• Computers and Concrete
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• v.29 no.6
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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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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.505-518
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• 2022

This study introduces soil resistance multipliers at locations encompassed by the zone of influence of the helix plate to consider the added lateral resistance provided to the helical pile. The zone of influence of a helix plate is a function of its diameter and serves as a boundary condition for the modified soil resistance springs. The concept is based on implementing p-multipliers as a reduction factor for piles in group action. The application of modified p-y springs in the analysis of helical piles allows for better characterization and understanding of the lateral behavior of helical piles, which will help further the development of design methods. To execute the proposed method, a finite difference program, HPCap (Helical Pile Capacity), was developed by the authors using Matlab. The program computes the deflection, shear force, bending moment, and soil resistance of the helical pile and allows the user to freely input the value of the zone of influence and Ω (a coefficient that affects the value of the p-multiplier). Results from ten full-scale lateral load tests on helical piles embedded at depths of 3.0 m with varying shaft diameters, shaft thicknesses, and helix configurations were analyzed to determine the zone of influence and the magnitude of the p-multipliers. The analysis determined that the value of the p-multipliers is influenced by the ratio between the pile embedment length and the shaft diameter (D_p), the effective helix diameter (D_h-D_p), and the zone of influence. Furthermore, the zone of influence is recommended to be 1.75 times the helix diameter (D_h). Using the numerical analysis method presented in this study, the predicted deflections of the various helical pile cases showed good agreement with the observed field test results.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.563-570
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• 2022

Industrialized and modular construction is a growing construction technique that can transfer a large portion of the construction process to off-site fabrication yards. This method of construction often involves the fabrication, pre-assembly, and transportation of massive and long volumetric modules. The module weight keeps increasing as the modules become more complete (with infill) to minimize the work at the site and, as higher productivity can be achieved at the fabrication shop. Thus, a volumetric module delivery gets more challenging and risky. Despite its importance, past research paid relatively insufficient attention to the problem related to the lifting of heavy modules. This can be a complex and time-consuming problem with multiple lifting for transportation-and-installation operations both in fabrication yard and jobsite, and require complex crane operations (sometimes, more than one crane) due to crane load capacity and load balance/stability. This study investigates this problem by focusing on the structural perspective of lifting such long volumetric modules through simulation studies. Various scenarios of lifting a weighty module from the top using four lifting cables attached to crane hooks (either a single crane or double crane) are simulated in SAP software. The simulations account for various factors pertaining to structural indices, e.g., bending stress and deflection, to identify a proper method of module lifting from a structural point of view. The method can identify differences in structural indices allowing identification of structural efficiency and safety levels during lifting, which further allows the selection of the number of cranes and location of lifting points.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.75-85
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• 2023

In areas where excavation works are carried out, it is very important to select a retaining wall method to minimize ground water level and ground subsidence changes. In this regard, the use of Secant Pile Wall(SPW) method, which can complement the disadvantages of the CIP method, is gradually domestic increasing for the construction of retaining wall method. This study investigated the design elements of the SPW method and the interrelationship between the structural stability factors of the wall. The design elements for the retaining method are the overlap length between piles, pile diameter, and the specifications of the H-Beam specifications, while the structural stability factors of the wall are the bending stress, shear stress, horizontal displacement, and concrete strength. The study results showed that the pile diameter and H-Beam specifications have a significant impact on the capacity of the H-Beam, the overlap length and pile diameter have a significant impact on the horizontal displacement, and the pile diameter and H-Beam specifications have a significant impact on the required strength of the concrete.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.154-161
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• 2023

This study explored the feasibility of replacing a metal link with a carbon fiber/epoxy composite link and assessed its capacity to withstand a given load condition using failure criteria. The micromechanics of failure (MMF) criterion was employed to predict the failure mode of the composite material, and mechanical tests were conducted to obtain reference strength parameters for MMF. The findings revealed that the stress distribution was concentrated near the hole, and weaknesses were found around the hole and at the end of the link under bending conditions. Based on the failure index, matrix tensile failure was predicted at the end of the link, and fiber compression failure occurred near the hole. The methods and results obtained from this study can provide valuable guidelines for assessing the safety of composite materials under specific load conditions when replacing metal parts with carbon fiber/epoxy composites to achieve weight reduction.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.773-791
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• 2023

Connections with damage concentrated to pre-selected components can enhance seismic resilience for moment resisting frames. These pre-selected components always yield early to dissipate energy, and their energy dissipation mechanisms vary from one to another, depending on their position in the connection, geometry configuration details, and mechanical characteristics. This paper presents behaviour insights on two types of beam-to-beam connections that the angles were designed as energy dissipation components, through the results of experimental study and finite element analysis. Firstly, an experimental programme was reviewed, and key responses concerning the working mechanism of the connections were presented, including strain distribution at the critical section, section force responses of essential components, and initial stiffness of test specimens. Subsequently, finite element models of three specimens were established to further interpret their behaviour and response that were not observable in the tests. The moment and shear force transfer paths of the composite connections were clarified through the test results and finite element analysis. It was observed that the bending moment is mainly resisted by axial forces from the components, and the dominant axial force is from the bottom angles; the shear force at the critical section is primarily taken by the slab and the components near the top flange. Lastly, based on the insights on the load transfer path of the composite connections, preliminary design recommendations are proposed. In particular, a resistance requirement, quantified by a moment capacity ratio, was placed on the connections. Design models and equations were also developed for predicting the yield moment resistance and the shear resistance of the connections. A flexible beam model was proposed to quantify the shear resistance of essential components.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.251-264
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• 2024

The present study pertains to the effects of variations in the location and size of drilled web openings on the behavior of fixed-fixed reinforced concrete (RC) beams. For this purpose, a reference bending beam with a transverse opening in each half span was tested to failure. Later, the same beam was modeled and analyzed with the help of finite element software using ABAQUS. Upon achieving close agreement between the experimental and numerical results, the location and size of the web opening were altered to uncover the effects of these factors on the shear strength and load-deflection behavior of RC beams. The experimental failure mode of the tested beam and the numerical results were also verified by theoretical calculations. In numerical analysis, when compared to the reference (D0) specimen, if the distance of the opening center from the support is 0 or h or 2h, reduction in load-bearing capacity of 1.5%-22.8% or 2.0%-11.3% or is 4.1%-40.7%. In other words, both the numerical analyses and theoretical calculations indicated that the beam behavior shifted from shear-controlled to flexure-controlled as the openings approached the supports. Furthermore, the deformation capacities, energy absorption values, and the ductilities of the beams with different opening diameters also increased with the decreasing distance of the opening from supports. Web compression failure was shown to be the predominant mode of failure of beams with large diameters due to the lack of sufficient material in the diagonal compression strut of the beam. The present study indicated that transverse openings with diameters, not exceeding about 1/3 of the entire beam depth, do not cause the premature shear failure of RC beams. Finally, shear damage should be prevented by placing special reinforcements in the areas where such gaps are opened.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 2008

The aim of this paper is to clarify the structural performance of RC beams strengthened with Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer(CFRP) plates using channel-type anchorage system. Twelve RC beams were specifically designed without and with a channel-type anchorage system, which was carefully detailed to enhance the benefits of the strengthening plates. All the twelve beams were identical in terms of their geometry but varied in their internal reinforcement, concrete strength. All the beams were tested under four point bending and extensively instrumented to monitor strains, cracking, load capacity and failure modes. The structural response of all the twelve beams is then critically analyzed in terms of deformability, strength and failure processes. It is shown that with a channel-type anchorage system, a brittle debonding failure of a strengthened beam can be transformed to an almost ductile failure with well-defined enhancement of structural performance in terms of both deformation and strength.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2022

In this study, details of NRC beam-column connections were developed in which beam and columns pre-assembled in factories using steel angles were bolted on site. The developed joint details are NRC-J type and NRC-JD type. NRC-J type is a method of tensile joining with TS bolts to the side and lower surfaces of the side plate of the NRC column and the end plate of the NRC beam. NRC-JD type has a rigid joint with high-strength bolts between the NRC beam and the side of the NRC column for shear, and with lap splices of reinforcing bar penetrating the joint and the beam main reinforcement for bending. For the seismic performance evaluation of the joint, three specimens were tested: an NRC-J specimen and NRC-JD specimen with NRC beam-column joint details, and an RC-J specimen with RC beam-column joint detail. As a result of the repeated lateral load test, the final failure mode of all specimens was the bending fracture of the beam at the beam-column interface. Compared to the RC-J specimen, the maximum strength of the specimen by the positive force was 10.1% and 29.6% higher in the NRC-J specimen and the NRC-JD specimen, respectively. Both NRC joint details were evaluated to secure ductility of 0.03 rad or more, the minimum total inter-story displacement angle required for the composite intermediate moment frame according to the KDS standard (KDS 41 31 00). At the slope by relative storey displacemet of 5.7%, the NRC-J specimen and the NRC-JD specimen had about 34.8% and 61.1% greater cumulative energy dissipation capacity than the RC specimen. The experimental strength of the NRC beam-column connection was evaluated to be 30% to 53% greater than the theoretical strength according to the KDS standard formula, and the standard formula evaluated the joint performance as a safety side.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2017

In this paper, the applicability of a 1900mm-deep concrete-filled U-shaped composite beam to composite ordinary moment frames (C-OMFs) was investigated based on existing test results from smaller-sized specimens and supplemental numerical studies since full-scale seismic testing of such a huge sized beam is practically impossible. The key issue was the web local buckling of concrete-filled U section under negative bending. Based on 13 existing test results compiled, the relationship between web slenderness and story drift capacity was obtained. From this relationship, a 1900mm-deep mega beam, fabricated with 25mm-thick plate was expected to experience the web local buckling at 2% story drift and eventually reach a story drift over 3%, thus much exceeding the requirements of C-OMFs. The limiting width to thickness ratio according to the 2010 AISC Specification was shown to be conservative for U section webs of this study. The test-validated supplemental nonlinear finite element analysis was also conducted to further investigate the effects of the horizontal stiffeners (used to tie two webs of a U section) on web local buckling and flexural strength. First, it is shown that the nominal plastic moment under negative bending can be developed without using the horizontal stiffeners, although the presence of the stiffeners can delay the occurrence of web local buckling and restrain its propagation. Considering all these, it is concluded that the 1900mm-deep concrete-filled U-shaped composite beam investigated can be conservatively applied to C-OMFs. Finally, some useful recommendations for the arrangement and design of the horizontal stiffeners are also recommended based on the numerical results.