• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.327-345
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• 2014

This paper presents the application of multi-gene genetic programming (MGP) technique for modeling the bond strength of ribbed steel bars in concrete. In this regard, the experimental data of 264 splice beam tests from different technical papers were used for training, validating and testing the model. Seven basic parameters affecting on the bond strength of steel bars were selected as input parameters. These parameters are diameter, relative rib area and yield strength of steel bar, minimum concrete cover to bar diameter ratio, splice length to bar diameter ratio, concrete compressive strength and transverse reinforcement index. The results show that the proposed MGP model can be alternative approach for predicting the bond strength of ribbed steel bars in concrete. Moreover, the performance of the developed model was compared with the building codes' empirical equations for a complete comparison. The study concludes that the proposed MGP model predicts the bond strength of ribbed steel bars better than the existing building codes' equations. Using the proposed MGP model and building codes' equations, a parametric study was also conducted to investigate the trend of the input variables on the bond strength of ribbed steel bars in concrete.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.273-292
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• 2014

The effectiveness of a retrofitting method for concrete columns with particular weaknesses is experimentally evaluated and presented in this paper. Structural deficiencies namely the inadequacy of transverse reinforcement and short length of lap splices are very common in columns found in structures built prior to the 1960s and 1970s. Recent earthquakes worldwide have caused severe damages and collapses of these structures. Nevertheless, the importance of improving the load transfer capacity between the deficiently lap-spliced bars is usually underestimated during the strengthening procedures applied in old buildings, though critical for the safety of the residents' lives. Thus, the seismic performance of the enhanced columns is frequently overestimated. The retrofitting approach presented herein involves reinforced concrete jacketing of the column sub-assemblages and welding of the lap-spliced bars to prevent the splice failure and conform to the provisions of modern design Codes. The cyclic lateral loading response of poorly confined original column specimens with insufficient lap splices and the seismic behavior of the retrofitted columns are compared. Test results clearly demonstrate that the retrofitting procedure followed is an effective way of significantly improving the seismic performance of substandard columns found in old buildings.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.67 no.3
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• pp.233-244
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• 2018

This study aims at evaluating the performance of repairing technique with CFRPs in recovering cyclic performance of damaged columns in flexure in terms of structural response parameters such as strength, dissipated energy, stiffness degradation. A 2/3 scaled substandard reinforced concrete frame was constructed to represent the substandard RC buildings especially in developing countries. These substandard buildings have several structural deficiencies such as strong beam-weak column phenomenon, improper reinforcement detailing and poor material properties. Flexural plastic hinges occurred at the columns ends after testing the substandard specimen under both constant axial load and reversed cyclic lateral loading. Afterwards, the damaged columns were externally wrapped with CFRP sheets both in transverse and longitudinal directions and then retested under the same loading protocol. In addition, ambient vibration measurements were taken from the undamaged, damaged and the repaired specimens at each structural repair steps to identify the effectiveness of each repairing step by monitoring the change in the natural frequencies of the tested specimen. The ambient vibration test results showed that the applied repairing technique with external CFRP wrapping was proved to recover stiffness of the pre-damaged specimen. Moreover, the lateral load capacity of the pre-damaged substandard RC frame was restored with externally bonded CFRP sheets.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2018

A series of pullout tests were carried out on waste tire treadmats of various weave arrangements, with confining stresses ranging from 9 to 59 kPa approximately, in order to investigate the pullout behavior and to apply the results to the design of treadmat reinforced soil structures. A treadmat reinforcement can be considered as belonging to the extensible type thus progressive failure would develop in every tread. The pullout capacity of a treadmat was found to be generally equal to the sum of capacities of the longitudinal treads, with minor enhancement realized due to the presence of transverse treads. Pullout failures occurred in treadmats under light surcharge and with treadmats with higher material presence per unit area, while breakage failures occurred in treadmats under heavier surcharge and with treadmats with higher ratio of opening. The pullout capacity of a treadmat increased with increasing surcharge height and treadmat stiffness. A pullout test on a commercially available geogrid was also carried out for comparison and the pullout capacity of a treadmat was found higher than that of the comparable geogrid under identical loading conditions, indicating the merit of using the treadmat as an alternative to the chosen geogrid.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.539-546
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• 2018

Making a transverse opening in concrete beams in order to accommodate utility services through the member instead of below or above of that, sometimes may be necessary. It is obvious that inclusions of an opening in a beam decreases its flexural and shear strengths. Fabricated steel bars are usually used to increase the capacity of the opening section, but details of reinforcements around the opening are dense and complex resulting in laborious pouring and setup process. The goal of this study was to investigate the possibility of using steel fibers in concrete mixture instead of complex reinforcement detailing order to strengthen opening section. Nonlinear finite element method was employed to investigate the behavior of steel fiber reinforced concrete beams. The numerical models were validated by comparison with experimental measurements tested by other investigators and then used to study the influence of fiber length, fiber aspect ratio and fiber content on the shear performance of SFRC slender beams with opening. Finally, it was concluded that the predicted shear strength enhancement is considerably influenced by use of steel fibers in concrete mixture but the effect of fiber length and fiber aspect ratio wasn't significant.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2018.05a
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• pp.107-108
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• 2018

In this study, we applied the fiber sheet made by the stitch bonding method, which is a structure in which transverse yarns and double yarns are crossed by applying the principle of sewing knitting without the use of adhesive, The tensile strength of the reinforced concrete structure was investigated. As a result of the tensile strength test of each specimen, the specimen to which the fiber sheet produced by the stitch bonding method was applied exhibited the highest tensile strength among the three types of specimens, and the fiber sheet produced by the needle punching method exhibited the lowest strength. In addition, the stitch - bonded fiber sheet showed a difference of strength of 0.1N / mm for both length and double - sided strength difference.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.629-651
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• 2003

Current design specifications prescribe that the upper and lower reinforcement mat is required in the same amount to resist negative and positive moment in bridge decks. This design concept is primarily based on the unrealistic assumption that the girder plays a role of rigid support against deck deflection. In reality, however, girders are flexible and the deflection of girders affect the behavior of deck slabs. In the present study, an analytical method was developed to take the effect of the girder flexibility on the deck behavior into account. The method was formulated based on the slope-deflection equations of plates and harmonic analysis. Unlike the conventional finite element analysis, the input and output schemes are simple and convenient. The validity of the presented study was verified by a series of comparative studies with finite element analyses and experimental tests. It was shown from the analyses that the negative transverse moments of decks were significantly reduced in many cases when the girder flexibility were appropriately taken into consideration whereas the positive moments tend to increase. This poses a strong need to improve the conventional design concept of decks on rigid girders to those on flexible girders.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.201-210
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• 2011

This paper presents a nonlinear finite element analysis procedure for the seismic performance assessment of deep beam-and-interior column joints. A computer program, named RCAHEST(Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology), for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures was used. Horizontal cyclic load tests were conducted to estimate the strength, ductility, and behavioral characteristics of deep beam-and-interior column joints. Experimental parameters are axial forces and amount of transverse reinforcement. The proposed numerical method for the seismic performance assessment of deep beam-and-interior column joints is verified by comparison of its results with reliable experimental results.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.11-18
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• 1999

Recently advanced countries are now beginning to use ACM (Advanced Composites Material), which is mostly used in the industry of airplane, ship building and sports equipments, in the construction industry. Compared with existing construction materials, ACM possesses many advantages such as light-weight, high-strength, corrosion resistant property. Among other manufacturing process of ACM, pultrusion is one of the promising one of civil engineering application. In this paper, the structural characteristics of pultruded GFRP strip were studied. Major parameters to influence structural behavior of pultruded GFRP are considered to be fiber volume fraction, die temperature, pulling speed and fiber orientations. The effect of these parameters are studied by experimently and analytically. From this study, it is concluded that fiber volume fraction and fiber orientations influence more on the mechanical property of pultruded GFRP. In addition to above parametric study, off-axis tests were carried out and the results are compared with failure theories. It showed that they agree well each other. Since this study is carried out in limited scope, further research on the reinforcement in the transverse direction, experiment on the compressive strength and research on the durability should be conducted for wide application of pultruded GFRP sections.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.3A
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• pp.189-196
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• 2012

In this paper, reinforced concrete columns test has been conducted under repeated lateral load reversals. The test columns have been reinforced with outside lateral confinement members in addition to transverse reinforcements. For this purpose, a strainless steel and a GFRP have been employed for the lateral confinement members. Primary parameters are types, thickness and spacing of the lateral confinement members. Experimental results reveal that columns reinforced with lateral confinement members exhibit improved ductility and energy dissipation capacity in comparison with those unreinforced. It is thus concluded that the present approach can be of a useful scheme for the seismic retrofitting of reinforced concrete columns.