• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.315-325
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• 2019

Double skin composite walls offer structural and economic merits over conventional reinforced concrete counterparts in terms of higher capacity, greater stiffness, and better ductility. This paper investigated the axial behavior of double skin composite walls with steel truss connectors. Full-scaled tests were conducted on three specimens with different height-to-thickness ratios. Test results were evaluated in terms of failure mode, load-axial displacement response, buckling loading, axial stiffness, ductility, strength index, load-lateral deflection, and strain distribution. The test data were compared with AISC 360 and Eurocode 4 and it was found that both codes provided conservative predictions on the safe side.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제77권6호
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• pp.705-720
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• 2021

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns are the primary type of vertical support used in building structures that sustain vertical loads. However, their strength may be insufficient due to fire, earthquake or volatile environments. The load demand may be increased due to new functional usages of the structure. The deformability of concrete columns can be greatly reduced under high axial load conditions. In response, a novel steel encasement that distinguishes from the traditional steel jacketing that is assembled by welding or bolt is developed. This novel strengthening method features easy installation and quick strengthening because direct fastening is used to connect the four steel plates surrounding the column. This new connection method is usually used to quickly and stably connect two steel components by driving high strength fastener into the steel components. The connections together with the steel plates behave like transverse reinforcement, which can provide passive confinement to the concrete. The confined column along with the steel plates resist the axial load. By this way, the axial load capacity and deformability of the column can be enhanced. Eight columns are tested to examine the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed method. The effects of the vertical spacing between adjacent connections, thickness of the steel plate and number of fasteners in each connection are studied to identify the critical parameters which affect the load bearing performance and deformation behavior. Lastly, a theoretical model is proposed for predicting the axial load capacity of the strengthened RC columns.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.1345-1368
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• 2016

This paper presents the probabilistic-based assessment of composite steel-concrete structures through an innovative framework. This framework combines model identification and reliability assessment procedures. The paper starts by describing current structural assessment algorithms and the most relevant uncertainty sources. The developed model identification algorithm is then presented. During this procedure, the model parameters are automatically adjusted, so that the numerical results best fit the experimental data. Modelling and measurement errors are respectively incorporated in this algorithm. The reliability assessment procedure aims to assess the structure performance, considering randomness in model parameters. Since monitoring and characterization tests are common measures to control and acquire information about those parameters, a Bayesian inference procedure is incorporated to update the reliability assessment. The framework is then tested with a set of composite steel-concrete beams, which behavior is complex. The experimental tests, as well as the developed numerical model and the obtained results from the proposed framework, are respectively present.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.89-105
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• 2024

Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) method has exhibited broad application prospects in the nondestructive detection of interfacial debonding in steel-concrete composite structures (SCCS). However, due to the structural diversity of SCCS and the high stealthiness of interfacial debonding defects, the feasibility of MASW method needs to be investigated in depth. In this study, synthetic parametric study on MASW nondestructive debonding detection for SCCSs is performed. The aim is to quantitatively analyze influential factors with respect to structural composition of SCCS and MASW measurement mode. First, stress wave composition and propagation process in SCCS are studied utilizing 2D numerical simulation. For structural composition in SCCS, the thickness variation of steel plate, concrete core, and debonding defects are discussed. To determine the most appropriate sensor arrangement for MASW measurement, the effects of spacing and number of observation points, along with distances between excitation points, nearest boundary, as well as the first observation point, are analyzed individually. The influence of signal type and frequency of transient excitation on dispersion figures from forwarding analysis is studied to determine the most suitable excitation signal. The findings from this study can provide important theoretical guidance for MASW-based interfacial debonding detection for SCCS. Furthermore, they can be instrumental in optimizing both the sensor layout design and signal choice for experimental validation.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제60권2호
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• pp.337-350
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• 2016

Even though extensive researches have been performed for steam explosion due to their complex mechanisms and inherent uncertainties, establishment of severe accident management guidelines and strategies is one of state-of-the arts in nuclear industry. The goal of this research is primarily to examine effects of vessel failure modes and locations on nuclear facilities under typical steam explosion conditions. Both discrete and integrated models were employed from the viewpoint of structural integrity assessment of steel components and evaluation of the cracking and crushing in reinforced concrete structures. Thereafter, comparison of systematic analysis results was performed; despite the vessel failure modes were dominant, resulting maximum stresses at the all steel components were sufficiently lower than the corresponding yield strengths. Two failure criteria for the reinforced concrete structures such as the limiting failure ratio of concrete and the limiting strains for rebar and liner plate were satisfied under steam explosion conditions. Moreover, stresses of steel components and reinforced concrete structures were reduced with maximum difference of 12% when the integrated model was adopted comparing to those of discrete models.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제47권7호
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• pp.884-894
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• 2015

Background: Fibers in concrete resist the growth of cracks and enhance the postcracking behavior of structures. The addition of fibers into a conventional reinforced concrete can improve the structural and functional performance of safety-related concrete structures in nuclear power plants. Methods: The influence of fibers on the ultimate internal pressure capacity of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) was investigated through a comparison of the ultimate pressure capacities between conventional and fiber-reinforced PCCVs. Steel and polyamide fibers were used. The tension behaviors of conventional concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete specimens were investigated through uniaxial tension tests and their tension-stiffening models were obtained. Results: For a PCCV reinforced with 1% volume hooked-end steel fiber, the ultimate pressure capacity increased by approximately 12% in comparison with that for a conventional PCCV. For a PCCV reinforced with 1.5% volume polyamide fiber, an increase of approximately 3% was estimated for the ultimate pressure capacity. Conclusion: The ultimate pressure capacity can be greatly improved by introducing steel and polyamide fibers in a conventional reinforced concrete. Steel fibers are more effective at enhancing the containment performance of a PCCV than polyamide fibers. The fiber reinforcementwas shown to bemore effective at a high pressure loading and a lowprestress level.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.219-229
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• 2018

In this paper, a modified rigid body spring model (RBSM) is proposed and used to analyze the damage and failure process of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In the proposed model, the concrete is represented by an assembly of rigid blocks connected with a uniform distribution of normal and tangential springs to simulate the macroscopic mechanical behavior of concrete. Steel bars are evenly dispersed into rigid blocks as a kind of homogeneous axial material, and an additional uniform distribution of axial and dowel springs is defined to consider the axial stiffness and dowel action of steel bars. Perfect bond between the concrete and steel bars is assumed, and tension stiffening effect of steel bars is modeled by adjusting the constitutive relationship for the tensile reinforcement. Adjacent blocks are allowed to separate at the contact interface, which makes it convenient and easy to simulate the cracking process of concrete. The failure of the springs is determined by the Mohr-Coulomb type criterion with the tension and compression caps. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by elastic analyses of a cantilever beam under different loading conditions and failure analyses of a RC beam under two-point loading.

• 한국구조물진단유지관리공학회 논문집
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.239-247
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• 2004

콘크리트는 내구성이 우수하고 경제적이기 때문에 강재와 더불어 건설재료로서 가장 많이 사용되어 왔다. 그러나 최근 들어 여러 연구결과와 현장점검 결과에 의하면 노출환경과 사용재료에 따라 내구성이 저하되어 실제 구조물에 심각한 문제를 일으키는 것으로 조사되고 있다. 우리나라는 삼면이 바다로 이루어져 있어 염해 피해 가능지역이 많을 뿐만 아니라 도시집중화에 따른 배기가스에 의한 중성화 현상이 심하게 발생하고 있다. 즉 염해와 중성화에 의한 철근부식이 발생할 가능성이 어느 나라 못지 않게 높다고 말할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 먼저 철근부식을 억제 또는 방지 가능한 물질에 대해 철근부식시험을 실시하여 방청효과를 검토하여, 그 결과를 바탕으로 콘크리트로의 침투성능 및 방청성능을 고려하여 도포형 철근부식억제제를 개발하였다.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.187-196
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• 2020

Double skin composite wall system owns several structural merits in terms of high load-carrying capacity, large axial stiffness, and favorable ductility. A recently proposed form of truss connector was used to bond the steel plates to the concrete core to achieve good composite action. The structural behavior of rectangular high walls under compression and T-shaped high walls under eccentric compression has been investigated by the authors. Furthermore, the influences of the truss spacings, the wall width, and the faceplate thickness have been previously studied by the authors on short walls under uniform compression. This paper experimentally investigated the effect of width-to-thickness ratio on the compressive behavior of short walls. Compressive tests were conducted on three short specimens with different width-to-thickness ratios. Based on the test results, it is found that the composite wall shows high compressive resistance and good ductility. The walls fail by local buckling of steel plates and crushing of concrete core. It is also observed that width-to-thickness ratio has great influence on the compressive resistance, initial stiffness, and strain distribution across the section. Finally, the test results are compared with the predictions by modern codes.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.91-105
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• 2020

Steel-concrete composite beam with profiled steel sheet has gained its popularity in the last two decades. Due to the ageing of these structures, retrofitting in terms of flexural strength is necessary to ensure that the aged structures can carry the increased traffic load throughout their design life. The steel ribs, which presented in the profiled steel deck, limit the use of shear connectors. This leads to a poor degree of composite action between the concrete slab and steel beam compared to the solid slab situation. As a result, the shear connectors that connects the slab and beam will be subjected to higher shear stress which may also require strengthening to increase the load carrying capacity of an existing composite structure. While most of the available studies focus on the strengthening of longitudinal shear and flexural strength separately, the present work investigates the effect of both flexural and longitudinal shear strengthening of steel-concrete composite beam with composite slab in terms of failure modes, ultimate load carrying capacity, ductility, end-slip, strain profile and interface differential strain. The flexural strengthening was conducted using carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) or steel plate on the soffit of the steel I-beam, while longitudinal shear capacity was enhanced using post-installed high strength bolts. Moreover, a combination of both the longitudinal shear and flexural strengthening techniques was also implemented (hybrid strengthening). It is concluded that hybrid strengthening improved the ultimate load carrying capacity and reduce slip and interface differential strain that lead to improved composite action. However, hybrid strengthening resulted in brittle failure mode that decreased ductility of the beam.