• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.91-112
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• 2004

Concrete is a composite material and at meso-level, may be assumed to be composed of three phases: aggregate, mortar-matrix and aggregate-matrix interface. It is postulated herein that although non-linear material parameters are generally used to model this composite structure by finite element method, linear elastic fracture mechanics principles can be used for modelling at the meso level, if the properties of all three phases are known. For this reason, a novel meso-mechanical approach for concrete fracture which uses the composite material model with distributed-phase for elastic properties of phases and considers the size effect according to linear elastic fracture mechanics for strength properties of phases is presented in this paper. Consequently, the developed model needs two parameters such as compressive strength and maximum grain size of concrete. The model is applied to three most popular fracture mechanics approaches for concrete namely the two-parameter model, the effective crack model and the size effect model. It is concluded that the developed model well agrees with considered approaches.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.503-516
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• 2011

Uncertainty in concrete properties, including concrete modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture, are predicted by developing a microstructural homogenization model. The homogenization model is developed by analyzing a concrete representative volume element (RVE) using the finite element (FE) method. The concrete RVE considers concrete as a three phase composite material including: cement paste, aggregate and interfacial transition zone (ITZ). The homogenization model allows for considering two sources of variability in concrete, randomly dispersed aggregates in the concrete matrix and uncertain mechanical properties of composite phases of concrete. Using the proposed homogenization technique, the uncertainty in concrete modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture (described by numerical cumulative probability density function) are determined. Deflection uncertainty of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, propagated from uncertainties in concrete properties, is quantified using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. Cracked plane frame analysis is used to account for tension stiffening in concrete. Concrete homogenization enables a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between concrete materials and structural modeling, which is necessary for realistic serviceability prediction.

• Magazine of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.235-243
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• 1996

The mechanical behavior ot concrete is strongly influenced by various scenarios of crack initiation and crack propagation. Recently. the study of the interface fracture and cracking in interfacial regions is emerged as an important field, in the context of the developement of high performance concrete composites. The crack path criterion for elastically homogeneous materials is not valid when the crack advances at an interface because. in this case, the consideration of the relative magnitudes of the fracture toughnesses between the constituent materials and the interface are involved. In this paper, a numerical method is presented to obtain the values of two interfacial fracture parameters such as the energy release rate and the phase angle at the tip of an existing interface crack. Criteria based on energy release rate concepts are suggested for the prediction of crack growth at the interfaces and an hybrid experimental-numerical study is presented on the two-phase beam composite models containing interface cracks to investigate the cracking scenarios in interfacial regions. In general, good agreement between the experimental results and the prediction from the criteria is obtained.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.3 no.2_3
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• pp.103-122
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• 2006

Drying shrinkage of concrete occurs due to the loss of moisture and thus, it is controlled by moisture diffusion process. On the other hand, the shrinkage causes cracking of concrete and affects its moisture diffusion properties. Therefore, moisture diffusion and drying shrinkage are two coupled processes and their interactive effect is important for the durability of concrete structures. In this paper, the two material parameters in the moisture diffusion equation, i.e., the moisture capacity and humidity diffusivity, are modified by two different methods to include the effect of drying shrinkage on the moisture diffusion. The effect of drying shrinkage on the humidity diffusivity is introduced by the scalar damage parameter. The effect of drying shrinkage on the moisture capacity is evaluated by an analytical model based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics and minimum potential energy principle for a two-phase composite. The mechanical part of drying shrinkage is modeled as an elastoplastic damage problem. The coupled problem of moisture diffusion and drying shrinkage is solved using a finite element method. The present model can predict that the drying shrinkage accelerates the moisture diffusion in concrete, and in turn, the accelerated drying process increases the shrinkage strain. The coupling effects are demonstrated by a numerical example.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Advanced Composite Structures
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

As energy consumption of building and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions have been emphasized, phase change materials(PCM) have been introduced as building materials due to its high heat storage performance. Using shape-stabilizing technique, octadecane/xGnP shape-stabilized PCM(SSPCM) can prevent leakage and improve heat storage performance. The objectives of this study are to propose mix design method of concrete mixed with SSPCM and to evaluate mechanical behaviors of the concrete mixed with SSPCM manufactured according to the proposed mix design. Based on the previously reported material test result, the existing mix design of plain concrete(Concrete standard specification, 2009) is modified to consider reduction of strength in concrete due to the addition of SSPCM. To verify the proposed mix design, specimens are fabricated according to the proposed mix design and axial strength tests and three-point loading tests are performed. Test results show that compressive strengths of the tested specimens reach the designed strength even when two different mix ratios of SSPCM are used. From three-point loading tests, flexural stresses decrease as mix ratio of SSPCM increases.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.775-793
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• 2015

Moisture transport in concrete in atmospheric environment was studied in this paper. Based on the simplified formula of the thickness of the adsorbed layer, the pore-size distribution function of cement paste was calculated utilizing the water adsorption isotherms. Taking into consideration of the hysteresis effect in cement paste, the moisture diffusivity of cement paste was obtained by the integration of the pore-size distribution. Concrete is regarded as a two-phase composite with cement paste and aggregate, neglecting the moisture diffusivity of aggregate, then moisture diffusivity of concrete was evaluated using the composite theory. Finally, numerical simulation of humidity response during both wetting and drying process was carried out by the finite difference method of partial differential equation for moisture transport, and the numerical results well capture the trend of the measured data.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.387-395
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• 2020

This study has been carried out in two-phases to develop Fiber Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (FRSCC) performance. In the first phase, the composition of the quaternary composite binder compromised CEM I 42.5N (58-70%), Rice Husk Ash (25-37%), quartz sand (2.5-7.5%) and limestone crushing waste (2.5-7.5%) were optimized. And in the second phase, the effect of two fiber types (steel brass-plated and basalt) was investigated on the SCC optimized with the optimum CB as disperse reinforcement at 6 different ratios of 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, and 2.0% by weight of mix for each type. In this study, the theoretical principles of the synthesis of self-compacting dispersion-reinforced concrete have been developed which consists of optimizing structure-formation processes through the use of a mineral modifier, together with ground crushed cement in a vario-planetary mill to a specific surface area of 550 m2 / kg. The amorphous silica in the modifier composition intensifies the binding of calcium hydroxide formed during the hydration of C3S, helps reduce the basicity of the cement-composite, while reducing the growth of portlandite crystals. Limestone particles contribute to the formation of calcium hydrocarbonate and, together with fine ground quartz sand; act as microfiller, clogging the pores of the cement. Furthermore, the results revealed that the effect of fiber addition improves the mechanical properties of FRSCC. It was found that the steel fiber performed better than basalt fiber on tensile strength and modulus of elasticity; however, both fibers have the same performance on the first crack strength and sample destruction of FRSCC. It also illustrates that there will be an optimum percentage of fiber addition.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.57-66
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• 2018

Recently various composite beams in which concrete is filled in the U-shaped steel plate have been developed for saving story height and reducing construction period. Due to the high flexural stiffness and strength, they are widely being used for the building with large loads and long spans. The semi-slim AU composite beam has proven to take highly improved stability compared to the existing composite beams, because it consists of the closed steel section by attaching cap-type shear connectors to the upper side of U-shaped steel plate. In this study the finite element analyses were performed to evaluate the safety of the AU composite beam with unconsolidated concrete which were sustained through the closed steel section during the construction phase. The analyses were performed on the two types of cross section applied to the fabrication of AU composite beams, and the results were compared to the those of 2-point bending tests. In addition, the flexural performance according to the space of intermittent cap-type shear connectors and the location of reinforcing steel bars for compression was comparatively investigated. Through the results of analytical studies, it is preferable to adopt the yield moment of AU composite beam for evaluating the safety in the construction phase, and to limit the space of intermittent shear connectors to 400 mm or less for the construction load.

• Journal of Korean Society of Steel Construction
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.681-693
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• 2007

Construction techniques for continuous steel bridges were applied to steel-concrete double composite box girder bridges. Concrete depth and length at the bottom of the steel box in the negative moment region were determined by plastic moment region and negative moment region of the double composite section, respectively. Construction methods, such as crane lifting method, free cantilever method, and incremental launching method were used for the analysis of the construction stage. Two cases of the construction phase were considered and analyzed for the stress resultant of double composite girders. The behavior of the nose-deck elastic system was examined by three-dimensionless parameters, such as the nose length, the unit weight of the launching nose, and the flexural stiffness of the nose. The adoption of the launching nose has become an effective solution in the incremental launching of steel-concrete double composite box girder bridges.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1163-1192
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• 2016

This paper presents the cost optimization of a composite I beam floor system, designed to be made from a reinforced concrete slab and steel I sections. The optimization was performed by the mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) approach. For this purpose, a number of different optimization models were developed that enable different design possibilities such as welded or standard steel I sections, plastic or elastic cross-section resistances, and different positions of the neutral axes. An accurate economic objective function of the self-manufacturing costs was developed and subjected to design, resistance and deflection (in)equality constraints. Dimensioning constraints were defined in accordance with Eurocode 4. The Modified Outer-Approximation/Equality-Relaxation (OA/ER) algorithm was applied together with a two-phase MINLP strategy. A numerical example of the optimization of a composite I beam floor system, as presented at the end of this paper, demonstrates the applicability of the proposed approach. The optimal result includes the minimal produced costs of the structure, the optimal concrete and steel strengths, and dimensions.