Flexure 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 with minimum reinforcement was studied. ABAQUS program was utilized for Finite Element (FE) modeling and analysis of the beams. On the other hand, mesoscale modeling of concrete constituents was executed with the aid of ABAQUS PYTHON language and programing using excel sheets. The concrete beams under flexure were experimentally investigated as well as by the numerical analysis. The comparison between experimental and numerical results showed that the mesoscale model gives a better indication for representing the concrete models in the numerical approach and a more appropriate result when compared with the experimental results.
Two novel demountable shear connectors for precast steel-concrete composite bridges are presented. The connectors use high-strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the steel beam with the aid of a special locking configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connectors promote accelerated construction and overcome typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connectors allow bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (1) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (2) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (3) steel beams can be replaced, while precast
... Show MoreBiaxial hollow slab is a reinforced concrete slab system with a grid of internal spherical voids included to reduce the self-weight. This paper presents an experimental study of behavior of one-way prestressed concrete bubbled slabs. Twelve full-scale one-way concrete slabs of (3000mm) length with rectangular cross-sectional area of (460mm) width and (150mm) depth. Different parameters like type of specimen (solid or bubbled slabs), type of reinforcement (normal or prestress), range of PPR and diameter of plastic spheres (100 or 120mm) are considered. Due to the using of prestressing force in bubbled slabs (with ratio of plastic sphere diameter D to slab thickness H, D/H=0.67), the specimens showed an increase in ultimat
... Show MoreThis work presents an innovative approach to enhancing the performance of concrete with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates using titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. Traditional limestone coarse aggregates were partially replaced with 30% and 50% RAP aggregates; a subset of mixtures containing RAP aggregates was treated with TiO2 nanoparticles. The rheological, mechanical, and long-term properties of concrete, along with changes in its chemical composition following the addition of RAP and TiO2, were evaluated. Results revealed that using 30% and 50% RAP in concrete mixtures reduced their compressive strength by 18% and 27%, respectively. However, using TiO2 in those mixtures enhanced their compressive strength by 8.7% an
... Show MoreThe distress of moisture induced damage in flexible pavement received tremendous attention over the past decades. The harmful effects of this distress expand the deterioration of other known distresses such as rutting and fatigue cracking. This paper focused on the efficiency of using the waste material of demolished concrete to prepare asphalt mixtures that can withstand the effect of moisture in the pavement. For this purpose, different percentages of waste demolished concrete (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, 70 and 100) were embedded as a replacement for coarse aggregate to construct the base course. The optimum asphalt contents were determined depending on the Marshall method. Then after, two parameters were founded to evaluate the moisture
... Show MoreIn this investigative endeavor, a novel concrete variety incorporating sulfur-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine modification was developed, and its diverse attributes were explored. This innovative concrete was produced using sulfur-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine modification and an array of components. The newly created sulfur-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine modifier was synthesized. The surface texture resulting from this modifier was examined using SEM and EDS techniques. The component ratios within concrete, chemical and physical traits derived from the sulfur-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine modifier, chemical and corrosion resistance of concrete, concrete stability against water absorption, concrete resilience against freezing, physical and mechanical p
... Show MoreConsuming of by-product or waste materials in highway engineering is significant in the construction of new roads and/or in renovations of the existing ones. Pulverised Fuel ash (PFA), which is a by-product material of burning coal in power stations, is one of these materials that might be incorporated instead of mineral filler in hot asphalt mixtures.
Two types of surface course mixtures have been prepared one with conventional mineral filler i.e. ordinary Portland cement (OPC) while the second was with PFA. Several testings have been conducted to indicate the mechanical properties which were Marshall Stability and Indirect Tensile Strength tests. On the other hand, moisture damage and ageing have been evaluated
... Show MoreCurrent numerical research was devoted to investigating the effect of castellated steel beams without and with strengthening. The composite concrete asymmetrical double hot rolled steel channels bolted back to back to obtain a built-up I-shape form are used in this study. The top half part of the steel is smaller than the bottom half part, and the two parts were connected by bolting and welding. The ABAQUS/2019 program employed the same length and conditions of loading for four models: The first model is the reference without castellated and strengthening; the second model was castellated without strengthened; the third model was castellated and strengthened with reactive powder concrete encased in the
... Show MoreRutting is a crucial element of the mechanical performance characteristics of asphalt mixtures, which was the primary target of this study. The task involved substituting various portions of virgin coarse aggregate with recycled concrete aggregate materials that had been treated or left untreated at rates ranging from 25 to 100%, with a constant increase of 25%. The treatment process of recycled concrete aggregate involved soaking in acetic acid, followed by a mechanical process for a short time inside a Los Angeles machine without the balls. This research utilized two primary tests: the standard Marshall test to identify the optimal asphalt contents and the volumetric characteristics of asphalt mixtures. The other one w
... Show MoreThe implementation of the concept of project scheduling in the organizations generally requires a set of procedures and requirements, So, most important of all is the understanding and knowledge of the tools and techniques which are called the methods of scheduling projects. Consequently, the projects of the municipality administration in the holy governorate of Karbala suffer from the problem of delaying their projects and chaos in the ways of implementation. To provide assistance to this directorate and to demonstrate how to schedule projects using one of the advanced scientific methods that proved their ability to schedule any project and its potential to accelerate the time of completion, as well as ease of use and effectiven
... Show MoreFor structural concrete members that may expose to serious earthquake, overload or accident impact, the design of ductility must be given the same importance as the flexural strength. The aim of this investigation is to study the change in ductility of structural concrete flexural members during their exposure to limited cycles of repeated loading. Twenty full-scale beam specimens have been fabricated in to two identical groups; each group consisted of ten specimens. The first group was tested under monotonic static loading to failure and regarded as control beams, while the specimens of the second group were subjected to ten cycles of repeated loading with constant load interval, which ranged between 40% and 60% of ultimate load. S
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