• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.713-737
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• 2006

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the behaviour of 56 reinforced concrete beams subjected to pure torsion. The reported results include the behaviour curves, the failure modes and the values of the pre-cracking torsional stiffness, the cracking and ultimate torsional moments and the corresponding twists. The influence of the volume of stirrups, the height to width ratios and the arrangement of longitudinal bars on the torsional behaviour is discussed. In order to describe the entire torsional behaviour of the tested beams, the combination of two different analytical models is used. The prediction of the elastic till the first cracking part is achieved using a smeared crack analysis for plain concrete in torsion, whereas for the description of the post-cracking response the softened truss model is used. A simple modification to the softened truss model to include the effect of confinement is also attempted. Calculated torsional behaviour of the tested beams and 21 beams available in the literature are compared with the experimental ones and a very good agreement is observed.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.551-565
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• 2018

Experimental testing is considered the most realistic approach to obtain a detailed representation of the nonlinear behaviour of masonry-infilled reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Among other applications, these tests can be used to calibrate the properties of numerical models such as simplified macro-models (e.g., strut-type models) representing the masonry infill behaviour. Since the significant cost of experimental tests limits their widespread use, alternative approaches need to be established to obtain adequate data to validate the referred simplified models. The proposed paper introduces a detailed finite element modelling strategy that can be used as an alternative to experimental tests to represent the behaviour of masonry-infilled RC frames under earthquake loading. Several examples of RC infilled frames with different infill configurations and properties subjected to cyclic loading are analysed using the proposed modelling approach. The comparison between numerical and experimental results shows that the numerical models capture the overall nonlinear behaviour of the physical specimens with adequate accuracy, predicting their monotonic stiffness, strength and several failure mechanisms.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제8권5호
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• pp.423-438
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• 2008

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the behaviour of concrete-encased composite columns subjected to short-term axial load and biaxial bending. In the study, six square and four L-shaped cross section of both short and slender composite column specimens were constructed and tested to examine the load-deflection behaviour and to obtain load carrying capacities. The main variables in the tests were considered as eccentricity of applied axial load, concrete compressive strength, cross section, and slenderness effect. A theoretical procedure considering the nonlinear behaviour of the materials is proposed for determination of the behaviour of eccentrically loaded short and slender composite columns. Two approaches are taken into account to describe the flexural rigidity (EI) used in the analysis of slender composite columns. Observed failure mode and experimental and theoretical load-deflection behaviour of the specimens are presented in the paper. The composite column specimens and also some composite columns available in the literature have been analysed and found to be in good agreement with the test results.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제55권6호
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• pp.1099-1120
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• 2015

External prestressing has been applied to both new construction and retrofitting of existing reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. Continuous beams are preferred to simply supported beams because of economy, fewer movement joints and possible benefits from moment redistribution. However, this paper argues that continuous prestressed concrete beams with external unbonded tendons demonstrate different full-range behaviour compared to reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Applying the same design approach for RC to external prestressing may lead to design with a lower safety margin. To better understand the behaviour of continuous prestressed concrete beams with unbonded tendons, an experimental investigation is performed in which nine such specimens are tested to failure. The full-range behaviour is investigated with reference to moment-curvature relationship and moment redistribution. The amounts of moment redistribution measured in the experiments are compared with those allowed by BS 8110, EC2 and ACI 318. Design equations are also proposed to estimate the curvature ductility index of unbonded prestressed concrete beams.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.18-31
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• 2020

Cognitive biases can influence human information behaviour and decisions made in information behaviour and use. This study aims to identify the biases involved in some aspects of information behaviour and the role they play in information behaviour and use. Twenty-five semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in an exploratory qualitative study with graduate (MA and PhD) students who were at the stage of their dissertation/thesis research. Eisenberg & Berkowitz Big6^TM Skills for Information Literacy was adopted as a framework for interviews and the analysis was done using grounded theory coding method. The findings revealed the presence of twenty-eight biases in different stages of information behaviour, including availability bias (affects the preference for information seeking strategies), attentional bias (leads to biased attention to some information), anchoring effect (persuades users to anchor in special parts of information), confirmation bias (increases the tendency to use information that supports one's beliefs), and choice-supportive bias (results in confidence in information seeking processes). All stages of information seeking were influenced by some biases. Biases might result in a lack of clarity in defining the information needs, failure in looking for the right information, misinterpretation of information, and might also influence the way information is presented.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.267-293
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• 2016

It is well known that, in order to accurately predict the behaviour of steel structures a requirement the definition of the mechanical behaviour of beam-to column joints is of primary importance. This goal can be achieved by means of the so-called component method, which, in order to obtain the whole behaviour of connections, provides to break up joints in basic components of deformability and resistance. One of the main joint components used to model bolted connections is the so-called equivalent T-stub in tension, which is normally used to predict the behaviour of bolted plates in bending starting from the behaviour of the single bolt rows. In past decades, significant research efforts have been devoted to the prediction of the behaviour of bolted T-stubs but, to date, no particular attention has been devoted to the characterization of their plastic deformation capacity. To this scope, the work presented in this paper, taking into account the existing technical literature, proposes a new theoretical model for predicting the whole behaviour up to failure of bolted T-stubs under monotonic loading conditions, including some complexities, such as the bolt/plate compatibility requirement and the bolt fracture, which are necessary to accurately evaluate the ultimate displacement. After presenting the advances of the proposed approach, a comparison between theoretical and experimental results is provided in order to verify its accuracy.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.239-255
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• 2020

Experimental and discrete element method were used to investigate the effects of joint number and its angularities on the shear behaviour of joint's bridge area. A new shear test condition was used to model the gypsum cracks under shear loading. Gypsum samples with dimension of 120 mm×100 mm×50 mm were prepared. the length of joints was 2cm. in experimental tests, the joint number is 1, 2 and 3 and its angularities change from 0° to 90° with increment of 45°. Assuming a plane strain condition, special rectangular models are prepared with dimension of 120 mm×100 mm. similar to joints configuration in experimental test, 9 models with different joint number and joint angularities were prepared. This testing show that the failure process is mostly governed by the joint number and joint angularities. The shear strengths of the specimens are related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the discontinuities. The shear behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of induced tensile cracks which are increased by increasing the rock bridge length. The strength of samples decreases by increasing the joint number and joint angularities. Failure pattern and failure strength are similar in both of the experimental test and numerical simulation.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.647-656
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• 2017

This paper presents an experimental study on the behaviour of steel beams with different types of web openings. Steel beams with web openings became progressively more accepted as a well-organized structural form in steel construction since their existence. Their complicated design and profiling method provides better flexibility in beam proportioning for strength, depth, size and location of holes. The objective of this study is to carry out the experiments on steel beams with different types of web openings and performed non-linear finite element (FE) analysis of the beams that were considered in the experimental study in order to determine their ultimate load capacity and failure modes for comparison. Ten full scale models of steel beam with web openings have been tested in the experimental investigation. The finite element method has been used to predict their entire response to increasing values of external loading until they lose their load carrying capacity. FE model of each specimen that is utilized in the experimental studies is carried out. These models are used to simulate the experimental work to verify test results and to investigate the nonlinear behaviour of failure modes such as local buckling, lateral torsional buckling, web-post buckling, shear buckling and Vierendeel bending of beams.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.235-266
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• 2016

A rock mass containing non-persistent joints can only fail if the joints propagate and coalesce through an intact rock bridge. Shear strength of rock mass containing non-persistent joints is highly affected by the both, mechanical behavior and geometrical configuration of non-persistent joints located in a rock mass. Existence of rock joints and rock bridges are the most important factors complicating mechanical responses of a rock mass to stress loading. The joint-bridge interaction and bridge failure dominates mechanical behavior of jointed rock masses and the stability of rock excavations. The purpose of this review paper is to present techniques, progresses and the likely future development directions in experimental and numerical modelling of a non-persistent joint failure behaviour. Such investigation is essential to study the fundamental failures occurring in a rock bridge, for assessing anticipated and actual performances of the structures built on or in rock masses. This paper is divided into two sections. In the first part, experimental investigations have been represented followed by a summarized numerical modelling. Experimental results showed failure mechanism of a rock bridge under different loading conditions. Also effects of the number of non-persistent joints, angle between joint and a rock bridge, lengths of the rock bridge and the joint were investigated on the rock bridge failure behaviour. Numerical simulation results are used to validate experimental outputs.

• 한국콘크리트학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국콘크리트학회 2004년도 추계 학술발표회 제16권2호
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• pp.409-412
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• 2004

Over last decade extensive researches have been undertaken on the strength behaviour of Fiber Reinforced Concrete(FRC) structures. But the use of Ultra-High Strength Steel Fiber Cementitious Concrete Composites is in its infancy and there is a few experiments, analysis method and design criteria on the structural elements constructed with this new generation material which compressive strength is over 150 MPa and characteristic behaviour on the failure status is ductile. The objective of this paper is to investigate and analyze the behaviour of reinforced rectangular structural members constructed with ultra high performance cementitious composites (UHPCC). This material is known as reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixed with domestic materials and its compressive strength is over 150MP. The variables of test specimens were shear span ratio, reinforcement ratio and fiber quantity. Even if there were no shear stirrups in test specimens, most influential variable to determine the failure mode between shear and flexural action was proved to be shear span ratio. The characteristics of ultra high-strength concrete is basically brittle, but due to the steel fiber reinforcement behaviour of this structure member became ductile after the peak load. As a result of the test, the stress block of compressive zone could be defined. The proposed analytical calculation of internal force capacity based by plastic analysis gave a good prediction for the shear and flexural strength of specimens. The numerical verification of the finite element model which constitutive law developed for Mode I fracture of fiber reinforced concrete correctly captured the overall behaviour of the specimens tested.