• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.70 no.6
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• pp.703-710
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• 2019

While fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials have been largely used in the retrofitting of concrete buildings, its application has been limited because of some problems such as de-bonding of FRP layers from the concrete surface. This paper is the part of a wide experimental and analytical investigation about flexural retrofitting of reinforced concrete (RC) columns using FRP and mechanical fasteners (MF). A new generation of MF is proposed, which is applicable for retrofitting of RC columns. Furthermore, generally, to evaluate a retrofitted structure the nonlinear static and dynamic analyses are the most accurate methods to estimate the performance of a structure. In the nonlinear analysis of a structure, accurate modeling of structural elements is necessary for estimation the reasonable results. So for nonlinear analysis of a structure, modeling parameters for beams, columns, and beam-column joints are essential. According to the concentrated hinge method, which is one of the most popular nonlinear modeling methods, structural members shall be modeled using concentrated or distributed plastic hinge models using modeling parameters. The nonlinear models of members should be capable of representing the inelastic response of the component. On the other hand, in performance based design to make a decision about a structure or design a new one, numerical acceptance should be determined. Modeling parameters and numerical acceptance criteria are different for buildings of different types and for different performance levels. In this paper, a new method was proposed for FRP retrofitted columns to avoid FRP debonding. For this purpose, mechanical fasteners were used to achieve the composite behavior of FRP and concrete columns. The experimental results showed that the use of the new method proposed in this paper increased the flexural strength and lateral load capacity of the columns significantly, and a good composition of FRP and RC column was achieved. Moreover, the modeling parameters and acceptance criteria were presented, which were derived from the experimental study in order to use in nonlinear analysis and performance-based design approach.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.681-692
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• 2020

Conventional Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters (CPEH) have been extensively studied for maximizing their electrical output through material selection, geometric and structural optimization, and adoption of efficient interface circuits. In this paper, the performance of Stepped Piezoelectric Energy Harvester (SPEH) under harmonic base excitation is studied analytically, numerically and experimentally. The motivation is to compare the energy harvesting performance of CPEH and SPEHs with the same characteristics (resonant frequency). The results of this study challenge the notion of achieving higher voltage and power output through incorporation of geometric discontinuities such as step sections in the harvester beams. A CPEH consists of substrate material with a patch of piezoelectric material bonded over it and a tip mass at the free end to tune the resonant frequency. A SPEH is designed by introducing a step section near the root of substrate beam to induce higher dynamic strain for maximizing the electrical output. The incorporation of step section reduces the stiffness and consequently, a lower tip mass is used with SPEH to match the resonant frequency to that of CPEH. Moreover, the electromechanical coupling coefficient, forcing function and damping are significantly influenced because of the inclusion of step section, which consequently affects harvester's output. Three different configurations of SPEHs characterized by the same resonant frequency as that of CPEH are designed and analyzed using linear electromechanical model and their performances are compared. The variation of strain on the harvester beams is obtained using finite element analysis. The prototypes of CPEH and SPEHs are fabricated and experimentally tested. It is shown that the power output from SPEHs is lower than the CPEH. When the prototypes with resonant frequencies in the range of 56-56.5 Hz are tested at 1 m/s2, three SPEHs generate power output of 482 μW, 424 μW and 228 μW when compared with 674 μW from CPEH. It is concluded that the advantage of increasing dynamic strain using step section is negated by increase in damping and decrease in forcing function. However, SPEHs show slightly better performance in terms of specific power and thus making them suitable for practical scenarios where the ratio of power to system mass is critical.

• Composites Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.329-335
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• 2020

In this study, the thermo-rheological behaivors of petroleum pitches with different softening points were studied, and a B-stage phenolic resins/petroleum pitches blends were prepared by adding petroleum pitches to the phenolic resins. As a result, the petroleum pitch with different softening points decreased the fluidity of the petroleum pitch as the Quinoline insoluble (QI) content increased and showed the viscous properties of the solid. In addition, the effect of adding petroleum pitches having different softening points on the thermo-rheological properties of phenolic resins was investigated. When petroleum pitch with a high softening point was added, the fluidity of the phenolic resin was reduced, and the hardening behavior was fast. It was possible to control the curing rate and curing behavior of the phenolic resin by adding petroleum pitches of different softening points. Among them, the phenolic resin mixture to which P-Pitch 2 was added has a higher fluidity than other blends under the same curing temperature condition.

• Composites Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.336-340
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• 2020

In this study, carbon aerogels (CA) were prepared by sol-gel polycondensation of resorcinol and furfural in isopropanol using hexamethylenetetramine as a catalyst, and then directly drying the organic gels under isopropanol freeze-drying conditions, followed by carbonization under a nitrogen atmosphere. The preparation conditions of the CA were explored by changing the mole ratio of resorcinol to furfural. The effect of the preparation conditions on the pore structure of the CA was studied by nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The characteristics of the CA were studied by scanning and transition electron microscopy, and infrared spectrometry. The accessibility of pores and performance of the CA as an electrode in electric double layer capacitors were also electrochemically investigated. As a result, BET surface area and specific capacitance increased with the molar ratio of resorcinol to catalyst (R/C) ratio; the maximum values of 765 ㎡/g and 132 F/g were achieved at the R/C ratio of 200, respectively. Consequently, it was confirmed that increasing the R/C ratio increased the average pore size of the CA electrode, which improved the rate capability of the system.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2021

For developing the durable eco-concrete, water-repellent and hydrophobic emulsion were prepared by stirring and mixing polymethyl hydrosiloxane and polyvinyl alcohol. After adding the PMHS emulsion cement paste, the hydration reaction characteristics and the change in chemical composition were analyzed through BSE and EDS analysis, and the micropores were evaluated by MIP test. Cement mixed with PMHS emulsion was analyzed to increase the hydration reactivity and to decrease the capillary porosity, but it was found that the capillary porosity varies depending on the degree of dispersion of the emulsion in the cement paste. In the case of the emulsion containing metakaolin, there was little difference in hydration degree and porosity from the case of using only the PMHS emulsion. However, when the cement surface was coated with PMHS emulsion, the contact angle was found to increase significantly compared to OPC, and it was analyzed that especially when PVA fiber was used together, it changed to a hypohydrophobic surface.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.465-470
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• 2020

Complex materials are widely used in aviation industries where lightweighting is essential because they have lighter properties than metals. However, composite materials can cause defects such as internal void formation, poor adhesive mixing, and non-adhesive parts during the production process, and there is a risk of micro-cracking and interlayer separation due to low energy impact. Therefore, a structural damage test is essential. As a result, structural integrity monitoring using FBG is drawing attention. Compared to conventional electrical sensors, FBG has the advantage of being more corrosion-resistant and multiplexed without being affected by electrical noise. However, interloggers measuring FBG are expensive and have a large disadvantage because they are made on the premise of measuring large structures. In this paper, low-cost interloggers were designed for use in unmanned or small aircraft using optical switche, WDM filter, and LTFs, and compared to conventional high-priced interrogator.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.38-41
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• 2022

In this study, the strain rate dependent tensile and compressive properties of PP-LGF and TPO was investigated under the high strain rate by using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB). The SHPB is the most widely used apparatus to characterize dynamic mechanical behavior of materials at high strain rates between 100 s^-1 and 10,000 s^-1. The SHPB test is based on the wave propagation theory which was developed to give the stress, strain and strain rate in the specimen using the strains measured in the incident and transmission bars. In addition, to verify the strain data obtained from SHPB, the specimen was photographed with a high-speed camera and compared with the strain data obtained through the Digital Image Correlation (DIC).

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.447-456
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• 2022

Recent experimental studies showed that deep steel I-shaped profiles classified as high ductility class sections in seismic design international codes exhibit low deformation capacity when subjected to cyclic loading. This paper presents an innovative retrofit solution to increase the rotation capacity of beams using bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) patches validated with advanced finite element analysis. This investigation focuses on the flexural cyclic behaviour of I-shaped hot rolled steel deep section used as beams in moment-resisting frames (MRF) retrofitted with CFRP patches on the web. The main goal of this CFRP reinforcement is to increase the rotation capacity of the member without increasing the overstrength in order to avoid compromising the strong column-weak beam condition in MRF. A finite element model that simulates the cyclic plasticity behavior of the steel and the damage in the adhesive layer is developed. The damage is modelled using the cohesive zone modelling (CZM) technique that is able to capture the crack initiation and propagation. Details on the modelling techniques including the mesh sensitivity near the fracture zone are presented. The effectiveness of the retrofit solution depends strongly on the selection of the appropriate adhesive. Different adhesive types are investigated where the CZM parameters are calibrated from high fidelity fracture mechanics tests that are thoroughly validated in the literature. This includes a rigid adhesive commonly found in the construction industry and two tough adhesives used in the automotive industry. The results revealed that the CFRP patch can increase the rotation capacity of a steel member considerably when using tough adhesives.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.66-73
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to develop self-heating concrete by utilizing the conduction resistance of concrete in order to reduce the risk of occurrence of black ice in the concrete pavement in winter and to prevent damage caused by freez-thawing effect. For this purpose, it was attempted to evaluate the strength and temperature exothermic characteristics using powder and liquid waste CNTs and a waste cathode agent as a conduction promotion. It was analyzed that liquid waste CNT had an effective dispersion degree in the mortar and a small decrease in strength occurred. In addition, DC 24 V was supplied by applying steel mesh, copper foil and copper wire to the mortar as electrodes, and the temperature change characteristics according to the mixing ratio of spent CNTs, anodes and carbon fibers were evaluated. In addition, by evaluating the temperature characteristics according to the electrode spacing from the selected optimal mixture, it was confirmed that it had sufficient heating characteristics up to an electrode spacing of 100 mm up to AC 50 V.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2022

Polycarbosilane(PCS) is an important precursor for melt-spinning the silicon carbide(SiC) fibers and manufacturing ceramics. The PCS is a metal-organic polymer precursor capable of producing continuous SiC fibers having excellent performance such as high-temperature resistance and oxidation resistance. The SiC fibers are manufactured through melt-spinning, stabilization, and heat treatment processes using the PCS manufactured by synthesis, purification, and control of the molecular structure. In this paper, we analyzed the effect of purification of unreacted substances and low molecular weight through solvent treatment of PCS and the effect of heat treatment at various temperatures change the polymerization and network rearrangement of PCS. Especially, we investigated the complex viscosity and structural arrangement of PCS precursors according to solvent treatment and heat treatment through the rheological properties.