• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.81-100
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• 2006

To calculate the shear capacity of concrete beams reinforced with fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP), current shear design provisions use slightly modified versions of existing semi-empirical shear design equations that were primarily derived from experimental data generated on concrete beams having steel reinforcement. However, FRP materials have different mechanical properties and mode of failure than steel, and extending existing shear design equations for steel reinforced beams to cover concrete beams reinforced with FRP is questionable. This paper investigates the feasibility of using artificial neural networks (ANNs) to estimate the nominal shear capacity, Vn of concrete beams reinforced with FRP bars. Experimental data on 150 FRP-reinforced beams were retrieved from published literature. The resulting database was used to evaluate the validity of several existing shear design methods for FRP reinforced beams, namely the ACI 440-03, CSA S806-02, JSCE-97, and ISIS Canada-01. The database was also used to develop an ANN model to predict the shear capacity of FRP reinforced concrete beams. Results show that current guidelines are either inadequate or very conservative in estimating the shear strength of FRP reinforced concrete beams. Based on ANN predictions, modified equations are proposed for the shear design of FRP reinforced concrete beams and proved to be more accurate than existing equations.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.39-46
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• 2018

PURPOSES: This study is to estimate nondestructive strength equation based on probability for bridges using field test data. METHODS : In this study, a series of the field inspection and the test have been performed on 297 existing bridges, in order to evaluate the bridges, based on the test results of the in-depth inspection, and the estimated strengths by means of the nondestructive strength equations are analyzed and compared with results of the core specimen strengths. RESULTS : According to results of analyses, In case of standard design compressive strength of concrete is 18MPa, 21MPa, similar reliability of RILEM equation were 0.89~0.90, but in case of standard design compressive strength of concrete is 35MPa, 40MPa were 0.4~0.56. According to standard design compressive strength of concrete is 40MPa, similar reliability of ultrasonic pulse velocity method equation were 0.56. CONCLUSIONS :RILEM equation had high similar reliability than other equation in case of standard design compressive strength of concrete is 18MPa, 21MPa, but had low similar reliability than other equation in case of standard design compressive strength of concrete is 35MPa, 40MPa. and ultrasonic pulse velocity method equation had low similar reliability than other equation in case of standard design compressive strength of concrete is 40MPa.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.327-340
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• 2012

The search for a design that meets both performance and safety, with minimal cost and lesser environmental impact was always the goal of structural engineers. In general, the design of conventional reinforced concrete structures is an iterative process based on rules of thumb established from the personal experience and intuition of the designer. However, such procedure makes the design process exhaustive and only occasionally leads to the best solution. In such context, this work presents the development and implementation of a mathematical formulation for obtaining optimal sections of reinforced concrete columns subjected to uniaxial flexural compression, based on the verification of strength proposed by the Brazilian standard NBR 6118 (ABNT 2007). To minimize the cost of the reinforced concrete columns, the Simulated Annealing optimization method was used, in which the amount and diameters of the reinforcement bars and the dimensions of the columns cross sections were considered as discrete variables. The results obtained were compared to those obtained from the conventional design procedure and other optimization methods, in an attempt to verify the influence of resistance class, variations in the magnitudes of bending moment and axial force, and material costs on the optimal design of reinforced concrete columns subjected to uniaxial flexural compression.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.445-469
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• 2024

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has recommended the use of AASHTOWare Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical Design (PMED) software for Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) pavement design, but specific calibration for RCC is missing. This study investigates the software's capacity to predict the long-term performance of RCC roadways within the framework of conventional concrete pavement calibration. By reanalyzing existing RCC projects in several U.S. states: Colorado, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas, and Illinois, the study highlights the need for specific calibration tailored to the unique characteristics of RCC. Field observations have emphasized occurrence of early distresses in RCC pavements, particularly transverse-cracking and joint-related issues. Despite data challenges, the AASHTOWare PMED software exhibits notable correlation between its long-term predictions and actual field performance in RCC roadways. This study stresses that RCC applications with insufficient joint spacing and thickness are prone to premature cracking. To enhance the accuracy of RCC pavement design, it is essential to discuss the inclusion of RCC as a dedicated rigid pavement option in AASHTOWare PMED. This becomes particularly crucial when the rising popularity of RCC roadways in the U.S. and Canada is considered. Such an inclusion would solidify RCC as a viable third option alongside Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCP) and Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements (CRCP) for design and deployment of rigid pavements. The research presents a roadmap for future calibration endeavors and advocates for the integration of RCC pavement as a distinct pavement type within the software. This approach holds promise for achieving more precise RCC pavement design and performance predictions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.99-102
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• 2002

This paper discusses the estimation of construction cost of high fluidity concrete using segregation reducing type superplasicizer with 350kgf/cm2 of design strength and 60$\pm$5cm of slump flow in order to verify the cost down effect of high fluidity concrete compared with that of plain concrete with 350kgf/cm2 of design strength and 18cm of slump and with 210kgf/cm2 of design strength and 15cm of slump. According to research, under same strength levels, although material cost of high fluidity concrete is somewhat higher than that of plain concrete due to segregation reducing type superplasticizer, labor cost and equipment cost of high fluidity concrete is cheaper than that of plain concrete. However, based on the strength differences, high fluidity concrete shows lower material cost, labor cost and equipment cost than that of plain concrete due to decreasing in size of member and re-bar caused by high strength development of concrete.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2016

In this study, different proportions of glass beads used for road marking were added into the concrete samples to reduce the temperature gradient through the concrete pavement thickness. It is well known that decreasing the temperature gradient reduces the risk of thermal cracking and increases the service life of concrete pavement. The extent of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) produced with partial replacement of fine aggregate by glass bead was investigated and compressive strength of concrete samples with different proportion of glass bead in their mix designs were measured in this study. Ideal results were obtained with less than 0.850 mm diameter size glass beads were used (19 % by total weight of aggregate) for C30/37 class concrete. Top and bottom surface temperatures of two different C30/37 strength class concrete slabs with and without glass beads were measured. It was identified that, using glass bead in concrete mix design, reduces the temperature differences between top and bottom surfaces of concrete pavement. The study presented herein provides important results on the necessity of regulating concrete road mix design specifications according to regions and climates to reduce the temperature gradient values which are very important in concrete road design.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

PURPOSES: The objective of this study is to evaluate construction issues and design for transverse steel in continuously reinforced concrete pavement(CRCP). METHODS : The first continuously reinforced concrete pavement(CRCP) design procedure appeared in the 1972 edition of the "AASHTO Interim Guide for Design of Pavement Structures", which was published in 1981 with Chapter 3 "Guide for the Design of Rigid Pavement" revised. A theory that was accepted at that time for the analysis of steel stress in concrete pavement, called subgrade drag theory(SGDT), was utilized for the design of reinforcement of CRCP - tie bar design and transverse steel design - in the aforementioned AASHTO Interim Guide. However SGDT has severe limitations due to simple assumptions made in the development of the theory. As a result, any design procedures for reinforcement utilizing SGDT may have intrinsic flaws and limitations. In this paper, CRCP design procedure for transverse steel was introduced and the limitations of assumptions for SGDT were evaluated based on various field testing. RESULTS: Various field tests were conducted to evaluate whether the assumptions of SGDT are reasonable or not. Test results show that 1) temperature variations exist along the concrete slab depth, 2) very little stress in transverse steel, and 3) warping and curling in concrete slab from the field test results. As a result, it is clearly revealed out that the assumptions of SGDT are not valid, and transverse steel and tie bar designs should be based on more reasonable theories. CONCLUSIONS : Since longitudinal joint is provided at 4.1-m spacing in Korea, as long as joint saw-cut is made in accordance with specification requirements, the probability of full-depth longitudinal cracking is extremely small. Hence, for transverse steel, the design should be based on the premise that its function is to keep the longitudinal steel at the correct locations. If longitudinal steel can be placed at the correct locations within tolerance limits, transverse steel is no longer needed.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.511-516
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• 2004

The objective of this study is to optimally design FRP-concrete members of a bridge structure. Using the GENESIS7.0 that is a commercial optimization program we performed an optimal design with design parameters that consist of height, width of FRP member, height of concrete. And we practiced an optimal design with the design variables, thickness of upper flange, bottom flange, and web. The results of these studies are summarized as follows : (1) Thickness of composite-concrete is proper at over loon (2) FRP member reaches the optimal section when the width of the FRP member is 20cm its height is 10cm and the height of the composite-concrete is 12cm.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.440-446
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• 1996

In this study, a procedure for the economic design of reinforced concrete beams under several design constraints is outlined on the basis of discretized continuum-type optimality criteria (DCOC). The costs to be minimized involve those of concrete, reinforcing steel and formwork. The design constraints include limits on the maximum deflection in a given span, on bending and shear strengths, in addition to upper and lower bounds on design variables. An explicit mathematical derivation of optimality criteria is given based on the well known Kuhn-Tucker mecessary conditions, followed by an iterative procedure for designs when the design variables are the depth and the steel ratio. Self-weight of the spans is also included in the equilibrium equation of the real system and in the optimatlity criteria.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.295-306
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• 2012

Optimum cost design of a simply supported reinforced concrete beam is presented in this paper. In the formulation of the optimum design problem, the height and width of the beam, and reinforcement steel area are treated as design variables. The design constraints are implemented according to ACI 318-08 and studies in the literature. The objective function is taken as the cost of unit length of the beam consisting the cost of concrete, steel and shuttering. The solution of the design problem is obtained using the artificial bee colony algorithm which is one of the recent additions to metaheuristic techniques. The artificial bee colony algorithm is imitated the foraging behaviors of bee swarms. In application of this algorithm to the constraint problem, Deb's constraint handling method is used. Obtained results showed that the optimum value of numerical example is nearly same with the existing values in the literature.