This study investigated the shear performance of concrete beams with GFRP stirrups vs. traditional steel stirrups. Longitudinal glass fiber‐reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars were used to doubly reinforce the tested beams at both the top and bottom of their cross sections. To accomplish this, several stirrup spacings were provided. Eight beam specimens, measuring 300 × 250 × 2400 mm, were used in an experimental program to test under a two‐point concentrated load with an equal span‐to‐depth ratio until failure. Four beams in Group I have standard mild steel stirrups of 8 mm diameter, while four beams in Group II have GFRP stirrups with the same adopted diameter. The difference between the beams in each group was mainly due to the spacing between the reinforcing stirrups in the constant shear and pure bending spans. The test matrix consists of two beams with shear reinforcement equally distributed at 100 mm and 200 mm in constant shear and pure bending spans, respectively. Stirrups were placed uniformly over the whole effective span of the other six beams. In two beams, stirrups were placed 100 mm apart; in the other two, 75 mm; and in the last two, 50 mm. Test outcomes showed that GFRP stirrups, as opposed to steel stirrups, decreased the ultimate load by around 8%–27% based on stirrup spacing, while reducing the stirrup spacing increased the shear capacity. Also, the presence of compression GFRP bars and GFRP stirrups in the pure bending span led to an increase in the flexural stiffness of the tested beams. Consequently, this increase contributed to a higher ductility index. Accordingly, it is essential to prioritize adequate shear strength above flexural strength when designing GFRP‐reinforced concrete beams, as evidenced by the continuous observation of flexure‐shear cracking as the primary mode of failure in almost all tested beams.
Concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns are being popular in civil engineering due to their superior structural characteristics. This paper investigates enhancement in axial behavior of CFST columns by adding steel fibers to plain concrete that infill steel tubes. Four specimens were prepared: two square columns (100*100 mm) and two circular columns (100 mm in diameter). All columns were 60 cm in length. Plain concrete mix and concrete reinforced with steel fibers were used to infill steel tube columns. Ultimate axial load capacity, ductility and failure mode are discussed in this study. The results showed that the ultimate axial load capacity of CFST columns reinforced with steel fibers increased by 28% and 20 % for circular and square c
... Show MoreThe development of new building materials, able of absorbing more energy is an active research area. Engineering Cementitious Composite (ECC) is a class of super-elastic fiberreinforced cement composites characterized by high ductility and tight crack width control. The use of bendable concrete produced from Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) may lead to an interest in new concrete mixes. Impact results of bendable concrete reinforced with steel mesh and polymer fibers will provide data for the use of this concrete in areas subject to impact loading. The experimental part consisted of compressive strength and impact resistance tests along with a result comparison with unreinforced concrete. Concrete samples, with dimensions of 100×
... Show MoreThe aim of our study is to reveal the effect of steel reinforcement details,tensile steel reinforcement ratio, compressed reinforcing steel ratio,reinforcing steel size, corner joint shape on the strength of reinforcedconcrete Fc' and delve into it for the most accurate details and concreteconnections about the behavior and resistance of the corner joint ofreinforced concrete, Depending on the available studies and sources inaddition to our study, we concluded that each of these effects had a clearrole in the behavior and resistance of the corner joint of reinforced concreteunder the influence of the negative moment and yield stress. A studyof the types of faults that can be reinforced angle joints obtains detailsand conditions of c
... Show MoreFlexure members such as reinforced concrete (RC) simply supported beams subjected to two-point loading were analyzed numerically. The Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) was employed for the treatment the non-smooth h behaviour such as discontinuities and singularities. This method is a powerful technique used for the analysis of the fracture process and crack propagation in concrete. Concrete is a heterogeneous material that consists of coarse aggregate, cement mortar and air voids distributed in the cement paste. Numerical modeling of concrete comprises a two-scale model, using mesoscale and macroscale numerical models. The effectiveness and validity of the Meso-Scale Approach (MSA) in modeling of the reinforced concrete beams w
... Show MoreThis 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
... Show MoreThis paper studies the effects of stiffeners on shear lag in steel box girders with stiffened flanges. A three-dimensional linear finite element analysis using STAAD.Pro V8i program has been employed to evaluate and determine the actual top flange stress distribution and effective width in steel box girders. The steel plates of the flanges and webs have been modeled by four-node isoparametric shell elements, while the stiffeners have been modeled as beam elements. Different numbers (4, 8, and 15) for the steel stiffeners have been used in this study to establish their effects on the shear lag and longitudinal stresses in the flange. Using stiffeners reduced the magnitude of the top flange longitudinal stresses about 40%, but did
... Show MoreIn this work, the effect of vortex shedding on the solar collector performance of the parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) was estimated experimentally. The effect of structure oscillations due to wind vortex shedding on solar collector performance degradation was estimated. The performance of PTSC is evaluated by using the useful heat gain and the thermal instantaneous efficiency. Experimental work to simulate the vortex shedding excitation was done. The useful heat gain and the thermal efficiency of the parabolic trough collector were calculated from experimental measurements with and without vortex loading. The prototype of the collector was fabricated for this purpose. The effect of vortex shedding at different operation condition
... Show MoreIn modern hydraulic control systems, the trend in hydraulic power applications is to improve efficiency and performance. “Proportional valve” is generally applied to pressure, flow and directional-control valves which continuously convert a variable input signal into a smooth and proportional hydraulic output signal. It creates a variable resistance (orifice) upstream and downstream of a hydraulic actuator, and is meter in/meter out circuit and hence pressure drop, and power losses are inevitable. If velocity (position) feedback is used, flow pattern control is possible. Without aforementioned flow pattern, control is very “loose” and relies on “visual” feed back by the operator. At this point, we should examine how this valv
... Show MoreExposure of reinforced concrete buildings to an accidental fire may result in cracking and loss in the bearing capacity of their major components, columns, beams, and slabs. It is a challenge for structural engineers to develop efficient retrofitting techniques that enable RC slabs to restore their structural integrity, after being exposed to intense fires for a long period of time. Experimental
investigation was carried out on twenty one slab specimens made of self compacting concrete, eighteen of them are retrofitted with CFRP sheets after burning and loading till failure while three of them (which represent control specimens) are retrofitted with CFRP sheet after loading till failure without burning. All slabs had been tested in a