• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2023

Due to high application of concrete structures in construction industry, however, the quality improvement is essential. One of the new ways for this purpose is adding the nanoparticles to the concrete. In this work, vibration analysis of concrete beams reinforced by graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles based on mathematical model has been investigated. For the accuracy of the presented model, the experimental study is done for comparing the compressive strength. Since the nanoparticles can not be solved in water without any specific process, at the first, GO nanoparticles should be dispersed in water by using shaker, magnetic striker, ultrasonic devices and finally mechanical mixer. For modelling of the strucuture, sinusoidal shear deformation beam theory (SSDBT) is utilized. Mori-Tanak model model is utilized for obtaining the effective properties of the beam including agglomeration influences. Utilizing the energy method and Hamilton's principal, the motion equations are calculated. The frequency of the concrete beam is obtanied by analytical method. Three samples with 0.02% GO nanoparticles are built and its compressive strength is compared which shows a good accuracy with maximum 1.29% difference with mathematical model and other papers. The aim of this work from the theoretical study is investigating the effects of nanoparticles volume percentage and agglomeration, length and thickness of the beam on the frequency of the structure. The results show that the with enhancing the GO nanoparticles, the frequency is increased. For example, with enhancing the volume percent of GO nanoparticles from zero to 0.08%, the compressive strength is increased 48.91%. and 46.83%, respectively for two cases of with and without agglomeration.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.89-106
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• 2010

Sliding within the dam foundation is one of the key failure modes of a gravity dam. A two-dimensional (2-D) physical model test has been conducted to study the sliding failure of a concrete gravity dam under overloading conditions. This model dam was instrumented with strain rosettes, linear variable displacement transformers (LVDTs), and embedded fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing bars. The surface and internal displacements of the dam structure and the strain distributions on the dam body were measured with high accuracy. The setup of the model with instrumentation is described and the monitoring data are presented and analyzed in this paper. The deformation process and failure mechanism of dam sliding within the rock foundation are investigated based on the test results. It is found that the horizontal displacements at the toe and heel indicate the dam stability condition. During overloading, the cracking zone in the foundation can be simplified as a triangle with gradually increased height and vertex angle.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.649-665
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• 2009

This paper reports part of a comprehensive research study conducted at the University of Queensland on the ability of CFRP web-bonded systems in strengthening an exterior beam-column joint subjected to monotonic loads. One 1/2.2 scaled plain and four CFRP repaired/retrofitted joints subjected to monotonic loads were analysed using the nonlinear finite-element program ANSYS and the results were calibrated against experiments. The ANSYS model was employed in order to account for tension stiffening in concrete after cracking and a modified version of the Hognestad's model was used to model the concrete compressive strength. The stress-strain properties of main steel bars were modelled using multilinear isotropic hardening model and the FRPs were modelled as anisotropic materials. A perfect bond was assumed as nodes were shared between adjacent elements irrespective of their type. Good agreement between the numerical predictions and the experimental observation of the failure mechanisms for all specimens were observed. Closeness of these results proved that the numerical analysis can be used by design engineers for the analysis of web-bonded FRP strengthened beam-column joints with confidence.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.281-298
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• 2013

Composite special moment frame is one of the systems that are utilized in areas with low to high seismicity to deal with earthquake forces. Composite moment frames are composed of reinforced concrete columns (RC) and steel beams (S); therefore, the connection region is a combination of steel and concrete materials. In current study, a three dimensional finite element model of composite connections is developed. These connections are used in special composite moment frame, between reinforced concrete columns and steel beams (RCS). Finite element model is discussed as a most reliable and low cost method versus experimental procedures. Based on a tested connection model by Cheng and Chen (2005), the finite element model has been developed under cyclic loading and is verified with experimental results. A good agreement between finite element model and experimental results was observed. The connection configuration contains Face Bearing Plates (FBPs), Steel Band Plates (SBPs) enveloping around the RC column just above and below the steel beam. Longitudinal column bars pass through the connection with square ties around them. The finite element model represented a stable response up to the first cycles equal to 4.0% drift, with moderately pinched hysteresis loops and then showed a significant buckling in upper flange of beam, as the in test model.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2018

In this paper, two methods M1 and M2 to determine long-term deflection through finite element analyses including the effect of creep and relaxation are proposed and demonstrated for a PSC box-girder. In both the methods, the effect of creep is accounted by different models from international standards viz., ACI-209R-92, CEB MC 90-99, B3 and GL2000. In M1, prestress losses due to creep and relaxation and age adjusted effective modulus are estimated through different models and have been used in finite element (FE) analyses for individual time steps. In M2, effects of creep and relaxation are implemented through the features of FE program and the time dependent analyses are carried out in single step. Variations in time-dependent strains, prestress losses, stresses and deflections of the PSC box-girder bridge through M1 and M2 are studied. For the PSC girder camber obtained from both M1 and M2 are lesser than simple bending theory based calculations, this shows that the camber is overestimated by simple bending theory which may lead to non-conservative design. It is also observed that stresses obtained from FEM for bottom fibre are lesser than the stresses obtained from bending theory at transfer for the PSC girder which may lead to non-conservative estimates.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.903-919
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• 2015

The flow of freshly mixed cement-based material shows thixotropy, which implies some difficulties on robust measurement of its rheological properties: The flow curve of thixotropic materials depends on the used protocol. For examples, higher viscosity is obtained when the rate of shear strain is more quickly increased. Even though precise measurement and modelling of the concrete rheology needs to consider the thixotropic effect, engineers in the concrete field prefer considering as a non-thixotropic Herschel-Bulkley fluid, even more simply Bingham fluid. That is due to robustness of the measurement and application in casting process. In the aspect of simplification, this papers attempts to mimic the thixoropic flow by the non-thixotropic Herschel-Bulkley model. Disregarding the thixotropy of cement based materials allows us to adopt the rheological concept in the field. An optimized protocol to measure the Bingham parameters was finally found based on the accuracy and reproducibility test of cement paste samples, which minimizes the error of simulation stemming from the assumption of non-thixotropy.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.179-200
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• 2008

This paper reports the results of a recent experimental study into the behavior of welded fin-plate connections to both hollow and concrete filled tubular (CFT) columns under shear. Experiments have been performed at both ambient and elevated temperatures with the aid of an electric kiln. The observed failure modes include fracture of the fin plate and tearing out of the tube around the welds. By considering the results of previously published research, the current design method for similar connections under purely tensile load, in CIDECT Guide 9, based on a deformation limit of 3% of the tube width is shown to be inadequate when evaluating the ultimate strength of such connections. By comparing the results from the current test program which failed in the fin-plate with Eurocode guidance for failure of a fin-plate alone under shear and bending load it is shown that the column face influences the overall connection strength regardless of failure mode. Concrete in-fill is observed to significantly increase the strength of connections over empty specimens, and circular column specimens were observed to exhibit greater strength than similarly proportioned square columns. A finite element (F.E.) model, developed using ABAQUS, is presented and validated against the experimental results in order that extensive parametric tests may be subsequently performed. When validating the model against elevated temperature tests it was found that using reduction factors suggested in published research for the specific steel grades improved results over applying the generic Eurocode elevated temperature steel strength reduction factors.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.803-818
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• 2020

Semi-rigid connections with blind bolts could solve the difficulty that traditional high strength bolts were unavailable to splice a steel/composite beam to a closed section column. However, insufficient investigations have focused on the performance of semi-rigid connection to square concrete filled double-skin steel tubular (CFDST) columns. In this paper, a component model was developed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of semi-rigid composite connections to CFDST columns considering the stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear which were determined by the load transfer mechanism and superstition method. Then, experimental investigations on blind bolted composite joints to square CFDST columns were conducted to validate the accuracy of the component model. Dominant failure modes of the connections were analyzed and this type of joint behaved semi-rigid manner. More importantly, strain responses of CFDST column web and tubes verified that stiffness and strength of column face in compression and column web in shear significantly affected the connection mechanical behavior owing to the hollow part of the cross-section for CFDST column. The experimental and analytical results showed that the CFDST column to steel-concrete composite beam semi-rigid joints could be employed for the assembled structures in high intensity seismic regions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1369-1389
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• 2016

This paper investigates the flexural stiffness of simply supported steel-concrete composite I-beams under positive bending moment through combined experimental, numerical, and different standard methods. 14 composite beams are tested for experimental study and parameters including shear connection degree, transverse and longitudinal reinforcement ratios, loading way are also investigated. ABAQUS is employed to establish finite element (FE) models to simulate the flexural behavior of composite beams. The influences of a few key parameters, such as the shear connection degree, stud arrangement, stud diameter, beam length, loading way, on the flexural stiffness is also studied by parametric study. In addition, three widely used standard methods including GB, AISC, and British standards are used to estimate the flexural stiffness of the composite beams. The results are compared with the experimental and numerical results. The findings have provided comprehensive understanding of the flexural stiffness and the modelling of the composite beams. The results also indicate that GB 50017-2003 could provide better results in comparison to the other standards.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.355-367
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• 2020

This paper proposed a numerical investigation based on finite elements analysis (FEA) in order to study the punching shear behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) flat slabs using ABAQUS and SAP2000 programs. Firstly, the concrete and the steel reinforcements were modeled by hexahedral 3D solid and linear elements respectively, and the nonlinearity of the used materials was considered. In order to validate this model, experimental results considered in literature were compared with the proposed FE model. After validation, a parametric study was performed. The parameters include the slab thickness, the flexure reinforcement ratios and the axial membrane loads. Then, to reduce the time of FEA, a simplified modelling using 3D layered shell element and shear hinge concept was also induced. The effect of the footings settlement was studied using the proposed simplified nonlinear model as a case study. Results of numerical models showed that increase of the slab thickness by 185.7% enhanced the ultimate load by 439.1%, accompanied with a brittle punching failure. The punching failure occurred in one of the tested specimens when the tensile reinforcement ratio increased more than 0.65% and the punching capacity improved with increasing the horizontal flexural reinforcement; it decreased by 30% with the settlement of the outer footings.