Search

Copyright of Canadian Geotechnical Journal is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Experimental study into the load carrying capacity of straw bale wall assemblies. • Characterised and compared the vertical load carrying performance without and with plaster coatings. • Studied the effect of wall height, plaster use, and load eccentricity on compressive resistance. • Results from 29 wall tests presented. To reduce the significant carbon emissions associated with construction materials, there is growing recognition of the potential for bio-based resources, including materials derived from agricultural crops such as straw, hemp and flax. The biogenic carbon stored with plant based materials can significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to other products. Uses of bio-based materials are however generally limited to non-structural, in particular as insulation, but in contrast to many other solutions straw bales can also be used structurally in low-rise construction. Despite the use of straw bales for over 100 years there is still relatively little known about their compression performance, and there are no recognised guides or standards to support structural engineers. This paper describes an experimental study into the load carrying capacity of straw bale wall assemblies. In keeping with practice in the UK, and different to previous North American studies, the wall plates do not directly bear onto the plaster coats. The aim of the paper is to characterise and compare the vertical load carrying performance of straw bale walls without and with plaster coatings, and study the effect of wall height, plaster use, and load eccentricity on compressive resistance. A series of wall assemblies were built from stacking 1 m long wheat straw bales. Wall assembly heights varied with the number of bale courses: one, two, three and four bales high. In total results from 29 tests are presented. Key findings of the study concern the influence of load eccentricity, use of plaster and wall geometry on compression performance. In the absence of national guidance, the results of this experimental study will support structural engineers designing loadbearing straw bale walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The efficacy of the FRP layers (number, length, material, and orientation) and the connection geometry (τ , β , and γ) on the static behavior is investigated. • The initial stiffness, ultimate resistance, resistance ratio, and failure shapes of the reinforced connections are investigated. • A theoretical formula is proposed to determine the ultimate resistance of the X-joints reinforced with FRP. In the present paper, the initial stiffness, the ultimate capacity, the capacity ratio, and the failure mechanisms of the tubular X-joints reinforced with Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) under compressive load are investigated. For these aims, a finite element (FE) model was generated and verified with the available experimental data. Afterward, 109 finite element (FE) models were created to investigate the efficacy of the FRP layers (length, number, and orientation) and the connection geometry (β , τ , and γ) on the static performance of the reinforced X-joints. In the FE models, the effects of the weld profile and the contact between the FRP and the members (chord, weld, and braces) were considered. Results showed that the FRP can remarkably enhance the stiffness, ultimate capacity, and improve failure mechanisms. Despite the notable effect of the FRP on the performance of the joints, there is not any study on the X-joints with FRP. Hence, after the parametric study, the FE results were used to propose a theoretical formula, based on the yield body model, to predict the ultimate strength of X-joints with FRP. In addition, the proposed formula is confirmed by the acceptance criteria of the UK Department of Energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]