• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2017

The paper presents the experimental investigations for studying the effect of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) on the time-dependent deflection of reinforced concrete (RC) beams due to creep and shrinkage. The RC beams were reinforced with 2-10 mm bars at tension side and subjected to constant sustained two-point loading for the period of 150 days. The amount of cement replacement by GGBFS was varied from 0 to 60% with an increment of 20%. The total deflection was measured at different ages of up to 150 days under sustained loads. The experiments revealed that the time-dependent deflection of the reinforced concrete RC beams containing GGBFS was higher than that of plain concrete RC beams. At 150 days, the average creep and shrinkage deflection of RC beams containing 20%, 40% and 60% GGBFS was 1.25, 1.45 and 1.75 times higher than the plain concrete beams. A new model, which is an extension of authors' earlier model, is proposed to incorporate the effect of GGBFS content in predicting the long-term deflection of RC beams. Besides validating the new model with the current data with higher percentage of tension reinforcement, it was also used to predict the authors' earlier data containing lesser percentage of tension reinforcement with reasonable accuracy.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2011

This paper presents the results of a study on the capability of nonlinear quasi-static finite element modelling in simulating the hysteretic behaviour of CFRP and GFRP-retrofitted RC exterior beam-column joints under cyclic loads. Four specimens including two plain and two CFRP/GFRP-strengthened beam-column joints tested by Mahini and Ronagh (2004) and other researchers are modelled using ANSYS. Concrete in compression is defined by the modified Hognestad model and anisotropic multi-linear model is employed for modelling the stress-strain relations in reinforcing bars while anisotropic plasticity is considered for the FRP composite. Both concrete and FRP are modelled using solid elements whereas space link elements are used for steel bars considering a perfect bond between materials. A step by step load increment procedure to simulate the cyclic loading regime employed in the testing. An automatically reforming stiffness matrix strategy is used in order to simulate the actual seismic performance of the RC concrete after cracking, steel yielding and concrete crushing during the push and pull loading cycles. The results show that the hysteretic simulation for all specimens is satisfactory and therefore suggest that the numerical model can be used as an inexpensive tool to design of FRP-strengthened RC beam-column joints under cyclic loads.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.187-209
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• 2013

This paper presents a study on the prediction of transfer length of 13 mm seven-wire prestressing steel strand in pretensioned prestressed concrete members with rectangular cross-section including several material properties and design and manufacture parameters. To this end, a carefully selected database consisting of 207 different cases coming from 18 different sources spanning a variety of practical transfer length prediction situations was compiled. 16 single input features and 5 combined input features are analyzed. A widely used feedforward neural regression model was considered as a representative of several machine learning methods that have already been used in the engineering field. Classical multiple linear regression was also considered in order to comparatively assess performance and robustness in this context. The results show that the implemented model has good prediction and generalization capacity when it is used on large input data sets of practical interest from the engineering point of view. In particular, a neural model is proposed -using only 4 hidden units and 10 input variables-which significantly reduces in 30% and 60% the errors in transfer length prediction when using standard linear regression or fixed formulas, respectively.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.329-338
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• 2017

A new simple and practical strut-and-tie model (STM) for predicting the shear strength of RC pile caps is proposed in this paper. Two approaches are adopted to take into account the concrete softening effect. In the first approach, a concrete efficiency factor based on compression field theory is employed to determine the effective strength of a concrete strut, assumed to control the shear strength of the whole member. The second adopted Kupfer and Gerstle's biaxial failure criterion of concrete to derive the simple nominal shear strength of pile caps containing the interaction between strut and tie capacity. The validation of these two methods is investigated using 110 RC pile cap test results and other STMs available in the literature. It was found that the failure criterion approach appears to provide more accurate and consistent predictions, and hence is chosen to be the proposed STM. Finally, the predictions of the proposed STM are also compared with those obtained by using seven other STMs from codes of practice and the literature, and were found to give better accuracy and consistency.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.457-472
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• 2017

The objective of this paper is to investigate the flexural behavior of concrete-filled round-ended steel tubes (CFRTs) under bending. Beam specimens were tested to investigate the mechanical behavior of the CFRTs, including four CFTs with different concrete strengths and steel ratios, and three CFRTs with varied aspect ratios. The load vs. deflection relationships and the failure modes for CFRTs were analyzed in detail. The composite action between the core concrete and steel tube was also discussed and examined based on the experimental results. In addition, ABAQUS program was used to develop the full-scale finite element model and analyze the effect of different parameters on the moment vs. curvature curves of the CFRTs bending about the major and minor axis, respectively. Furthermore, design formulas were proposed to estimate the ultimate moment and the flexural stiffness of the CFRTs, and the simplified theoretical model of the moment vs. curvature curves was also developed. The predicted results showed satisfactory agreement with the experimental and FE results. Finally, the differences of the experimental, FE and predicted results using the existing codes were illustrated.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.131-142
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• 1988

This study was carried out to investigate the long-term deformation of superplasticized concrete. Compressive strength, shrinkage, creep and creep recovery of concretes with and without the superplasticizing admixture have been compared for one year. The test results on creep of superplasticized concrete were also compared with three methods of predicting creep; the ACI model, the CEB model and the BP model. According to test results, superplasticized concrete has good results in compressive strength at an age of 28 days of more than 22%, drying-shrinkage cured at air-conditioned storage less than 15%, creep deformation in air conditioned storage and loaded at an age of 28 days to 15% of compressive strength less than 11% of control concrete.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1431-1438
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• 2007

This paper presents a refined design model for current railroad design code on concrete structures exposed to marine environment. A time-varying diffusion coefficient(D) as well as surface chloride$(C_S)$ and chloride threshold level$(C_{lim})$ are studied. Averaging value of the D with time over exposed duration were used to refined durability design model to consider time dependent characteristic of D. The values for $C_S$ and $C_{lim}$ for the seashore in Korea revised for realistic durability design. The proposed model was verified by the so-called performance-based durability design, which is widely used in recent durability design code. Results show that the current standard specification underestimates durability performances of concrete structures exposed to marine environment, so that the cover depth design using current durability evaluation in the standard specifications is very much conservative. Thus, it is found that proposed durability design models for the railroad design code for railway concrete structures can be used effectively for service life design of concrete structures in marine environment.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.529-537
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• 2017

Excessively elevated temperature can lead to cracks in prestressed concrete (PC) continuous bridge with box girder on the pier top at cement hydration age. This paper presents a case study for evaluating the behavior of PC box girder during the early hydration age using a two-stage computational model, in the form of computer program ANSYS, namely, 3-D temperature evaluation and determination of mechanical response in PC box girders. A numerical model considering time-dependent wind speed and ambient temperature in ANSYS for tracing the thermal and mechanical response of box girder is developed. The predicted results were compared to show good agreement with the measured data from the PC box girder of the Zhaoshi Bridge in China. Then, based on the validated numerical model three parameters were incorporated to analyze the evolution of the temperature and stress within box girder caused by cement hydration heat. The results of case study indicate that the wind speed can change the degradation history of temperature and stress and reduce peak value of them. The initial casting temperature of concrete is the most significant parameter which controls cracking of PC box girder on pier top at cement hydration age. Increasing the curing temperature is detrimental to prevent cracking.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2003

This study introduces a simulation model of radar responses from subsurface voids in concrete for their frequency variations. In this model, resolution and attenuation characteristics due to frequency variations are analyzed at each material interface which has different electromagnetic property. This model aims at the selection of best frequency of radar which can analyze the thickness of voids in concrete from radar responses. It can also be applied to estimate the limitation of propagation depth of radar on subsurface voids in concrete. The computed results show the radar images obtained by using a radar signal processing technique using convolution.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1037-1053
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• 2015

This paper presents finite element (FE) based pushover analysis of a reinforced concrete structure with a two-leaf cavity wall (TLCW) to estimate the performance level of this structure. In addition to this, an unreinforced masonry (URM) model was selected for comparison. Simulations and analyses of these structures were performed using the DIANA FE program. The mentioned structures were selected as two storeys and two bays. The dimensions of the structures were scaled 1:1.5 according to the Cauchy Froude similitude law. A shake table experiment was implemented on the reinforced concrete structure with the two-leaf cavity wall (TLCW) at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC) in Lisbon, Portugal. The model that simulates URM was not experimentally studied. This structure was modelled in the same manner as the TLCW. The purpose of this virtual model is to compare the respective performances. Two nonlinear analyses were performed and compared with the experimental test results. These analyses were carried out in two phases. The research addresses first the analysis of a structure with only reinforced concrete elements, and secondly the analysis of the same structure with reinforced concrete elements and infill walls. Both researches consider static loading and pushover analysis. The experimental pushover curve was plotted by the envelope of the experimental curve obtained on the basis of the shake table records. Crack patterns, failure modes and performance curves were plotted for both models. Finally, results were evaluated on the basis of the current regulation ASCE/SEI 41-06.