• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• 제11권5호
• /
• pp.367-374
• /
• 2021

The present study investigated the effect of the combined carbonation and steam curing on the physicochemical properties and CO₂ uptake of the Portland cement concrete. Four different curing regimes were adopted during the initial 10 h of curing to evaluate the potential of carbonation curing as an alternative to conventional steam curing in the precast concrete industry from environmental and practical viewpoints. Four combinations of carbonation and steam curing conditions were applied as curing regimes to the samples at an early age. The test results indicated that the samples treated with the combined carbonation and steam curing exhibited higher early strength development compared to the other samples, signifying that carbonation curing can reduce the production time of precast concrete. Furthermore, the CO₂ uptake capacity of the samples was calculated and found to be as high as 18% with respect to the mass of the paste samples. Hence, the simultaneous utilization of steam and CO₂ for the fabrication of precast concrete members has the potential to make precast concrete greener and more cost-effective.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• 제11권3호
• /
• pp.239-253
• /
• 2021

The behavior of concrete containing waste glass as a replacement of cement or aggregate was studied previously in the most of researches, but the present investigation focuses on the recycling of waste glass powder as a substitute for silica fume in high strength concrete (HSC). This endeavor deals with the efficiency of using waste glass powder, as an alternative for silica fume, in the flexural capacity of HSC beam. Thirteen members with dimensions of 0.3 m width, 0.15 m depth and 0.9 m span length were utilized in this work. A comparison study was performed considering HSC members and hybrid beams fabricated by HSC and conventional normal concrete (CC). In addition to the experiments on the influence of glass powder on flexural behavior, numerical analysis was implemented using nonlinear finite element approach to simulate the structural performance of the beams. Same constitutive relationships were selected to model the behavior of HSC with waste glass powder or silica fume to show the matching between the modeling outputs for beams made with these powders. The results showed that the loading capacity and ductility index of the HSC beams with waste glass powder demonstrated enhancing ultimate load and ductility compared with those of HSC specimens with silica fume. The study deduced that the recycled waste glass powder is a good alternative to the pozzolanic powder of silica fume.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• 제44권3호
• /
• pp.389-406
• /
• 2022

Recycling concrete construction waste is an encouraging step toward green and sustainable building. A lot of research has been done on recycled aggregate concretes (RACs), but not nearly as much has been done on concrete made with recycled aggregate. Recycled aggregate concrete, on the other hand, has been found to have a lower mechanical productivity compared to conventional one. Accurately estimating the mechanical behavior of the concrete samples is a most important scientific topic in civil, structural, and construction engineering. This may prevent the need for excess time and effort and lead to economic considerations because experimental studies are often time-consuming, costly, and troublous. This study presents a comprehensive data-mining-based model for predicting the splitting tensile strength of recycled aggregate concrete modified with glass fiber and silica fume. For this purpose, first, 168 splitting tensile strength tests under different conditions have been performed in the laboratory, then based on the different conditions of each experiment, some variables are considered as input parameters to predict the splitting tensile strength. Then, three hybrid models as GWO-RF, GWO-MLP, and GWO-SVR, were utilized for this purpose. The results showed that all developed GWO-based hybrid predicting models have good agreement with measured experimental results. Significantly, the GWO-RF model has the best accuracy based on the model performance assessment criteria for training and testing data.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• 제30권2호
• /
• pp.127-141
• /
• 2022

In this paper, a numerical procedure is proposed for achieving the minimum cost design of reinforced concrete polygonal column cross-sections under compression and biaxial bending. A methodology is developed to integrate the metaheuristic algorithm Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization (QPSO) with an algorithm for the evaluation of the strength of reinforced concrete cross-sections under combined axial load and biaxial bending, according to the design criteria of Brazilian Standard ABNT NBR 6118:2014. The objective function formulation takes into account the costs of concrete, reinforcement, and formwork. The cross-section dimensions, the number and diameter of rebar and the concrete strength are taken as discrete design variables. This methodology is applied to polygonal cross-sections, such as rectangular sections, rectangular hollow sections, and L-shaped cross-sections. To evaluate the efficiency of the methodology, the optimal solutions obtained were compared to results reported by other authors using conventional methods or alternative optimization techniques. An additional study investigates the effect on final costs for an alternative parametrization of rebar positioning on the cross-section. The proposed optimization method proved to be efficient in the search for optimal solutions, presenting consistent results that confirm the importance of using optimization techniques in the design of reinforced concrete structures.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제55권2호
• /
• pp.530-545
• /
• 2023

As an alternative to conventional management options for a lot of concrete waste from decommissioning of nuclear power plants, a set of scenarios for controlled recycling of decommissioning concrete waste as engineered barriers of a radioactive waste repository was proposed, and a comprehensive safety assessment model and framework covering both pre-and post-closure phases was newly developed. The new methodology was applied to a reference vault-type repository, and the ratios of derived concentration limits to unconditional clearance levels of eighteen radionuclides for controlled recycling were provided for three sets of dose criteria (0.01, 1, and 20 mSv/y for the pre-closure and 0.01 mSv/y for the post-closure phases). It turns out that decommissioning concrete waste whose concentration is much higher than the unconditional clearance level can be recycled even when the dose criterion 0.01 mSv/y is applied. Moreover, a case study on ABWR bio-shield shows that the fraction of recyclable concrete waste increases significantly by increasing the dose criterion for the radiation worker in the pre-closure phase or the duration of storage prior to recycling. The results of this study are expected to contribute to demonstrating the feasibility of controlled recycling of a lot of decommissioning concrete waste within nuclear sectors.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• 제13권3호
• /
• pp.265-279
• /
• 2022

The roughness of substrate concrete interfaces before new concrete placement has a major effect on the interface bond behaviour. However, there are challenges associated with the consistency of the final roughness interface prepared using conventional roughness preparation methods which influences the interface bond performance. In this study, five quantitative interface roughness textures with different roughness tooth angles, depths, and tooth distribution were created to ensure consistency of interface roughness and to evaluate the bond behaviour at a precast and new concrete interface using the splitting tensile test, slant shear test, and double-shear test. In addition, smooth interface specimens and two separate the pitting interface roughness were also utilized. Obtained results indicate that the quantitative roughness has a very limited effect on the interface tensile bond strength if no extra micro-roughness or bonding agent is added at the interface. The roughness method however causes enhanced shear bond strength at the interface. Increased tooth depth improved both the tensile and shear bond strength of the interfaces, while the tooth distribution mainly influenced the shear bond strength. Major failure modes of the test specimens include interface failure, splitting cracks, and sliding failure, and are influenced by the tooth depth and tooth distribution. Furthermore, the interface properties were obtained and presented while a comparison between the different testing methods, in terms of bond strength, was performed.

• 한국건축시공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국건축시공학회 2013년도 춘계 학술논문 발표대회
• /
• pp.46-47
• /
• 2013

This study investigates the effect of a grading of aggregate on the properties of concrete. It is a common sense in Korea that the production of coarse aggregate in ready mixed concrete industry excludes particular aggregate size ranged from 5 mm to 13 mm for saving the production cost. This causes a gap grading of the aggregate for concrete, which can lead to the increase of unit water, the development of drying shrinkage-induced crack and the reduction of compressive strength. In this study, conventional aggregate obtained from a ready mixed concrete factory and the aggregate with a modified grading produced in lab. condition were prepared. Results showed that a good grading of aggregate (i.e., the ratio of 5~13 mm and 13~25 mm is 6 to 4) produced in the lab. condition significantly improved the slump and the compressive strength of the concrete.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• 제33권4호
• /
• pp.445-469
• /
• 2024

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has recommended the use of AASHTOWare Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical Design (PMED) software for Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) pavement design, but specific calibration for RCC is missing. This study investigates the software's capacity to predict the long-term performance of RCC roadways within the framework of conventional concrete pavement calibration. By reanalyzing existing RCC projects in several U.S. states: Colorado, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas, and Illinois, the study highlights the need for specific calibration tailored to the unique characteristics of RCC. Field observations have emphasized occurrence of early distresses in RCC pavements, particularly transverse-cracking and joint-related issues. Despite data challenges, the AASHTOWare PMED software exhibits notable correlation between its long-term predictions and actual field performance in RCC roadways. This study stresses that RCC applications with insufficient joint spacing and thickness are prone to premature cracking. To enhance the accuracy of RCC pavement design, it is essential to discuss the inclusion of RCC as a dedicated rigid pavement option in AASHTOWare PMED. This becomes particularly crucial when the rising popularity of RCC roadways in the U.S. and Canada is considered. Such an inclusion would solidify RCC as a viable third option alongside Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCP) and Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements (CRCP) for design and deployment of rigid pavements. The research presents a roadmap for future calibration endeavors and advocates for the integration of RCC pavement as a distinct pavement type within the software. This approach holds promise for achieving more precise RCC pavement design and performance predictions.

• 한국콘크리트학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국콘크리트학회 2008년도 추계 학술발표회 제20권2호
• /
• pp.77-80
• /
• 2008

본 연구에서는 현행 설계기준상의 강관말뚝머리 연결부의 결합방법이 갖고 있는 철근 배근 및 정착길이 확보, 전단키 용접 등의 문제점을 개선하기 위해 퍼포본드 전단연결재(Perforated Rib Shear Connector)를 활용한 강관말뚝머리 보강방법을 고안하고 이에 대한 압발저항성능을 실험적으로 검증하였다. 그 결과 퍼포본드를 활용한 보강방법은 연직하중에 대해 기존 방법을 대체할만한 동등 수준이상의 구조 안전성은 물론 시공성 및 경제성 측면에서도 우수한 성능을 갖는 구조 시스템인 것으로 나타남에 따라 상부구조의 작용하중을 강관말뚝으로 전달하기 위한 효율적인 강관말뚝머리 연결부 보강방법의 하나로 자리매김할 것으로 사료된다.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• 제14권3호
• /
• pp.261-271
• /
• 2018

Fiber reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC) materials that exhibit strain-hardening and multiple cracking properties under tension were recently developed as innovative building materials for construction. This study aims at exploring the use of FRCC on the seismic performance of coupling beams with conventional reinforcement. Experimental tests were conducted on seven FRCC precast coupling beams with small span-to-depth ratios and one ordinary concrete coupling beam for comparison. The crack and failure modes of the specimens under the low cycle reversed loading were observed, and the hysteretic characteristics, deformation capacity, energy dissipation capacity and stiffness degradation were also investigated. The results show that the FRCC coupling beams have good ductility and energy dissipation capacities compared with the ordinary concrete coupling beam. As the confinement stirrups and span-to-depth ratio increase, the deformation capacity and energy dissipation capacity of coupling beams can be improved significantly. Finally, based on the experimental analysis and shear mechanism, a formula for the shear capacity of the coupling beams with small span-to-depth ratios was also presented, and the calculated results agreed well with the experimental results.