• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.95-112
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• 2012

In order to analyze the experimental hysteretic behavior of the in-plane loaded reinforced grouted multi-ribbed aerated concrete blocks masonry walls (RGMACBMW), we have carried out the pseudo static testing on the six specimens of RGMACBMW. Based on the test results and shear failure characteristics, the shear force hysteretic curves and displacement envelope curves of the models were obtained and discussed. On the basis of the hysteretic curves a general skeleton curve of the shear force and displacement was formed. The restoring model was adopted to analyze the seismic behavior and earthquake response of RGMACBMW. The deformation capacity of the specimens was discussed, and the formulas for calculating the lateral stiffness of the walls at different loading stages were proposed as well. The average lateral displacement ductility factor of RGMACBMW calculated based on the test results was 3.16. This value illustrates that if the walls are appropriately designed, it can fully meet the seismic requirement of the structures. The quadri-linear restoring models of the walls degradation by the test results accurately reflect the hysteretic behaviors and skeleton curves of the masonry walls. The restoring model can be applied to the RGMACBMW structure in earthquake response analysis.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.861-871
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• 2021

This study aims at investigating the hysteretic performance of a novel composite wall panel fabricated by infilling aerated concrete blocks into a novel light-steel frame used for low-rise residential buildings. The novel light-steel frame is consisted of two thin-wall rectangular hollow section columns and a truss-beam assembled using patented U-shape connectors. Two bare light-steel frames and two composite wall panels have been tested to failure under horizontal cyclic loading. Hysteretic curves, lateral resistance and stiffness of four specimens have been investigated and analyzed. Based on the testing results, it is found that the masonry infill can significantly increase the lateral resistance and stiffness of the novel light-steel frame, about 2.3~3 and 21.2~31.5 times, respectively. Failure mode of the light-steel frame is local yielding of the column. For the composite wall panel, firstly, masonry infill is crushed, subsequently, local yielding may occur at the column if loading continues. Hysteretic curve of the composite wall panel obtained is not plump, implying a poor energy dissipation capacity. However, the light-steel frame of the composite wall panel can dissipate more energy after the masonry infill is crushed. Therefore, the composite wall panel has a much higher energy dissipation capacity compared to the bare light-steel frame.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.5
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• pp.487-498
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• 2023

Unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings are extensively adopted in many of the growing nations, particularly in India. Window or door openings are required for architectural or functional reasons, which pose a threat to the building's safety. The past earthquakes have shown that the seismic capability of these structures was very weak. Strengthening these unreinforced masonry walls using welded wire mesh (WWM) is one of the most commonly and economical methods. The present experimental study investigates the impact of openings on the shear behaviour of URM walls and the effectiveness of WWM in enhancing the shear performance of masonry wall. In the experimental program 16 specimens were cast, 8 unstrengthen and 8 strengthened specimens, under 8 unstrengthen and strengthened specimens, every 2 specimens had 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% openings and all these walls were tested under diagonal compression. The results show that the shear carrying capacity reduces as the opening percentage increases. However, strengthening the URM specimens using WWM significantly improves the peak load, shear strength, ductility, stiffness, and energy dissipation. Furthermore, the strengthening of the URM walls using WWM compensated the loss of wall capacity caused by the presence of the openings.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.111-112
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• 2023

With the development of cities, the density of the population is continuously increasing as buildings become larger and more high-rise, but since the Haeundae residential complex fire in Busan in 2010, there has been a growing need to meet the fire protection performance of buildings as large-scale fires continue to occur every year. On the other hand, fire doors, which are one of the fire protection performance of buildings, have been judged unqualified in 82% of cases when fire doors constructed on the actual site were inspected after completion. The reason for this is that paper honeycomb and glasswool, which are used as core materials for fire doors, absorb moisture, reducing thermal insulation performance, and sagging due to increased weight, leading to performance degradation due to warping in empty spaces. To overcome these problems, research is underway to apply lightweight aerated concrete, an inorganic material, as a core material. Therefore, in order to select a blowing agent that produces stable bubbles prior to the production of lightweight bubble concrete for application as a fire door inner core, this study examined the physical performance according to the type of blowing agent and dilution concentration, and the following conclusions were drawn. Compared to vegetable bubbles and independent bubbles, synthetic bubbles have 3~8% higher thermal conductivity than independent bubbles, but 3~6% lower slurry density than vegetable bubbles, and 2~13% higher compressive strength, which is thought to be an improvement of synthetic bubbles.

• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.31-50
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• 2006

Shrinkage may cause cracking in concrete. In practice such cracking must be considered in most concrete applications because, under normal conditions, drying of the concrete is unavoidable, and when drying takes place shrinkage occurs. Cracked concrete is an inferior concrete because it is weaker, more permeable, and more susceptible to chemical attack. The development of the strength of LAC with aging depends on a few factors such as type of the cement, W/C ratio, curing conditions and periods. The higher the strength of LAC, the lower the possibility of shrinkage cracking. Hence, the strength of LAC in the hypocaust system depends to a large extent on the effect of cracking decrease of the antifoaming rate to drying shrinkage in cement.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.2682-2695
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• 2021

This paper aims to evaluate the structural dynamic responses and damage/failure of the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant under the free drop impact of spent fuel cask (SFC) and fuel assembly (FA) during the on-site transportation. At the present Part I of this paper, the large-scale SFC model free drop test and the corresponding numerical simulations are performed. Firstly, a composite target which is composed of the protective structure, i.e., a thin RC plate (representing the inverted U-shaped slab in the loading shaft) and/or an autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks sacrificial layer, as well as a thick RC plate (representing the bottom slab in the loading shaft) is designed and fabricated. Then, based on the large dropping tower, the free drop test of large-scale SFC model with the mass of 3 t is carried out from the height of 7 m-11 m. It indicates that the bottom slab in the loading shaft could not resist the free drop impact of SFC. The composite protective structure can effectively reduce the damage and vibrations of the bottom slab, and the inverted U-shaped slab could relieve the damage of the AAC blocks layer dramatically. Furthermore, based on the finite element (FE) program LS-DYNA, the corresponding refined numerical simulations are performed. By comparing the experimental and numerical damage and vibration accelerations of the composite structures, the present adopted numerical algorithms, constitutive models and parameters are validated, which will be applied in the further assessment of drop impact effects of full-scale SFC and FA on prototype nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the next Part II of this paper.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.83-97
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• 2014

This paper presents the results of an investigation aimed at developing reinforced concrete beams consisting of precast permanent U-shaped reinforced mortar forms filled with different types of core materials to be used as a viable alternative to the conventional reinforced concrete beam. To accomplish this objective, an experimental program was conducted and theoretical model was adopted. The experimental program comprised casting and testing of thirty beams of total dimensions $300{\times}150{\times}2,000mm$ consisting of permanent precast U-shaped reinforced mortar forms of thickness 25 mm filled with the core material. Three additional typical reinforced concrete beams of the same total dimensions were also cast to serve as control specimens. Two types of single-layer and double-layers steel meshes were used to reinforce the permanent U-shaped forms; namely welded wire mesh and X8 expanded steel mesh. Three types of core materials were investigated: conventional concrete, autoclaved aerated lightweight concrete brick, and recycled concrete. Two types of shear connections between the precast permanent reinforced mortar form and the core material were investigated namely; adhesive bonding layer between the two surfaces, and mechanical shear connectors. The test specimens were tested as simple beams under three-point loadings on a span of 1,800 mm. The behavior of the beams incorporating the permanent forms was compared to that of the control beams. The experimental results showed that better crack resistance, high serviceability and ultimate loads, and good energy absorption could be achieved by using the proposed beams which verifies the validity of using the proposed system. The theoretical results compared well with the experimental ones.

• Journal of The Korean Digital Architecture Interior Association
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.87-95
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• 2012

Autoclaved lightweight concrete (ALC), also known as autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), is a lightweight, precast building material that simultaneously provides structure, insulation. ALC is a unique building material. Because of its cellular nature, it is lightweight, self-insulating, as well as sound and fireproof. ALC products include blocks, wall panels, floor and roof panels, and lintels. Recently, the use of ALC has became increasingly popular. However, ALC have high water absorption, low compressive strength and popout the origin of the low surface strength in its properties. Thus, this study is to improve the fundamental strength by controls of increasing of admixtures and chemical reactants. Admixtures make use of meta kaolin and silica fume, chemical reactants make use of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide. From the test result, the ALC using admixtures and chemical reactants have a good fundamental properties compared with plain ALC. These good fundamental properties is caused by the admixtures and chemical reactants of ALC by the reason of the micro filling effect and chemical binding of C-S-H gel, tobermolite and quartz.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.19-35
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• 2015

This study compares the seismic performances of two reinforced concrete frame specimens tested by the pseudo-dynamic procedure. The pair of 3-storey, 3-bay frames specimens are constructed with typical characteristics of older construction which is lacking seismic design. One of the specimens is a bare frame while the other is infilled with low-strength autoclave aerated concrete (AAC) block masonry. The focus of this study is to investigate the influence of low strength masonry infill walls on the seismic response of older RC frames designed for gravity loads. It is found that the presence of weak infill walls considerably reduce deformations and damage in the upper stories while their influence at the critical ground story is not all that positive. Infill walls tend to localize damage at the critical story due to a peculiar frame-infill interaction, and impose larger internal force and deformation demands on the columns and beams bounding the infills. Therefore the general belief in earthquake engineering that infills develop a second line of defence against lateral forces in seismically deficient frames is nullified in case of low-strength infill walls in the presented experimental research.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.461-464
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• 2004

The reduction effect of floor impact noise depends on the various factors such as stiffness and thickness of the concrete slab, finishing If ceiling materials and the composition method. Among the rest it is well known that floating floor system is more effective. Standard floating floor(SFF) type-2 consisted of 50mm lightweight aerated concrete(LAC) and 20mm damping material has been widely used. But LAC construction problem on dry damping material occurred and the reduction effect of floor impact noise has bare minimum qualifications. Thus the aim of this study is to develop 40mm composite damping material(Soundzero Plus) for SFF type-5 which substitute LAC and damping material. 'Soundzero Plus' is satisfied with quality requirement for damping material for SFF. The heat transition rate, $0.45W/m^2{\cdot}K$ is more effective 55% about than the regulation. The test results of floor impact noise by using 'Soundzero Plus' are showed good improvement about 12dB (tested by tapping machine) and 4dB (tested by bang machine) between before and after.