• Computers and Concrete
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.113-126
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• 2022

Reinforced concrete bearing walls (RCBWs) are one of the most applicable structural systems. Therefore, vulnerability analysis and rehabilitation of the RCBW system are of great importance. In the present study, in order to the more precise investigation of the performance of this structural resistant system, pushover and nonlinear time history analyses based on several assumptions drawing upon experimental research were performed on several models with different stories. To validate the nonlinear analysis method, the analytical and experimental results are compared. Vulnerability evaluation was carried out on two seismic hazard levels and three performance levels. Eventually, the need for seismic rehabilitation with the basic safety objective (BSO) was investigated. The obtained results showed that the studied structures satisfied the BSO of the seismic rehabilitation guidelines. Consequently, according to the results of analyses and the desired performance, this structural system, despite its high structural weight and rigid connections and low flexibility, has integrated performance, and it can be a good option for earthquake-resistant constructions.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.285-294
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• 2019

In the present paper, the fiber theory has been employed to model the reinforced concrete (RC) deep beams (DBs) considering the reinforcing steel bar-concrete interaction. To simulate numerically the behavior of materials, the uniaxial materials' constitutive laws have been employed for reinforcements and concrete and the bond stress-slip between the reinforcing steel bars and surrounding concrete are taken into account. Because of the high sensitivity of DBs to shear deformations, the Timoshenko beam theory has been applied. The shear stress-strain (S-SS) relationship has been defined by the modified compression field theory (MCFT) model. By modeling about 300 RC panels and employing a produced numerical database, a study has been carried out to show the sensitivity of the MCFT model. This is performed based on the multiple linear regression (MLR) models. The results of this research also illustrate how different parameters such as characteristic compressive strength of concrete, yield strength of reinforcements and the percentages of reinforcements in different directions get involved in the shear behavior of RC panels without applying complex theories. Based on the results obtained from the analysis of the MCFT S-SS model, a relatively simplified numerical S-SS model has been proposed. Application of the proposed S-SS model in modeling and analyzing the considered samples indicates that there is a good agreement between the simulated and the experimental test results. The comparison between the proposed S-SS model and the MCFT model indicates that in addition to the advantage of better accuracy, the main advantage of the proposed method is simplicity in application.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• 제4권4호
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• pp.257-271
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• 2011

The analysis of interfacial stresses in structural component has been the subject of several investigations but it still requires more effort and studies. In this study a general three-dimensional interface element has been formulated for stress and displacement analyses in the interfacial area between two adjacent plate bending element and brick element. Interface element has 16 nodes with 5 degrees of freedom (DOF) in each node adjacent to plate bending element and 3 DOF in each node adjacent to brick element. The interface element has ability to transfer three translations from each side of interface element and two rotations in the side adjacent to the plate element. Stiffness matrix of this element was formulated and implemented in three-dimensional finite element code. Application of this element to the reinforced concrete (RC) beam strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) including variation of deflection, slip between plate and concrete, normal and shear stresses distributions in FRP plates have been verified using experimental and numerical work of strengthened RC beams carried out by some researchers. The results show that this interface element is effective and can be used for structural component with these types of interface elements.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제8권6호
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• pp.717-733
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• 2011

Strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) members against shear that is one of the failure modes especially avoided by using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is widely used technique, which is studied at many experimental studies. However, conducting experimental studies are required more financial resources and laboratory facilities. In addition, along with financial resources, more time is needed in order to carry out comprehensive experimental studies. For these reasons, a verified finite element model that is tested with previous experimental studies can be used for reaching generalized results and investigating parameters that are not studied. For this purpose, previous experimental study results are used and "T" cross-sectioned RC beams strengthened with CFRP strips with insufficient shear strength are modeled by using ANSYS software. First, finite elements modeling of the previously tested RC beams are done, and then the computed results are compared with the experimental ones whether they are matched or not. As a result, the finite element model is verified. Later, analyses of the cases without any test results are done by using the verified model. Optimum CFRP strip spacing is determined with this verified finite element model, and compared with the experimental findings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.247-261
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• 2008

Performance of shear-deficient reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips/sheets is analyzed through numerical simulations on four-point bending tests. The numerical simulations are carried out using the finite element (FE) program ABAQUS. A micromechanics-based constitutive model (Liang et al. 2006) is implemented into the FE program ABAQUS to model CFRP strips/sheets. The predicted results are compared with experiment data (Khalifa and Nanni 2002) to assess the accuracy of the proposed FE analysis approach. A series of numerical tests are conducted to investigate the influence of stirrup lay-ups on the shear strengthening performance of the CFRP strips/sheets, to illustrate the influence of the damage parameters on the microcrack density evolution in concrete, and to investigate the shear and flexural strengthening performance of CFRP strips/ sheets. It has been shown that the proposed FE analysis approach is suitable for the performance prediction of RC beams strengthened with CFRP strips/sheets.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제67권1호
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• pp.45-52
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• 2018

Several techniques have been developed for shear strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) members by using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. However, debonding of FRP retrofits from concrete substrate still deemed as a challenging concern in their application which needs to be scrutinized in details. As a result, this paper reports on the results of an experimental investigation on shear strengthening of RC beams using near surface mounted (NSM) FRP reinforcing bars. The main objective of the experimentation was increasing the efficiency of shear retrofits by precluding/postponing the premature debonding failure. The experimental program was comprised of six shear deficient RC beams. The test parameters include the FRP rebar spacing, inclination angle, and groove shape. Also, an innovative modification was introduced to the conventional NSM technique and its efficiency was evaluated by experimental observation and measurement. The results testified the efficiency of glass FRP (GFRP) rebars in increasing the shear strength of the test specimens retrofitted using conventional NSM technique. However, debonding of FRP bars impeded exploiting all retrofitting advantages and induced a premature shear failure. On the contrary, application of the proposed modified NSM (MNSM) technique was not only capable of preventing the premature debonding of FRP bars, but also could replace the failure mode of specimen from the brittle shear to a ductile flexural failure which is more desirable.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제66권3호
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• pp.305-315
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• 2018

Interaction of lateral loading, combined with axial force needs to be determined with care in reinforced concrete (RC) one-dimensional structural members (1D SMs) such as beam-columns (BCs) and columns. RC 1D SMs under heavy axial loading are known to fail by brittle mode and small lateral displacements. In this paper, a macro element-based algorithm is proposed to analyze the RC 1D SMs under monotonic or cyclic combined loading. The 1D SMs are discretized into macro-elements (MEs) located between the critical sections and the inflection points. The critical sections are discretized into fixed rectangular finite elements (FRFE). The nonlinear behavior of confined and unconfined concretes and steel elements are considered in the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm has been validated by the results of experimental tests carried out on full-scale RC structural members. The evolution of ultimate strain at extreme compression fiber of a rectangular RC section for different orientations of lateral loading shows that the ultimate strain decreases with increasing the axial force. In the examined cases, this ultimate strain ranges from 0.0024 to 0.0038. Therefore, the 0.003 value given by ACI-318 code for ultimate strain, is not conservative and valid for the combined load cases with significant values of axial force (i.e. for the axial forces heavier than 70% of the ultimate axial force).

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.727-747
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• 2008

In the framework of the SPEAR (Seismic PErformance Assessment and Rehabilitation) research Project, an under-designed three storey RC frame structure, designed to sustain only gravity loads, was subjected, in three different configurations 'as-built', Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) retrofitted and rehabilitated by reinforced concrete (RC) jacketing, to a series of bi-directional pseudodynamic (PsD) tests under different values of peak ground acceleration (PGA) (from a minimum of 0.20g to a maximum of 0.30g). The seismic deficiencies exhibited by the 'as-built' structure after the test at PGA level of 0.20g were confirmed by a post - test assessment of the structural seismic capacity performed by a nonlinear static pushover analysis implemented on the structure lumped plasticity model. To improve the seismic performance of the 'as-built' structure', two rehabilitation interventions by using either FRP laminates or RC jacketing were designed. Assumptions for the analytical modeling, design criteria and calculation procedures along with local and global intervention measures and their installation details are herein presented and discussed. Nonlinear static pushover analyses for the assessment of the theoretical seismic capacity of the structure in each retrofitted configuration were performed and compared with the experimental outcomes.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.281-303
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• 2015

The effects of infill panels on the response of r.c. frames subjected to seismic action are widely recognized. Numerous experimental investigations were effected and several analytical models were developed on this subject. This work, which is part of a larger project dealing with specific materials and structures commonly used in Italy, discusses experimental tests on masonry and samples of bare and infilled portals. The experimental activity includes tests on elemental materials, and 12 wall samples. Finally, three one-bay one-story reinforced concrete frames, designed according to the outdated Italian technical code D.M. 1996 without seismic details, were tested (bare and infilled) under constant vertical and cyclic lateral load. The first cracks observed on the framed walls occurred at a drift of about 0.3%, reaching its maximum capacity at a drift of 0.5% while retaining its capacity up to a drift of 0.6%. Infill contributed to both the stiffness and strength of the bare reinforced concrete frame at small drifts thus improving overall system behavior. In addition to the experimental activities, previously mentioned, the recalibration of a model proposed by Comberscue (1996) was evaluated. The accuracy of an OpenSees non linear fiber based model of the prototype tested, including a strut element was verified through a comparison with the final experimental results. This work has been partially supported by research grant DPC-ReLUIS 2014.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.161-184
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• 2021

Strengthening of reinforced concrete beams with externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer plates/sheets technique has become widespread in the last two decades. Although a great deal of research has been conducted on simply supported RC beams, a few studies have been carried out on continuous beams strengthened with FRP composites. This paper presents a simple uniaxial nonlinear analytical model that is able to accurately estimate the load carrying capacity and the behaviour of damaged RC continuous beams flexural strengthened with externally bonded prestressed composite plates on both of the upper and lower fibers, taking into account the thermal load. The model is based on equilibrium and deformations compatibility requirements in and all parts of the strengthened beam, i.e., the damaged concrete beam, the FRP plate and the adhesive layer. The flexural analysis results and analytical predictions for the prestressed composite strengthened damaged RC continuous beams were compared and showed very good agreement in terms of the debonding load, yield load, and ultimate load. The use of composite materials increased the ultimate load capacity compared with the non strengthened beams. The major objective of the current model is to help engineers' model FRP strengthened RC continuous beams in a simple manner. Finally, this research is helpful for the understanding on mechanical behaviour of the interface and design of the FRP-damaged RC hybrid structures.