• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.66 no.5
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• pp.631-636
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• 2018

This study aims to investigate the flexural behaviour of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) laminated hybrid fibre reinforced concrete (HFRC) beams. The flexural and ductility performance of GFRP laminated HFRC beams having different proportions of polyolefin and steel fibres with 1.0% of total volume fraction were investigated. The parameters of this investigation included: load and deflection at first crack, yield, and ultimate stages, ductility and crack width. A total of seven beams of $150{\times}250mm$ in cross-section were tested in the laboratory over an effective span of 2800 mm. One reinforced concrete (RC) beam without any internal or external GFRP was taken as the reference beam. Of the remaining six beams, one beam was strengthened with GFRP, one beam with 100% steel fibres was strengthened with GFRP and four beams, each with different volume proportions of polyolefin and steel fibres (20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50) were strengthened with GFRP. All the above beams were tested until failure. The experimental results show that a fibre volume proportion of 40:60 (polyolefin-steel) has significantly improved the overall performance of the tested beams.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.397-418
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• 2009

Eight panel specimens were tested in one-way bending to study the behaviour and capacity of composite slab joists consisting of cold-formed steel C-sections and concrete. Various shear transfer mechanisms were implemented on the C-section flange embedded in the concrete to provide the longitudinal shear resistance. Results showed that all specimens reached serviceability limit state while in elastic range and failure was ductile. Shear transfer achieved for all specimens ranged from 42 to 99% of a full transfer while specimens employed with shear transfer enhancements showed a greater percentage and therefore a higher strength compared with those relying only on surface bond to resist shear. The implementation of pre-drilled holes on the embedded flange of the steel C-section was shown to be most effective. The correlation study between the push-out and panel specimens indicated that the calculated moment capacity based on shear transfer resistance obtained from push-out tests was, on average, 10% lower than the experimental ultimate capacity of the panel specimen.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.461-481
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• 2016

The research described in this paper investigates the seismic behaviour of lightly reinforced concrete (RC) bearing sandwich panels, heavily conditioned by shear deformation. A numerical model has been prepared, within an open source finite element (FE) platform, to simulate the experimental response of this emerging structural system, whose squat-type geometry affects performance and failure mode. Calibration of this equivalent mechanical model, consisting of a group of regularly spaced vertical elements in combination with a layer of nonlinear springs, which represent the cyclic behaviour of concrete and steel, has been conducted by means of a series of pseudo-static cyclic tests performed on single full-scale prototypes with or without openings. Both cantilevered and fixed-end shear walls have been analyzed. After validation, this numerical procedure, including cyclic-related mechanisms, such as buckling and subsequent slippage of reinforcing re-bars, as well as concrete crushing at the base of the wall, has been used to assess the capacity of two- and three-dimensional low- to mid-rise box-type buildings and, hence, to estimate their strength reduction factors, on the basis of conventional pushover analyses.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.473-495
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• 2014

Localized wind events, in the form of tornadoes and downbursts, are the main cause of the large number of failure incidents of electrical transmission line structures worldwide. In this study, a numerical model has been developed to study the behaviour of self-supported transmission lines under various tornado events. The tornado wind fields used were based on a full three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics analysis that was developed in an earlier study. A three-dimensional finite element model of an existing self-supported transmission line was developed. The tornado velocity wind fields were then used to predict the forces applied to the modelled transmission line system. A comprehensive parametric study was performed in order to assess the effects of the location of the tornado relative to the transmission line under F2 and F4 tornado wind fields. The study was used to identify critical tornado configurations which can be used when designing transmission line systems. The results were used to assess the sensitivity of the members' axial forces to changes in the location of the tornado relative to the transmission line. The results were then used to explain the behaviour of the transmission line when subjected to the identified critical tornado configurations.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.573-597
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• 2008

Among artificial intelligence-based computational techniques, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) are particularly suitable for modelling complex systems with known input-output data sets. Such systems can be efficient in modelling non-linear, complex and ambiguous behaviour of cement-based materials undergoing single, dual or multiple damage factors of different forms (chemical, physical and structural). Due to the well-known complexity of sulfate attack on cement-based materials, the current work investigates the use of ANFIS to model the behaviour of a wide range of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) mixture designs under various high-concentration sodium sulfate exposure regimes including full immersion, wetting-drying, partial immersion, freezing-thawing, and cyclic cold-hot conditions with or without sustained flexural loading. Three ANFIS models have been developed to predict the expansion, reduction in elastic dynamic modulus, and starting time of failure of the tested SCC specimens under the various high-concentration sodium sulfate exposure regimes. A fuzzy inference system was also developed to predict the level of aggression of environmental conditions associated with very severe sodium sulfate attack based on temperature, relative humidity and degree of wetting-drying. The results show that predictions of the ANFIS and fuzzy inference systems were rational and accurate, with errors not exceeding 5%. Sensitivity analyses showed that the trends of results given by the models had good agreement with actual experimental results and with thermal, mineralogical and micro-analytical studies.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.362-371
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• 2006

The behaviour characteristics of Granular Compaction Pile(GCP) are mainly governed by the lateral confining pressure mobilized in the matrix soft soil to restrain the bulging failure of the granular compaction pile. The GCP method is most effective in soft soil with untrained shear strength ranging from $15\sim50\;kPa$. However, the efficiency of this method is falling down in the more compressible soil conditions, which does not provide sufficient lateral confinement. In the present study, the GCP method reinforced with uniformly graded permissible concrete is suggested for the extension of application to the soft ground. Also, large triaxial compression tests are conducted on composite- reinforced soil samples for verification of availability of the suggested method and the settlement estimation method of the reinforced GCP is proposed. Further, for the verification of a validity of the proposed method, predicted settlements are compared with results of numerical analyses. Tn addition, parametric studies are performed together with detailed analyses of relevant design parameters.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.309-324
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• 2014

In the design of reinforced concrete structural walls, in order to ensure adequate inelastic displacement behaviour and to sustain deformation demands imposed by strong ground motions, special reinforcement is considered while designing. However, these would lead to severe reinforcement congestion and difficulties during construction. Addition of randomly distributed discrete fibres in concrete improves the flexural behaviour of structural elements because of its enhanced tensile properties and this leads to reduction in congestion. This paper deals with effect of addition of steel fibres on the behavior of high performance fibre reinforced cement concrete (HPFRCC) slender structural walls with the different volume fractions of steel fibres. The specimens were subjected to quasi static lateral reverse cyclic loading until failure. The high performance concrete (HPC) used was obtained based on the guidelines given in ACI 211.1 which was further modified by prof.Aitcin (1998). The volume fraction of the fibres used in this study varied from 0 to 1% with an increment of 0.5%. The results were analysed critically and appraised. The study indicates that the addition of steel fibres in the HPC structural walls enhances the first crack load, strength, initial stiffness and energy dissipation capacity.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2013

This paper presents an actual microstructure-based numerical method to investigate the mechanical properties of concrete at mesoscopic level. Digital image processing technique is used to capture the concrete surface image and generate the actual 3-phase microstructure of the concrete, which consists of aggregate, matrix and interfacial transition zones. The microstructure so generated is then transformed into a mesh or grid for numerical analysis. A finite difference code FLAC2D is used for the numerical analysis to simulate the mechanical responses and failure patterns of the concrete. Several cases of concrete with different degrees of material heterogeneity and under different compression loading conditions have been analysed. From the numerical results, the effects of the internal material heterogeneities as well as the external confining stresses are studied. It is shown that the material heterogeneities arising from the presence of different phases and the existence of interfacial transition zones have great influence on the overall mechanical behaviour of concrete and that the numerically simulated behaviour of concrete with or without confining stresses applied agrees quite well with the general observations reported in the literature.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.621-634
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• 2018

Flush end-plate (FEP) beam-to-column joints are commonly used for gravity load resisting parts in steel multi-storey buildings. However, in seismic resisting structures FEP joints should also provide rotation capacity consistent with the global structural displacements. The current version of EN1993-1-8 recommends a criterion aiming at controlling the thickness of the end-plate in order to avoid brittle failure of the connection, which has been developed for monotonic loading conditions assuming elastic-perfectly plastic behaviour of the connection's components in line with the theory of the component method. Hence, contrary to the design philosophy of the hierarchy of resistances implemented in EN1998-1, the over strength and the hardening of the plastic components are not directly accounted for. In light of these considerations, this paper describes and discusses the results obtained from parametric finite element simulations aiming at investigating the moment-rotation response of FEP joints under cyclic actions. The influence of bolt diameter, thickness of end-plate, number of bolt rows and shape of beam profile on the joint response is discussed and design requirements are proposed to enhance the ductility of the joints.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.43-61
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• 2006

An investigation of the effectiveness of the interface treatment when column concrete jacketing is performed is presented. Alternative methods of interface connection were used in order to investigate the performance of strengthened concrete columns. These connecting techniques involved roughening the surface of the original column, embedding steel dowels into the original column and a combination of these two techniques. The experimental program included three strengthened specimens, one original specimen (unstrengthened) and one as-built specimen (monolithic). The specimens represented half height full-scale old Greek Code (1950's) designed ground floor columns of a typical concrete frame building. The jackets of the strengthened specimens were constructed with shotcrete. All specimens were subjected to displacement controlled earthquake simulation loading. The seismic performance of the strengthened specimens is compared to both the original and the monolithic specimens. The comparison was performed in terms of strength, stiffness and hysteretic response. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the strengthening methods and indicate that the proper construction of a jacket can improve the behaviour of the specimens up to a level comparable to monolithic behaviour. It was found that different methods of interface treatment could influence the failure mechanism and the crack patterns of the specimens. It was also found that the specimen that combined roughening with dowel placement performed the best and all strengthened columns were better at dissipating energy than the monolithic specimen.