• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.147-162
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• 2024

This study presents a random-aggregate mesoscale model integrating the random distribution of the coarse aggerates and the damage mechanics of the mortar and interfacial transition zone (ITZ). This mesoscale model can generate the random distribution of the coarse aggregates according to the prescribed particle size distribution which enables the automation of the current methodology with different coarse aggregates' distribution. The main innovation of this work is to propose the "correction factor" to eliminate the dimensionally dependent mesh sensitivity of the concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model. After implementing the correction factor through the user-defined subroutine in the randomly meshed mesoscale model, the predicted fracture resistance is in good agreement with the average experimental results of a series of geometrically similar single-edge-notched beams (SENB) concrete specimens. The simulated cracking pattern is also more realistic than the conventional concrete material models. The proposed random-aggregate mesoscale model hence demonstrates its validity in the application of concrete fracture failure and statistical size effect analysis.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2020

Concrete are the most widely used manmade materials for infrastructure construction across the world. These constructions gradually aged and damaged due to long-term use. However, there does not exist an efficient concrete recycling method with low energy consumption. In this study, concrete was regarded as a heterogeneous material composed of coarse aggregate and cement mortar. And the failure mode of concrete under ultrasonic dynamic loading was investigated by finite element (FE) analysis. Simultaneously, a 3D random aggregate concrete model was programmed by APDL and imported into ABAQUS software, and the damage plastic constitutive model was applied to each phase to study the damage law of concrete under dynamic loading. Meanwhile, the dynamic damage process of concrete was numerically simulated, which observed ultrasonic propagating and the concrete crushing behavior. Finally, the FE simulation considering the influence of different aggregate volume and aggregate size was carried out to illustrate the damage level of concrete.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.671-688
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• 2024

The modeling efficiency of concrete meso-models close to real concrete is one of the important issues that limit the accuracy of mechanical simulation. In order to improve the modeling efficiency and the closeness of the numerical aggregate shape to the real aggregate, this paper proposes a method for generating a two-dimensional concrete meso-model based on pixel matrix and skeleton theory. First, initial concrete model (a container for placing aggregate) is generated using pixel matrix. Then, the skeleton curve of the residual space that is the model after excluding the existing aggregate is obtained using a thinning algorithm. Finally, the final model is obtained by placing the aggregate according to the curve branching points. Compared with the traditional Monte Carlo placement method, the proposed method greatly reduces the number of overlaps between aggregates by up to 95%, and the placement efficiency does not significantly decrease with increasing aggregate content. The model developed is close to the actual concrete experiments in terms of aggregate gradation, aspect ratio, asymmetry, concavity and convexity, and old-new mortar ratio, cracking form, and stress-strain curve. In addition, the cracking loss process of concrete under uniaxial compression was explained at the mesoscale.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2018

Cracking of concrete cover induced by reinforcement corrosion is a critical issue for life-cycle design and maintenance of reinforced concrete structures. However, the critical degree of corrosion, based on when the concrete surface cracks, is usually hard to predict accurately due to the heterogeneity inherent in concrete. To investigate the influence of concrete heterogeneity, a modified rigid-body-spring model, which could generate concrete sections with randomly distributed coarse aggregates, has been developed to study the corrosion-induced cracking process of the concrete cover and the corresponding critical degree of corrosion. In this model, concrete is assumed to be a three-phase composite composed of coarse aggregate, mortar and an interfacial transition zone (ITZ), and the uniform corrosion of a steel bar is simulated by applying uniform radial displacement. Once the relationship between radial displacement and degree of corrosion is derived, the critical degree of corrosion can be obtained. The mesoscale model demonstrated its validity as it predicted the critical degree of corrosion and cracking patterns in good agreement with analytical solutions and experimental results. The model demonstrates how the random distribution of coarse aggregate results in a variation of critical degrees of corrosion, which follows a normal distribution. A parametric study was conducted, which indicates that both the mean and variation of critical degree of corrosion increased with the increase of concrete cover thickness, coarse aggregates volume fraction and decrease of coarse aggregate size. In addition, as tensile strength of concrete increased, the average critical degree of corrosion increased while its variation almost remained unchanged.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.91-107
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• 2023

An effective approach to promoting sustainability within the construction industry is the use of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) as a substitute for natural aggregates. Ensuring the frost resilience of RAC technologies is crucial to facilitate their adoption in regions characterized by cold temperatures. The main aim of this study was to use the Random Forests (RF) approach to forecast the frost durability of RAC in cold locations, with a focus on the durability factor (DF) value. Herein, three optimization algorithms named Sine-cosine optimization algorithm (SCA), Black widow optimization algorithm (BWOA), and Equilibrium optimizer (EO) were considered for determing optimal values of RF hyperparameters. The findings show that all developed systems faithfully represented the DF, with an R² for the train and test data phases of better than 0.9539 and 0.9777, respectively. In two assessment and learning stages, EO - RF is found to be superior than BWOA - RF and SCA - RF. The outperformed model's performance (EO - RF) was superior to that of ANN (from literature) by raising the values of R² and reducing the RMSE values. Considering the justifications, as well as the comparisons from metrics and Taylor diagram's findings, it could be found out that, although other RF models were equally reliable in predicting the the frost durability of RAC based on the durability factor (DF) value in cold climates, the developed EO - RF strategy excelled them all.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.289-298
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• 2019

Reinforced concrete can be considered as a heterogeneous material consisting of coarse aggregate, mortar mix and reinforcing bars. This paper presents a two-dimensional mesoscopic analysis of reinforced concrete beams using a simple two-phase mesoscopic model for concrete. The two phases of concrete, coarse aggregate and mortar mix are bonded together with reinforcement bars so that inter force transfer will occur through the material surfaces. Monte Carlo's method is used to generate the random aggregate structure using the constitutive model at mesoscale. The generated models have meshed such that there is no material discontinuity within the elements. The proposed model simulates the load-deflection behavior, crack pattern and ultimate load of reinforced concrete beams reasonably well.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.69-80
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• 2019

Modeling approach for mesoscopic model of concrete depicting mass transportation and physicochemical reaction is important since there is growing demand for accuracy and computational efficiency of numerical simulation. Mesoscopic numerical simulation considering binder, aggregate and Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) generally produces huge number of DOFs, which is inapplicable for full structure. In this paper, a three-dimensional multiscale approach describing three-phase structure of concrete was discussed numerically. An effective approach generating random aggregate in polygon based on checking centroid distance was introduced. Moreover, ITZ elements were built by parallel expanding the surface of aggregates on inner side. By combining mesoscopic model including full-graded aggregate and macroscopic model, cases related to diffusivity and thickness of ITZ, volume fraction and grade of aggregate were studied regarding the consideration of multiscale compensation. Results clearly showed that larger analysis model in multiscale model expanded the diffusion space of chloride ion and decreased chloride content in front of rebar. Finally, this paper addressed some worth-noting conclusions about the chloride distribution and rebar corrosion regarding the configuration of, rebar diameter, concrete cover and exposure period.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.2137-2156
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• 2024

Customer reviews are the second-most reliable source of information, followed by family and friend referrals. However, there are many existing customer reviews. Some online shopping platforms address this issue by ranking customer reviews according to their usefulness. However, we propose an alternative method to rank customer reviews, given that this system is easily manipulable. This study aims to create a ranking model for reviews based on their usefulness by combining product and seller service aspects from customer reviews. This methodology consists of six primary steps: data collection and preprocessing, aspect extraction and sentiment analysis, followed by constructing a regression model using random forest regression, and the review ranking process. The results demonstrate that the ranking model with service considerations outperformed the model without service considerations. This demonstrates the model's superiority in the three tests, which include a comparison of the regression results, the aggregate helpfulness ratio, and the matching score.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.23-37
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• 2010

Concrete is a heterogeneous material consisting of coarse aggregate, mortar matrix and interfacial zones at the meso level. Though studies have been done to interpret the fracture process in concrete using meso level models, not much work has been done for simulating the macroscopic behaviour of reinforced concrete structures using the meso level models. This paper presents a procedure for the mesoscopic analysis of reinforced concrete beams using a modified micro truss model. The micro truss model is derived based on the framework method and uses the lattice meshes for representing the coarse aggregate (CA), mortar matrix, interfacial zones and reinforcement bars. A simple procedure for generating a random aggregate structure is developed using the constitutive model at meso level. The study reveals the potential of the mesoscopic numerical simulation using a modified micro truss model to predict the nonlinear response of reinforced concrete structures. The modified micro truss model correctly predicts the load-deflection behaviour, crack pattern and ultimate load of reinforced concrete beams failing under different failure modes.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.421-428
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• 2012

An aggregate signature scheme is a digital signature scheme that allows aggregation of n distinct signatures by n distinct users on n distinct messages. In this paper, we present an aggregate signcryption scheme (ASC) that is useful for reducing the size of certification chains (by aggregating all signatures in the chain) and for reducing message size in secure routing protocols. The new ASC scheme combines identity-based encryption and the aggregation of signatures in a practical way that can simultaneously satisfy the security requirements for confidentiality and authentication. We formally prove the security of the new scheme in a random oracle model with respect to security properties IND-CCA2, AUTH-CMA2, and EUF-CMA.