• Computers and Concrete
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.327-341
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• 2020

Advanced forms of structural design (e.g., displacement-based methods) require knowledge of the non-linear force-displacement behavior of both the overall building and individual lateral load resisting elements, i.e., walls or building cores. Similarly, understanding the non-linear behaviour of the elements in a structure can also allow for a less conservative structural response to be calculated by better understanding the cracked (i.e., effective) properties of the various RC elements. Calculating the non-linear response of an RC section typically involves using 'black box' analysis packages, wherein the user may not be in complete control nor be aware of all the intricate settings and/or decisions behind the scenes. This paper introduces a user-friendly and transparent analysis program for predicting the back-bone force displacement behavior of slender (i.e., flexure controlled) RC walls, building cores or columns. The program has been validated and benchmarked theoretically against both commonly available and widely used analysis packages and experimentally against a database of 16 large-scale RC wall test specimens. The program, which is called WHAM, is written using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to promote transparency and allow users to further develop or modify to suit individual requirements. The program is available free-of-charge and is intended to be used as an educational tool for structural designers, researchers or students.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.355-367
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• 2020

This paper proposed a numerical investigation based on finite elements analysis (FEA) in order to study the punching shear behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) flat slabs using ABAQUS and SAP2000 programs. Firstly, the concrete and the steel reinforcements were modeled by hexahedral 3D solid and linear elements respectively, and the nonlinearity of the used materials was considered. In order to validate this model, experimental results considered in literature were compared with the proposed FE model. After validation, a parametric study was performed. The parameters include the slab thickness, the flexure reinforcement ratios and the axial membrane loads. Then, to reduce the time of FEA, a simplified modelling using 3D layered shell element and shear hinge concept was also induced. The effect of the footings settlement was studied using the proposed simplified nonlinear model as a case study. Results of numerical models showed that increase of the slab thickness by 185.7% enhanced the ultimate load by 439.1%, accompanied with a brittle punching failure. The punching failure occurred in one of the tested specimens when the tensile reinforcement ratio increased more than 0.65% and the punching capacity improved with increasing the horizontal flexural reinforcement; it decreased by 30% with the settlement of the outer footings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.181-198
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• 2003

Six large scale models of conventionally reinforced concrete coupling beams with span/depth ratios ranging from 1.17 to 2.00 were tested under monotonically applied shear loads to study their nonlinear behavior using a newly developed test method that maintained equal rotations at the two ends of the coupling beam specimen and allowed for local deformations at the beam-wall joints. By conducting the tests under displacement control, the post-peak behavior and complete load-deflection curves of the coupling beams were obtained for investigation. It was found that after the appearance of flexural and shear cracks, a deep coupling beam would gradually transform itself from an ordinary beam to a truss composed of diagonal concrete struts and longitudinal and transverse steel reinforcement bars. Moreover, in a deep coupling beam, the local deformations at the beam-wall joints could contribute significantly (up to the order of 50%) to the total deflection of the coupling beam, especially at the post-peak stage. Finally, although a coupling beam failing in shear would have a relatively low ductility ratio of only 5 or even lower, a coupling beam failing in flexure could have a relatively high ductility ratio of 10 or higher.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.573-592
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• 2018

An analytical methodology for the calculation of the flexural and the shear capacity of concrete members with Fibre-Reinforced-Polymer (FRP) bars as tensional reinforcement is proposed. The flexural analysis is initially based on the design provisions of ACI 440.1R-15 which have properly been modified to develop general charts that simplify computations and provide hand calculations. The specially developed charts include non-dimensional variables and can easily be applied in sections with various geometrical properties, concrete grade and FRP properties. The proposed shear model combines three theoretical considerations to facilitate calculations. A unified flexural/shear approach is developed in flow chart which can be used to estimate the ultimate strength and the expected failure mode of a concrete beam reinforced with longitudinal FRP bars, with or without transverse reinforcement. The proposed methodology is verified using existing experimental data of 138 beams from the literature, and it predicts the load-bearing capacity and the failure mode with satisfactory accuracy.

• 대한건축학회논문집:구조계
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.145-153
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of composition of underground structural wall and H-pile in soil cement. The results of previous experimental studies are re-analyzed and the nonlinear cross-sectional analyses of composite basement walls are performed to verify their nonlinear flexural behavior. Based on the study, it is explained how the gap deformation between H-Pile and RC wall should be considered in the design of flexure of composite underground walls. The nonlinear cross-sectional analysis shows that the load-displacement curves of composite basement wall specimens exhibiting flexural behavior exist between the results of the analysis of the complete and non-composite cases. When predicting the behavior of the composite basement wall by nonlinear cross-sectional analysis, the flexural behavior of the composite basement wall could be suitably predicted by considering the reduction of the composite ratio due to tensile stress acting on shear connectors.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제77권5호
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• pp.637-650
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• 2021

The paper presents an investigation of the widely varying mechanical performance and behaviour of steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) reinforced concrete beams using non-destructive techniques of Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) under four-point bending. Laboratory experiments are performed on both differently reinforced concrete beams with 0.33%, 0.52% and 1.11% of tension reinforcement against balanced section. The results show that the ultimate load-carrying capacity increases with an increase in tensile reinforcement in both cases. In addition to that, AE waveform parameters of amplitude and number of AE hits successfully correlates and picks up the divergent mechanism of cracking initiation and progression of failure in steel reinforced and GFRP reinforced concrete beams. AE activity is about 20-30% more in GFRP-RC beams as compared to steel-RC beams. It was primarily due to the lower modulus of elasticity of GFRP bars leading to much larger ductility and deflections as compared to steel-RC beams. Furthermore, AE XY event plots and longitudinal strain profiles using DIC gives an online and real-time visual display of progressive AE activity and strains respectively to efficaciously depict the crack evolution and their advancement in steel-RC and GFRP-RC beams which show a close matching with the micro-and macro-cracks visually observed in the actual beams at various stages of loading.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.79-92
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• 2022

The amount and configuration of transverse reinforcement are known as critical parameters that significantly affect the lateral confinement of concrete, the ductility capacity, and the plastic hinge length of RC columns. Based on test results, this study investigated the effect of the three variables on structural indexes such as neutral axis depth, lateral expansion of concrete, and ductility capacity. Five reinforced concrete column specimens were tested under cyclic flexure and shear while simultaneously subjected to a constant axial load. The columns were reinforced by two types of reinforcing steel: rectangular hoops and spiral type reinforcing bars. The variables in the test program were the shape, diameter, and yield strength of transverse reinforcement. The interactive influence of the amount of transverse reinforcement on the structural indexes was evaluated. Test results showed that when amounts of transverse reinforcement were similar, and yield strength of transverse reinforcement was 600 MPa or less, the neutral axis depth of a column with spiral type reinforcing bars was reduced by 28% compared with that of a column reinforced by existing rectangular hoops at peak strength. While the diagonal elements of spiral-type reinforcing bars significantly contributed to the lateral confinement of concrete, the strain of diagonal elements decreased with increases of their yield strength. It was confirmed that shapes of transverse reinforcement significantly affected the lateral confinement of concrete adjacent to plastic hinges. Transverse reinforcement with a yield strength exceeding 600 MPa, however, increased the neutral axis depth of normal-strength concrete columns at peak strength, resulting in reductions in ductility and energy dissipation capacity.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제82권3호
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• pp.313-323
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• 2022

Steel laminated elastomeric bearings are commonly used in bridge structures to control displacements and rotations and transfer forces from the superstructure to the substructure. Proper knowledge of design, fabrication and erection procedures is important to ensure stability and adequate structural performance during the lifetime of the bridge. Difference in elevations sometimes leads to large size gaps between the bearing and the girder which makes the grout thickness that is commonly used for leveling deviate beyond standards. This paper investigates the structural response of High Strength Fiber Reinforced Cementitious (HSFRC) thin plinths that are used to close gaps between bearing pads and precast girders. An experimental program was developed for this purpose where HSFRC plinths of different size were cast and tested under vertical loads that simulate bridge loading in service. The structural performance of the plinths was closely monitored during testing, mainly crack propagation, vertical reaction and displacement. Analytically, the HSFRC plinth was analyzed using the beam on elastic foundation theory as the supporting elastomeric bearing pads are highly compressible. Closed form solutions were derived for induced displacement and forces and comparisons were made between analytical and experimental results. Finally, recommendations were made to facilitate the practical use of HSFRC plinths in bridge construction based on its enhanced load carrying capacity in shear and flexure.

• 콘크리트학회논문집
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.117-125
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• 2008

국내 건설 산업 분야에서는 건설 전문인력의 부족과 건설비용의 상승으로 데크플레이트의 사용이 증가하고 있다. 그러나 최근 지하 주차장과 같은 지하구조물에서 얇은 아연도금 강판으로 제작된 데크플레이트를 사용할 경우 사용연한에 따른 녹발생, 누수에 대한 유지보수비 증가 등 여러 가지 문제점이 지적되고 있다. 이러한 문제점을 해결하기 위하여 아연도금강판 대신 라스와 모르타르를 사용한 데크플레이트를 개발하였다. 본 연구에서는 새로 개발된 데크플레이트에 대하여 시공하중과 사용하중을 적용할 경우의 휨 성능을 평가하였다. 주요 변수로는 트러스의 형태, 상하 주근의 직경, 슬래브의 두께 등이다.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제63권6호
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• pp.713-723
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• 2017

As a new type of ballastless track, longitudinal continuous slab track (CST) has been widely used in China. It can partly isolate the interaction between the ballastless track and the bridge and thus the rail expansion device would be unnecessary. Compared with the traditional track, CST is composed of multi layers of continuous structures and various connecting components. In order to investigate the performance of CST on a long-span bridge, the spatial finite element model considering each layer of the CST structure, connecting components, bridge, and subgrade is established and verified according to the theory of beam-rail interaction. The nonlinear resistance of materials between multilayer track structures is measured by experiments, while the temperature gradients of the bridge and CST are based on the long-term measured data. This study compares the force distribution rules of ballasted track and CST as respectively applied to a long span bridge. The effects of different damage conditions on CST structures are also discussed. The results show that the additional rail stress is small and the CST structure has a high safety factor under the measured temperature load. The rail expansion device can be cancelled when CST is adopted on the long span bridge. Beam end rotation caused by temperature gradient and vertical load will have a significant effect on the rail stress of CST. The additional flexure stress should be considered with the additional expansion stress simultaneously when the rail stress of CST requires to be checked. Both the maximum sliding friction coefficient of sliding layer and cracking condition of concrete plate should be considered to decide the arrangement of connecting components and the ultimate expansion span of the bridge when adopting CST.