• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.137-149
• /
• 2013

The first part of this two-part paper discussed some basic considerations on bond strength and its effect on strain localization and plastic deformation capacity of cracked structural concrete, and analytically evaluated the impacts of the hardening behavior of reinforcing steel and concrete quality on the basis of the Tension Chord Model. This second part assesses the impacts of the most frequently encountered construction details of existing concrete structures which may not satisfy current design code requirements: bar ribbing, bar spacing, and concrete cover thickness. It further evaluates the impacts of the additional structure-specific features bar diameter and crack spacing. It concludes with some considerations on the application of the findings in practice and an outlook on future research needs.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.359-373
• /
• 2008

The present parametric study deals with the meso-scale modelling of concrete subjected to cyclic compression, which exhibits hysteresis loops during unloading and reloading. Concrete is idealised as a two-dimensional three-phase composite made of aggregates, mortar and interfacial transition zones (ITZs). The meso-scale modelling approach relies on the hypothesis that the hysteresis loops are caused by localised permanent displacements, which result in nonlinear fracture processes during unloading and reloading. A parametric study is carried out to investigate how aggregate density and size, amount of permanent displacements in the ITZ and the mortar, and the ITZ strength influence the hysteresis loops obtained with the meso-scale modelling approach.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
• /
• 2004.10a
• /
• pp.534-541
• /
• 2004

The modeling of crack initiation and propagation is very important for the failure analysis of concrete. The cracking process in concrete is quite different from that of other materials, such as metal and glass, in that it is not a sudden onset of new free surface but a continuous forming and connecting of microcracks. The failure process of concrete by cracking causes irreversible deformations and stiffness degradation. Those phenomenon can be modeled using plasticity and damage theory in macroscopic aspect. In this study, a plastic-damage model based on homogenized crack model considering velocity discontinuity and damage variable which is a function of plastic strain is proposed for fracture analysis of concrete. Finally, the plastic-damage model is verified with experimental data.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.5 no.5
• /
• pp.645-662
• /
• 1997

A nonlinear semi-three-dimensional layered finite element procedure is developed for cracking and failure analysis of reinforced concrete beams and the spandrel beam-column-slab connections of flat plates. The layered element approach takes the elasto-plastic failure behaviour and geometric nonlinearity into consideration. A strain-hardening plasticity concrete model and a smeared steel model are incorporated into the layered element formulation. Further, shear failure, transverse reinforcement, spandrel beams and columns are successfully modelled. The proposed method incorporating the nonlinear constitutive models for concrete and steel is implemented in a finite element program. Test specimens including a series of reinforced concrete beams and beam-column-slab connections of flat plates are analysed. Results confirm the effectiveness and accuracy of the layered procedure in predicting both flexural and shear cracking up to failure.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 2000.04a
• /
• pp.527-532
• /
• 2000

Cracks in reinforced concrete members are important element in structural analysis and design. It is clear from the test results that shear strength of cracked member is remarkably degraded compared with uncracked one. However, considerable amount of shear resistance by such mechanisms as aggregate interlock and dowel action is still active. There are various approaches to shear transfer estimation including finite element analysis, fracture mechanics, upper bound theory of plasticity, etc., but working out comprehensive and consistent models and manageable equations is rather difficult and remains to be improved. Shear transfer problems under cyclic loading and effective compressive strength of cracked concrete have not been adequately investigated and need further systematic research.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.223-240
• /
• 2006

Taking into account the geometrical and material nonlinearities, an ultimate behavior of reinforced concrete cooling tower shell in hyperbolic configuration is presented. The design wind pressures suggested in the guidelines of the US (ACI) and Germany (VGB), with or without the effect of internal suction, are employed in the analysis to examine the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of each design wind pressure. The geometrical nonlinearity is incorporated by the Green-Lagrange strain tensor. The nonlinear features of concrete, such as the nonlinear stress-strain relation in compression, the tensile cracking with the smeared crack model, an effect of tension stiffening, are taken into account. The biaxial stress state in concrete is represented by an improved work-hardening plasticity model. From the perspective of quality of wind pressures, the two guidelines are determined as highly correlated each other. Through the extensive analysis on the Niederaussem cooling tower in Germany, not only the ultimate load is determined but also the mechanism of failure, distribution of cracks, damage processes, stress redistributions, and mean crack width are examined.

• KCI Concrete Journal
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.35-46
• /
• 2000

A research program was initiated at the University of Colorado at Boulder to develop computational models that can be used for seismic risk assessments. To assess the overall performance of bridge structures including the nonlinear effects of bridge piers, the research focused on two levels of capabilities, i.e. global and local pier levels. A 3-D concrete model was used to evaluate the behavior of individual piers under combined axial, bending, and shear loadings using 3-D finite element analysis. Whereby the response curve reached the peak strength of the R/C column under the constant axial and monotonically increasing lateral loads. Experimental results on reinforced concrete bridge piers, which were obtained at the University of California at San Diego were used to validate the seismic performance of bridge piers at the two levels, globa1 and local.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.169-190
• /
• 2010

The focus of this research effort was characterization of the flexural and tensile properties of a specific ultra-high-strength, fiber-reinforced concrete material. The material exhibited a mean unconfined compressive strength of approximately 140 MPa and was reinforced with short, randomly distributed alkali resistant glass fibers. As a part of the study, coupled experimental, analytical and numerical investigations were performed. Flexural and direct tension tests were first conducted to experimentally characterize material behavior. Following experimentation, a micromechanically-based analytical model was utilized to calculate the material's tensile failure response, which was compared to the experimental results. Lastly, to investigate the relationship between the tensile failure and flexural response, a numerical analysis of the flexural experiments was performed utilizing the experimentally developed tensile failure function. Results of the experimental, analytical and numerical investigations are presented herein.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.509-516
• /
• 2020

Adding fibers improves concrete performance in respect of strength and plasticity. There are numerous fibers for use in concrete that have different mechanical properties, and their combination in concrete changes its behavior. So, to investigate the behavior of the fiber reinforced concrete, an in vitro study was conducted on concrete with different fiber compositions including different ratios of steel, polypropylene and glass fibers with the volume of 1%. Two forms of fibers including single-stranded and aggregated fibers have been used for testing, and the specimens were tested for compressive strength and dividable tensile strength (splitting tensile) to determine the optimal ratio of the composition of fibers in the concrete reinforced by hybrid fibers. The results show that the concrete with a composition of steel fibers has a better performance than other compounds. In addition, by adding glass and propylene fibers to the composition of steel fibers, the strength of the samples is reduced. Also, if using the combination of fibers is required, the use of a combination of glass fibers with steel fibers will provide a better compressive strength and tensile strength than the combination of steel fibers with propylene.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.321-333
• /
• 2018

Flat-slabs, being a significant structural component, not only reduce the dead load of the structure but also reduce the amount of concrete required for construction. Moreover the use of recycled aggregates lowers the impact of large scale construction to nearby ecosystems. Recycled aggregate based concrete being a quasi-brittle material shows enormous cracking during failure. Crack growth in flat-slabs is mostly in sliding mode (Mode II). Therefore sufficient sections need to be provided for resistance against such failure modes. The main objective of the paper is to numerically determine the ultimate load carrying capacity of two self-similar flat-slab specimens and validate the results experimentally for the natural aggregate as well as recycled aggregate based concrete. Punching shear experiments are carried out on circular flat-slab specimen on a rigid circular knife-edge support built out of both normal (NAC) and recycled aggregate concrete (RAC, with full replacement). Uniaxial compression and bending tests have been conducted on cubes, cylinders and prisms using both types of concrete (NAC and RAC) for its material characterization and use in the numerical scheme. The numerical simulations have been conducted in ABAQUS (a known finite element software package). Eight noded solid elements have been used to model the flat slab and material properties have been considered from experimental tests. The inbuilt Concrete Damaged Plasticity model of ABAQUS has been used to monitor crack propagation in the specimen during numerical simulations.