• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.819-838
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• 2013

This paper summarises the results of an experimental study to investigate the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams strengthened using carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminate in four-point bending. The experimental parameters included are the reinforcing bar ratio ${\rho}_s$ and preload level. Four bar ratios were selected (${\rho}_s=0.13$ to 0.86%), representing the section of two longitudinal tensile reinforcements, with diameters of 8, 14, 16, and 20 mm in order to reveal the effect of bar ratio on failure load and failure mode. Eight beams that could be considered "full-scale" in size, measuring 200 mm in width, 400 mm in total height and 2300 mm in length, were tested. Three beams were selected with different bar ratios (${\rho}_1$, ${\rho}_2$, ${\rho}_3$), and considered as control specimens (without ), while three other beams identical to the control beams with the same CFRP laminates ratio and a seventh beam with ${\rho}_{min}$ (the lowest bar ratio) were also used. In the second part of the study, two beams with the bar ratio ${\rho}_2$ were preloaded at two levels, 50 and 100% of their ultimate loads, and then repaired. This experimental investigation was consolidated using an analytical model. The experimental and analytical results indicate that the flexional capacity and stiffness of strengthened and repaired beams using CFRP laminate were increased compared to those of control beams, and the behaviour of repaired beams was nearly similar to the undamaged and strengthened beams; unlike the ductility of strengthened beams, which was greatly reduced compared to the control.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.3-10
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• 1999

Earthquake resistant R/C frame structures are generally designed to prevent the columns from plastic hinging. R/C columns under higher axial load or strong earthquake showed a brittle behavior due to the deterioration of strength and stiffness degradation. An experimental study was conducted to examine the behavior and to find the relationship between amounts of lateral reinforcements and compressive strength of ten R/C column specimens subjected to reversed cyclic lateral load and higher axial load. Test results are follows : An increase in the amount of lateral reinforcement results in a significant improvement in both ductility and energy dissipation capacities of columns. R/C columns with sub-tie provide the improved ductility capacity than those with closely spaced lateral reinforcement only. While the load resisting capacity of the high strength R/C columns is higher than the normal strength concrete columns under both an identical ratio of lateral reinforcement, however the ductility capacity of high strength R/C columns is decreased considerably. Therefore, the amounts of lateral reinforcement must be designed carefully to secure the sufficient ductility and economic design of HSC columns under higher axial load.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2018

A series of pullout tests were carried out on waste tire treadmats of various weave arrangements, with confining stresses ranging from 9 to 59 kPa approximately, in order to investigate the pullout behavior and to apply the results to the design of treadmat reinforced soil structures. A treadmat reinforcement can be considered as belonging to the extensible type thus progressive failure would develop in every tread. The pullout capacity of a treadmat was found to be generally equal to the sum of capacities of the longitudinal treads, with minor enhancement realized due to the presence of transverse treads. Pullout failures occurred in treadmats under light surcharge and with treadmats with higher material presence per unit area, while breakage failures occurred in treadmats under heavier surcharge and with treadmats with higher ratio of opening. The pullout capacity of a treadmat increased with increasing surcharge height and treadmat stiffness. A pullout test on a commercially available geogrid was also carried out for comparison and the pullout capacity of a treadmat was found higher than that of the comparable geogrid under identical loading conditions, indicating the merit of using the treadmat as an alternative to the chosen geogrid.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.4
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• pp.333-346
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• 2023

This paper presents findings from an experimental study that was focused on evaluating the use of Forta-Ferro (FF) and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) fibers on the response of moderate and special ductility beams under load cycles. For this reason, eight full-scale specimens, identical in geometry, were subjected to gradual cyclic loading. The specimens included two plain concrete beams with medium and special ductility, three beams with medium ductility and stirrup spacing of one-quarter the effective depth (d/4) and three beams with special ductility, and stirrup spacing of one-half the effective depth (d/2), strengthened with FF and PVA fibers separately. The use of fibers was aimed at reducing the amount of shear reinforcement in flexural members. Here, the variation of parameters including the maximum strength, ultimate strength, stiffness, ductility, damage index, energy dissipation, and equivalent damping was studied. Utilizing FF and PVA fibers improved the performance in beams with moderate ductility when compared to those beams with special ductility. Therefore, in special ductility beams, fibers can be used instead of crossties and in moderate ductility beams, fibers can be added to reduce the ratio of shear reinforcement. Furthermore, increasing the stirrup spacing in the moderate ductility beams from d/4 to d/2 and adding 0.6% FF or 1.5% PVA fibers resulted in behavior similar to those of the moderate ductility beam.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.8 no.3 s.29
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• pp.143-153
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• 2006

The differences in the stress distribution and the critical stresses in concrete pavement systems were analyzed when the dual-wheel single-, tandem-, and tridem-axle loads were applied at the interior and the edge of the pavement. The effects of the concrete elastic modulus, slab thickness, foundation stiffness, and tire contact pressure were investigated. The stresses under the interior loads were calculated using the transformed field domain analysis and stresses under the edge loads were obtained using the finite element method. The critical stresses under the interior and the edge loads were compared with respect to various parameters and the equations to predict the ratio between the stresses under the edge and the interior loads were developed and verified. From this study, it was found that the trends of the changes in the critical concrete stresses under the interior and the edge loads were very similar and the critical stress locations under those loads were identical. The critical stress ratio, which was obtained by dividing the critical stress under the edge loads into that under the interior loads, decreased with increasing the number of axles. That ratio became larger as the concrete elastic modulus increased, the slab thickness increased, the foundation stiffness decreased, and the tire contact pressure increased.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.443-457
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• 2019

In this investigation, dynamic and bending behaviors of isolated protein microtubules are analyzed. Microtubules (MTs) can be considered as bio-composite structures that are elements of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells and posses considerable roles in cellular activities. They have higher mechanical characteristics such as superior flexibility and stiffness. In the modeling purpose of microtubules according to a hollow beam element, a novel single variable sinusoidal beam model is proposed with the conjunction of modified strain gradient theory. The advantage of this model is found in its new displacement field involving only one unknown as the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, which is even less than the Timoshenko beam theory. The equations of motion are constructed by considering Hamilton's principle. The obtained results are validated by comparing them with those given based on higher shear deformation beam theory containing a higher number of variables. A parametric investigation is established to examine the impacts of shear deformation, length scale coefficient, aspect ratio and shear modulus ratio on dynamic and bending behaviors of microtubules. It is remarked that when length scale coefficients are almost identical of the outer diameter of MTs, microstructure-dependent behavior becomes more important.