• Computers and Concrete
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• 제29권 6호
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• pp.393-405
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• 2022

Lightweight concrete is a superior material due to its light weight and high strength. There however remain significant lacunae in engineering knowledge with regards to shear failure of lightweight fiber reinforced concrete beams. The main aim of the present study is to investigate the optimum usage of steel fibers in lightweight fiber reinforced concrete (LWFRC). Multi-scale finite element model calibrated with experimental results is developed to study the effect of steel fibers on the mechanical properties of LWFRC beams. To decrease the amount of steel fibers, it is preferred to reinforce only the middle section of the LWFRC beams, where the flexural stresses are higher. For numerical simulation, a multi-scale finite element model was developed. The cement matrix was modeled as homogeneous and uniform material and both steel fibers and lightweight coarse aggregates were randomly distributed within the matrix. Considering more realistic assumptions, the bonding between fibers and cement matrix was considered with the Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) and its parameters were determined using the model update method. Furthermore, conformity of Load-Crack Mouth Opening Displacement (CMOD) curves obtained from numerical modeling and experimental test results of notched beams under center-point loading tests were investigated. Validating the finite element model results with experimental tests, the effects of fibers' volume fraction, and the length of the reinforced middle section, on flexural and residual strengths of LWFRC, were studied. Results indicate that using steel fibers in a specified length of the concrete beam with high flexural stresses, and considerable savings can be achieved in using steel fibers. Reducing the length of the reinforced middle section from 50 to 30 cm in specimens containing 10 kg/m3 of steel fibers, resulting in a considerable decrease of the used steel fibers by four times, whereas only a 7% reduction in bearing capacity was observed. Therefore, determining an appropriate length of the reinforced middle section is an essential parameter in reducing fibers, usage leading to more affordable construction costs.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.103-113
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• 2023

This study focused on understanding the relationship between the design of a tunnel boring machine disc cutter ring and its rock-breaking efficiency, as well as the applicable conditions of different cutter ring types. The discrete element method was used to establish a numerical model of the rock-breaking process using disc cutters with different ring types to reveal the development of rock damage cracks and variation in cutter penetration load. The calculation results indicate that a sharp-edged (V-shaped) disc cutter penetrates a rock mass to a given depth with the lowest load, resulting in more intermediate cracks and few lateral cracks, which leads to difficulty in crack combination. Furthermore, the poor wear resistance of a conventional V-shaped cutter can lead to an exponential increase in the penetration load after cutter ring wear. In contrast, constant-cross-section (CCS) disc cutters have the highest quantity of crack extensions after penetrating rock, but also require the highest penetration loads. An arch-edged (U-shaped) disc cutter is more moderate than the aforementioned types with sufficient intermediate and lateral crack propagation after cutting into rock under a suitable penetration load. Additionally, we found that the cutter ring wedge angle and edge width heavily influence cutter rock-breaking efficiency and that a disc cutter with a 16 to 22 mm edge width and 20° to 30° wedge angle exhibits high performance. Compared to V-shaped and U-shaped cutters, the CCS cutter is more suitable for soft or medium-strength rocks, where the penetration load is relatively small. Additionally, two typical case studies were selected to verify that replacing a CCS cutter with a U-shaped or optimized V-shaped disc cutter can increase cutting efficiency when encountering hard rocks.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제54권6호
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• pp.1135-1152
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• 2015

Most of current bridge decks are made of reinforced concrete and often deteriorate at a relatively rapid rate in operational environments. The quick deterioration of the deck often impacts other critical components of the bridge. Another disadvantage of the concrete deck is its high weight in long-span bridges. Therefore, it is essential to examine new materials and innovative designs using hybrid system consisting conventional materials such as concrete and steel with FRP plates which is also known as composite deck. Since these decks are relatively new, so it would be useful to evaluate their performances in more details. The present study is dedicated to Hat-Shape composite girder with concrete slab. The structural performance of girder was evaluated with nonlinear finite element method by using ABAQUS and numerical results have been compared with experimental results of other researches. After ensuring the validity of numerical modeling of composite deck, parametric studies have been conducted; such as investigating the effects of constituent properties by changing the compressive strength of concrete slab and Elasticity modulus of GFRP materials. The efficacy of the GFRP box girders has been studied by changing GFRP material to steel and aluminum. In addition, the effect of Cross-Sectional Configuration has been evaluated. It was found that the behavior of this type of composite girders can be studied with numerical methods without carrying out costly experiments. The material properties can be modified to improve ultimate load capacity of the composite girder. strength-to-weight ratio of the girder increased by changing the GFRP material to aluminum and ultimate load capacity enhanced by deformation of composite girder cross-section.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.737-755
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• 2013

This paper aims to develop a practical approach to modeling of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) strengthened masonry panels. The main objective is to provide suitable relations for the material characterization of the masonry constituents so that the finite element applications of elasto-plastic theory achieves a close fit to the experimental load-displacement diagrams of the walls subjected to in-plane shear and compression. Two relations proposed for masonry columns confined with FRP are adjusted for the cohesion and the internal friction angle of both units and mortar. Relating the mechanical parameters to the uniaxial compression strength and the hydrostatic pressure acting over the wall surface, the effects of major and intermediate principal stresses ${\sigma}_1$ and ${\sigma}_2$ on the yielding and the shape of the deviatoric section are then reflected into the analyses. Performing nonlinear finite element analyses (NLFEA) for the three walls tested in two different studies, their stress-strain response and failure modes are eventually evaluated through the comparisons with the experimental behavior.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.419-434
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• 2012

This paper presents a finite element (FE) model for predicting the nonlinear response and behavior of a reinforced concrete T-beam deficient in shear under cyclic loading. Cracking loads, failure loads, response hysteresis envelopes and crack patterns were used as bench mark for comparison between experimental and FE results. A parametric study was carried out to predict the optimum combination of the open and close crack shear transfer coefficients (${\beta}_t$ and ${\beta}_c$) of the constitutive material model for concrete. It is concluded that when both shear transfer coefficients are equal to 0.2 the FE results gave the best correlation with the experimental results. The results were also verified on a rectangular shear deficient beam (R-beam) tested under cyclic loading and it is concluded that the variation of section geometry has no effect on the optimum choice of the values of shear transfer coefficients of 0.2. In addition, a parametric study based on the variation of concrete compressive strength, was carried out on the T-beam and it is observed that the variation of concrete compressive strength has little effect on the deflection. Further conclusions and observations were also drawn.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.423-440
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• 2020

In the recent years, steel box girder bridges have been extensively used due to high bending stiffness, torsional rigidity, and rapid construction. Therefore, researches related to this girder bridge have been widely conducted. This paper investigates the effect of residual stresses and geometric imperfections on the load-carrying capacity of steel box girder bridges spanning 30 m and 50 m. A three - dimensional finite element model of the steel box girder with a closed section was developed and analyzed using ABAQUS software. Nonlinear inelastic analysis was used to capture the actual response of the girder bridge accurately. Based on the results of analyses, the superimposed mode of webs and flanges was recommended for considering the influence of initial geometric imperfections of the steel box model. In addition, 4% and 16% strength reduction rates on the load - carrying capacity of the perfect structural system were respectively recommended for the girders with compact and non-compact sections, whose designs satisfy the requirements specified in AASHTO LRFD standard. As a consequence, the research results would help designers eliminate the complexity in modeling residual stresses and geometric imperfections when designing the steel box girder bridge.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제66권4호
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• pp.439-444
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• 2018

This paper presents a numerical study on the behavior of continuous hollow steel beam strengthened using carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). Most previous studies on the CFRP strengthening of steel beams have been carried out on the steel beams with simple boundary conditions. No independent study, to the researcher's knowledge, has studied on the CFRP strengthening of square hollow section (SHS) continuous steel beam. However, this study explored the effect of the use of adhesively bonded CFRP flexible sheets on the behavior of the continuous SHS steel beams. Finite Element Method (FEM) has been employed for modeling. Eleven specimens, ten of which were strengthened using CFRP sheets, were analyzed under different coverage length, the number of layers, and the location of CFRP composite. ANSYS software was used to analyze the SHS steel beams. The results showed that the coverage length, the number of layers, and the location of CFRP composite are effective in increasing the ultimate load capacity of the continuous SHS steel beams. Application of CFRP composite also caused the ductility increase some strengthened specimens.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• 제3권4호
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• pp.321-331
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• 2010

A new technique is proposed for bridge structural damage detection based on spatial wavelet analysis of the time history obtained from vehicle body moving over the bridge, which is different from traditional detection techniques based on the bridge response. A simply-supported Bernoulli-Euler beam subjected to a moving spring-mass unit is established, with the crack in the beam simulated by modeling the cracked section as a rotational spring connecting two undamaged beam segments, and the equations of motion for the system is derived. By using the transfer matrix method, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the cracked beam are determined. The responses of the beam and the moving spring-mass unit are obtained by modal decomposition theory. The continuous wavelet transform is calculated on the displacement time histories of the sprung-mass. The case study result shows that the damage location can be accurately determined and the method is effective.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.161-173
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• 2018

Point bending is often used for cambering and curving structural steel girders. An analytical solution, applicable in the elasto-plastic range only, that relates applied loads to the desired curve was recently developed for inducing horizontal curves using four-point bending. This solution does not account for initial residual stresses and geometric imperfections built-in hot-rolled sections. This paper presents results from a full-scale test on a hot-rolled steel section curved using four-point bending. In parallel, a numerical analysis, accounting for both initial geometric imperfections and initial residual stresses, was carried out. The models were validated against the experimental results and a good agreement for lateral offset and for strain in the elasto-plastic and post-plastic ranges was achieved. The results show that the effect of initial residual stresses on deformation and strain is minimal. Finally, residual stresses due to cold bending calculated from the numerical analysis were assessed and a revised stress value for the service load design of the curved girder is proposed.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.479-491
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• 2010

Advances in geological studies, have identified increased seismic activity in the world's ocean once believed to be far from seismic hazards. The increase in demand of oil and other hydrocarbons leaves no option but to install a suitable offshore platform on these seismically sensitive offshore basins. Therefore, earthquake based design criteria for offshore structures are essential. The focus of the present review is on various computational techniques involved for seismic response study. The structural and load modeling approaches, the disturbed fluid-structure and soil-structure interaction as well as hydrodynamic damping due to earthquake excitation are also discussed. A brief description on the reliability-based seismic design approach is also presented.