effort to disseminate current advances of various robotics and automation technologies for civil infrastructure and built environment.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.595-613
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• 2016

Large amplitude oscillation of steepled main cables usually presents during construction of a long-span bridge. To study this phenomenon, six typical main cables with different cross sections during construction are investigated. Two main foci have been conducted. Firstly, aerodynamic coefficients of a main cable are obtained and compared through simulation and wind tunnel test: (1) to ensure the simulation accuracy, influences of the numerical model's grid size, and the jaggy edges of main cable's cross section on main cable's aerodynamic coefficients are investigated; (2) aerodynamic coefficients of main cables at different wind attack angles are obtained based on the wind tunnel test in which the experimental model is made by rigid plastic using the 3D Printing Technology; (3) then numerical results are compared with wind tunnel test results, and they are in good agreement. Secondly, aerodynamic coefficients of the six main cables at different wind attack angles are obtained through numerical simulation. Then Den Hartog criterion is used to analyze the transverse galloping of main cables during construction. Results show all the six main cables may undergo galloping, which may be an important reason for the large amplitude oscillation of steepled main cables during construction. The flow structures around the main cables indicate that the characteristic of the airflow trajectory over a steepled main cable may play an important role in the galloping generation. Engineers should take some effective measures to control this harmful phenomenon due to the big possibility of the onset of galloping during the construction period.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

This study intends to produce an ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) made with hybrid fibres (i.e., steel and polypropylene). Compressive and tensile strength characteristics of the hybrid fibres UHPFRC are considered. A total of 14 fibre-reinforced composites (FRCs) with different fibre contents or types of fibres were prepared and tested in order to determine a suitable hybrid fibre combination. The compressive and tensile strengths of each concrete at 7 days were determined. The results showed that a hybrid mix of micro-polypropylene and steel fibres exhibited good compromising performances and is the ideal reinforcement mixture in a strong, cost-effective UHPFRC. In addition, maximum compressive strength of 167 MPa was achieved for UHPFRC using 1.5% steel fibres blended with 0.5% macro-polypropylene fibres.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2008

High performance concrete (HPC) is widely used in civil engineering due to its high durability and low permeability etc. Compared with ordinary concrete, HPC may develop much higher AS (autogenous shrinkage) at early age due to the relative low water cement (w/c) ratio and adding of mineral admixtures, which is one of the main reasons for early age micro-cracking of HPC structures. This paper studies the early age property of HPC columns under similar construction-site surroundings by embedded strain transducers. Results show that for HPC structure, early-age autogenous shrinkage especially within the first day after concrete pouring is pretty large. AS within the first day are 60% larger than those for 14 days in this research for all specimens. Therefore it should be taken into account for structure durability. By comparison of PHPC (plain HPC column) and RHPC (reinforced HPC column) specimens, the effects of reinforced bars on AS and temperature distribution have been analyzed. Also the influence of w/c ratio on AS is demonstrated.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.265-280
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• 2004

In view of the mounting cost of rehabilitating deteriorating infrastructure, further compounded by intensified environmental concerns, it is now obvious that the evolvement and application of advanced composite structural materials to complement conventional construction materials is a necessity for sustainable construction. This study seeks alternative fill materials (polymer-based) to the much-limited cement concrete used in concrete-filled steel tubular structures. Polymers have been successfully used in other industries and are known to be much lighter, possess high tensile strength, durable and resistant to aggressive environments. Findings of this study relating to elasto-plastic characteristics of polymer concrete filled steel composite beams subjected to uniform bending highlight the enormous increase in stiffness, strength and ductility of the composite beams, over the empty steel tube. Moreover, polymer based materials were noted to present a wide array of properties that could be tailored to meet specific design requirements e.g., ductility based design or strength based design. Analytical formulations for design are also considered.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.329-341
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• 2024

Retaining structures are one of the most important elements in the stabilization of excavations and slopes in various engineering projects. Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls are widely used as retaining structures due to their flexibility, easy and economical construction. These benefits are especially prominent for projects built on soft and weak foundation soils, which have relatively low resistance and high compressibility. For high retaining walls on weak foundations, conventional design methods are not cost-effective. Therefore, two alternative solutions for different foundation weakness are proposed in this research: optimized multi-tiered MSE walls and single tier wall with foundation improvement. The cost optimization considers both the construction components and the land price. The results show that the optimal solution depends on several factors, including the foundation strength and more importantly, the land price. For low land price, the optimized multi-tiered wall is more economical, while for high land price (urban areas), the foundation improvement is preferable. As the foundation strength decreases, the foundation improvement becomes inevitable.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.391-405
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• 2020

The use of passive energy dissipation devices has been widely used in the construction industry to minimize the probability of damage occurred under intense ground motion. In this study, collapse margin ratio (CMR) and fragility curves are the main parameters in the assessment to characterize the collapse safety of the structures. The assessment is done on three types of RC frame structures, incorporating three types of dampers, viscoelastic, friction, and BRB dampers. The Incremental dynamic analyses (IDA) were performed by simulating an array of 20 strong ground motion (SGM) records considering both far-field and near-field seismic scenarios that were followed by fragility curves. With respect to far-field ground motion records, the CMR values of the selected frames indicate to be higher and reachable to safety margin more than those under near-field ground motion records that introduce a high devastating impact on the structures compared to far-field excitations. This implies that the near field impact affects the ground movements at the site by attenuation the direction and causing high-frequency filtration. Besides that, the results show that the viscoelastic damper gives better performance for the structures in terms of reducing the damages compared to the other energy dissipation devices during earthquakes.