• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제47권6호
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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.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.757-774
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• 2016

Soils are usually weak in tension therefore different materials such as geosynthetics are used to address this inadequacy. Worldwide annual consumption of geosynthetics is close to $1000million\;m^2$, and the value of these materials is probably close to US$1500 million. Since the total cost of the construction is at least four or five times the cost of the geosynthetic itself, the impact of these materials on civil engineering construction is very large indeed. Nevertheless, there are several significant problems associated with geosynthetics, such as creep, low modulus of elasticity, and susceptibility to aggressive environment. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) was introduced over two decades ago in the field of structural engineering that can also be used in geotechnical engineering. CFRP has all the benefits associated with geosynthetics and it boasts higher strength, higher modulus, no significant creep and reliability in aggressive environments. In this paper, the performance of a CFRP reinforced retaining wall is investigated using the finite element method. Since the characterization of behavior of soils and interfaces are vital for reliable prediction from the numerical model, soil and interface properties are obtained from comprehensive laboratory tests. Based on the laboratory results for CFRP, backfill soil, and interface data, the finite element model is used to study the behavior of a CFRP reinforced wall. The finite element model was verified based on the results of filed measurements for a reference wall. Then the reference wall simulated by CFRP reinforcements and the results. The results of this investigations showed that the safety factor of CFRP reinforced wall is more and its deformations is less than those for a retaining wall reinforced with ordinary geosynthetics while their construction costs are in similar range.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.759-783
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• 2010

In this paper, compressive strength of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) confined concrete cylinders is formulated using a hybrid method coupling genetic programming (GP) and simulated annealing (SA), called GP/SA, and a robust variant of GP, namely multi expression programming (MEP). Straightforward GP/SA and MEP-based prediction equations are derived for the compressive strength of CFRP-wrapped concrete cylinders. The models are constructed using two sets of predictor variables. The first set comprises diameter of concrete cylinder, unconfined concrete strength, tensile strength of CFRP laminate, and total thickness of CFRP layer. The most widely used parameters of unconfined concrete strength and ultimate confinement pressure are included in the second set. The models are developed based on the experimental results obtained from the literature. To verify the applicability of the proposed models, they are employed to estimate the compressive strength of parts of test results that were not included in the modeling process. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the contributions of the parameters affecting the compressive strength. For more verification, a parametric study is carried out and the trends of the results are confirmed via some previous studies. The GP/SA and MEP models are able to predict the ultimate compressive strength with an acceptable level of accuracy. The proposed models perform superior than several CFRP confinement models found in the literature. The derived models are particularly valuable for pre-design purposes.

• KCI Concrete Journal
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.57-68
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• 2000

The effect of structure size on the nominal strength of unidirectional fiber-polymer composites, failing by propagation of a kink band with fiber microbuckling, is analyzed experimentally and theoretically. Tests of novel geometrically similar carbon-PEEK specimens, with notches slanted so as to lead to a pure kink band (without shear or splitting cracks), are conducted. The specimens are rectangular strips of widths 15.875, 31.75. and 63.5 mm (0.625, 1.25 and 2.5 in and gage lengths 39.7, 79.375 and 158.75 mm (1.563, 3.125 and 6.25 in.). They reveal the existence of a strong (deterministic. non-statistical) size effect. The doubly logarithmic plot of the nominal strength (load divided by size and thickness) versus the characteristic size agrees with the approximate size effect law proposed for quasibrittle failures in 1983 by Bazant This law represents a gradual transition from a horizontal asymptote, representing the case of no size effect (characteristic of plasticity or strength criteria), to an asymptote of slope -1/2 (characteristic of linear elastic fracture mechanics. LEFM) . The size effect law for notched specimens permits easy identification of the fracture energy of the kink bandand the length of the fracture process zone at the front of the band solely from the measurements of maximum loads. Optimum fits of the test results by the size effect law are obtained, and the size effect law parameters are then used to identify the material fracture characteristics, Particularly the fracture energy and the effective length of the fracture process zone. The results suggest that composite size effect must be considered in strengthening existing concrete structural members such as bridge columns and beams using a composite retrofitting technique.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.212-219
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• 2016

뿜칠 방수 멤브레인은 숏크리트 사이에 시공되어 라이닝 크랙을 통한 누수를 방지하는 목적으로 최근 유럽 국가를 중심으로 시공 사례가 늘어가고 있다. 뿜칠 방수 멤브레인은 방수 시트에 비해 복잡한 단면에도 시공이 용이하기 때문에 이용 사례가 늘어갈 것으로 전망된다. 뿜칠 방수 멤브레인은 폴리머로 구성된 재료로서 투수성이 매우 낮지만 수분의 이동에 의해 포화가 되고 이로인해 콘크리트 재료에 간극수압이나 동결 문제를 일으킬 수 있는 우려가 있다. 본 연구에서는 뿜칠 방수 멤브레인의 수분이동과 계절변화를 고려하여 숏크리트 라이닝의 열-습도 전달 장기 해석을 수행하였다. 해석을 통해 뿜칠 방수 멤브레인의 수분 흡수 작용과 수분 이동으로 인한 상대습도 변화를 고찰할 수 있었으며 이로 인한 장기적 변화를 모사할 수 있었다.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제67권2호
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• pp.207-217
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• 2018

In past years, numerous problems have vexed engineers with regard to buckling, corrosion, bending, and overloading in damaged steel structures. This article sets out to investigate the possible effects of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and steel plates for retrofitting deficient steel square hollow section (SHS) columns. The effects of axial loading, stiffness, axial displacement, the position and shape of deficient region on the length of steel SHS columns, and slenderness ratio are examined through a detailed parametric study. A total of 14 specimens was tested for failure under axial compression in a laboratory and simulated using finite element (FE) analysis based on a numerical approach. The results indicate that the application of CFRP sheets and steel plates also caused a reduction in stress in the damaged region and prevented or retarded local deformation around the deficiency. The findings showed that a deficiency leads to reduced load-carrying capacity of steel SHS columns and the retrofitting method is responsible for the increase in the load-bearing capacity of the steel columns. Finally, this research showed that the CFRP performed better than steel plates in compensating the axial force caused by the cross-section reduction due to the problems associated with the use of steel plates, such as in welding, increased weight, thermal stress around the welding location, and the possibility of creating another deficiency by welding.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제77권2호
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• pp.167-177
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• 2021

Due to various benefits such as unlimited degrees of freedom, environment adaptability, and safety for humans, engineers have used soft materials with hyperelastic behavior in various industrial, medical, rescue, and other sectors. One of the applications of these materials in the fabrication of bending soft actuators (SA) is that they have eliminated many problems in the actuators such as production cost, mechanical complexity, and design algorithm. However, SA has complexities, such as predicting and monitoring behavior despite the many benefits. The first part of this paper deals with the prediction of SA behavior through mathematical models such as Ogden and Darijani, and its comparison with the results of experiments. At first, by examining different geometric models, the cubic structure was selected as the optimal structure in the investigated models. This geometrical structure at the same pressure showed the most significant bending in the simulation. The simulation results were then compared with experimental, and the final gripper model was designed and manufactured using a 3D printer with silicone rubber as for the polymer part. This geometrical structure is capable of bending up to a 90-degree angle at 70 kPa in less than 2 seconds. The second section is dedicated to monitoring the bending behavior created by the strain sensors with different sensitivity and stretchability. In the fabrication of the sensors, silicon is used as a soft material with hyperelastic behavior and carbon fiber as a conductive material in the soft material substrate. The SA designed in this paper is capable of deforming up to 1000 cycles without changing its characteristics and capable of moving objects weigh up to 1200 g. This SA has the capability of being used in soft robots and artificial hand making for high-speed objects harvesting.

• 터널과지하공간
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.219-230
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• 2022

GREAT 셀은 실험실에서 심부지층의 열-수리-역학적 조건을 구현하기 위해 설계된 시험장비로서, 시료 길이방향 축을 중심으로 회전하는 측면의 가압장치를 이용하여 다축 응력장을 생성할 수 있고 균열이 포함된 시료에 대해 유체유동 실험이 가능하다. 본 연구에서는 GREAT 셀을 이용한 삼축압축시험을 수치 해석적으로 모사하고 시료 측면에 작용하는 구속압 조건에 따른 역학적 거동을 분석하였다. 균열이 없는 고분자 재질의 시료에 대한 삼축압축시험 사례를 수치모사하여 실험결과와 비교하였다. 수평 구속압의 균등 및 불균등 조건에서 시료 표면의 변형률(원주변형률)을 분석하였으며, 실험결과와 유사한 경향을 보이는 것으로 검토되었다. 추가로 균열이 포함된 가상의 시료모델을 구성하여 균열면의 마찰 특성 및 형상이 시료 변형에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제80권5호
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• pp.503-522
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• 2021

This paper investigates experimentally and numerically the influence of drilling process on the mechanical and thermomechanical behaviors of woven glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite plate. Through the experimental analysis, a CNC machine with cemented carbide drill (point angles 𝜙=118° and 6 mm diameter) was used to drill a woven GFRP laminated squared plate with a length of 36.6 mm and different thicknesses. A produced temperature during drilling "heat affected zone (HAZ)" was measured by two different procedures using thermal IR camera and thermocouples. A thrust force and cutting torque were measured by a Kistler 9272 dynamometer. The delamination factors were evaluated by the image processing technique. Finite element model (FEM) has been developed by using LS-Dyna to simulate the drilling processing and validate the thrust force and torque with those obtained by experimental technique. It is found that, the present finite element model has the capability to predict the force and torque efficiently at various drilling conditions. Numerical parametric analysis is presented to illustrate the influences of the speeding up, coefficient of friction, element type, and mass scaling effects on the calculated thrust force, torque and calculation's cost. It is found that, the cutting time can be adjusted by drilling parameters (feed, speed, and specimen thickness) to control the induced temperature and thus, the force, torque and delamination factor in drilling GFRP composites. The delamination of woven GFRP is accompanied with edge chipping, spalling, and uncut fibers.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제83권4호
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• pp.515-535
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• 2022

The strength models for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-confined normal strength concrete (NC) cylinders available in the literature have been suggested based on small databases using limited variables of such structural members portraying less accuracy. The artificial neural network (ANN) is an advanced technique for precisely predicting the response of composite structures by considering a large number of parameters. The main objective of the present investigation is to develop an ANN model for the axial strength of FRP-confined NC cylinders using various parameters to give the highest accuracy of the predictions. To secure this aim, a large experimental database of 313 FRP-confined NC cylinders has been constructed from previous research investigations. An evaluation of 33 different empirical strength models has been performed using various statistical parameters (root mean squared error RMSE, mean absolute error MAE, and coefficient of determination R²) over the developed database. Then, a new ANN model using the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) has been proposed based on the experimental database that portrayed the highest performance as compared with the previous models with R²=0.92, RMSE=0.27, and MAE=0.33. Therefore, the suggested ANN model can accurately capture the axial strength of FRP-confined NC cylinders that can be used for the further analysis and design of such members in the construction industry.