• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2017

Ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) is characterized by a post-cracking residual tensile strength with a large tensile strain as well as a high compressive strength. To determine a material tensile strength of UHPFRC, three-point loading test on notched prism and direct tensile test on doubly notched plate were compared and then the design tensile strength is decided. Shear tests on nine I-shaped beams with varied types of fiber volume ratio, shear span ratio and size effect were conducted to investigate shear behavior in web. From the test results, the stress redistribution ability represented as diagonal cracked zone was quantified by inclination of principal stress in web. The test results shows that the specimens were capable of resistance to shear loading without stirrup in a range of large deformation and the strength increase with post-cracking behavior is stable. However at the ultimate state all test specimens failed as a crack localization in the damaged zone and the shear strength of specimens is affected by shear span ratio and effective depth. Strength predictions show that the existing recommendations should be modified considering shear span ratio and effective depth as design parameters.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2020

This numerical study demonstrates the porosity conditions and the intensity of the interactions with the aggressive agents. It is established that the density as well as the elastic modulus are correlated to ultrasonic velocity The following investigation assessed the effects of cement grade and porosity on tensile strength, flexural and compressive of Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) as a numerical model in PLAXIS 2d Software. Initially, the existing strength-porosity equations were investigated. Furthermore, comparisons of the proposed equations with the existing models suggested the high accuracy of the proposed equations in predicting, cement grade concrete strength. The outcome obtained showed a ductile failure when un-corroded reinforced concrete demonstrates several bending-induced cracks transfer to the steel reinforcement. Moreover, the outcome also showed a brittle failure when wider but fewer transverse cracks occurred under bending loads. Sustained loading as well as initial pre-cracked condition during the corrosion development have shown to have significant impact on the corrosion behavior of concrete properties. Moreover, greater porosity was generally associated with lower compressive, flexural, and tensile strength. Higher cement grade, on the other hand, resulted in lower reduction in concrete strength. This finding highlighted the critical role of cement strength grade in determining the mechanical properties of concrete.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.175-183
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• 2022

To study the working mechanism and size effect of an innovative dovetail UHPC joint originated from the 5th Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, a large-scale testing subject to negative bending moment was conducted and compared with the previous scaled specimens. The static responses, i.e., the crack pattern, failure mode, ductility and stiffness degradation were analyzed. It was found that the scaled specimens presented similar working stages and working mechanism with the large-scale ones. However, the post-cracking ductility and relative stiffness degradation all decrease with the enlarged length/scale, apart from the relative stiffness after flexural cracking. The slab stiffness at the flexural cracking stage is 90% of the initial stiffness while only 24% of the initial stiffness reserved in the ultimate stage. Finite element model (FEM) was established and compared with the experiments to verify its effectiveness in exploring the working mechanism of the innovative joint. Based on this effective method, a series of FEMs were established to further study the influence of material strength, pre-stressing level and ratio of reinforcement on its deflection-load relationship. It is found that the ratio of reinforcement can significantly improve its load-carrying capacity among the three major-influenced factors.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.3A
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• pp.207-214
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• 2011

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC), which is characterized by its high strength and advanced ductile behavior that is much superior to those of convention concrete, is a useful material to make thinner and longer bridges. The precast segmental construction method utilizing UHPC has been mainly studied because cast-in-place UHPC is very difficult and complicate to be achieved. As a part of those research, the structural performance evaluation of different types of joint connection method for hybrid cable-stayed bridge utilizing UHPC by using nonlinear analyses is performed in this study. The bond stress at joint is obtained by section force analyses for a 600 m cable-stayed bridge deck, and compared with the required bond stress at joint. Analysis results show that the U Type connection and straight type connection resist the highest ultimate load and bond strength, respectively. In addition, all considered joint connection systems satisfy the bond performances at joint required in the final stage of cable-stayed bridge utilizing UHPC.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2017

In recent year, the coat layer drops and the rebar rust of bridge parapets, which caused the structural performance degradation. In order to achieve the comprehensive rehabilitation, ultra high performance cementitious composites is proposed to existing RC parapet rehabilitation. The influence factors of UHPCC rehabilitation includes two parts, i.e., internal factors related with material, such as UHPCC layer thickness, corrosion ratio of rebars, fiber volume fraction, and external factors related with the load, such as impact speeds, impact angles, vehicle mass. The influence of the factors was analyzed in this paper based on the nonlinear finite element. The analysis results of the maximum dynamic deformation and the peak impact load of parapets revealed the influence of the internal factors and the external factors on anti-collision performance and degree degradation. This research may provide a reference for the comprehensive multifunctional rehabilitation of existing bridge parapets.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.125-138
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• 2018

The research on the confinement behavior of ultra high performance concrete without and with the use of steel fibers (UHPC and UHPFRC) has been extremely limited. In previous studies, authors experimentally investigated the axially compressive behavior of circular steel tube confined concrete (STCC) short and intermediate columns with the employment of UHPC and UHPFRC. Under loading on only the concrete core, the confinement effect induced by the steel tube was shown to significantly enhance the utimate stress and its corresponding strain of the concrete core. Therefore, this paper develops a simplified stress - strain model for circular STCC columns using UHPC and UHPFRC with compressive strength ranging between 150 MPa and 200 MPa. Based on the regression analysis of previous test results, formulae for predicting peak confined stress and its corresponding strain are proposed. These proposed formulae are subsequently compared against some previous empirical formulae available in the literature to assess their accuracy. Finally, the simplified stress - strain model is verified by comparison with the test results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.413-429
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• 2013

The primary aim of this study is to develop a three dimensional finite element (FE) model to predict the axial stress-strain relationship and ultimate strength of the FRP-wrapped UHPC columns by comparing experimental results. The reliability of four selected confinement models and three design codes such as ACI-440, CSA-S806-02, and ISIS CANADA is also evaluated in terms of agreement with the experimental results. Totally 6 unconfined and 36 different types of the FRP-wrapped UHPC columns are tested under monotonic axial compression. The values of ultimate strengths of FRP-wrapped UHPC columns obtained from the experimental results are compared and verified with finite element (FE) analysis results and the design codes mentioned above. The concrete damage plasticity model (CDPM) in Abaqus is utilized to represent the confined behavior of the UHPC. The results indicate that agreement between the test results and the non-linear FE analysis results is highly satisfactory. The CSA-S806-02 design code is considered more reliable than the ACI-440 and the ISIS CANADA design codes to calculate the ultimate strength of the FRP-wrapped UHPC columns. None of the selected confinement models that are developed for FRP-wrapped low and normal strength concrete columns can safely predict the ultimate strength of FRP-wrapped UHPC columns.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.405-421
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• 2023

An experimental study on six axially-loaded composite short columns with different thicknesses of steel tube and that of the concrete plate was carried out. Compared to the mechanical behavior of component specimens under axially compressed, the failure modes, compression deformation, and strain process were obtained. The two main parameters that have a significant enhancement to cross-sectional strength were also analyzed. The failure of an axially loaded UHPC-CFST short column is due to the crushing of the UHPC plate, while the CFST member does reach its maximum resistance. A reduction coefficient K'c, related to the confinement coefficient, is introduced to account for the contribution of CFST members to the ultimate load-carrying capacity of the UHPC-CFST composite short columns. Based on the regression analysis of the relationship between the confinement index ξ and the value of fcc/fc, a unified formula for estimating the axial compressive strength of CFST short columns was proposed, combined with the experimental results in this research, and an equation for reliably predicting the strength of UHPC-CFST composite short columns under axial compression were also proposed.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.365-373
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• 2016

Ultra-High-Performance Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (SUPER Concrete) exhibits improved compressive and tensile strengths far superior to those of conventional concrete. These characteristics can significantly reduce the cross sectional area of the member and the anchorage strength of a headed bar is expected to be improved. In this study, the anchorage strengths of headed bars with $4d_b$ or $6d_b$ embedment length were evaluated by simulated exterior beam-column joint tests where the headed bars were used as beam bars and the joints were cast of 120 or 180 MPa SUPER Concrete. In all specimens, the actual yield strengths of the headed bars over 600 MPa were developed. Some headed bars were fractured due to the high anchorage capacity in SUPER Concrete. Therefore, the headed bar with only $4d_b$ embedment length in 120 MPa SUPER Concrete can develop a yield strength of 600 MPa which is the highest design yield strength permitted by the KCI design code. The previous model derived from tests with normal concrete and the current design code underestimate the anchorage capacity of the headed bar anchored in SUPER Concrete. Because the previous model and the current design code do not consider the effects of the high tensile strength of SUPER Concrete. From a regression analysis assuming that the anchorage strength is proportional to $(f_{ck})^{\alpha}$, the model for predicting anchorage strength of headed bars in SUPER Concrete is developed. The average and coefficient of variation of the test-to-prediction values are 1.01 and 5%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.152-163
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• 2019

In this paper, effect of steel fiber inclusion, compressive strength of matrix, shear reinforcement and shear span to depth ratio on the flexural behavior of UHPFRC(Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete) were investigated with test of 10-UHPFRC beam specimens. All test specimens were subjected to the flexural static loading. It was shown that steel fiber significantly improve the shear strength of UHPFRC beams. 2% volume fraction of steel fiber change the mode of failure from shear failure to flexural failure and delayed the failure of compressive strut with comparatively short shear span to depth ratio. UHPFRC beams without steel fiber had a 45-degree crack angle and fiber reinforced one had lower crack angle. Shear reinforcement contribution on shear strength of beams can be calculated by 45-degree truss model with acceptable conservatism. Using test results, French and Korean UHPFRC design recommendations were evaluated. French recommendation have shown conservative results on flexural behavior but Korean recommendation have shown overestimation for flexural strength. Both recommendations have shown the conservatism on the flexural ductility and shear strength either.