• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1991.10a
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• pp.133-138
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• 1991

The aim of the present paper is to develop a computer program predicting ultimate fracture strength of initially cracked structure under monotonically increasing external loads. For this purpose, two kinds of 3-D isoparametric solid elements, one 6-node wedge element and another 8-node brick element are formulated along the small deformation theory. Plasticity in the element is checked using von Mises' yield criterion. Elasto-plastic stiffness matrix of the element is calculated taking account of strain hardening effect. If the principal strain at crack tip which is one nodal point exceeds the critical strain dependin on the material property, crack tip is supposed to be opened and the crack tip node which was previously constrained in the direction perpendicular to the crack line is released. After that, the crack lay be propagated to the adjacent node. Once a crack tip node is fractured, the energy of the newly fractured node should be released which is to be absorbed by the remaining part. The accumulated reaction force which was carried by the newly fractured node so far is then applied in the opposite direction. During the action of crack tip relief force, since unloading may be occured in the plastic element, unloading check should be made. If a plastic element unloads, elastic stress-strain equation is used in the calculation of the stiffness matrix of the element, while for a loading element, elasto-plastic stress-strain equation is continuously used. Verification of the computer program is made comparing with the experimental results for center cracked panel subjected to uniform tensile load. Also some factors affecting ultimate fracture strength of initially cracked plate are investigated. It is concluded that the computer program developed here gives an accurate solution and becomes useful tool for predicting ultimate fracture load of initially cracked structural system under monotonically increasing external loads.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.177-192
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• 2014

One of the main applications of FRP composites is confining concrete columns. Hence identifying the cyclic and monotonic stress-strain behavior of confined concrete columns and the parameters influencing this behavior is inevitable. Two significant parameters affecting the stress-strain behavior are aspect ratio and corner radius. The present study aims to scrutinize the effects of corner radius and aspect ratio on different aspects of stress-strain behavior of FRP confined concrete specimens (rectangular, square and circular). Hence 44 FRP confined concrete specimens were tested and the results of the tests were investigated. The findings indicated that for specimens with different aspect ratios, the relationship between the ultimate stress and the corner radius is linear and the variations of the ultimate stress versus the corner radius decreases as a result of an increase in aspect ratio. It was also observed that increase of the corner radius results in increase of the compressive strength and ultimate axial strain and increase of the aspect ratio causes an increase of the ultimate axial strain but a decrease of the compressive strength. Investigation of the ultimate condition showed that the FRP hoop rupture strain is smaller in comparison with the one obtained from the tensile coupon test and also the ultimate axial strain and confined concrete strength are smaller when a prism is under monotonic loading. Other important results of this study were, an increase in the axial strain during the early stage of unloading paths and increase of the confining effect of FRP jacket with the increase and decrease of the corner radius and aspect ratio respectively, a decrease in the slope of reloading branches with cycle repetitions and the independence of this trend from the variations of the aspect ratio and corner radius and also quadric relationship between the number of each cycle and the plastic strain of the same cycle as well as the independence of this relationship from the aspect ratio and corner radius.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.56 no.11
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• pp.835-843
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• 2018

In this work, we report a delta rosette strain sensor based on highly stretchable silver nanowire (AgNW) percolation piezoresistors. The proposed rosette strain sensors were easily prepared by a facile two-step fabrication route. First, three identical AgNW piezoresistive electrodes were patterned in a simple and precise manner on a donor film using a solution-processed drop-coating of the AgNWs in conjunction with a tape-type shadow mask. The patterned AgNW electrodes were then entirely transferred to an elastomeric substrate while embedding them in the polymer matrix. The fabricated stretchable AgNW piezoresistors could be operated at up to 20% strain without electrical or mechanical failure, showing a maximum gauge factor as high as 5.3, low hysteresis, and high linearity ($r^2{\approx}0.996$). Moreover, the sensor responses were also found to be highly stable and reversible even under repeated strain loading/unloading for up to 1000 cycles at a maximum tensile strain of 20%, mainly due to the mechanical stability of the AgNW/elastomer composites. In addition, both the magnitude and direction of the principal strain could be precisely characterized by configuring three identical AgNW piezoresistors in a delta rosette form, representing the potential for employing the devices as a multidimensional strain sensor in various practical applications.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.303-317
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• 2011

A specially designed tendon, which is proposed by embedding an FBG sensor into the center king cable of a 7-wire strand tendon, was applied to monitor the prestress force and load transfer of ground anchor. A series of tensile tests and a model pullout test were performed to verify the feasibility of the proposed smart tendon as a measuring sensor of tension force and load transfer along the tendon. The smart tendon has proven to be very effective for monitoring prestress force and load transfer by measuring the strain change of the tendon at the free part and the fixed part of ground anchor, respectively. Two 11.5 m long proto-type ground anchors were made simply by replacing a tendon with the proposed smart tendon and prestress forces of each anchor were monitored during the loading-unloading step using both FBG sensor embedded in the smart tendon and the conventional load cell. By comparing the prestress forces measured by the smart tendon and load cell, it was found that the prestress force monitored from the FBG sensor located at the free part is comparable to that measured from the conventional load cell. Furthermore, the load transfer of prestressing force at the tendon-grout interface was clearly measured from the FBGs distributed along the fixed part. From these pullout tests, the proposed smart tendon is not only expected to be an alternative monitoring tool for measuring prestress force from the introducing stage to the long-term period for health monitoring of the ground anchor but also can be used to improve design practice through determining the economic fixed length by practically measuring the load transfer depth.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.93-103
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• 2018

Behaviors of splices between bolts and welding spliced PHC piles using the tensile strength test were analyzed. The bolts spliced PHC piles, which were tightened over $200N{\cdot}m$ tightening torque, showed straight V shaped line at splices at the lowest 20 N load. Both sides of PHC piles stayed straight, so the full section of bolts spliced piles did not show the unifying behavior, which was the most important performance requirement as pile. Other bolts spliced PHC piles, tightened with $20N{\cdot}m$ loosening torque, also showed the same straight V shaped line at splices for each step of loading. The full section of bolts spliced piles did not return to the initial position after each step of unloading and did not show the elastic material behavior. The splices quality of bolts spliced piles is much lower than that of welding spliced piles with respect to displacement of splices during each step of loadings, residual displacements during each step of unloadings, and failure loads. Results showed that bolts spliced PHC piles, tightened with both over $200N{\cdot}m$ and as low as $20N{\cdot}m$ torque, fell short of performance requirements of spliced PHC pile.