Search

This study presents experimental and numerical investigations on seven one-way, reinforced concrete (RC) slabs with a new technique of slab weight reduction using polystyrene-embedded arched blocks (PEABs). All slabs had the same dimensions, steel reinforcement, and concrete compressive strength. One of these slabs was a solid slab, which was taken as a control slab, while the other six slabs were cast with PEABs. The main variables were the ratio of the length of the PEABs to the length of the slab (lp/L) and the ratio of the height of the PEABs to the total slab depth (hP/H). The minimum decrease in the ultimate load capacity was about 6% with a minimum reduction in the slab weight of 15%. In contrast, the maximum decrease in the ultimate load capacity was about 24% with a maximum reduction in the slab weight of 40%. Moreover, the mode of failure changed from flexure to shear failure, especially for those slabs with an lP/L ratio equal to one. The geometric and material non-linearity was adopted in the proposed finite element (FE) model to simulate the slabs with PEABs using Abaqus software. Good agreement was obtained between the developed FE and experimental results.

The present work is concerned with the investigation of the behavior and ultimate capacity of axially loaded reinforced concrete columns in presence of transverse openings under axial load plus uniaxial bending. The experimental program includes testing of twenty reinforced concrete columns (150 × 150 × 700 mm) under concentric and eccentric load. Parameters considered include opening size, load eccentricity and influence of the direction of load eccentricity with respect to the longitudinal axis of the opening. Experimental results are discussed based on load – lateral mid height deflection curves, load – longitudinal shortening behavior, ultimate load and failure modes. It is found that when the direction of load eccentricity is parallel to the longitudinal axis of openings, column behavior is more pronounced when than the direction is normal to the longitudinal axis of openings.

This paper introduces experimental results of eighteen simply supported reinforced concrete beams of cross sections ( ) and length 3000 mm to study the effect of lacing reinforcement on the performance of such beams under static and fatigue loads. Twelve reinforced concrete beams (two of them are casted with vertical shear reinforcement used as control beams) are tested under four points bending loading with displacement control technique and six laced reinforced concrete beams were exposed to high frequency (10 Hz) by fixing the fatigue load in each cycle. Three parameters are used in the designed beams, which are: lacing bar diameter (4mm, 6mm, and 8mm), lacing bar inclination angle to horizontal , and lacing steel ratio depending on number of lacing bar in each longitudinal face of beam and lacing bar diameter. The comparison results of experimental tests revealed that the ultimate loads of laced reinforced concrete beams are higher than the conventional reinforced concrete beams due to increasing lacing bar diameter, angle of inclination lacing bar, and lacing steel ratio, while the deflection is reduced. Also, the laced reinforced concrete beams can safely withstand the fatigue loading.

This paper studies the combination fluid viscous dampers in the outrigger system to add supplementary damping into the structure, which purpose to remove the dependability of the structure to lower variable intrinsic damping. It works by connecting the central core, comprising either shear walls or braced frames, to the outer perimeter columns. The modal considered is a 36 storey square high rise reinforced concrete building. By constructing a discrete lumped mass model, and using frequency-based response function, two systems of dampers, parallel and series systems are studied. The maximum lateral load at the top of the building is calculated, and this load will be applied at every floor of the building, giving a conservative solution. For static study Equivalent Lateral Force (ELF) was conducted. MATLAB software, has been used in this study. From analysis data, it is observed that the parallel system of dampers result lower amplitude of vibration and achieved more efficiently compared to the series system, and the horizontal displacement for each configurations by using MATLAB software is less than the analytical solution using a uniformly distributed load of 36 nodal point forces that divided the total height.

Test results of eight reinforced concrete one way slab with lacing reinforcement are reported. The tests were designed to study the effect of the lacing reinforcement on the flexural behavior of one way slabs. The test parameters were the lacing steel ratio, flexural steel ratio and span to the effective depth ratio. One specimen had no lacing reinforcement and the remaining seven had various percentages of lacing and flexural steel ratios. All specimens were cast with normal density concrete of approximately 30 MPa compressive strength. The specimens were tested under two equal line loads applied statically at a thirds part (four point bending test) up to failure. Three percentage of lacing and flexural steel ratios were used: (0.0025, 0.0045 and 0.0065). Three values of span to effective depth ratio by (11, 13, and 16) were considered, the specimens showed an enhanced in ultimate load capacity ranged between (56.52% and 103.57%) as a result of increasing the lacing steel ratio to (0.0065) and decreasing the span to effective depth ratio by (31.25%) respectively with respect to the control specimen. Additionally the using of lacing steel reinforcement leads to significant improvements in ductility by about (91.34%) with increasing the lacing steel ratio to (0.0025) with respect to the specimen without lacing reinforcement.

In this research, the structural behavior of Laced Reinforced Concrete T-beam of cross sectional dimensions (300mm × 80mm) flange and (150mm × 220mm) web under monotonic loadings was studied experimentally. Two types of lacing reinforcement with inclination angle of 45o and 60o with respect to the longitudinal reinforcement and 6 mm and 8 mm diameters for each type were used. During monotonic loading tests, the load deflection values at different locations of the tested specimens were recorded in addition to determination of the ultimate load. Also, the support rotation and the ductility ratio for each tested beam were calculated. The study of inclination angle of lacing reinforcement shows that lacing reinforcement of 60o inclination angle has more deflection than that of 45o inclination angle, also the ultimate load of first type above is more about 6% than other type. The results show that beams with lacing reinforcement are stiffer than beams with conventional stirrup reinforcement. Results have shown that specimens with lacing reinforcement are more ductile than beams without lacing (conventional vertical stirrups) and the ductility factor of laced reinforced beams ranges from 1.73 to 11.7, while it is 1.6 for unlaced (stirrups) beams. Also, the support rotation of laced reinforced concrete beams is about five times higher than that of conventional reinforcement.

The use of external posttensioning technique for strengthening reinforced concrete girders has been considerably studied by many researchers worldwide. However, no available data are seen regarding strengthening full-scale composite prestressed concrete girders with external posttensioned technique under static and repeated loading. In this research, four full-scale composite prestressed I-shape girders of 16 m span were fabricated and tested under static and repeated loading up to failure. Accordingly, two girders were externally strengthened with posttensioned strands, while the other two girders were left without strengthening. The experimental tests include deflection, cracking load, ultimate strength and strains at midspan, and loading stages. Test results were compared with the design expressions mentioned in AASHTO LRFD specifications and ACI 318-2014 code. Also, a nonlinear analysis was conducted using the finite element method (FEM). The presented analysis models were verified by comparing the model results with test results. The general theme abstracted from both experimental tests and numerical analysis reflects that the performance and procedure of strengthening with external prestressing of girders were found to be effective in increasing the load carrying capacity of the strengthened girders.

Copyright of Journal of Engineering (17264073) is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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.)