• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.133-151
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• 2016

Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) has been originally developed in Japan to offset a growing shortage of skilled labors, is a highly workable concrete, which is not needed to any vibration or impact during casting. The utilizing of fibers in SCC improves the mechanical properties and durability of hardened concrete such as impact strength, flexural strength, and vulnerability to cracking. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the effect of steel fibers on mechanical performance of traditionally reinforced Self-Competing Concrete beams. In this study, two mixes Mix 1% and Mix 2% containing 1% and 2% volume friction of superplasticizer are considered. For each type of mixture, four different volume percentages of 60/30 (length/diameter) fibers of 0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2% were used. The mechanical properties were determined through compressive and flexural tests. According to the experimental test results, an increase in the steel fibers volume fraction in Mix 1% and Mix 2% improves compressive strength slightly but decreases the workability and other rheological properties of SCC. On the other hand, results revealed that flexural strength, energy absorption capacity and toughness are increased by increasing the steel fiber volume fraction. The results clearly show that the use of fibers improves the post-cracking behavior. The average spacing of between cracks decrease by increasing the fiber volume fraction. Furthermore, fibers increase the tensile strength by bridging actions through the cracks. Therefore, steel fibers increase the ductility and energy absorption capacity of RC elements subjected to flexure.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.53-73
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• 2023

Man-made structure materials like concrete usually contain inclusions. These inclusions affect the mechanical properties of concrete. In this investigation, the influence of inclusion length and inclination angle on three-dimensional failure mechanism of concrete under uniaxial compression were performed using experimental test and numerical simulation. Approach of acoustic emission were jointly used to analyze the damage and fracture process. Besides, by combining the stress-strain behavior, quantitative determination of the thresholds of crack stress were done. concrete specimens with dimensions of 120 mm × 150 mm × 100 mm were provided. One and two holes filled by gypsum are incorporated in concrete samples. To build the inclusion, firstly cylinder steel tube was pre-inserting into the concrete and removing them after the initial hardening of the specimen. Secondly, the gypsum was poured into the holes. Tensile strengths of concrete and gypsum were 2.45 MPa and 1.5 MPa, respectively. The angle bertween inclusions and axial loadind ary from 0 to 90 with increases of 30. The length of inclusion vary from 25 mm to 100 mm with increases of 25 mm. Diameter of the hole was 20 mm. Entirely 20 various models were examined under uniaxial test. Simultaneous with experimental tests, numerical simulation (Particle flow code in two dimension) were carried out on the numerical models containing the inclusions. The numerical model were calibrated firstly by experimental outputs and then failure behavior of models containing inclusions have been investigated. The angle bertween inclusions and axial loadind vary from 0 to 90 with increases of 15. The length of inclusion vary from 25 mm to 100 mm with increases of 25 mm. Entirely 32 various models were examined under uniaxial test. Loading rate was 0.05 mm/sec. The results indicated that when inclusion has occupied 100% of sample thickness, two tensile cracks originated from boundaries of sample and spread parallel to the loading direction until being integrated together. When inclusion has occupied 75% of sample thickness, four tensile cracks originated from boundaries of sample and spread parallel to the loading direction until being integrated together. When inclusions have occupied 50% and 25% of sample thickness, four tensile cracks originated from boundaries of sample and spread parallel to the loading direction until being integrated together. Also the inclusion was failed by one tensile crack. The compressive strength of samples decease with the decreases of the inclusions length, and inclusion angle had some effects on that. Failure of concrete is mostly due to the tensile crack. The behavior of crack, was affected by the inclusion length and inclusion number.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.6 no.1 s.19
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• pp.47-56
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• 2004

To determine the pure bond strength between substrate and its overlayed concrete material, a direct pull-off test method was introduced by using a bi-material cylinder with which a penny-shaped crack was mountained at its interface. First, to evaluate the stress magnification or concentration at the interface, the energy release rates of a penny-shaped interface crack in remote tension loading on a bi-material cylinder were determined in terms of different modulus ratios and undonded area ratios(crack ratios) using a commercial finite element program. Then the energy release rates were calibrated as non-dimensional values in consideration of structural dimensions and applied forces. And to evaluate whether this new pull-off test method gives sound test results, three different sizes of unbended area ratios were incorporated along their interface in bi-material cylinders(sulphur polymer concrete + old concrete). Test results showed that all specimens were broken off at their interfaces as intended. Also the FEM analyses and test results indicated that a bi-material specimen with unbended area ratio of 0.4$\sim$0.6 is suitable for best accurate testing.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.7 no.4 s.26
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• pp.9-20
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• 2005

This study was carried out to select most efficient bonding methods of geogrid at the interface of old concrete pavement before placing asphalt overlay layer for reflection cracking retardation. Three bonding methods, a RSC-4 emulsified asphalt, a compound and an unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) were compared in this study. Three types of asphalt mixture (AC 60-80, RLDPE 8%, PG 76-22) and a dense-graded aggregate were used for overlay asphalt pavement. A reinforcing material which consists of a woven fabric underneath a glass fiber grid was used. An expedite test method which is for simulating mixed mode (mode I and II) fracture test was performed using a wheel tracker in laboratory. Cracking development by load repetition was measured as fatigue life (number of load cycle) and expansion of specimen body were measured for each test specimen. The results showed that UPR was the best and RSC-4 the next. But considering field applicability, RSC-4 was considered as an appropriate choice for bonding reinforcing material.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.373-381
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• 2018

Hollow center cracked disc (HCCD) in Brazilian test was modelled numerically to study the crack propagation in the pre-cracked disc. The pre-existing edge cracks in the disc models were considered to investigate the crack propagation and coalescence paths within the modelled samples. The effect of particle size on the hollow center cracked disc (HCCD) in Brazilian test were considered too. The results shows that Failure pattern is constant by increasing the ball diameter. Tensile cracks are dominant mode of failure. These crack initiates from notch tip, propagate parallel to loading axis and coalescence with upper model boundary. Number of cracks increase by decreasing the ball diameter. Also, tensile fracture toughness was decreased with increasing the particle size. In this research, it is tried to improve the understanding of the crack propagation and crack coalescence phenomena in brittle materials which is of paramount importance in the stability analyses of rock and concrete structures, such as the underground openings, rock slopes and tunnel construction.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.241-251
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• 2014

In this study, shaking table test was carried out to evaluate the seismic behavior and performance of low-rise reinforced concrete (RC) piloti structures with and without retrofit. The specimens were designed considering the characteristics of existing building with pilotis such as natural period, distribution factor of strength and stiffness between columns and core wall on the first soft story. The test for the non-retrofit specimen showed that damage was concentrated on the stiffer member on the same floor as the core wall failed by shear fracture whereas columns experienced slight flexural cracks. Considering the failure mode of the non-retrofit specimen, the retrofit method using steel rod damper was presented for improving the seismic performance of piloti structures. The results of the test for retrofit specimen revealed that the retrofit method was effective for controlling the damage as the main RC structural members were not destroyed and most of input energy was dissipated by hysteretic behavior of the damper.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.745-757
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• 2023

In order to study the fatigue performance of the flat steel plate-lightweight aggregate concrete hollow composite bridge slab subjected to fatigue load, both static test on two specimens and fatigue test on six specimens were conducted. The effects of the arrangement of the steel pipes, the amplitude of the fatigue load and the upper limit as well as lower limit of fatigue load on failure performance were investigated. Besides, for specimens in fatigue test, strains of the concrete, residual deflection, bending stiffness, residual bearing capacity and dynamic response were analyzed. Test results showed that the specimens failed in the fracture of the bottom flat steel plate regardless of the arrangement of the steel pipes. Moreover, the fatigue loading cycles of composite slab were mainly controlled by the amplitude of the fatigue load, but the influences of upper limit and lower limit of fatigue load on fatigue life was slight. The fatigue life of the composite bridge slabs can be determined by the fatigue strength of bottom flat steel plate, which can be calculated by the method of allowable stress amplitude in steel structure design code.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.535-547
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• 2012

PSRC column is a concrete encased steel angle column. In the PSRC column, the steel angles placed at the corner of the cross-section resists bending moment and compression load. The lateral re-bars welded to steel angles resist the column shear and the bond between the steel angle and concrete. In the present study, current design procedures in KBC 2009 were applied to the flexure-compression, shear, and bond design of the PSRC composite column. To verify the validity of the design method and failure mode, simply supported 2/3 scaled PSRC and correlated SRC beams were tested under two point loading. The test parameters were the steel angle ratio and lateral bar spacing. The test results showed that the bending, shear, and bond strengths predicted by KBC 2009 correlated well with the test results. The flexural strength of the PSRC specimens was much greater than that of the SRC specimen with the same steel ratio because the steel angles were placed at the corner of the column section. However, when the bond resistance between the steel angle and concrete was not sufficient, brittle failures such as bond failure of the angle, spalling of cover concrete, and the tensile fracture of lateral re-bar occurred before the development of the yield strength of PSRC composite section. Further, if the weldability and toughness of the steel angle were insufficient, the specimen was failed by the fracture of the steel angle at the weld joint between the angle and lateral bars.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.249-259
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• 2018

The use of recycled aggregate in concrete is gaining much attention due to the growing need for sustainability in construction. In the present study, Self Compacting Concrete (SCC) is made using both natural and recycled aggregate (crushed recycled concrete aggregate from building demolished waste) and performance of recycled aggregate based SCC for the bond behaviour of reinforcement is evaluated. The major factors that influence the bond like concrete compressive strength (Mix-A, B and C), diameter of bar ($D_b=10$, 12 and 16 mm) and embedment length of bar ($L_d=2.5Db$, $5D_b$ and full depth of specimen) are the parameters considered in the present study in addition to type of aggregates (natural and recycled aggregates). The mix proportions of Natural Aggregate SCC (NASCC) are arrived based on the specifications of IS 10262. The mix proportions also satisfy the guidelines of EFNARC. In case of Recycled Aggregate SCC (RASCC), both the natural coarse and fine aggregates are replaced 100% by volume with that of recycled aggregates. These mixes are also evaluated for fresh properties as per EFNARC. The hardened properties like compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength are also determined. The pull-out test is conducted as per the specifications of IS 2770 (Part-1) for determining the bond strength of reinforcement. Bond stress versus slip curves were plotted and a typical comparison of RASCC is made with NASCC. The fracture energy i.e., area under the bond stress slip curve is determined. With the use of recycled aggregates, reduction in maximum bond stress is noticed whereas, the normalised maximum bond stress is higher in case of recycled aggregates. Based on the experimental results, regression analysis is conducted and an equation is proposed to predict the maximum bond stress of RASCC. The equation is in good agreement with the experimental results. The available models in the literature are made use to predict the maximum bond stress and compare the present results.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1193-1219
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the seismic performance of high-rise reinforced concrete (RC) box-type wall structures commonly used for most residential buildings in Korea. For this purpose, an analytical model was calibrated with the results of the earthquake simulation tests on a 1:5 scale 10-story distorted model. This calibrated model was then transformed to a true model. The performance of the true model in terms of the stiffness, strength, and damage distribution through inelastic energy dissipation was observed with reference to the earthquake simulation test results. The model showed high overstrength factors ranging from 3 to 4. The existence of slab in this box-type wall system changed the main resistance mode in the wall from bending moment to tension/compression coupled moment through membrane actions, and increased the overall resistance capacity by about 25~35%, in comparison with the common design practice of neglecting the slab's existence. The flexibility of foundation, which is also commonly neglected in the engineering design, contributes to 30~50% of the roof drift in the stiff direction containing many walls. The possibility of concrete spalling and reinforcement buckling and fracture under the maximum considered earthquake (MCE) in Korea appears to be very low when compared with the case of the 2010 Concepcion, Chile earthquake.