• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.385-397
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• 2017

Currently, CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer) plate bonding is used quite extensively as a strengthening method. In this technique, a composite CFRP plate or sheet of relatively small thickness is bonded with an adhesion material to steel or concrete structure in order to improve its structural behavior and strength. The sheets or plates do not require much space and give a composite action between the adherents. In this study, the rotation capacity of CFRP-strengthened cold-formed steel (CFS) beams has been evaluated through numerical investigation. Studies on different structural levels have been performed. At the beam level, C-section has been adopted with different values of profile thickness, web height, and flange width. At the connection level, a web bolted moment resistant type of connection using through plate has been adopted. In web-bolted connections without CFRP strengthening, premature web buckling results in early loss of strength. Hence, CFRP sheets and plates with different mechanical properties and geometric configurations have been examined to delay web and flange buckling and to produce relatively high moment strength and rotation capacity. The numerical results reveal that CFRP strengthening may increase strength, initial stiffness, and rotation capacity when compared with the case without strengthening.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.72 no.3
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• pp.305-312
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• 2019

This paper investigates the effect of utilizing vacuum bagging process to enhance the bond behavior between fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites and concrete substrate. Sixty specimens were prepared and tested using double-shear bond test. The effect of various parameters such as vacuum, fiber type, and FRP sheet length and width on the bond strength were investigated. The experimental results revealed that utilizing vacuum leads to improve the bond behavior between FRP composites and concrete. Both the ultimate bond forces and the maximum displacements were enhanced when applying the vacuum which leads to reduction in the amount of FRP materials needed to achieve the required bond strength compared with the un-vacuumed specimens. The efficiency of the enhancement in bond behavior due to vacuum highly depends on the fiber type; using carbon fiber showed higher enhancement in the bond strength compared to the glass fiber when vacuum was applied. On the contrary, specimens with glass fiber showed higher enhancement in the maximum slippage compared to specimens with carbon fibers. Utilizing vacuum does not affect the debonding failure modes but lead to increase in the amount of attached concrete on the surface of the debonded FRP sheet.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.193-206
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• 2011

The use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) to strengthen reinforced concrete beams under bending and shear has gained rapid growth in recent years. The performance of shear strengthened beams with externally bonded CFRP laminate or fabric strips is raising many concerns when the beam is loaded under cyclic loading. Such concerns warrant experimental, analytical and numerical investigation of such beams under cyclic loading. To date, limited investigations have been carried out to address this concern. This paper presents a numerical investigation by developing a nonlinear finite element (FE) model to study the response of a cantilever reinforced concrete T-beam strengthened in shear with side bonded CFRP fabric strips and subjected to cyclic loading. A detailed 3D nonlinear finite element model that takes into account the orthotropic nature of the polymer's fibers is developed. In order to simulate the bond between the CFRP sheets and concrete, a layer having the material properties of the adhesive epoxy resin is introduced in the model as an interface between the CFRP sheets and concrete surface. Appropriate numerical modeling strategies were used and the response envelope and the load-displacement hysteresis loops of the FE model were compared with the experimental response at all stages of the cyclic loading. It is observed that the responses of the FE beam model are in good agreement with those of the experimental test. A parametric study was conducted using the validated FE model to investigate the effect of spacing between CFRP sheets, number of CFRP layers, and fiber orientation on the overall performance of the T-beam. It is concluded that successful FE modeling provides a practical and economical tool to investigate the behavior of such strengthened beams when subjected to cyclic loading.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2016

This paper presents the finite element method results for HSS(Hollow Square Section) steel columns strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Plastic(CFRP) sheets. 6 specimens were fabricated and the specimen groups were non-compact short columns, slender short columns, and non-compact long columns. Test parameter was the number of CFRP ply. The finite element analysis was performed by using ANSYS Workbench V.14.0 and the results of FEM were compared with those of Test for failure mode, load-displacement curve, maximum load, and initial stiffness. The comparisons between experimental observations and computed results show that the analyses provided good correlation to actual behavior. Finally, the buckling stress were calculated according to the AISC cold-formed structure provision and the retrofitting effect were verified for each section type.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.155-164
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• 2011

In the case of impact loading test, measurement of the test data has difficulties due to fast loading velocity. In addition, the dynamic behaviors of specimens are distorted by ignoring local fracture. In this study, therefore, finite element analysis which considers local fracture and strain rate effect on impact load was performed by using LS-DYNA, an explicit analysis program. The one-way and two-way specimens strengthened with FRP Sheets and steel fibers were considered as analysis models. The results showed that the impact resistance of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) and ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) was enhanced. In the case of specimens strengthened with FRP Sheets, GFRP was superior to CFRP in the performance of impact resistance, and there was little effect of the FRP Sheet orientation. The reliability of this analysis model was verified by comparing with previous experimental results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.219-235
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• 2022

Strengthening slender reinforced concrete (RC) columns is a challenge. They are susceptible to overall buckling that induces bending moment and axial compression. This study presents the precise three-dimensional finite element modeling of slender RC columns strengthened with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites sheets with various patterns under concentric or eccentric compression. The slenderness ratio λ (height/width ratio) of the studied columns ranged from 15 to 35. First, to determine the optimal modeling procedure, nine alternative nonlinear finite element models were presented to simulate the experimental behavior of seven FRP-strengthened slender RC columns under eccentric compression. The models simulated concrete behavior under compression and tension, FRP laminate sheets with different fiber orientations, crack propagation, FRP-concrete interface, and eccentric compression. Then, the validated modeling procedure was applied to simulate 58 FRP-strengthened slender RC columns under compression with minor eccentricity to represent the inevitable geometric imperfections. The simulated columns showed two cross sections (square and rectangular), variable λ values (15, 22, and 35), and four strengthening patterns for FRP sheet layers (hoop H, longitudinal L, partial longitudinal L_w, and longitudinal coupled with hoop LH). For λ=15-22, pattern L showed the highest strengthening effectiveness, pattern L_w showed brittle failure, steel reinforcement bars exhibited compressive yielding, ties exhibited tensile yielding, and concrete failed under compression. For λ>22, pattern L_w outperformed pattern L in terms of the strengthening effectiveness relative to equivalent weight of FRP layers, steel reinforcement bars exhibited crossover tensile strain, and concrete failed under tension. Patterns H and LH (compared with pattern L) showed minor strengthening effectiveness.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.61-69
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• 2011

Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) sheets have been widely used to retrofit and rehabilitate RC structures, while in case of retrofitting steel structures, there are no codes and researches. It stems from configuration of member and characteristics of bonding behavior. This study focused on the static behavior of steel beams reinforcement by AFRP sheets. The main objective of the experimental programme was the evaluation of the force transfer mechanism, the increment of the beam load carrying capacity and the bending stiffness. A bending test was conducted on a H-shaped steel beam, with aramid FRP sheets bonded to its flanges. The mid-span deflection and the strain from three points along AFRP sheets were recorded Test results exhibit that the increment of the load-carrying capacity with reference to a mid-span deflection level of 15 mm(1/125mm of the clear span) was equal to 9.4% and for the two layers case, an elastic stiffness increment is slightly higher than one layer case.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.78 no.5
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• pp.611-622
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• 2021

Composite material-due to low density-causes weight savings, which results in lower fuel consumption of transport vehicles. The aim of the research was to change the existing base-plate of the aluminum airplane container with the composite sandwich plate in order to reduce the weight of the containers of cargo aircrafts. The newly constructed sandwich plate consists of aluminum honeycomb core and composite face-sheets. The face-sheets consist of glass or carbon or hybrid fiber layers. The orientations of the fibers in the face-sheets were 0°, 90° and ±45°. Multi-objective optimization method was elaborated for the newly constructed sandwich plates. Based on the design aim, the importance of the objective functions (weight and cost of sandwich plates) was the same (50%). During the optimization nine design constraints were considered: stiffness, deflection, facing stress, core shear stress, skin stress, plate buckling, shear crimping, skin wrinkling, intracell buckling. The design variables were core thickness and number of layers of the face-sheets. During the optimization both the Weighted Normalized Method of the Excel Solver and the Genetic Algorithm Solver of Matlab software were applied. The mechanical properties of composite face-sheets were calculated by Laminator software according to the Classical Lamination Plate Theory and Tsai-Hill failure criteria. The main added-value of the study is that the multi-objective optimization method was elaborated for the newly constructed sandwich structures. It was confirmed that the optimal new composite sandwich construction-due to weight savings and lower fuel consumption of cargo aircrafts - is more advantageous than conventional all-aluminum container.

• Composites Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2017

The fiber metal laminate is a type of hybrid materials laminated thin metallic sheets with fiber reinforced plastic sheets. The laminate has been researched or applied in automotive and aerospace industries due to their outstanding impact absorbing performance in view of light weight aspect. Specially, the replacement of side-impact beam as the fiber reinforced plastic has been researched actively. The objective of this paper is the primitive investigation in the development of side-door impact beam using the fiber metal laminate. First, the three-point bending simulations were conducted to decide the shape of impact beam using the numerical analysis. Next, two cases impact beam (pure DP 980 and fiber metal laminate) were installed in the side-door, and then the bending tests (according to FMVSS 214S) were simulated using the numerical analysis. It is noted that the side-door impact beam can be replaced with the fiber metal laminate sufficiently based on the numerical analysis results.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.78-85
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• 2023

This study evaluates the performance of reinforced concrete columns using hybrid fiber sheets for structural behavior. The purpose of this method is to improve the load-bearing capacity of the reinforced structure by impregnating a hybrid fiber sheet, which is woven by arranging aramid and glass fibers uniaxially and attached to an aged concrete structure requiring reinforcement with epoxy. In particular, not only the weight reduction of the material obtained by using a fiber lighter than the steel material, but also the low-strength, high-toughness fiber element among the fibers used delays the brittle fracture of the high-strength, low-toughness fiber element. The low-strength, high-toughness fiber element among the fibers used delays the brittle fracture of the high-strength, low-toughness fiber element, resulting in weight reduction compared to steel. The study conducted structural tests on four specimens, with the hybrid reinforcement method and failure mode as main variables. Specimen size and loading conditions were chosen to be comparable with previous studies. The structural performance of the specimen was evaluated using energy dissipation capacity and ductility. Analysis shows that excellent results can be obtained with the hybrid fiber sheet reinforcement.