Detection of cracks on concrete surfaces by hyperspectral image processing

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Bruno O.; Valença, Jonatas; Júlio, Eduardo

2017-06-01

All large infrastructures worldwide must have a suitable monitoring and maintenance plan, aiming to evaluate their behaviour and predict timely interventions. In the particular case of concrete infrastructures, the detection and characterization of crack patterns is a major indicator of their structural response. In this scope, methods based on image processing have been applied and presented. Usually, methods focus on image binarization followed by applications of mathematical morphology to identify cracks on concrete surface. In most cases, publications are focused on restricted areas of concrete surfaces and in a single crack. On-site, the methods and algorithms have to deal with several factors that interfere with the results, namely dirt and biological colonization. Thus, the automation of a procedure for on-site characterization of crack patterns is of great interest. This advance may result in an effective tool to support maintenance strategies and interventions planning. This paper presents a research based on the analysis and processing of hyper-spectral images for detection and classification of cracks on concrete structures. The objective of the study is to evaluate the applicability of several wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum for classification of cracks in concrete surfaces. An image survey considering highly discretized wavelengths between 425 nm and 950 nm was performed on concrete specimens, with bandwidths of 25 nm. The concrete specimens were produced with a crack pattern induced by applying a load with displacement control. The tests were conducted to simulate usual on-site drawbacks. In this context, the surface of the specimen was subjected to biological colonization (leaves and moss). To evaluate the results and enhance crack patterns a clustering method, namely k-means algorithm, is being applied. The research conducted allows to define the suitability of using clustering k-means algorithm combined with hyper-spectral images highly

Optimisation of the Crack Pattern in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements

OpenAIRE

Ren, D.

2015-01-01

Recent field investigations on several new Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavements (CRCP) in Belgium indicate that its crack pattern is characterized by low mean crack spacing along with a high percentage of clusters of closely spaced cracks. Field surveys also indicate that it is difficult to significantly reduce the probability of a non-uniform crack pattern - such as closely spaced cracks, meandering, and Y-cracks - by only slightly adjusting the amount of longitudinal steel. Non-unifor...

Microbial healing of cracks in concrete: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Sumit; Goyal, Shweta; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Reddy, M Sudhakara

2017-11-01

Concrete is the most widely used construction material of the world and maintaining concrete structures from premature deterioration is proving to be a great challenge. Early age formation of micro-cracking in concrete structure severely affects the serviceability leading to high cost of maintenance. Apart from conventional methods of repairing cracks with sealants or treating the concrete with adhesive chemicals to prevent the cracks from widening, a microbial crack-healing approach has shown promising results. The unique feature of the microbial system is that it enables self-healing of concrete. The effectiveness of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICCP) in improving durability of cementitious building materials, restoration of stone monuments and soil bioclogging is discussed. Main emphasis has been laid on the potential of bacteria-based crack repair in concrete structure and the applications of different bacterial treatments to self-healing cracks. Furthermore, recommendations to employ the MICCP technology at commercial scale and reduction in the cost of application are provided in this review.

Cracking Behavior of a Concrete Arch Dam with Weak Upper Abutment

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Lei Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The cracking behavior and failure mode of a 78 m high concrete double-curvature arch dam with weak upper abutment are investigated through performing cracking analysis. The mechanical behavior of concrete is simulated using a smeared crack model, in which a combination of the compression yield surface and the crack detection surface with a damaged elasticity concept is employed to describe the failure of concrete. The arch dam with practical mechanical properties of the upper and lower abutments is firstly studied with emphasis on its cracking behavior during overloading. Then, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the influence of the ratio of the mechanical properties of upper abutment to those of lower abutment on dam failure with prime attention placed on the failure mode. Simulation results indicate the adopted smeared crack model is well-suited to the crack analysis of concrete arch dam. It is shown that cracking is localized around the interface between upper and lower abutments, which leads to a fast crack growth in the through-thickness direction of dam and finally causes the dam failure. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis presents three types of failure modes corresponding to different ratio value, wherein Modes II and III should be avoided since the weak upper abutment plays a predominant role in the cracking and failure of concrete arch dam.

a Cost-Effective Method for Crack Detection and Measurement on Concrete Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Sarker, M. M.; Ali, T. A.; Abdelfatah, A.; Yehia, S.; Elaksher, A.

2017-11-01

Crack detection and measurement in the surface of concrete structures is currently carried out manually or through Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) such as imaging or scanning. The recent developments in depth (stereo) cameras have presented an opportunity for cost-effective, reliable crack detection and measurement. This study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of the new inexpensive depth camera (ZED) for crack detection and measurement. This depth camera with its lightweight and portable nature produces a 3D data file of the imaged surface. The ZED camera was utilized to image a concrete surface and the 3D file was processed to detect and analyse cracks. This article describes the outcome of the experiment carried out with the ZED camera as well as the processing tools used for crack detection and analysis. Crack properties that were also of interest were length, orientation, and width. The use of the ZED camera allowed for distinction between surface and concrete cracks. The ZED high-resolution capability and point cloud capture technology helped in generating a dense 3D data in low-lighting conditions. The results showed the ability of the ZED camera to capture the crack depth changes between surface (render) cracks, and crack that form in the concrete itself.

A COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR CRACK DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT ON CONCRETE SURFACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Sarker

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Crack detection and measurement in the surface of concrete structures is currently carried out manually or through Non-Destructive Testing (NDT such as imaging or scanning. The recent developments in depth (stereo cameras have presented an opportunity for cost-effective, reliable crack detection and measurement. This study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of the new inexpensive depth camera (ZED for crack detection and measurement. This depth camera with its lightweight and portable nature produces a 3D data file of the imaged surface. The ZED camera was utilized to image a concrete surface and the 3D file was processed to detect and analyse cracks. This article describes the outcome of the experiment carried out with the ZED camera as well as the processing tools used for crack detection and analysis. Crack properties that were also of interest were length, orientation, and width. The use of the ZED camera allowed for distinction between surface and concrete cracks. The ZED high-resolution capability and point cloud capture technology helped in generating a dense 3D data in low-lighting conditions. The results showed the ability of the ZED camera to capture the crack depth changes between surface (render cracks, and crack that form in the concrete itself.

Effect of steel fibers on plastic shrinkage cracking of normal and high strength concretes

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Özgür Eren

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Naturally concrete shrinks when it is subjected to a drying environment. If this shrinkage is restrained, tensile stresses develop and concrete may crack. Plastic shrinkage cracks are especially harmful on slabs. One of the methods to reduce the adverse effects of shrinkage cracking of concrete is by reinforcing concrete with short randomly distributed fibers. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fiber volume and aspect ratio of hooked steel fibers on plastic shrinkage cracking behavior together with some other properties of concrete. In this research two different compressive strength levels namely 56 and 73 MPa were studied. Concretes were produced by adding steel fibers of 3 different volumes of 3 different aspect ratios. From this research study, it is observed that steel fibers can significantly reduce plastic shrinkage cracking behavior of concretes. On the other hand, it was observed that these steel fibers can adversely affect some other properties of concrete during fresh and hardened states.

Lateral rigidity of cracked concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castellani, A.; Chesi, C.

1979-01-01

Numerical results are discussed on the lateral rigidity of reinforced concrete structures with a given crack distribution. They have been favourably checked with experimental results for cylindrical shells under the effect of a thermal gradient producing vertical cracking or vertical plus horizontal cracking. The main effects characterizing the concrete behaviour are: (1) The shear transfer across a crack; (2) The shear transfer degradation after cyclic loading; (3) The tension stiffening provided by the concrete between crack and crack, in the normal stress transfer; (4) The temperature effect on the elastic moduli of concrete, when cracks are of thermal origin. Only the 1st effect is discussed on an experimental basis. Two broad cathegories of reinforced concrete structures have been investigated in this respect: shear walls of buildings and cylindrical containment structures. The main conclusions so far reached are: (1) Vertical cracks are unlikely to decrease the lateral rigidity to less than 80% of the original one, and to less than 90% when they do not involve the entire thickness of the wall; (2) The appearence of horizontal cracks can reduce the lateral rigidity by some 30% or more; (3) A noticeable but not yet evaluated influence is shown by cyclic loading. (orig.)

Early Age Fracture Mechanics and Cracking of Concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Lennart

2003-01-01

. The reasons are the increased autogenous deformation, the high rate of heat evolution and a higher brittleness of these concretes. Due to these adverse mechanisms the interest in the full description of the behavior of early age concrete has increased dramatically in the last two or three decades. Almost all...... the fictitious crack model and the aim has been experimentally to determine the fracture mechanical properties related to this model. The results provide interesting and important insight into the development of the fracture properties in early age. It is found that the characteristic length has moments of low...... values in early age, which means that the cracking sensibility is higher at those time points. The possible influence of time-dependent effects in the fracture mechanical properties on the cracking behavior in early age has also been investigated. The reason for this has been the known fact...

High Performance Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Traian Oneţ

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the last studies and researches accomplished in Cluj-Napoca related to high performance concrete, high strength concrete and self compacting concrete. The purpose of this paper is to raid upon the advantages and inconveniences when a particular concrete type is used. Two concrete recipes are presented, namely for the concrete used in rigid pavement for roads and another one for self-compacting concrete.

Failure/leakage predictions of concrete structures containing cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Y.C.; Marchertas, A.H.; Kennedy, J.M.

1984-06-01

An approach is presented for studying the cracking and radioactive release of a reactor containment during severe accidents and extreme environments. The cracking of concrete is modeled as the blunt crack. The initiation and propagation of a crack are determined by using the maximum strength and the J-integral criteria. Furthermore, the extent of cracking is related to the leakage calculation by using a model developed by Rizkalla, Lau and Simmonds. Numerical examples are given for a three-point bending problem and a hypothetical case of a concrete containment structure subjected to high internal pressure during an accident

Air-steam leakage through cracks in concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georges Nahas; Helene Simon

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: In the context of a severe accident in a Pressurised Water nuclear plant, the evaluation of the leakage rate through the containment wall remains a key point of the safety analysis, because it influences directly the consequences on the environment. During a severe accident, large amounts of steam could be released in the containment; internal pressure could rise beyond design limits causing cracks to appear in the internal concrete wall of the double-wall containment and fission products to leak towards the containment annulus. A research program led by the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety aims to estimate this leakage. In the presence of cracks, most of the leak flows through them. Hence, a first phase of the program was to build a two-phase homogeneous model for the flow of an air-steam mixture through a idealized traversing crack, taking into account condensation phenomena, and considering crack openings from 25 μm to several hundred μm. A numerical model for the flow, coupled with heat transfer in the wall, was implemented in the Finite Element code CAST3M. This model was validated on a small scaled experiment which was made of two parallel glass plates. Comparison of the numerical and experimental results in this 'channel case' has shown good results for the total mass flow rate for channel openings greater than 100 μm. For the 50 μm opening the calculation gave a 50 % estimate of the experimental total mass flow rate. The second phase of the program is now to validate the model on cracks performed in a concrete specimen. In order to do so, we have simulated the experiment VK2/2 described in the article named 'Investigation of the leakage behavior of reinforced concrete walls' by N. Herrmann, C. Niklasch, M. Stegemann, L. Stempniewski. The reinforced concrete slab, 2.7 m long in the reinforcement direction and 1.2 m thick in the cracking direction, is placed in a mechanical set-up and an

Evaluation of shrinkage and cracking in concrete of ring test by acoustic emission method

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Takeshi; Hashimoto, Chikanori

2015-03-01

Drying shrinkage of concrete is one of the typical problems related to reduce durability and defilation of concrete structures. Lime stone, expansive additive and low-heat Portland cement are used to reduce drying shrinkage in Japan. Drying shrinkage is commonly evaluated by methods of measurement for length change of mortar and concrete. In these methods, there is detected strain due to drying shrinkage of free body, although visible cracking does not occur. In this study, the ring test was employed to detect strain and age cracking of concrete. The acoustic emission (AE) method was adopted to detect micro cracking due to shrinkage. It was recognized that in concrete using lime stone, expansive additive and low-heat Portland cement are effective to decrease drying shrinkage and visible cracking. Micro cracking due to shrinkage of this concrete was detected and evaluated by the AE method.

Nonparametric Change Point Diagnosis Method of Concrete Dam Crack Behavior Abnormality

OpenAIRE

Li, Zhanchao; Gu, Chongshi; Wu, Zhongru

2013-01-01

The study on diagnosis method of concrete crack behavior abnormality has always been a hot spot and difficulty in the safety monitoring field of hydraulic structure. Based on the performance of concrete dam crack behavior abnormality in parametric statistical model and nonparametric statistical model, the internal relation between concrete dam crack behavior abnormality and statistical change point theory is deeply analyzed from the model structure instability of parametric statistical model ...

Thermo-mechanical simulations of early-age concrete cracking with durability predictions

Science.gov (United States)

Havlásek, Petr; Šmilauer, Vít; Hájková, Karolina; Baquerizo, Luis

2017-09-01

Concrete performance is strongly affected by mix design, thermal boundary conditions, its evolving mechanical properties, and internal/external restraints with consequences to possible cracking with impaired durability. Thermo-mechanical simulations are able to capture those relevant phenomena and boundary conditions for predicting temperature, strains, stresses or cracking in reinforced concrete structures. In this paper, we propose a weakly coupled thermo-mechanical model for early age concrete with an affinity-based hydration model for thermal part, taking into account concrete mix design, cement type and thermal boundary conditions. The mechanical part uses B3/B4 model for concrete creep and shrinkage with isotropic damage model for cracking, able to predict a crack width. All models have been implemented in an open-source OOFEM software package. Validations of thermo-mechanical simulations will be presented on several massive concrete structures, showing excellent temperature predictions. Likewise, strain validation demonstrates good predictions on a restrained reinforced concrete wall and concrete beam. Durability predictions stem from induction time of reinforcement corrosion, caused by carbonation and/or chloride ingress influenced by crack width. Reinforcement corrosion in concrete struts of a bridge will serve for validation.

Nonparametric Change Point Diagnosis Method of Concrete Dam Crack Behavior Abnormality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhanchao Li

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The study on diagnosis method of concrete crack behavior abnormality has always been a hot spot and difficulty in the safety monitoring field of hydraulic structure. Based on the performance of concrete dam crack behavior abnormality in parametric statistical model and nonparametric statistical model, the internal relation between concrete dam crack behavior abnormality and statistical change point theory is deeply analyzed from the model structure instability of parametric statistical model and change of sequence distribution law of nonparametric statistical model. On this basis, through the reduction of change point problem, the establishment of basic nonparametric change point model, and asymptotic analysis on test method of basic change point problem, the nonparametric change point diagnosis method of concrete dam crack behavior abnormality is created in consideration of the situation that in practice concrete dam crack behavior may have more abnormality points. And the nonparametric change point diagnosis method of concrete dam crack behavior abnormality is used in the actual project, demonstrating the effectiveness and scientific reasonableness of the method established. Meanwhile, the nonparametric change point diagnosis method of concrete dam crack behavior abnormality has a complete theoretical basis and strong practicality with a broad application prospect in actual project.

Modeling approaches for concrete barriers used in low-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seitz, R.R.; Walton, J.C.

1993-11-01

A series of three NUREGs and several papers addressing different aspects of modeling performance of concrete barriers for low-level radioactive waste disposal have been prepared previously for the Concrete Barriers Research Project. This document integrates the information from the previous documents into a general summary of models and approaches that can be used in performance assessments of concrete barriers. Models for concrete degradation, flow, and transport through cracked concrete barriers are discussed. The models for flow and transport assume that cracks have occurred and thus should only be used for later times in simulations after fully penetrating cracks are formed. Most of the models have been implemented in a computer code. CEMENT, that was developed concurrently with this document. User documentation for CEMENT is provided separate from this report. To avoid duplication, the reader is referred to the three previous NUREGs for detailed discussions of each of the mathematical models. Some additional information that was not presented in the previous documents is also included. Sections discussing lessons learned from applications to actual performance assessments of low-level waste disposal facilities are provided. Sensitive design parameters are emphasized to identify critical areas of performance for concrete barriers, and potential problems in performance assessments are also identified and discussed

Combined effect of high curing temperature and crack width on chloride migration in reinforced concrete beams

Science.gov (United States)

Elkedrouci, L.; Diao, B.; Pang, S.; Li, Y.

2018-03-01

Deterioration of reinforced concrete structures is a serious concern in the construction engineering, largely due to chloride induced corrosion of reinforcement. Chloride penetration is markedly influenced by one or several major factors at the same time such as cuing in combination with different crack widths which have spectacular effect on reinforced concrete structures. This research presents the results of an experimental investigation involving reinforced concrete beams with three different crack widths ranging from 0 to 0.2mm, curing temperatures of 20°C or 40°C and water-to-cement of 0.5. Chloride content profiles were determined under non-steady state diffusion at 20°C. Based on the obtained results, higher chloride content was obtained under condition of high curing temperature in combination with large crack more than 0.1mm and there are no significant differences between narrow crack width (less than 0.1 mm) and beams without crack (0 mm).

Assesment risk of fracture in thin-walled fiber reinforced and regular High Performance Concretes sandwich elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hodicky, Kamil; Hulin, Thomas; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup

2013-01-01

load. Due to structural restraints, autogenous shrinkage may lead to high self-induced stresses. Therefore autogenous shrinkage plays important role in design of HPCSE. The present paper assesses risk of fracture due to autogenous shrinkage-induced stresses in three fiber reinforced and regular High....... Finally the paper describes the modeling work with HPCSE predicting structural cracking provoked by autogenous shrinkage. It was observed that risk of cracking due to autogenous shrinkage rapidly rises after 3 days in case of regular HPC and after 7 days in case of fiber reinforced HPC.......High Performance Concrete Sandwich Elements (HPCSE) are an interesting option for future low or plus energy building construction. Recent research and development work, however, indicate that such elements are prone to structural cracking due to the combined effect of shrinkage and high temperature...

Research works on contamination transfers through cracked concrete walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelain, T.; Vendel, J.

2006-01-01

This study takes place within the framework of nuclear facilities containment assessment. The objectives are to determine gaseous and two-phase flow laws, aerosol deposition correlations into crack network, further to accidental situation (e.g. seism) and the real crack network characteristics considering the cracks as two infinite parallel plates. At first, we performed air flow experiments on three concrete walls (128 cm in width, 75 cm in height and 10 cm in thickness), cracked by shear stresses. Using 'aeraulic' crack network characteristics, the results are in good agreement with the Poiseuille law in laminar flow, but in the case of transition flow it has been necessary to determine a specific correlation for the friction factor. Then, we performed aerosol deposition experiments with one of the previous concrete walls to determine global aerosol deposition model in a crack network. Using these previous experiments and an experiment consisting in calculating the crack network volume by measuring transfer time, we could determine the real crack network characteristics in a good agreement with characteristics calculated by a structural mechanical code for our experimental configuration. (authors)

Characterization of mixed mode crack opening in concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Jonas Sejersbøl; Poulsen, Peter Noe; Olesen, John Forbes

2012-01-01

components of the mixed mode displacement are measured using a custom made orthogonal gauge, and the measurements are used directly as the closed loop control signals. A double notch, concrete specimen is used for the crack investigation. The tests are divided into two steps, a pure Mode I opening step......In real concrete structures cracks often open in mixed mode after their initiation. To capture the direct material behavior of a mixed mode crack opening a stiff biaxial testing machine, capable of imposing both normal and shear loads on a given crack area, has been applied. The opening and sliding......, where a macro crack is initiated in the specimen followed by the mixed mode opening step. The high stiffness of the set-up together with the closed control loop ensures a stable crack initiation followed by a controllable mixed mode opening. The deep notches result in a plane crack, only influenced...

Modeling moisture ingress through simplified concrete crack geometries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pease, Bradley Justin; Michel, Alexander; Geiker, Mette Rica

2011-01-01

, considered to have two parts; 1) a coalesced crack length which behaves as a free-surface for moisture ingress, and 2) an isolated microcracking length which resists ingress similarly to the bulk material. Transport model results are compared to experimental results from steel fibre reinforced concrete wedge......This paper introduces a numerical model for ingress in cracked steel fibre reinforced concrete. Details of a simplified crack are preset in the model’s geometry using the cracked hinge model (CHM). The total crack length estimated using the CHM was, based on earlier work on conventional concrete...... on moisture ingress. Results from the transport model indicate the length of the isolated microcracks was approximately 19 mm for the investigated concrete composition....

Photogrammetric Assessment of Flexure Induced Cracking of Reinforced Concrete Beams under Service Loads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pease, Bradley Justin; Geiker, Mette Rica; Stang, Henrik

2006-01-01

Reinforced concrete structures are known to crack due to restrained shrinkage, temperature gradients, application of load, and expansive reactions. Cracks provide paths for rapid ingress of moisture, chlorides, and other aggressive substances, which may affect the long-term durability...... of the structure. For example, concrete cracks located at the reinforcing steel may contribute to a rapid corrosion initiation and propagation. Previous research has shown that cracked reinforced concrete under static flexural loading may have an increased ingress of chloride ions along the reinforcement....../concrete interface. The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed description of the development of cracks in reinforced concrete under flexural load. Cracking at both realistic service load levels (1.0-1.8 times estimated cracking load) and unrealistically high service load levels (> 0.5 times beam capacity) has...

Flexural Cracking Behavior Of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashraf Abdalkader

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Steel fibers are added to concrete due to its ability to improve the tensile strength and control propagation of cracks in reinforced concrete members. Steel fiber reinforced concrete is made of cement fine water and coarse aggregate in addition to steel fibers. In this experimental work flexural cracking behavior of reinforced concrete beams contains different percentage of hooked-end steel fibers with length of 50 mm and equivalent diameter of 0.5 mm was studied. The beams were tested under third-point loading test at 28 days. First cracking load maximum crack width cracks number and load-deflection relations were investigated to evaluate the flexural cracking behavior of concrete beams with 34 MPa target mean strength. Workability wet density compressive and splitting tensile strength were also investigated. The results showed that the flexural crack width is significantly reduced with the addition of steel fibers. Fiber contents of 1.0 resulted in 81 reduction in maximum crack width compared to control concrete without fiber. The results also showed that the first cracking load and maximum load are increased with the addition of steel fibers.

The effect of crack width on the service life of reinforced concrete structures

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hung, Nguyen; Viet Hung, Vu; Viet, Tran Bao

2018-04-01

Reinforced concrete has become a widely used construction material around the world. Nowadays, the assessment of deterioration and life expectancy of reinforced concrete structure is very important and necessary as concrete is a complex material with brittle failure. Under the effect of load and over time, cracks occur in the structure, significantly reducing its performance and durability. Therefore, a number of models for predicting the penetration of chloride ions into the concrete were proposed to assess the durability of the structure. In the study performed by T B Viet (2016) [1], the author proposed a new theoretical model, especially considering the effects of macro and micro cracking on the diffusion coefficient of chloride ion in the cracked concrete. The following experimental results, in term of electrical indication of concrete’s ability to resist chloride ion penetration, are used to calculate the lifespan of a reinforced concrete structure according to Dura Crete approach [8] with different crack widths to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the above model in the range of concrete compressive strength of 30-70MPa.

Crack analysis of multicavity prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallix, R.; Liu, T.C.; Lu, S.C.H.

1975-01-01

A new method to perform the crack analysis of non-axisymmetric, multicavity prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRV's) subjected to hypothetical overpressure by using an axisymmetric two-dimensional finite element computer code is presented. Concrete, steel liner, bonded reinforcing steel and prestressing steel elements are modeled. The limiting tensile strain criterion is adopted for concrete cracking. The steel elements are assumed to be elastic/perfectly plastic. Von Mises yield criterion and Prandtl-Reuss flow equations define the behavior of the liner in the range of plastic deformations. An orthotropic stress-strain constitutive law is utilized for cracked concrete elements. To account for the presence of penetrations and secondary cavities in the PCRV, a modified finite element model based on the concept of effective moduli is adopted. The pressure in these cavities is simulated by equivalent axisymmetric pressure distributions. In the analysis, the pressure is applied incrementally. For a given pressure, the displacements, strains, and stresses are computed. The state of strains or stresses is then examined against the cracking or yield criteria. If cracking or yield is indicated, the stiffness and load matrices for the cracked and yielding elements are recomputed and a new equilibrium is sought. This procedure is repeated until the desired convergence of the solution is achieved. The validity of the adopted approach utilizing the two-dimensional finite element method for overpressure analyses of non-axisymmetric PCRV's is demonstrated through comparisons with two multicavity PCRV scale models. A reliable and conservative estimate of PCRV behavior under overpressure is obtained

Engineering Performance of High Strength Concrete Containing Steel Fibre Reinforcement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Azree Othuman Mydin

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The development and utilization of the high strength concrete in the construction industry have been increasing rapidly. Fiber reinforced concrete is introduced to overcome the weakness of the conventional concrete because concrete normally can crack under a low tensile force and it is known to be brittle. Steel fibre is proved to be the popular and best combination in the high strength concrete to result the best in the mechanical and durability properties of high strength concrete with consideration of curing time, steel fibre geometry, concrete grade and else more. The incorporation of steel fibre in the mortar mixture is known as steel fibre reinforced concrete have the potential to produce improvement in the workability, strength, ductility and the deformation of high strength concrete. Besides that, steel fibre also increases the tensile strength of concrete and improves the mechanical properties of the steel fibre reinforced concrete. The range for any high strength concrete is between 60MPa-100MPa. Steel fibre reinforced concrete which contains straight fibres has poorer physical properties than that containing hooked end stainless steel fibre due to the length and the hooked steel fibre provide a better effective aspects ratio. Normally, steel fibre tensile strength is in the range of 1100MPa-1700MPa. Addition of less steel fibre volumes in the range of 0.5% to 1.0% can produce better increase in the flexural fatigue strength. The strength can be increased with addition of steel fibre up to certain percentage. This paper will review and present some basic properties of steel fibre reinforced concrete such as mechanical, workability and durability properties.

Autogenous healing of cracks in concrete and its relevance to radwaste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guppy, R.

1988-03-01

Cracks in concrete structures within a radioactive waste repository could provide fast transport pathways and as such could impair the performance of the concrete as a barrier to radionuclide migration. It has been widely reported that cracks in concrete can heal and, therefore, the evidence in support of this phenomenon has been reviewed and its relevance to a concrete barrier in a radioactive waste repository assessed. The mechanism of crack healing is not understood, but the most likely process responsible is calcite formation under wet conditions. There is doubt concerning whether the conditions in a repository will be suitable for crack healing; especially if the cement is extensively modified with slag or fuel ash. It is concluded that further experimental work is required to assess the impact of this phenomenon on the behaviour of cracks in repositories. (author)

Quantification of water penetration into concrete through cracks by neutron radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanematsu, M.; Maruyama, I.; Noguchi, T.; Iikura, H.; Tsuchiya, N.

2009-01-01

Improving the durability of concrete structures is one of the ways to contribute to the sustainable development of society, and it has also become a crucial issue from an environmental viewpoint. It is well known that moisture behavior in reinforced concrete is linked to phenomena such as cement hydration, volume change and cracking caused by drying shrinkage, rebar corrosion and water leakage that affect the durability of concrete. In this research, neutron radiography was applied for visualization and quantification of water penetration into concrete through cracks. It is clearly confirmed that TNR can make visible the water behavior in/near horizontal/vertical cracks and can quantify the rate of diffusion and concentration distribution of moisture with high spatial and time resolution. On detailed analysis, it is observed that water penetrates through the crack immediately after pouring and its migration speed and distribution depend on the moisture condition in the concrete.

Process of cracking in reinforced concrete beams (simulation and experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. N. Shardakov

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of experimental and theoretical investigations of the mechanisms of crack formation in reinforced concrete beams subjected to quasi-static bending. The boundary-value problem has been formulated in the framework of brittle fracture mechanics and solved using the finite-element method. Numerical simulation of the vibrations of an uncracked beam and a beam with cracks of different size serves to determine the pattern of changes in the spectrum of eigenfrequencies observed during crack evolution. A series of sequential quasi-static 4-point bend tests leading to the formation of cracks in a reinforced concrete beam were performed. At each loading step, the beam was subjected to an impulse load to induce vibrations. Two stages of cracking were detected. During the first stage the nonconservative process of deformation begins to develope, but has not visible signs. The second stage is an active cracking, which is marked by a sharp change in eingenfrequencies. The boundary of a transition from one stage to another is well registered. The vibration behavior was examined for the ordinary concrete beams and the beams strengthened with a carbon-fiber polymer. The obtained results show that the vibrodiagnostic approach is an effective tool for monitoring crack formation and assessing the quality of measures aimed at strengthening concrete structures

Prevention of shrinkage cracking in tight concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvaredo, A.M.; Wittmann, F.H.

1995-01-01

It is shown that crack formation and propagation in concrete members subjected to restrained shrinkage can be realistically predicted by means of a comprehensive approach including a diffusion analysis and fracture mechanics considerations. The conditions for stable crack propagation regarding dimensions of the concrete member, degree of restraint to the imposed deformation and material properties are discussed. Guidelines on the prevention of shrinkage cracking of concrete structures are given. (author). 10 refs., 5 figs

Lining seam elimination algorithm and surface crack detection in concrete tunnel lining

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Zhong; Bai, Ling; An, Shi-Quan; Ju, Fang-Rong; Liu, Ling

2016-11-01

Due to the particularity of the surface of concrete tunnel lining and the diversity of detection environments such as uneven illumination, smudges, localized rock falls, water leakage, and the inherent seams of the lining structure, existing crack detection algorithms cannot detect real cracks accurately. This paper proposed an algorithm that combines lining seam elimination with the improved percolation detection algorithm based on grid cell analysis for surface crack detection in concrete tunnel lining. First, check the characteristics of pixels within the overlapping grid to remove the background noise and generate the percolation seed map (PSM). Second, cracks are detected based on the PSM by the accelerated percolation algorithm so that the fracture unit areas can be scanned and connected. Finally, the real surface cracks in concrete tunnel lining can be obtained by removing the lining seam and performing percolation denoising. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can accurately, quickly, and effectively detect the real surface cracks. Furthermore, it can fill the gap in the existing concrete tunnel lining surface crack detection by removing the lining seam.

Creep and cracking of concrete hinges: insight from centric and eccentric compression experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlappal, Thomas; Schweigler, Michael; Gmainer, Susanne; Peyerl, Martin; Pichler, Bernhard

2017-01-01

Existing design guidelines for concrete hinges consider bending-induced tensile cracking, but the structural behavior is oversimplified to be time-independent. This is the motivation to study creep and bending-induced tensile cracking of initially monolithic concrete hinges systematically. Material tests on plain concrete specimens and structural tests on marginally reinforced concrete hinges are performed. The experiments characterize material and structural creep under centric compression as well as bending-induced tensile cracking and the interaction between creep and cracking of concrete hinges. As for the latter two aims, three nominally identical concrete hinges are subjected to short-term and to longer-term eccentric compression tests. Obtained material and structural creep functions referring to centric compression are found to be very similar. The structural creep activity under eccentric compression is significantly larger because of the interaction between creep and cracking, i.e. bending-induced cracks progressively open and propagate under sustained eccentric loading. As for concrete hinges in frame-like integral bridge construction, it is concluded (i) that realistic simulation of variable loads requires consideration of the here-studied time-dependent behavior and (ii) that permanent compressive normal forces shall be limited by 45% of the ultimate load carrying capacity, in order to avoid damage of concrete hinges under sustained loading.

Quantitative study on crack of meso-damage and fracture concrete ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

lysis of the meso-fracture process of concrete materials is performed. ... the result of the accumulation and development of damage and cracks at the meso-level. ... characteristics of concrete under uniaxial compression used fractal theory, and ...

Neutron imaging of water penetration into cracked steel reinforced concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, P.; Wittmann, F.H.; Zhao, T.; Lehmann, E.H.

2010-01-01

Service life and durability of reinforced concrete structures have become a crucial issue because of the economical and ecological implications. Service life of reinforced concrete structures is often limited by penetration of water and chemical compounds dissolved in water into the porous cement-based material. By now it is well-known that cracks in reinforced concrete are preferential paths for ingress of aggressive substances. Neutron radiography was successfully applied to study the process of water penetration into cracked steel reinforced concrete. In addition, the effectiveness of integral water repellent concrete to prevent ingress of water and salt solutions was investigated. Results are described in detail in this contribution. It will be shown that neutron radiography is a powerful method to visualize the process of water penetration into cracked and uncracked cement-based materials. On the basis of the obtained experimental data, it is possible to quantify the time-dependent water distributions in concrete with high accuracy and spatial resolution. It is of particular interest that penetration of water and salt solutions into damaged interfaces between concrete and steel can be visualized by means of neutron radiography. Deteriorating processes in cracked reinforced concrete structures can be studied in a completely new way. This advanced technology will help and find adequate ways to improve durability and service life of reinforced concrete structures. This will mean at the same time an essential contribution to improved sustainability.

High rate response of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concretes under direct tension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tran, Ngoc Thanh [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of); Tran, Tuan Kiet [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, 01 Vo Van Ngan, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam); Kim, Dong Joo, E-mail: djkim75@sejong.ac.kr [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-03-15

The tensile response of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concretes (UHPFRCs) at high strain rates (5–24 s{sup −} {sup 1}) was investigated. Three types of steel fibers, including twisted, long and short smooth steel fibers, were added by 1.5% volume content in an ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) with a compressive strength of 180 MPa. Two different cross sections, 25 × 25 and 25 × 50 mm{sup 2}, of tensile specimens were used to investigate the effect of the cross section area on the measured tensile response of UHPFRCs. Although all the three fibers generated strain hardening behavior even at high strain rates, long smooth fibers produced the highest tensile resistance at high rates whereas twisted fiber did at static rate. The breakages of twisted fibers were observed from the specimens tested at high strain rates unlike smooth steel fibers. The tensile behavior of UHPFRCs at high strain rates was clearly influenced by the specimen size, especially in post-cracking strength.

New Surface-Treatment Technique of Concrete Structures Using Crack Repair Stick with Healing Ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Tae-Ho; Kim, Hong-Gi; Ryou, Jae-Suk

2016-08-04

This study focused on the development of a crack repair stick as a new repair method along with self-healing materials that can be used to easily repair the cracks in a concrete structure at the construction site. In developing this new repair technique, the self-healing efficiency of various cementitious materials was considered. Likewise, a crack repair stick was developed to apply to concrete structures with 0.3 mm or lower crack widths. The crack repair stick was made with different materials, such as cement, an expansive material (C 12 A₇), a swelling material, and calcium carbonate, to endow it with a self-healing property. To verify the performance of the crack repair stick for concrete structures, two types of procedures (field experiment and field absorption test) were carried out. As a result of such procedures, it was concluded that the developed crack repair stick could be used on concrete structures to reduce repair expenses and for the improved workability, usability, and serviceability of such structures. On the other hand, to evaluate the self-healing performance of the crack repair stick, various tests were conducted, such as the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity test, the water tightness test, the water permeability test, observation via a microscope, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. From the results, it is found that water leakage can be prevented and that the durability of a concrete structure can be improved through self-healing. Also, it was verified that the cracks were perfectly closed after 28 days due to application of the crack repair stick. These results indicate the usability of the crack repair stick for concrete structures, and its self-healing efficiency.

Cracking in autoclaved aerated concrete: Experimental investigation and XFEM modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferretti, D.; Michelini, E.; Rosati, G.

2015-01-01

The paper aims to investigate and model cracking development in beams and deep-beams made of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). Fracture mechanics of AAC has been first studied by performing three-point bending tests on beams, similar to those commonly used for ordinary concrete elements. In some of these tests, crack growth has been also monitored by using ESPI laser technique. In this way, it has been possible to calibrate the main parameters of a proper cohesive law by means of extended finite element inverse analysis. Subsequently, cracking tests have been also performed on deep-beams, whose behavior is more representative of full scale walls. To validate the proposed cohesive law, deep-beam experimental behavior has been finally simulated through XFEM

Cracking in autoclaved aerated concrete: Experimental investigation and XFEM modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferretti, D., E-mail: daniele.ferretti@unipr.it [Department of Civil, Environmental, Land Management Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, P.co Area delle Scienze 181/A, 43124 Parma (Italy); Michelini, E. [Department of Civil, Environmental, Land Management Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, P.co Area delle Scienze 181/A, 43124 Parma (Italy); Rosati, G. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy)

2015-01-15

The paper aims to investigate and model cracking development in beams and deep-beams made of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). Fracture mechanics of AAC has been first studied by performing three-point bending tests on beams, similar to those commonly used for ordinary concrete elements. In some of these tests, crack growth has been also monitored by using ESPI laser technique. In this way, it has been possible to calibrate the main parameters of a proper cohesive law by means of extended finite element inverse analysis. Subsequently, cracking tests have been also performed on deep-beams, whose behavior is more representative of full scale walls. To validate the proposed cohesive law, deep-beam experimental behavior has been finally simulated through XFEM.

Concrete performance using low-degradation aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

The durability of Portland cement concrete (PCC) has long been identified as a concern by transportation communities around the United States. In this study, the long-term performance of two batches of concrete incorporating either low-degradation (L...

Shear crack propagation in MBC strengthened concrete beams”

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Täljsten, Björn; Blanksvärd, Thomas; Carolin, Anders

2008-01-01

thermal compatibility to the base concrete and are often sensitive to the surface nature and surrounding temperature. By using mineral based composites (MBC) some of these challenges can be overcome. MBC refers here to a cementitious bonding agent and a carbon FRP grid. This paper is a part of an ongoing......Repair and upgrading existing concrete structures using FRPs and an epoxy adhesive as the bonding agent has some disadvantages when it comes to compatibility to the base concrete. Epoxies are often restricted by regulations of use, have low permeability which may create freeze/thaw problems, poor...... study of MBC systems. Emphasis is placed on the cracking behavior of the MBC system used for shear strengthening of RC beams. Traditional foil strain gauges and photometric measurements have been used for monitoring of the cracking behavior. In this study it is shown that the use of mineral based shear...

Cracking in concrete-debonding length at the concrete/steel interface

OpenAIRE

Kjeldby, Liv Brox

2016-01-01

Investigation of the debonding length at the concrete/steel interface have been investigated based on different types of cracks in concrete. Different methods for investigation have been used in the laboratory.

Analysis of production factors in high performance concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilberto Carbonari

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The incorporation of silica fume and superplasticizers in high strength and high performance concrete, along with a low water-cement ratio, leads to significant changes in the workability and the energy needed to homogenize and compact the concrete. Moreover, several aspects of concrete production that are not critical for conventional concrete are important for high strength concrete. This paper will discuss the need for controlling the humidity of the aggregates, optimizing the mixing sequence used in the fabrication, and the slump loss. The application of a silica fume concrete in typical building columns will be analyzed considering the required consolidation, the variability of the material strength within the structural element and the relation between core and molded specimen strength. Comparisons will also be made with conventional concrete.

Evaluation of concrete bridge mix designs for control of cracking, phase I.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

Cracking of concrete is a common problem with concrete structures such as bridge decks, pavements and bridge : rail. The Agency of Transportation (VTrans) has recently invested in higher performing concrete mixes that are : more impervious and has hi...

Constitutive equations for cracked reinforced concrete based on a refined model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geistefeldt, H.

1977-01-01

Nonlinear numerical methods to calculate structures of reinforced concrete or of prestressed concrete are mostly based on two idealizing assumptions: tension stiffness perpendicular to cracks is equal to the stiffness of reinforcement alone and shear modulus is taken as constant. In real reinforced concrete structures concrete contributes to the tension-stiffness perpendicular to cracks and thus to the global stiffness matrix because of bond action between concrete and reinforcement and shear transfer in cracks is depending on stresses acting in cracks. Only few authors are taking these aspects into account and only with rough semiempirical assumptions. In this paper a refined nonlinear three-dimensional mechanical model for reinforced concrete is presented which can include these effects, hitherto neglected, depending on the given state of stress. The model is composed of three model-elements: component u - uncracked reinforced concrete with perfect bond (stiffness equal to the sum of the stiffnesses of concrete and reinforcement), component r - reinforcement free in surrounding concrete (reinforcement and concrete are having equal normal strains in noncracked directions and equal shear strains), component c - crack-part (shear stiffnesses in cracks is equal to the sum of shear stiffnesses of the reinforcement mesh, interface shear transfer and dowel action in cracks). (Auth.)

CRACK2 - Modelling calcium carbonate deposition from bicarbonate solution in cracks in concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brodersen, K.

2003-03-01

The numerical CRACK2 model simulates precipitation of calcite from calcium bicarbonate solution (e.g. groundwater) passing through cracks in concrete or other cementitious materials. A summary of experimental work is followed by a detailed description of the model. Hydroxyl ions are transported by diffusion in pore systems in columns of cementitious materials. The hydroxyl is precipitating calcite from a flow of bicarbonate solution in a crack connecting the ends of a row of such columns. The cementitious material is simulated as calcium hydroxide mixed with inert material but with sodium hydroxide dissolved in the pore solution. Diffusive migration of cesium as radioactive isotope is also considered. Electrical interaction of the migrating ions is taken into account. Example calculations demonstrate effects of parameter variations on distribution of precipitated calcite in the crack and on the composition of the outflowing solution, which can be compared directly with experimental results. Leaching behavior of sodium can be used to tune the model to experimental observations. The calcite is mostly precipitated on top of the original crack surface and may under certain circumstances fill the crack. The produced thin layers of low porosity calcite act as a diffusion barrier limiting contact between cement and solution. Pore closure mechanisms in such layers are discussed. Implications for safety assessment of radioactive waste disposal are shortly mentioned. The model is also relevant for conventional uses of concrete. (au)

Experimental study on the leakage of gas through cracked concrete walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, T.; Takiguchi, K.; Hotta, H.; Kojima, N.; Fukuhara, M.; Kimura, K.

1989-01-01

The air-tightness of concrete walls is important for nuclear-related facilities. A concrete wall has very high probabilities of developing cracks due to shrinkage, seismic forces or other factors. It is therefore essential to be able to predict the amount of gas which will leak through a cracked concrete wall. In the previous paper published in SmiRT-9, the experimental equation on the gas leakage through a single crack occurred in concrete was presented based on two-dimensional Poiseuille's flow. In this paper, the experimental results were examined again considering the compressibility of gas, and new equation is presented. The experiments which were similar to ones in the previous paper were carried out on several kinds of concrete using several kinds of gases, and the effects of the kinds of gaseous body, particle size of aggregates and shape of aggregates were examined

Development and layout of a protocol for the field performance of concrete deck and crack sealers.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

The main objective of this project was to develop and layout a protocol for the long-term monitoring and assessment of the performance of concrete deck and crack sealants in the field. To accomplish this goal, a total of six bridge decks were chosen ...

Crack classification in concrete beams using AE parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Bahari, N. A. A. S.; Shahidan, S.; Abdullah, S. R.; Ali, N.; Zuki, S. S. Mohd; Ibrahim, M. H. W.; Rahim, M. A.

2017-11-01

The acoustic emission (AE) technique is an effective tool for the evaluation of crack growth. The aim of this study is to evaluate crack classification in reinforced concrete beams using statistical analysis. AE has been applied for the early monitoring of reinforced concrete structures using AE parameters such as average frequency, rise time, amplitude counts and duration. This experimental study focuses on the utilisation of this method in evaluating reinforced concrete beams. Beam specimens measuring 150 mm × 250 mm × 1200 mm were tested using a three-point load flexural test using Universal Testing Machines (UTM) together with an AE monitoring system. The results indicated that RA value can be used to determine the relationship between tensile crack and shear movement in reinforced concrete beams.

Analysis of crack propagation in concrete structures with structural information entropy

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2010-01-01

The propagation of cracks in concrete structures causes energy dissipation and release, and also causes energy redistribution in the structures. Entropy can characterize the energy redistribution. To investigate the relation between the propagation of cracks and the entropy in concrete structures, cracked concrete structures are treated as dissipative structures. Structural information entropy is defined for concrete structures. A compact tension test is conducted. Meanwhile, numerical simulations are also carried out. Both the test and numerical simulation results show that the structural information entropy in the structures can characterize the propagation of cracks in concrete structures.

Influence of cracks on rebar corrosion in carbonated concretes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghantous, R.M.; L'Hostis, V.; Poyet, S.; Francois, R.; Tran, N.C.

2015-01-01

This paper presents an experimental program allowing the determination of the effect of pre-cracks and their orientations on both initiation and propagation of reinforcement steel corrosion due to carbonation in different environmental conditions, in order to propose an operational model allowing the evaluation of the kinetic of corrosion of the reinforcement steel in cooling towers of nuclear power plants. The cracking mode that generates cracks which are representative of those appearing on the cooling towers is a three-point bending test performed on prismatic samples of 7*7*28 cm 3 size with 6 mm steel bars. The length of damaged steel / concrete interface, which appears following a three-point bending test, is then quantified. This length could be determining in the initiation and the propagation of corrosion. Results show that this length is dependent on the residual crack opening and that the length of damaged interface in its lower part is larger than that on the upper part due to the Top Bar effect. After cracking, the samples will be exposed to carbon dioxide to ensure carbonation of the steel bar localized at the bottom of the crack and the concrete/steel interface, damaged by the load applied during the three-point bending test. After carbonation of the interface, samples will be submitted to corrosion in different environmental conditions whose effect on the kinetics of corrosion will be determined. The work done so far permits the definition of the cracking protocol (three points bending) that allows obtaining cracks which are representative of those existing on cooling towers. Moreover, the length of steel/concrete damaged interface with respect to crack opening is quantified. It was found that this length is proportional to the crack opening. In addition, it was shown that the Top Bar effect increases the damaged interface length at the lower part of steel bars

Monitoring of pre-release cracks in prestressed concrete using fiber optic sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Jaber, Hiba; Glisic, Branko

2015-04-01

Prestressed concrete experiences low to no tensile stresses, which results in limiting the occurrence of cracks in prestressed concrete structures. However, the nature of construction of these structures requires the concrete not to be subjected to the compressive force from the prestressing tendons until after it has gained sufficient compressive strength. Although the structure is not subjected to any dead or live load during this period, it is influenced by shrinkage and thermal variations. Thus, the concrete can experience tensile stresses before the required compressive strength has been attained, which can result in the occurrence of "pre-release" cracks. Such cracks are visually closed after the transfer of the prestressing force. However, structural capacity and behavior can be impacted if cracks are not sufficiently closed. This paper researches a method for the verification of the status of pre-release cracks after transfer of the prestressing force, and it is oriented towards achievement of Level IV Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). The method relies on measurements from parallel long-gauge fiber optic sensors embedded in the concrete prior to pouring. The same sensor network is used for the detection and characterization of cracks, as well as the monitoring of the prestressing force transfer and the determination of the extent of closure of pre-release cracks. This paper outlines the researched method and presents its application to a real-life structure, the southeast leg of Streicker Bridge on the Princeton University campus. The application structure is a curved continuous girder that was constructed in 2009. Its deck experienced four pre-release cracks that were closed beyond the critical limits based on the results of this study.

Numerical modeling and experimental validation of seismic uplift pressure variations in cracked concrete dams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Javanmardi, F.; Leger, P. [Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, PQ (Canada). Dept. of Civil, Mining and Geological Engineering; Tinawi, R. [Quebec Univ., Montreal, PQ (Canada)

2004-07-01

Concrete dams could sustain cracking and damage during maximum design earthquakes (MDE). Dam safety guidelines are established so that dams maintain a stable condition following MDE oscillatory motions. In this study, a theoretical model was developed to calculate the uplift pressure variations along concrete cracks with moving walls. The proposed model was verified using experimental crack test data. The model was applied in a finite element computer program for dynamic analysis of gravity dams considering hydro-mechanical water-crack coupling. An analysis of a typical 90 metre dam subjected to low and high frequency sinusoidal accelerations demonstrated that water can penetrate into part of a seismically initiated crack. Pressure tends to develop in a region close to the crack mouth, therefore detrimental effects for the global dam stability are unlikely to occur. The study showed that the seismic uplift force during the heel crack opening mode is small compared to the dam weight. This preliminary study suggests that the critical sliding safety factors (SSF) of the dam against downstream sliding could be computed by considering zero uplift pressure in the crack region subjected to tensile opening. 14 refs., 1 tab., 7 figs.

Modeling of crack propagation in strengthened concrete disks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Christian Skodborg; Stang, Henrik

2013-01-01

Crack propagation in strengthened concrete disks is a problem that has not yet been addressed properly. To investigate it, a cracked half-infinite disk of concrete is strengthened with a linear elastic material bonded to the surface, and analyzed using two different finite element modeling...... instead of 3D calculations to predict the response of a structure and that it opens up for simpler evaluation of strengthened concrete structures using the finite element method....

Crack width monitoring of concrete structures based on smart film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Benniu; Wang, Shuliang; Li, Xingxing; Zhang, Xu; Yang, Guang; Qiu, Minfeng

2014-01-01

Due to its direct link to structural security, crack width is thought to be one of the most important parameters reflecting damage conditions of concrete structures. However, the width problem is difficult to solve with the existing structural health monitoring methods. In this paper, crack width monitoring by means of adhering enameled copper wires with different ultimate strains on the surface of structures is proposed, based on smart film crack monitoring put forward by the present authors. The basic idea of the proposed method is related to a proportional relationship between the crack width and ultimate strain of the broken wire. Namely, when a certain width of crack passes through the wire, some low ultimate strain wires will be broken and higher ultimate strain wires may stay non-broken until the crack extends to a larger scale. Detection of the copper wire condition as broken or non-broken may indicate the width of the structural crack. Thereafter, a multi-layered stress transfer model and specimen experiment are performed to quantify the relationship. A practical smart film is then redesigned with this idea and applied to Chongqing Jiangjin Yangtze River Bridge. (paper)

Crack width monitoring of concrete structures based on smart film

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Benniu; Wang, Shuliang; Li, Xingxing; Zhang, Xu; Yang, Guang; Qiu, Minfeng

2014-04-01

Due to its direct link to structural security, crack width is thought to be one of the most important parameters reflecting damage conditions of concrete structures. However, the width problem is difficult to solve with the existing structural health monitoring methods. In this paper, crack width monitoring by means of adhering enameled copper wires with different ultimate strains on the surface of structures is proposed, based on smart film crack monitoring put forward by the present authors. The basic idea of the proposed method is related to a proportional relationship between the crack width and ultimate strain of the broken wire. Namely, when a certain width of crack passes through the wire, some low ultimate strain wires will be broken and higher ultimate strain wires may stay non-broken until the crack extends to a larger scale. Detection of the copper wire condition as broken or non-broken may indicate the width of the structural crack. Thereafter, a multi-layered stress transfer model and specimen experiment are performed to quantify the relationship. A practical smart film is then redesigned with this idea and applied to Chongqing Jiangjin Yangtze River Bridge.

Quantitative study on crack of meso-damage and fracture concrete ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

1School of Civil Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710061, China. 2Institute of Geotechnical ... lysis of the meso-fracture process of concrete materials is performed. The results demonstrate that the ... realize the quantitative analysis of micro cracks of concrete material (Ammouche et al 2000). The whole CT images of ...

Concrete cover cracking due to uniform reinforcement corrosion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solgaard, Anders Ole Stubbe; Michel, Alexander; Geiker, Mette Rica

2013-01-01

and reinforcement de-passivation is a frequently used limit state. The present paper investigates an alternative limit state: corrosion-induced cover cracking. Results from numerical simulations of concrete cover cracking due to reinforcement corrosion are presented. The potential additional service life...... is calculated using literature data on corrosion rate and Faraday’s law. The parameters varied comprise reinforcement diameter, concrete cover thickness and concrete material properties, viz. concrete tensile strength and ductility (plain concrete and fibre reinforced concrete). Results obtained from......Service life design (SLD) is an important tool for civil engineers to ensure that the structural integrity and functionality of the structure is not compromised within a given time frame, i.e. the service life. In SLD of reinforced concrete structures, reinforcement corrosion is of major concern...

Cracking in Flexural Reinforced Concrete Members

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Annette Beedholm; Fisker, Jakob; Hagsten, Lars German

2017-01-01

The system of cracks developing in reinforced concrete is in many aspects essential when modelling structures in both serviceability- and ultimate limit state. This paper discusses the behavior concerning crack development in flexural members observed from tests and associates it with two different...... existing models. From the investigations an approach is proposed on how to predict the crack pattern in flexural members involving two different crack systems; primary flexural cracks and local secondary cracks. The results of the approach is in overall good agreement with the observed tests and captures...... the pronounced size effect associated with flexural cracking in which the crack spacing and crack widths are approximately proportional to the depth of the member....

Research on the technologies of cracking-resistance of mass concrete in subway station

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Yanmin; Li, Shujin; Jiang, Guoquan; Shi, Xiaoqing; Yang, Zhu; Zhu, Zhihang

2018-03-01

This paper takes the theory of multi-field coupling and the model of hydration-temperature-humidity-constraint to assess the effect of cracking-resistance on structural concrete and optimize the controlling index of crack resistance. The effect is caused by structure, material and construction, etc. The preparation technology of high cracking-resistance concrete is formed through the researching on the temperature rising and deformation over the controlling influence of new anti-cracking materials and technologies. A series of technologies on anti-cracking and waterproof in underground structural concrete of urban rail transit are formed based on the above study. The technologies include design, construction, materials and monitoring. Those technologies are used in actual engineering to improve the quality of urban rail transit and this brings significant economic and social benefits.

Testing of High Thermal Cycling Stability of Low Strength Concrete as a Thermal Energy Storage Material

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Wu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Concrete has the potential to become a solution for thermal energy storage (TES integrated in concentrating solar power (CSP systems due to its good thermal and mechanical properties and low cost of material. In this study, a low strength concrete (C20 is tested at high temperatures up to 600 °C. Specimens are thermally cycled at temperatures in the range of 400–300 °C, 500–300 °C, and 600–300 °C, which TES can reach in operation. For comparison, specimens also cycled at temperature in the range of 400–25 °C (room temperature, 500–25 °C, and 600–25 °C. It is found from the test results that cracks are not observed on the surfaces of concrete specimens until the temperature is elevated up to 500 °C. There is mechanical deterioration of concrete after exposure to high temperature, especially to high thermal cycles. The residual compressive strength of concrete after 10 thermal cycles between 600 °C and 300 °C is about 58.3%, but the specimens remain stable without spalling, indicating possible use of low strength concrete as a TES material.

Smart Crack Control in Concrete through Use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs): A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Šavija, Branko

2018-04-24

Cracks in concrete structures present a threat to their durability. Therefore, numerous research studies have been devoted to reducing concrete cracking. In recent years, a new approach has been proposed for controlling temperature related cracking—utilization of phase change materials (PCMs) in concrete. Through their ability to capture heat, PCMs can offset temperature changes and reduce gradients in concrete structures. Nevertheless, they can also influence concrete properties. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the literature devoted to using PCMs to control temperature related cracking in concrete. First, types of PCMs and ways of incorporation in concrete are discussed. Then, possible uses of PCMs in concrete technology are discussed. Further, the influences of PCMs on concrete properties (fresh, hardened, durability) are discussed in detail. This is followed by a discussion of modelling techniques for PCM-concrete composites and their performance. Finally, a summary and the possible research directions for future work are given. This overview aims to assure the researchers and asset owners of the potential of this maturing technology and bring it one step closer to practical application.

Nonlinear Analysis for the Crack Control of SMA Smart Concrete Beam Based on a Bidirectional B-Spline QR Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Li

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A bidirectional B-spline QR method (BB-sQRM for the study on the crack control of the reinforced concrete (RC beam embedded with shape memory alloy (SMA wires is presented. In the proposed method, the discretization is performed with a set of spline nodes in two directions of the plane model, and structural displacement fields are constructed by the linear combination of the products of cubic B-spline interpolation functions. To derive the elastoplastic stiffness equation of the RC beam, an explicit form is utilized to express the elastoplastic constitutive law of concrete materials. The proposed model is compared with the ANSYS model in several numerical examples. The results not only show that the solutions given by the BB-sQRM are very close to those given by the finite element method (FEM but also prove the high efficiency and low computational cost of the BB-sQRM. Meanwhile, the five parameters, such as depth-span ratio, thickness of concrete cover, reinforcement ratio, prestrain, and eccentricity of SMA wires, are investigated to learn their effects on the crack control. The results show that depth-span ratio of RC beams and prestrain and eccentricity of SMA wires have a significant influence on the control performance of beam cracks.

Nondestructive estimation of depth of surface opening cracks in concrete beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arne, Kevin; In, Chiwon; Kurtis, Kimberly; Kim, Jin-Yeon; Jacobs, Laurence J.

2014-01-01

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials and thus assessment of damage in concrete structures is of the utmost importance from both a safety point of view and a financial point of view. Of particular interest are surface opening cracks that extend through the concrete cover, as this can expose the steel reinforcement bars underneath and induce corrosion in them. This corrosion can lead to significant subsequent damage in concrete such as cracking and delamination of the cover concrete as well as rust staining on the surface of concrete. Concrete beams are designed and constructed in such a way to provide crack depths up to around 13 cm. Two different types of measurements are made in-situ to estimate depths of real surface cracks (as opposed to saw-cut notches) after unloading: one based on the impact-echo method and the other one based on the diffuse ultrasonic method. These measurements are compared to the crack depth visually observed on the sides of the beams. Discussions are given as to the advantages and disadvantages of each method

Novel techniques for concrete curing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kovler, Konstantin; Jensen, Ole Mejlhede

2005-01-01

It is known that some high-strength/high-performance concretes (HSC/HPC) are prone to cracking at an early age unless special precautions are taken. The paper deals with the methods of curing as one of the main strategies to ensure good performance of concrete. Curing by both external (conventional......) and internal methods is reviewed and analyzed, among other methods of mitigating shrinkage and cracking of concrete. The focus is on the mitigation of autogenous shrinkage of low water to binder ratio (w/b) concrete by means of internal curing. The concepts of internal curing are based on using lightweight...... aggregate, superabsorbent polymers or water-soluble chemicals, which reduce water evaporation (so called "internal sealing"). These concepts have been intensively researched in the 90s, but still are not widespread among contractors and concrete suppliers. The differences between conventional methods...

Cracking in reinforced concrete structures due to imposed deformations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagy, A.

1997-04-01

This thesis is concerned with modeling of the cracking process in reinforced concrete due to imposed deformations. Cracking is investigated both at early ages, during hydration, and at mature age when the final properties of the concrete are reached. One of the most important material characteristics of the concrete at early ages, the Young`s modulus is determined by means of a dynamic method called the resonance frequency method. 40 refs

Danish High Performance Concretes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, M. P.; Christoffersen, J.; Frederiksen, J.

1994-01-01

In this paper the main results obtained in the research program High Performance Concretes in the 90's are presented. This program was financed by the Danish government and was carried out in cooperation between The Technical University of Denmark, several private companies, and Aalborg University...... concretes, workability, ductility, and confinement problems....

Crack widths in concrete with fibers and main reinforcement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Frede; Ulfkjær, Jens Peder; Brincker, Rune

2015-01-01

The main object of the research work presented in this paper is to establish design tools for concrete structures where main reinforcement is combined with addition of short discrete steel fibers. The work is concerned with calculating and measuring crack widths in structural elements subjected...... to bending load. Thus, the aim of the work is to enable engineers to calculate crack widths for flexural concrete members and analyze how different combinations of amounts of fibers and amounts of main reinforcement can meet a given maximum crack width requirement. A mathematical model including...... the ductility of the fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) is set up and experimental work is conducted in order to verify the crack width model. The ductility of the FRC is taken into account by using the stress crack width relation. The constitutive model for the FRC is based on the idea that the initial part...

Diagonal Cracking and Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Jin-Ping

1997-01-01

The shear failure of non-shear-reinforced concrete beams with normal shear span ratios is observed to be governed in general by the formation of a critical diagonal crack. Under the hypothesis that the cracking of concrete introduces potential yield lines which may be more dangerous than the ones...

anisotropic crack modelling of reinforced concrete structures with an enhanced kinematics: application to bidimensional elements under cyclic loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishta, Ejona

2016-01-01

Civil engineering buildings, massive and unique, are mostly made of reinforced or prestressed concrete. Sustainability, tightness and safety are the major pillars of a building's performance. Cracking is a major phenomenon which impacts the buildings' behaviour under different loadings in terms of sustainability and structural capacity. Development of numerical models which describe accurately the response of quasi-brittle materials under complex loading remains an important research topic for the scientific community. The objective of this work is the development of a numerical model which represents explicitly cracking of reinforced concrete structures. Concrete and reinforced concrete degradation process, characterised by the appearance of several anisotropic crack families, is described by means of an anisotropic damage model accounting for oriented crack families. The kinematics of this model is enriched with a displacement jump in order to reproduce the development of cracks in the material during loading. This displacement jump is identified as the crack opening. The developed model is validated on simulations of plain concrete structures exhibiting model as well as mixed-mode failure. The performances of the enriched model are shown by the simulation of reinforced concrete structures such as a shear wall submitted to cyclic loading. (author) [fr

Combined Effect of Initial Curing Temperature and Crack Width on Chloride Penetration in Reinforced Concrete Beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elkedrouci Lotfi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Reinforced concrete (RC structures are gradually being degraded all over the world, largely due to corrosion of the embedded steel bars caused by an attack of chloride penetration. Initial curing would be regarded as one factor influencing chloride diffusion in concrete in combination with cover cracking that is also of great attention for reinforced structures. In this study, a non-steady state diffusion test of chloride ion involving RC beam specimens with a water-to-cement ratio of 0.5, initial curing temperatures of 5°C or 20°C and three types of crack widths ranging from 0 to 0.2mm was performed. Chloride content at 5°C or was determined. The results show that the higher chloride content was obtained in condition of crack width large than 0.1mm with low initial curing temperature and there are no obvious differences in chloride content when the crack width was not larger than 0.1mm.

Steel fibre corrosion in cracks:durability of sprayed concrete

OpenAIRE

Nordström, Erik

2000-01-01

Steel fibre reinforced sprayed concrete is common practice for permanent linings in underground construction. Today there is a demand on "expected technical service life" of 120 years. Thin steel fibres could be expected to discontinue carrying load fast with a decrease of fibre diameter caused by corrosion, especially in cracks. The thesis contains results from inspections on existing sprayed concrete structures and a literature review on corrosion of steel fibres in cracked concrete. To stu...

Simulation of crack propagation in fiber-reinforced concrete by fracture mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jun; Li, Victor C.

2004-01-01

Mode I crack propagation in fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is simulated by a fracture mechanics approach. A superposition method is applied to calculate the crack tip stress intensity factor. The model relies on the fracture toughness of hardened cement paste (K IC ) and the crack bridging law, so-called stress-crack width (σ-δ) relationship of the material, as the fundamental material parameters for model input. As two examples, experimental data from steel FRC beams under three-point bending load are analyzed with the present fracture mechanics model. A good agreement has been found between model predictions and experimental results in terms of flexural stress-crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) diagrams. These analyses and comparisons confirm that the structural performance of concrete and FRC elements, such as beams in bending, can be predicted by the simple fracture mechanics model as long as the related material properties, K IC and (σ-δ) relationship, are known

Rigidity of reinforced concrete structures in the presence of different cracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iakovenko Igor

2017-01-01

Full Text Available It is proposed a method for rigidity calculating of reinforced concrete structures in the presence of cracks, suitable for rod and flat-strained concrete composite structures. It is based on the operating conditions and includes a new, more complete classification of the various cracks, models of a special crack, the calculation of the two-console model; a special cantilever model to determine the parameters of the joint between the concrete; calculation model of the block with the working section at the beginning and end of the crack to determine the horizontal (vertical projections of various cracks with the involvement of analytical relationships. They are based on the extremum of a function of many variables and Lagrange multipliers, as well as attracting level model of multi-level development of the various cracks, which allow to find the distance between the cracks and width of their disclosure, with considering the effect of discontinuities. This effect can greatly simplify the process of determining the rigidity of reinforced concrete structures (including composite ones, despite the complexity and diversity of the crack pattern.

Concrete Cracking Prediction Including the Filling Proportion of Strand Corrosion Products

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Dai, Lizhao; Zhang, Xuhui; Zhang, Jianren

2016-01-01

The filling of strand corrosion products during concrete crack propagation is investigated experimentally in the present paper. The effects of stirrups on the filling of corrosion products and concrete cracking are clarified. A prediction model of crack width is developed incorporating the filling proportion of corrosion products and the twisting shape of the strand. Experimental data on cracking angle, crack width, and corrosion loss obtained from accelerated corrosion tests of concrete beams are presented. The proposed model is verified by experimental data. Results show that the filling extent of corrosion products varies with crack propagation. The rust filling extent increases with the propagating crack until a critical width. Beyond the critical width, the rust-filling extent remains stable. Using stirrups can decrease the critical crack width. Stirrups can restrict crack propagation and reduce the rust filling. The tangent of the cracking angle increases with increasing corrosion loss. The prediction of corrosion-induced crack is sensitive to the rust-filling extent. PMID:28772367

Constitutive equations for cracked reinforced concrete based on a refined model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geistefeldt, H.

1977-01-01

In this paper a refined nonlinear three-dimensional mechanical model for reinforced concrete is presented which can include the effects, depending on the given state of stress. The model is composed of three model-elements: component u-uncracked reinforced concrete with perfect bond (stiffness equal to the sum of the stiffnesses of concrete and reinforcement), component r-reinforcement free in surrounding concrete (reinforcement and concrete are having equal normal strains in noncracked directions and equal shear strains), component c-crack-part (shear stiffnesses in cracks is equal to the sum of shear stiffnesses of the reinforcement mesh, interface shear transfer and dowel action in cracks). The stress tensor of all components is equal to the global stress tensor. The strains are different from component to component corresponding to the local strain distribution in cracked reinforced concrete. For example the uniaxial behavior of reinforced concrete is modelled out of three springs k(u), k(r) and k(c) in series each having variable length l(u), l(r) or l(c). The uncracked structure is represented by k(u) only, l(r) and l(c) are zero. After cracking l(r) and l(c) are growing with the tensile load. When concrete tension stiffness between cracks has diminished, l(u) has reached the zero-value. The stress-dependent weights of the components in the model are derived from uniaxial theory and uniaxial test results

Experimental methods for consideration of concrete cracking in service life design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pease, Bradley Justin; Geiker, Mette Rica; Stang, Henrik

2011-01-01

.e., concrete with cracks at start of service) and to more accurately estimate time-to-cracking due to reinforcement corrosion based on experimental measurements. This paper presents two non-destructive measurement techniques with potential to quantify the impact concrete cracks have on service life...

Seismic Performance of High-Ductile Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Short Columns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingke Deng

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This study mainly aims to investigate the effectiveness of high-ductile fiber-reinforced concrete (HDC as a means to enhance the seismic performance of short columns. Six HDC short columns and one reinforced concrete (RC short column were designed and tested under lateral cyclic loading. The influence of the material type (concrete or HDC, axial load, stirrup ratio, and shear span ratio on crack patterns, hysteresis behavior, shear strength, deformation capacity, energy dissipation, and stiffness degradation was presented and discussed, respectively. The test results show that the RC short column failed in brittle shear with poor energy dissipation, while using HDC to replace concrete can effectively improve the seismic behavior of the short columns. Compared with the RC short column, the shear strength of HDC specimens was improved by 12.6–30.2%, and the drift ratio and the energy dissipation increases were 56.9–88.5% and 237.7–336.7%, respectively, at the ultimate displacement. Additionally, the prediction model of the shear strength for RC columns based on GB50010-2010 (Chinese code can be safely adopted to evaluate the shear strength of HDC short columns.

Causes of Early-Age Thermal Cracking of Concrete Foundation Slabs and their Reinforcement to Control the Cracking

Science.gov (United States)

Bilčík, Juraj; Sonnenschein, Róbert; Gažovičová, Natália

2017-09-01

This paper focuses on the causes and consequences of early-age cracking of mass concrete foundation slabs due to restrained volume changes. Considering the importance of water leaking through cracks in terms of the serviceability, durability and environmental impact of watertight concrete structures, emphasis is placed on the effect of temperature loads on foundation slabs. Foundation slabs are usually restrained to some degree externally or internally. To evaluate the effect of external restraints on foundation slabs, friction and interaction models are introduced. The reinforcement of concrete cannot prevent the initiation of cracking, but when cracking has occurred, it may act to reduce the spacing and width of cracks. According to EN 1992-1-1, results of calculating crack widths with local variations included in National Annexes (NAs) vary considerably. A comparison of the required reinforcement areas according to different NAs is presented.

Causes of Early Age Cracking on Concrete Bridge Deck Expansion Joint Repair Sections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jared R. Wright

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cracking of newly placed binary Portland cement-slag concrete adjacent to bridge deck expansion dam replacements has been observed on several newly rehabilitated sections of bridge decks. This paper investigates the causes of cracking by assessing the concrete mixtures specified for bridge deck rehabilitation projects, as well as reviewing the structural design of decks and the construction and curing methods implemented by the contractors. The work consists of (1 a comprehensive literature review of the causes of cracking on bridge decks, (2 a review of previous bridge deck rehabilitation projects that experienced early-age cracking along with construction observations of active deck rehabilitation projects, and (3 an experimental evaluation of the two most commonly used bridge deck concrete mixtures. Based on the literature review, the causes of concrete bridge deck cracking can be classified into three categories: concrete material properties, construction practices, and structural design factors. The most likely causes of the observed early-age cracking were found to be inadequate curing and failure to properly eliminate the risk of plastic shrinkage cracking. These results underscore the significance of proper moist curing methods for concrete bridge decks, including repair sections. This document also provides a blueprint for future researchers to investigate early-age cracking of concrete structures.

Initiation and propagation of rebar corrosion in carbonated and cracked concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghantous, Rita-Maria

2016-01-01

This thesis aims to study the carbonation-induced corrosion initiation and propagation in cracked concrete under different conditions. It is performed in the framework of concrete ageing management of cooling towers of Electricity of France (EDF) nuclear power plants. Indeed some of them can be affected by cracks which may promote the carbonation of the concrete surrounding the cracks and induce a rapid reinforcement corrosion initiation in the carbonated area. Firstly, cracks representative of those encountered in the cooling towers concrete are reproduced on laboratory specimens using the three point bending test. Three crack openings are obtained (100 μm, 300 μm and 500 μm). Cracked specimens are thereafter exposed to accelerated carbonation for two aims. First for the acceleration of the concrete neutralization phase which ensure the suitable thermodynamic conditions for active corrosion initiation. Second, for the estimation of the length of the mechanically damaged steel/binder interface supposed to be comparable to the carbonated length along the rebar on both sides of the crack. It is found that carbonation at 50% CO_2 is not suitable here because it overestimated the damaged zone length, maybe due to enhanced carbonation shrinkage. The second part aims to investigate the corrosion initiation and propagation phases while varying several parameters. For this purpose, cracked and carbonated specimens are subjected to corrosion under different exposure conditions. Specimens showing different crack widths and different types of binder are corroded in a reference test in which 30 minutes of rain occurs each 3 days at 20 C. Additionally, some corrosion tests are realized under raining/drying cycles for 3 minutes rain, other at 40 C and other in natural environmental conditions. Moreover, some cracked specimens are exposed in different orientations with respect to rain. Furthermore, specimens with different bars locations are prepared in order to investigate

High performance concretes applied to hazardous wastes disposal; Concretos de alto desempenho aplicados a repositorios de rejeitos solidos perigosos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Claudio A. Rigo da; Vasconcelos, Wander L. [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Materiais e Construcao; Reis, Rubens J. P. [FUMEC Fundacao Mineira de Educacao e Cultura, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia e Arquitetura; Lameiras, Fernando S. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2000-07-01

Materials used as engineering barriers for solid waste disposal requires structures which avoid diffusion of dangerous elements to the environment, as well as the incorporation of external agents in the disposal. Concretes represent a good choice for making engineering barriers due to their low cost and ease of fabrication. In order to promote a low deterioration rate it is necessary to decrease crack formation and flow of water and ions through the concrete matrix, which may be accomplished using concretes of low porosity and high compression strengths. In this work, a concrete C35 (characteristic compression strength between 35 and 39 MPa, NBR 8953 standard) was submitted to accelerated deterioration tests by sulfates, carbonates and gamma radiation. We observed that the concrete kept its mechanical properties after the deterioration tests carried out. A microstructural evaluation revealed low porosity and strong cohesion of the components. (author)

Effectiveness of Fiber Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties and Shrinkage Cracking of Recycled Fine Aggregate Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Jeongsoo; Kim, Gyuyong; Yoo, Jaechul; Choe, Gyeongcheol; Kim, Hongseop; Choi, Hyeonggil; Kim, Youngduck

2016-01-01

This paper presents an experimental study conducted to investigate the effect of fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties and shrinkage cracking of recycled fine aggregate concrete (RFAC) with two types of fiber—polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and nylon. A small fiber volume fraction, such as 0.05% or 0.1%, in RFAC with polyvinyl alcohol or nylon fibers was used for optimum efficiency in minimum quantity. Additionally, to make a comparative evaluation of the mechanical properties and shrinkage cracking, we examined natural fine aggregate concrete as well. The test results revealed that the addition of fibers and fine aggregates plays an important role in improving the mechanical performance of the investigated concrete specimens as well as controlling their cracking behavior. The mechanical properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength of fiber-reinforced RFAC were slightly better than those of non-fiber-reinforced RFAC. The shrinkage cracking behavior was examined using plat-ring-type and slab-type tests. The fiber-reinforced RFAC showed a greater reduction in the surface cracks than non-fiber-reinforced concrete. The addition of fibers at a small volume fraction in RFAC is more effective for drying shrinkage cracks than for improving mechanical performance. PMID:28773256

Effectiveness of Fiber Reinforcement on the Mechanical Properties and Shrinkage Cracking of Recycled Fine Aggregate Concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Jeongsoo; Kim, Gyuyong; Yoo, Jaechul; Choe, Gyeongcheol; Kim, Hongseop; Choi, Hyeonggil; Kim, Youngduck

2016-02-26

This paper presents an experimental study conducted to investigate the effect of fiber reinforcement on the mechanical properties and shrinkage cracking of recycled fine aggregate concrete (RFAC) with two types of fiber-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and nylon. A small fiber volume fraction, such as 0.05% or 0.1%, in RFAC with polyvinyl alcohol or nylon fibers was used for optimum efficiency in minimum quantity. Additionally, to make a comparative evaluation of the mechanical properties and shrinkage cracking, we examined natural fine aggregate concrete as well. The test results revealed that the addition of fibers and fine aggregates plays an important role in improving the mechanical performance of the investigated concrete specimens as well as controlling their cracking behavior. The mechanical properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength of fiber-reinforced RFAC were slightly better than those of non-fiber-reinforced RFAC. The shrinkage cracking behavior was examined using plat-ring-type and slab-type tests. The fiber-reinforced RFAC showed a greater reduction in the surface cracks than non-fiber-reinforced concrete. The addition of fibers at a small volume fraction in RFAC is more effective for drying shrinkage cracks than for improving mechanical performance.

Measures against concrete cracking in underground type light oil tank pit construction work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koike, Takeo; Kadowaki, Kazuhiko; Date, Masanao

2017-01-01

The underground type light oil tank pit set at Onagawa Nuclear Power Station is a tripartite underground pit structure made of reinforced concrete. This is a mass concrete made of deck slab / outer wall of 1.5 m in thickness and inner wall / top slab of 1.0 m in thickness. Since concrete placement season was July for the deck slab and October for the walls, the occurrence of thermal cracking was highly conceivable. As a result of investigating crack suppression measures based on the crack width of 0.2 mm or less as a guide, the application of fly ash cement and the addition of expansion material to the walls were judged effective and adopted. Thanks to these preliminary studies and careful construction control, it was possible to minimize the occurrence of cracks, but several through cracks of 0.2 mm or less were confirmed on part of the outer walls. As a countermeasure, repair by means of surface impregnation method was adopted, and quality and schedule could be secured. This paper outlines crack suppression measures and repair of the cracks that occurred after the implementation. (A.O.)

Concrete Crack Measurement and Analysis Based on Terrestrial Laser Scanning Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangyang Xu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS has become one of the potential technologies for an object three-dimensional (3D information acquisition. The using vibration analysis for early detection of cracks has gained popularity over the years and in the last decade substantial progress has been made in that direction. However, the crack detection using TLS is also a good method. In the experimental part of this study, the effect of crack width and location on modal properties of the beam was investigated. The recent paper provides a method for automatic concrete cracks detection from the data that was obtained by TLS. The method of cracks detection is achieved by six steps. The objective of this study is to analyze the crack of concrete beams both experimentally and using MATLAB analysis. Besides this, information about the width, location and percentage of cracks in cracked concrete beams can be obtained using this technique.

Causes of Early-Age Thermal Cracking of Concrete Foundation Slabs and their Reinforcement to Control the Cracking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bilčík Juraj

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the causes and consequences of early-age cracking of mass concrete foundation slabs due to restrained volume changes. Considering the importance of water leaking through cracks in terms of the serviceability, durability and environmental impact of watertight concrete structures, emphasis is placed on the effect of temperature loads on foundation slabs. Foundation slabs are usually restrained to some degree externally or internally. To evaluate the effect of external restraints on foundation slabs, friction and interaction models are introduced. The reinforcement of concrete cannot prevent the initiation of cracking, but when cracking has occurred, it may act to reduce the spacing and width of cracks. According to EN 1992-1-1, results of calculating crack widths with local variations included in National Annexes (NAs vary considerably. A comparison of the required reinforcement areas according to different NAs is presented.

Corrosion and Cracking of Reinforced Concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thoft-Christensen, Palle

Modelling of the deterioration of reinforced concrete has in recent years changed from being a deterministic modelling based on experience to be stochastic modelling based on sound and consistent physical, chemical and mechanical principles. In this paper is presented a brief review of modern mod...... for time to initial corrosion, time to initial cracking, and time to a given crack width may be obtained....

Balanced improvement of high performance concrete material properties with modified graphite nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Peyvandi, Amirpasha

Graphite nanomaterials offer distinct features for effective reinforcement of cementitious matrices in the pre-crack and post-crack ranges of behavior. Thoroughly dispersed and well-bonded nanomaterials provide for effective control of the size and propagation of defects (microcracks) in matrix, and also act as closely spaced barriers against diffusion of moisture and aggressive solutions into concrete. Modified graphite nanomaterials can play multi-faceted roles towards enhancing the mechanical, physical and functional attributes of concrete materials. Graphite nanoplatelets (GP) and carbon nanofibers (CNF) were chosen for use in cementitious materials. Experimental results highlighted the balanced gains in diverse engineering properties of high-performance concrete realized by introduction of graphite nanomaterials. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used in order to gain further insight into the effects of nanomaterials on the hydration process and structure of cement hydrates. NMR exploits the magnetic properties of certain atomic nuclei, and the sensitivity of these properties to local environments to generate data which enables determination of the internal structure, reaction state, and chemical environment of molecules and bulk materials. 27 Al and 29Si NMR spectroscopy techniques were employed in order to evaluate the effects of graphite nanoplatelets on the structure of cement hydrates, and their resistance to alkali-silica reaction (ASR), chloride ion diffusion, and sulfate attack. Results of 29Si NMR spectroscopy indicated that the percent condensation of C-S-H in cementitious paste was lowered in the presence of nanoplatelets at the same age. The extent of chloride diffusion was assessed indirectly by detecting Friedel's salt as a reaction product of chloride ions with aluminum-bearing cement hydrates. Graphite nanoplatelets were found to significantly reduce the concentration of Friedel's salt at different depths after various periods

Chloride ingress in cracked concrete : A laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Savija, B.; Schlangen, E.; Pacheco Farias, J.; Millar, S.; Eichler, T.; Wilsch, G.

2014-01-01

racks are always present in reinforced concrete structures. In the presented research, influence of mechanical cracks on chloride ingress is studied. A compact reinforced concrete specimen was designed, mimicking the cracking behaviour of beam elements. Cracks of different widths were induced by

Corrosion of steel in cracked concrete: a microscale study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pacheco, J.; Savija, B.; Schlangen, E.; Polder, R.B.

2014-01-01

The influence of concrete cracking upon reinforcement corrosion is complex. Cracks allow fast penetration of chlorides, potentially leading to a shorter initiation period of reinforcement corrosion. Structural regulations control acceptable crack width values based on the exposure class of the

Ground Glass Pozzolan in Conventional, High, and Ultra-High Performance Concrete

OpenAIRE

Tagnit-Hamou Arezki; Zidol Ablam; Soliman Nancy; Deschamps Joris; Omran Ahmed

2018-01-01

Ground-glass pozzolan (G) obtained by grinding the mixed-waste glass to same fineness of cement can act as a supplementary-cementitious material (SCM), given that it is an amorphous and a pozzolanic material. The G showed promising performances in different concrete types such as conventional concrete (CC), high-performance concrete (HPC), and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). The current paper reports on the characteristics and performance of G in these concrete types. The use of G pro...

Long-Term Performance of Silo Concrete in Low- and Intermediate-Level Waste (LILW) Disposal Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Hae Ryong; Kwon, Ki Jung; Lee, Seung Hyun; Lee, Sung Bok; Jeong, Yi Yeong; Yoon, Eui Sik; Kim, Do Gyeum

2012-01-01

Concrete has been considered one of the engineered barriers in the geological disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level wastes (LILW). The concrete plays major role as structural support, groundwater infiltration barrier, and transport barrier of radionuclides dissolved from radioactive wastes. It also works as a chemical barrier due to its high pH condition. However, the performance of the concrete structure decrease over a period of time because of several physical and chemical processes. After a long period of time in the future, the concrete would lose its effectiveness as a barrier against groundwater inflow and the release of radionuclides. An subsurface environment below the frost depth should be favorable for concrete longevity as temperature and moisture variation should be minimal, significantly reducing the potential of cracking due to drying shrinkage and thermal expansion and contraction. Therefore, the concrete structures of LILW disposal facilities below groundwater table are expected to have relatively longer service life than those of near-surface or surface concrete structures. LILW in Korea is considered to be disposed of in the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center which is under construction in geological formation. 100,000 waste packages are expected to be disposed in the 6 concrete silos below EL -80m in the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center as first stage. The concrete silo has been considered the main engineered barrier which plays a role to inhibit water inflow and the release of radionuclides to the environments. Although a number of processes are responsible for the degradation of the silo concrete, it is concluded that a reinforcing steel corrosion cause the failure of the silo concrete. Therefore, a concrete silo failure time is calculated based on a corrosion initiation time which takes for chloride ions to penetrate through the concrete cover, and a corrosion propagation time. This paper aims to analyze the concrete failure time in the

Long-Term Performance of Silo Concrete in Low- and Intermediate-Level Waste (LILW) Disposal Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Hae Ryong; Kwon, Ki Jung; Lee, Seung Hyun; Lee, Sung Bok; Jeong, Yi Yeong [Korea Radioactive-waste Management Corporation, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Eui Sik [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Do Gyeum [Korea Institute of Construction Technology, Goyang (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

Concrete has been considered one of the engineered barriers in the geological disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level wastes (LILW). The concrete plays major role as structural support, groundwater infiltration barrier, and transport barrier of radionuclides dissolved from radioactive wastes. It also works as a chemical barrier due to its high pH condition. However, the performance of the concrete structure decrease over a period of time because of several physical and chemical processes. After a long period of time in the future, the concrete would lose its effectiveness as a barrier against groundwater inflow and the release of radionuclides. An subsurface environment below the frost depth should be favorable for concrete longevity as temperature and moisture variation should be minimal, significantly reducing the potential of cracking due to drying shrinkage and thermal expansion and contraction. Therefore, the concrete structures of LILW disposal facilities below groundwater table are expected to have relatively longer service life than those of near-surface or surface concrete structures. LILW in Korea is considered to be disposed of in the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center which is under construction in geological formation. 100,000 waste packages are expected to be disposed in the 6 concrete silos below EL -80m in the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center as first stage. The concrete silo has been considered the main engineered barrier which plays a role to inhibit water inflow and the release of radionuclides to the environments. Although a number of processes are responsible for the degradation of the silo concrete, it is concluded that a reinforcing steel corrosion cause the failure of the silo concrete. Therefore, a concrete silo failure time is calculated based on a corrosion initiation time which takes for chloride ions to penetrate through the concrete cover, and a corrosion propagation time. This paper aims to analyze the concrete failure time in the

Monitoring water loss form fresh concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Ole Mejlhede

2006-01-01

Desiccation of concrete before or during setting may lead to detrimental plastic shrinkage cracking in the concrete surface zone. Cracking due to plastic shrinkage is a major technological problem for any concrete, however, modern high-performance concretes are especially susceptible to this...... determination of the evaporation loss from hardening concrete and thus better possibility for preventing curing problems, including detrimental crack damage due to plastic shrinkage....

STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF DEGRADED REINFORCED CONCRETE MEMBERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braverman, J.I.; Miller, C.A.; Ellingwood, B.R.; Naus, D.J.; Hofmayer, C.H.; Bezler, P.; Chang, T.Y.

2001-01-01

This paper describes the results of a study to evaluate, in probabilistic terms, the effects of age-related degradation on the structural performance of reinforced concrete members at nuclear power plants. The paper focuses on degradation of reinforced concrete flexural members and shear walls due to the loss of steel reinforcing area and loss of concrete area (cracking/spalling). Loss of steel area is typically caused by corrosion while cracking and spalling can be caused by corrosion of reinforcing steel, freeze-thaw, or aggressive chemical attack. Structural performance in the presence of uncertainties is depicted by a fragility (or conditional probability of failure). The effects of degradation on the fragility of reinforced concrete members are calculated to assess the potential significance of various levels of degradation. The fragility modeling procedures applied to degraded concrete members can be used to assess the effects of degradation on plant risk and can lead to the development of probability-based degradation acceptance limits

Numerical modelling of crack initiation and propagation in concrete structure under hydro-mechanical loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bian, H.B.; Jia, Y.; Shao, J.F.

2012-01-01

shrinkage in material as a result of variations of capillary pressure, surface tension or disjoining pressure. When the permeability of concrete is very low, the non uniform distribution of capillary pressure is generated and induces hydraulic gradient in the material. It is then necessary to take into account poro-mechanical coupling in partial conditions. The damage related to desiccation can be distinguished in two different processes. The first, called local effect, is related to micro-structural heterogeneity of cement-based materials. Local shear and tensile stresses can be generated at the grain scale, leading to nucleation and propagation of microcracks. In the second process, called structural effect, tensile strains or stress may be generated by non-uniform distribution of desiccation. Finally, with further coalescence of some of these defects results, the macroscopic cracks appear in the structure. After the initiation of these macro-cracks and fractures, they begin to propagate until the total failure of the structure. Thus, two failure phases could be distinguished: the inception and growth of micro-cracks and then the initiation and propagation of macroscopic discontinuous. For the first phase, the inception and growth of micro-cracks for the partially saturated porous media, a number of numerical modelling has been proposed. These works are mainly concerning the development the diffuse micro-cracks based on the continuum approaches. For avoiding pathological mesh dependence, these models generally require regularization, such as the famous non-local approach. From the computational standpoint, the numerical simulation of crack initiation and propagation in structures under mechanical loading, such as concrete beams, still represents a challenging work. More recently, in the framework of finite element methods, significant progress has been made, that is the use of extended finite element methods (XFEM) based on the partition of unity methods for the crack

Ground Glass Pozzolan in Conventional, High, and Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tagnit-Hamou Arezki

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Ground-glass pozzolan (G obtained by grinding the mixed-waste glass to same fineness of cement can act as a supplementary-cementitious material (SCM, given that it is an amorphous and a pozzolanic material. The G showed promising performances in different concrete types such as conventional concrete (CC, high-performance concrete (HPC, and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC. The current paper reports on the characteristics and performance of G in these concrete types. The use of G provides several advantages (technological, economical, and environmental. It reduces the production cost of concrete and decrease the carbon footprint of a traditional concrete structures. The rheology of fresh concrete can be improved due to the replacement of cement by non-absorptive glass particles. Strength and rigidity improvements in the concrete containing G are due to the fact that glass particles act as inclusions having a very high strength and elastic modulus that have a strengthening effect on the overall hardened matrix.

Ultra high performance concrete dematerialization study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-03-01

Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world and its use is expected to grow. It is well recognized that the production of portland cement results in the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas (GHG). The main challenge facing the industry is to produce concrete in an environmentally sustainable manner. Reclaimed industrial by-proudcts such as fly ash, silica fume and slag can reduce the amount of portland cement needed to make concrete, thereby reducing the amount of GHGs released to the atmosphere. The use of these supplementary cementing materials (SCM) can also enhance the long-term strength and durability of concrete. The intention of the EcoSmart{sup TM} Concrete Project is to develop sustainable concrete through innovation in supply, design and construction. In particular, the project focuses on finding a way to minimize the GHG signature of concrete by maximizing the replacement of portland cement in the concrete mix with SCM while improving the cost, performance and constructability. This paper describes the use of Ductal{sup R} Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) for ramps in a condominium. It examined the relationship between the selection of UHPC and the overall environmental performance, cost, constructability maintenance and operational efficiency as it relates to the EcoSmart Program. The advantages and challenges of using UHPC were outlined. In addition to its very high strength, UHPC has been shown to have very good potential for GHG emission reduction due to the reduced material requirements, reduced transport costs and increased SCM content. refs., tabs., figs.

Study on cold weather concreting using low-heat cement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hama, Yukio; Ryu Koto; Tomosawa, Fuminori

2004-01-01

In this paper, properties of frost damage at early age and strength development and thermal crack were studied, for purposes of application to the mass concrete of low-heat cement in cold weather, by means of concrete experiments and temperature analysis by finite element method. The experiments and the analysis result showed that the strength for resistance to frost damage at early age was 5N/mm 2 , the concrete strength correction value in terms of curing temperature was calculated approximately, and was effective in the resistance of thermal crack. And then, the application ranges of construction procedures were investigated. (author)

Effect of Aggregate Mineralogy and Concrete Microstructure on Thermal Expansion and Strength Properties of Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinwoo An

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aggregate type and mineralogy are critical factors that influence the engineering properties of concrete. Temperature variations result in internal volume changes could potentially cause a network of micro-cracks leading to a reduction in the concrete’s compressive strength. The study specifically studied the effect of the type and mineralogy of fine and coarse aggregates in the normal strength concrete properties. As performance measures, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE and compressive strength were tested with concrete specimens containing different types of fine aggregates (manufactured and natural sands and coarse aggregates (dolomite and granite. Petrographic examinations were then performed to determine the mineralogical characteristics of the aggregate and to examine the aggregate and concrete microstructure. The test results indicate the concrete CTE increases with the silicon (Si volume content in the aggregate. For the concrete specimens with higher CTE, the micro-crack density in the interfacial transition zone (ITZ tended to be higher. The width of ITZ in one of the concrete specimens with a high CTE displayed the widest core ITZ (approx. 11 µm while the concrete specimens with a low CTE showed the narrowest core ITZ (approx. 3.5 µm. This was attributed to early-age thermal cracking. Specimens with higher CTE are more susceptible to thermal stress.

Detecting crack profile in concrete using digital image correlation and acoustic emission

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Loukili A.

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Failure process in concrete structures is usually accompanied by cracking of concrete. Understanding the cracking pattern is very important while studying the failure governing criteria of concrete. The cracking phenomenon in concrete structures is usually complex and involves many microscopic mechanisms caused by material heterogeneity. Since last many years, fracture or damage analysis by experimental examinations of the cement based composites has shown importance to evaluate the cracking and damage behavior of those heterogeneous materials with damage accumulation due to microcracks development ahead of the propagating crack tip; and energy dissipation resulted during the evolution of damage in the structure. The techniques used in those experiments may be the holographic interferometry, the dye penetration, the scanning electron microscopy, the acoustic emission etc. Those methods offer either the images of the material surface to observe micro-features of the concrete with qualitative analysis, or the black-white fringe patterns of the deformation on the specimen surface, from which it is difficult to observe profiles of the damaged materials.

Development of high-performance concrete having high resistance to chloride penetration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Byung Hwan; Cha, Soo Won; Jang, Bong Seok; Jang, Seung Yup

2002-01-01

The resistance to chloride penetration is one of the simplest measures to determine the durability of concrete, e.g. resistance to freezing and thawing, corrosion of steel in concrete and other chemical attacks. Thus, high-performance concrete may be defined as the concrete having high resistance to chloride penetration as well as high strength. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the resistance to chloride penetration of different types of concrete and to develop high-performance concrete that has very high resistance to chloride penetration, and thus, can guarantee high durability. A large number of concrete specimens have been tested by the rapid chloride permeability test method as designated in AASHTO T 277 and ASTM C 1202. The major test variables include water-to-binder ratios, type of cement, type and amount of mineral admixtures (silica fume, fly ash and blast-furnace slag), maximum size of aggregates and air-entrainment. Test results show that concrete containing optimal amount of silica fume shows very high resistance to chloride penetration, and high-performance concrete developed in this study can be efficiently employed to enhance the durability of concrete structures in severe environments such as nuclear power plants, water-retaining structures and other offshore structures

Nonlocal Peridynamic Modeling and Simulation on Crack Propagation in Concrete Structures

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Dan Huang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An extended peridynamic approach for crack propagation analysis in concrete structures was proposed. In the peridynamic constitutive model, concrete material was described as a series of interacting particles, and the short-range repulsive force and anisotropic behavior of concrete were taken into account in the expression of the interactive bonding force, which was given in terms of classical elastic constants and peridynamic horizon. The damage of material was defined locally at the level of pairwise bond, and the critical stretch of material bond was described as a function of fracture strength in the classical concrete failure theory. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed model and algorithms were validated by simulating the propagation of mode I and I-II mixed mode cracks in concrete slabs. Furthermore, crack propagation in a double-edge notched concrete beam subjected to four-point load was simulated, in which the experimental observations are captured naturally as a consequence of the solution.

Fracture resistance of asphalt concrete modified with crumb rubber at low temperatures

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A. Razmi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this study is to obtain fracture toughness of asphalt concrete modified by Crumb Rubber (CR and Sasobit at low temperatures. First, Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR test was performed on unmodified binder (binder 60/70, binder 60/70 + 3%Sasobit and 20%CR + 3%Sasobit modified asphalt binder to find how each modifier affect asphalt binder stiffness and relaxation rate at low temperatures. Mixed mode I/II fracture tests were conducted by cracked Semi-Circular Bending (SCB specimens and the critical stress intensity factors were calculated for pure mode I, mixed mode I/II and pure mode II conditions. Results of BBR tests indicated that 20%CR + 3%Sasobit reduces stiffness and the m-value increase at low temperatures. As a result, 20%CR + 3%Sasobit has positive effect on low temperatures performance by improving thermal cracking resistance. Also, according to the fracture toughness test results, the Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA mixture containing 20% CR, shows higher resistance against crack growth than WMA mixture. It was found that mixed mode I/II can be more detrimental than pure mode I and II conditions. Keywords: Crumb rubber, Asphalt concrete, Bending Beam Rheometer, Fracture resistance, Semi-circular bending test

Online monitoring of cracking in concrete structures using embedded piezoelectric transducers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumoulin, C; Karaiskos, G; Deraemaeker, A; Sener, J-Y

2014-01-01

Online damage detection is of great interest in the field of concrete structures and, more generally, within the construction industry. Current economic requirements impose the reduction of the operating costs related to such inspection while the security and the reliability of structures must constantly be improved. In this paper, nondestructive testing is applied using piezoelectric transducers embedded in concrete structures. These transducers are especially adapted for online ultrasonic monitoring, due to their low cost, small size, and broad frequency band. These recent transducers are called smart aggregates. The technique of health monitoring developed in this study is based on a ultrasonic pulse velocity test with an embedded ultrasonic emitter-receiver pair (pitch-catch). The damage indicator focuses on the early wave arrival. The Belgian company MS3 takes an interest in evaluating the quality of the concrete around the anchorage system of highway security barriers after important shocks. The failure mechanism can be viewed as a combination of a bending and the failure of the anchorages. Accordingly, the monitoring technique has been applied both on a three-points bending test and several pull-out tests. The results indicate a very high sensitivity of the method, which is able to detect the crack initiation phase and follow the crack propagation over the entire duration of the test. (paper)

Transport and Corrosion Behavior of Cracked Reinforced Concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pease, Bradley Justin

Reinforced concrete, due to its inherent versatility and durability as a building material, has been implemented for use in a multitude of structural applications which are exposed to widely varying environmental conditions. Often times these structures are designed for lengthy service lives....... The exposure conditions may vary from industrial products, chemicals, and gases, to annual variations in temperature, to chloride-rich environments such as marine structures and structures exposed to deicing salts. These chloride-rich environments are of central concern in Denmark and throughout the world....... In addition, cracks develop in concrete through various physical and chemical processes, which occur at varying periods of the lifetime of a structure, resulting in varying crack parameters (i.e. width, depth, and tortuosity). These cracks provide easy access of aggressive substances from the environment...

Study on shear transfer analysis of reinforced concrete across a crack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Endoh, Takao; Katoh, Osamu

1984-11-01

It is a one of the most important problems in the reinforced concrete engineering to clarify the mechanism of shear transfer across cracked concrete planes crossed by reinforcement. By many experimental studies the mechanism of shear transfer across crack surfaces has gradually become clear. And based on those experimental studies, various analytical models of shear transfer have been developed. In this study, the mathematical model presented by M. N. Fardis is adopted and finite element formulation was carried out by the use of developed concrete constitutive law for cracked surface. The numerical result was compared with the experimental ones of Mattock-type push-off tests. Equating the effective range of the cracked bondless zone with the element area where special constitutive law is applied, a satisfying analytical result was obtained.

Chloride ion erosion experiment research in cracked concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, Shu; Yang, Li

2017-08-01

For the study of chloride ion erosion in cracked concrete, this essay tries to take advantages of relevant trails to build up concrete chloride ion diffusion model based on the Fick’s second law. The parameter of this model is easy to be set, and many factors such as the effect of cracks are taken into consideration in this experiment. The concept of “chloride ion diffusion coefficient of equivalent apparent” is introduced to simplify the calculation. It can help simplify the calculation process, and get a more accurate test result, as well as facilitating the practical application of this parameter.

Image-based method for monitoring of crack opening on masonry and concrete using Mobile Platform

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A. P. Martins

Full Text Available This paper proposes an automatic method based on the computing vision, implemented in a mobile platform, to inspect cracks in masonry and concrete. The developed algorithm for image processing performs this task from images of the cracks evolution. The contribution of this paper is the development of a mobile tool with quick response aiming to assist technicians in periodic visits when monitoring the crack opening in masonry and concrete. The obtained results show, successfully, the dimensional alterations of cracks detected by mobile phone in a faster and accurate way compared with the conventional measurement technique. Regardless the irregular shape of the cracks, the proposed method has the advantage of producing results statistically significant in measurement repetition by decreasing the subjectivity inherent to manual measurement technique.

Study on Semi-Parametric Statistical Model of Safety Monitoring of Cracks in Concrete Dams

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Chongshi Gu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Cracks are one of the hidden dangers in concrete dams. The study on safety monitoring models of concrete dam cracks has always been difficult. Using the parametric statistical model of safety monitoring of cracks in concrete dams, with the help of the semi-parametric statistical theory, and considering the abnormal behaviors of these cracks, the semi-parametric statistical model of safety monitoring of concrete dam cracks is established to overcome the limitation of the parametric model in expressing the objective model. Previous projects show that the semi-parametric statistical model has a stronger fitting effect and has a better explanation for cracks in concrete dams than the parametric statistical model. However, when used for forecast, the forecast capability of the semi-parametric statistical model is equivalent to that of the parametric statistical model. The modeling of the semi-parametric statistical model is simple, has a reasonable principle, and has a strong practicality, with a good application prospect in the actual project.

Feasibility of Reducing the Fiber Content in Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete under Flexure.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jung-Jun; Yoo, Doo-Yeol; Park, Gi-Joon; Kim, Sung-Wook

2017-01-28

In this study, the flexural behavior of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) is examined as a function of fiber length and volume fraction. Straight steel fiber with three different lengths ( l f ) of 13, 19.5, and 30 mm and four different volume fractions ( v f ) of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% are considered. Test results show that post-cracking flexural properties of UHPFRC, such as flexural strength, deflection capacity, toughness, and cracking behavior, improve with increasing fiber length and volume fraction, while first-cracking properties are not significantly influenced by fiber length and volume fraction. A 0.5 vol % reduction of steel fiber content relative to commercial UHPFRC can be achieved without deterioration of flexural performance by replacing short fibers ( l f of 13 mm) with longer fibers ( l f of 19.5 mm and 30 mm).

Achieving Mixtures of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

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Mircea POPA

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC is a relatively new concrete. According to [11] UHPC is that concrete which features compressive strength over C100/115 class. Up to this point standards for this type of concrete were not adopted, although its characteristic strength exceeds those specified in [33]. Its main property is high compressive strength. This provides the possibility of reducing the section of elements (beams or columns made of this type of concrete, while the load capacity remains high. The study consists in blending mixtures of UHPC made of varying proportions of materials. The authors have obtained strengths of up to 160 MPa. The materials used are: Portland cement, silica fume, quartz powder, steel fibers, superplasticiser, sand and crushed aggregate for concrete - andesite.

Crack growth and development of fracture zones in plain concrete and similar materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petersson, P.-E.

1981-12-01

A calculation model (the Fictitious Crack Model), based on fracture mechanics and the finite element method, is presented. In the model the fracture zone in front of a crack is represented by a fictitious crack that is able to transfer stress. The stress transferring capability of the fictitious crack normally decreases when the crack width increases. The applicability of linear elastic fracture mechanics to concrete and similar materials is analysed by use of the Fictitious Crack Model. The complete tensile stress-strain curve is introduced as a fracture mechanical parameter. The curve can be approximately determined if the tensile strength, the Young's modulus and the fracture energy are known. Suitable test methods for determining these properties are presented and test results are reported for a number of concrete qualities. A new type of very stiff tensile testing machine is presented by which it is possible to carry out stable tensile tests on concrete. The complete tensile stress-strain curves have been determined for a number of concrete qualities. A complete system for analysing crack propagation in concrete is covered, as a realistic material model, a functional calculation model and methods for determining the material properties necessary for the calculations are included. (Auth.)

Prediction of shrinkage cracking age of concrete with and without expansive additive

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Dung Tien Nguyen

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to propose a model for predicting cracking age of concrete due to restrained shrinkage. Thisstudy focuses on analyzing shrinkage and expansion mechanisms in the expansive concrete to formulate a model that can beemployed to predict whether shrinkage cracking occurs or not. In case of conventional (non-expansive concrete, this modelcan be applied by neglecting the early expansion due to expansive additive. Parameters considered in this model are restrainedexpansion, free shrinkage, cracking strain that can be experimentally measured by experiment and tensile creep which isderived by back calculation. The model was verified by test results of expansive concrete mixtures as well as normal concretemixtures both with and without fly ash.

Strength of tensed and compressed concrete segments in crack spacing under short-term dynamic load

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Galyautdinov Zaur

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Formation of model describing dynamic straining of reinforced concrete requires taking into account the basic aspects influencing the stress-strain state of structures. Strength of concrete segments in crack spacing is one of the crucial aspects that affect general strain behavior of reinforced concrete. Experimental results demonstrate significant change in strength of tensed and compressed concrete segments in crack spacing both under static and under dynamic loading. In this case, strength depends on tensile strain level and the slope angle of rebars towards the cracks direction. Existing theoretical and experimental studies estimate strength of concrete segments in crack spacing under static loading. The present work presents results of experimental and theoretical studies of dynamic strength of plates between cracks subjected to compression-tension. Experimental data was analyzed statistically; the dependences were suggested to describe dynamic strength of concrete segments depending on tensile strain level and slope angle of rebars to cracks direction.

Experimental and Numerical Studies of Controlling Thermal Cracks in Mass Concrete Foundation by Circulating Water

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Wenchao Liu

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper summarizes an engineering experience of solving the problem of thermal cracking in mass concrete by using a large project, Zhongguancun No.1 (Beijing, China, as an example. A new method is presented for controlling temperature cracks in the mass concrete of a foundation. The method involves controlled cycles of water circulating between the surface of mass concrete foundation and the atmospheric environment. The temperature gradient between the surface and the core of the mass concrete is controlled at a relatively stable state. Water collected from the well-points used for dewatering and from rainfall is used as the source for circulating water. Mass concrete of a foundation slab is experimentally investigated through field temperature monitoring. Numerical analyses are performed by developing a finite element model of the foundation with and without water circulation. The calculation parameters are proposed based on the experiment, and finite element analysis software MIDAS/CIVIL is used to calculate the 3D temperature field of the mass concrete during the entire process of heat of hydration. The numerical results are in good agreement with the measured results. The proposed method provides an alternative practical basis for preventing thermal cracks in mass concrete.

Fracture toughness and failure mechanism of high performance concrete incorporating carbon nanotubes

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A. Khitab

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Cement and concrete composites are inherently brittle and exhibit very less tensile/flexural strength capacity as compared to their compressive strength. Use of thoroughly dispersed carbon nanotubes in the concrete matrix is one of the possible solution for enhancing mechanical properties in tension/flexure. In the present research work, small fractions of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNTs i.e. 0.05 and 0.10 wt% of cement have been integrated into the cement concrete to study their effect on the mechanical properties of the resultant concrete mixtures. The enhanced performance of the whole mix lies on a single point that MWCNTs must be thoroughly disperse in the mixture. Hence, special arrangement through usage of high energy sonication along with amended acrylic based polymer (performing as a surfactant was made to have a uniform dispersion of MWCNTs in the concrete mix. The testing of concrete samples includes i.e., flexure, splitting tensile and compressive strengths after 3, 7, 28 and 56 days of curing. After having comparison with the control mix cured for 28 days, it was observed that the addition of 0.05 wt% MWCNTs increased the splitting tensile strength by 20.58%, flexural strength by 26.29% and compressive strength by 15.60%. Through above results, which verify the increase in concrete mix strength after adding MWCNTs, these MWCNTs may be incorporated in the treatment of Nano/micro cracks completed through process of connecting, branching and pinning. Similarly, as proved in threepoint bending tests, MWCNTs also enhances the breaking strains as well as the fracture energy of the concrete mixes, besides, imparting increase to the strength. The investigations have shown that incorporating lesser amounts of MWCNTs i.e., 0.05 and 0.10 wt% of cement to the concrete mixes after insuring there complete dispersion, unusually improve their properties like mechanical strengths and fracture behavior

D-cracking field performance of portland cement concrete pavements containing limestone in Kansas : phase 1 report : technical summary.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

Introduction: Premature deterioration of concrete pavement due to D-cracking has been a problem in Kansas since the 1930s. Limestone is the major source of coarse aggregate in eastern Kansas where the majority of the concrete pavements are constructe...

Containment performance evaluation of prestressed concrete containment vessels with fiber reinforcement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choun, Young Sun; Park, Hyung Kui [Integrated Safety Assessment Division, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

Fibers in concrete resist the growth of cracks and enhance the postcracking behavior of structures. The addition of fibers into a conventional reinforced concrete can improve the structural and functional performance of safety-related concrete structures in nuclear power plants. The influence of fibers on the ultimate internal pressure capacity of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) was investigated through a comparison of the ultimate pressure capacities between conventional and fiber-reinforced PCCVs. Steel and polyamide fibers were used. The tension behaviors of conventional concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete specimens were investigated through uniaxial tension tests and their tension-stiffening models were obtained. For a PCCV reinforced with 1% volume hooked-end steel fiber, the ultimate pressure capacity increased by approximately 12% in comparison with that for a conventional PCCV. For a PCCV reinforced with 1.5% volume polyamide fiber, an increase of approximately 3% was estimated for the ultimate pressure capacity. The ultimate pressure capacity can be greatly improved by introducing steel and polyamide fibers in a conventional reinforced concrete. Steel fibers are more effective at enhancing the containment performance of a PCCV than polyamide fibers. The fiber reinforcement was shown to be more effective at a high pressure loading and a low prestress level.

Containment performance evaluation of prestressed concrete containment vessels with fiber reinforcement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choun, Young Sun; Park, Hyung Kui

2015-01-01

Fibers in concrete resist the growth of cracks and enhance the postcracking behavior of structures. The addition of fibers into a conventional reinforced concrete can improve the structural and functional performance of safety-related concrete structures in nuclear power plants. The influence of fibers on the ultimate internal pressure capacity of a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) was investigated through a comparison of the ultimate pressure capacities between conventional and fiber-reinforced PCCVs. Steel and polyamide fibers were used. The tension behaviors of conventional concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete specimens were investigated through uniaxial tension tests and their tension-stiffening models were obtained. For a PCCV reinforced with 1% volume hooked-end steel fiber, the ultimate pressure capacity increased by approximately 12% in comparison with that for a conventional PCCV. For a PCCV reinforced with 1.5% volume polyamide fiber, an increase of approximately 3% was estimated for the ultimate pressure capacity. The ultimate pressure capacity can be greatly improved by introducing steel and polyamide fibers in a conventional reinforced concrete. Steel fibers are more effective at enhancing the containment performance of a PCCV than polyamide fibers. The fiber reinforcement was shown to be more effective at a high pressure loading and a low prestress level

Using X-ray transmission/attenuation to quantify fluid absorption in cracked concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weiss, Jason; Geiker, Mette R.; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

2015-01-01

Cracks can alter the rate of fluid transport in concrete. Unfortunately, however, quantitative information is lacking to provide definitive statements regarding the extent to which cracks reduce durability or long-term performance. This paper describes a study that used X-ray transmission......-ray attenuation measurements were taken using a grid of points around the crack. By repeating this measurement and comparing the change in X-ray transmission/attenuation, the ingress of the fluid could be determined by locating the position of the moisture front. An approach is presented to determine the geometry...

Analysis of crack-formation in the shielding concrete of a TRIGA Mark II reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linsbauer, H.; Maydl, P.

1978-01-01

Within a short time after the start-up of the reactor several cracks appeared at the concrete surface and the number and width of the cracks had grown till now. Experimental and theoretical analysis were made in order to investigate the origin of the cracks and to prevent further crack increase. Crack movement was measured by inductive gages and simultaneously the temperature of the cooling water in the reactor tank at the top and at the bottom as well as the air and the concrete temperature were recorded. The calculations of the thermal stresses were made in two independent ways: 1. Analytically, simulating the shielding concrete as an infinite hollow cylinder of constant thickness and 2. Using the Finite Element method, for a better description of the geometry. It was concluded that the cracks of the shielding concrete are exclusively caused by the thermal stresses. The thermal insulation at the lower part of the shielding is not effective. The structural system of the shielding concrete as a monolithic block without joints produces automatically tensile stresses

Behavior and strength of beams cast with ultra high strength concrete containing different types of fibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.M. Kamal

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC is a special type of concrete with extraordinary potentials in terms of strength and durability performance. Its production and application implement the most up-to-date knowledge and technology of concrete manufacturing. Sophisticated structural designs in bridges and high-rise buildings, repair works and special structures like nuclear facilities are currently the main fields of applications of UHPC. This paper aimed to evaluate the behavior of ultra-high strength concrete beams. This paper also aimed to determine the effect of adding fibers and explore their effect upon the behavior and strength of the reinforced concrete beams. A total of twelve simple concrete beams with and without shear reinforcements were tested in flexure. The main variables taken into consideration in this research were the type of fibers and the percentage of longitudinal reinforcement as well as the existence or absence of the web reinforcement. Two types of fibers were used including steel and polypropylene fibers. The behavior of the tested beams was investigated with special attention to the deflection under different stages of loading, initial cracking, cracking pattern, and ultimate load. Increased number of cracks was observed at the end of loading due to the use of fibers, which led to the reduced width of cracks. This led to increased stiffness and higher values of maximum loads.

Numerical Analysis on the High-Strength Concrete Beams Ultimate Behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Smarzewski, Piotr; Stolarski, Adam

2017-10-01

Development of technologies of high-strength concrete (HSC) beams production, with the aim of creating a secure and durable material, is closely linked with the numerical models of real objects. The three-dimensional nonlinear finite element models of reinforced high-strength concrete beams with a complex geometry has been investigated in this study. The numerical analysis is performed using the ANSYS finite element package. The arc-length (A-L) parameters and the adaptive descent (AD) parameters are used with Newton-Raphson method to trace the complete load-deflection curves. Experimental and finite element modelling results are compared graphically and numerically. Comparison of these results indicates the correctness of failure criteria assumed for the high-strength concrete and the steel reinforcement. The results of numerical simulation are sensitive to the modulus of elasticity and the shear transfer coefficient for an open crack assigned to high-strength concrete. The full nonlinear load-deflection curves at mid-span of the beams, the development of strain in compressive concrete and the development of strain in tensile bar are in good agreement with the experimental results. Numerical results for smeared crack patterns are qualitatively agreeable as to the location, direction, and distribution with the test data. The model was capable of predicting the introduction and propagation of flexural and diagonal cracks. It was concluded that the finite element model captured successfully the inelastic flexural behaviour of the beams to failure.

Three dimensional non-linear cracking analysis of prestressed concrete containment vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Obaid, Y.F.

2001-01-01

The paper gives full development of three-dimensional cracking matrices. These matrices are simulated in three-dimensional non-linear finite element analysis adopted for concrete containment vessels. The analysis includes a combination of conventional steel, the steel line r and prestressing tendons and the anisotropic stress-relations for concrete and concrete aggregate interlocking. The analysis is then extended and is linked to cracking analysis within the global finite element program OBAID. The analytical results compare well with those available from a model test. (author)

Performance of Microbial Concrete Developed Using Bacillus Subtilus JC3

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, M. V. Seshagiri; Reddy, V. Srinivasa; Sasikala, Ch.

2017-12-01

Concrete is vulnerable to deterioration, corrosion, and cracks, and the consequent damage and loss of strength requires immensely expensive remediation and repair. So need for special concrete that they would respond to crack formation with an autonomous self-healing action lead to research and development of microbial concrete. The microbial concrete works on the principle of calcite mineral precipitation by a specific group of alkali-resistant spore-forming bacteria related to the genus Bacillus called Bacillus subtilis JC3, this phenomenon is called biomineralization or Microbiologically Induced Calcite Crystal Precipitation. Bacillus subtilis JC3, a common soil bacterium, has inherent ability to precipitate calcite crystals continuously which enhances the strength and durability performance of concrete enormously. This microbial concrete can be called as a "Self healing Bacterial Concrete" because it can remediate its cracks by itself without any human intervention and would make the concrete more durable and sustainable. This paper discuss the incorporation of microorganism Bacillus subtilis JC3 (developed at JNTU, India) into concrete and presents the results of experimental investigations carried out to study the improved durability and sustainability characteristics of microbial concrete.

Application of Interfacial Propagation and Kinking Crack Concept to ECC/Concrete Overlay Repair System

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Yaw ChiaHwan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Research on the application of ultraductile engineered cementitious composite (ECC as overlay in the repair of deteriorated concrete structures is performed in this paper. Also, interfacial crack kinking and trapping mechanism experimentally observed in ECC/concrete overlay repair system are described by comparison of toughness and energy release rate. The mechanism involves cycles of extension, kinking, and arrest of interfacial crack into the overlay. Experimental testing of overlay repair system reveals significant improvements in load carrying capacity and ductility over conventional concrete overlay. The commonly observed overlay system failure mode of delamination or spalling is eliminated when ECC is applied. These failure modes are suppressed when ECC is used as an ideal and durable candidate overlay repair material.

Repair of cracked prestressed concrete girders, I-565, Huntsville, Alabama.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

Wide cracks were discovered in prestressed concrete bridge girders shortly after their construction in Huntsville, Alabama. Previous investigations of these continuous-for-live-load girders revealed that the cracking resulted from restrained thermal ...

Investigation of Non-Uniform Rust Distribution and Its Effects on Corrosion Induced Cracking in Reinforced Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sutrisno Wahyuniarsih

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Uniform corrosion still widely used by a lot of researchers and engineers to analyze the corrosion induced cracking. However, in practice, corrosion process occurred non-uniformly. The part nearest to the exposed surface is more likely to have faster corrosion initiation compared with other regions. This research is mainly focused on investigating the effect of non-uniform rust distribution to cover cracking in reinforced concrete. An experimental test performed using accelerated corrosion test by using 5% NaCl solution and applied a constant electric current to the concrete samples. The rust distribution and measurement were observed by using a digital microscope. Based on the experimental result, it was found that the rust was distributed in a non-uniform pattern. As a result, the cracks also formed non-uniformly along the perimeter of steel bar. At the last part of this paper, a simulation result of concrete cracking induced by non-uniform corrosion is presented. The result compared with a simulation using uniform corrosion assumption to investigate the damage pattern of each model. The simulation result reveals stress evolution due to rust expansion which leads to concrete cracking. Furthermore, a comparison of stresses induced by non-uniform corrosion and uniform corrosion indicates that non-uniform corrosion could lead to earlier damage to the structure which is specified by the formation and propagation of the crack.

A study on shear transfer analysis of reinforced concrete across a crack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endoh, Takao; Katoh, Osamu

1984-01-01

It is a one of the most important problems in the reinforced concrete engineering to clarify the mechanism of shear transfer across cracked concrete planes crossed by reinforcement. By many experimental studies the mechanism of shear transfer across crack surfaces has gradually become clear. And based on those experimental studies, various analytical models of shear transfer have been developed. In this study, the mathematical model presented by M. N. Fardis is adopted and finite element formulation was carried out by the use of developed concrete constitutive law for cracked surface. The numerical result was compared with the experimental ones of Mattock-type push-off tests. Equating the effective range of the cracked bondless zone with the element area where special constitutive law is applied, a satisfying analytical result was obtained. (author)

A calculation method of cracking moment for the high strength ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

mal stress and crack width for the tensional behaviour of concrete and has been proposed by ... stresses. To calculate concrete stress in a cross section of high strength concrete beams, failure strain is ..... American Concrete. Institute, Detroit.

Effect of flexural crack on plain concrete beam failure mechanism A numerical simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdoullah Namdar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The flexural failure of plain concrete beam occurs along with development of flexural crack on beam. In this paper by using ABAQUS, mechanism failure of plain concrete beam under three steps have been simulated. The cracking moment has been analytically calculated and applied on the both sides of the fixed beam, and flexural crack has been simulated on beam. Displacement, von Mises, load reaction, displacementcrack length, von Mises-crack length and von Mises-displacement of beams have been graphical depicted. Results indicated that, the flexural crack governs beam mechanism failure and its effects on beam resistance failure. It has been found that the flexural crack in initial stage it developed slowly and changes to be fast at the final stage of collapsing beam due to reduction of the flexural resistance of beam. Increasing mechanical properties of concrete, collapse displacement is reduced.

Static and dynamic experimental study of strengthened reinforced short concrete corbel by using carbon fabrics, crack path in shear zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Ivanova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an experimental analysis of tracking the path of the cracks and crack growth in strengthened or repair reinforced concrete short corbels bonded by carbon fiber fabrics under static and dynamic loads. The reinforced short concrete corbel is a used precast element, for industrial buildings and structures. In fact, their functioning interestingly unconventional is compared to classical beam type elements. Then the effects of bending and shearing are combined in this case. The horizontal reinforced steel is localized to resist to tensile strength induced in bending top and a transversal strength-absorbing contribution. The introduction of carbon fiber composite in the field of Civil Engineering allows to strengthen or repair reinforced concrete structures using adhesive. So the carbon fiber material has many advantages as its low weight, flexibility, easier handling and also interesting physicochemical properties. However maintenance of civil engineering works is to protect them by ensuring better sealing or limiting corrosion. Then strengthening is to repair structures by using bonding technique to compensate their rigidity loss and limit the cracking. This allows to improve their performance and durability. Bonding of composite material in tensile zone of corbel retrieves most tensile stress and allows the structure to extend their load-bearing capacity. The local behavior of the structure is measured by means of the extensometer technique based on electrical strain gauges. This technique allowed to measure strains of steel, carbon fiber fabrics and concrete. The results of this investigation showed that strengthened reinforced concrete corbel bonded by carbon fiber fabrics can improve the ultimate load to twice and stiffens less than a third. The ultimate load, strain and displacement of the specimen are compared to reference experimental model of monotonic and cyclic applied loads. The success of strengthening depends strongly

Concrete Crack Identification Using a UAV Incorporating Hybrid Image Processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyunjun; Lee, Junhwa; Ahn, Eunjong; Cho, Soojin; Shin, Myoungsu; Sim, Sung-Han

2017-09-07

Crack assessment is an essential process in the maintenance of concrete structures. In general, concrete cracks are inspected by manual visual observation of the surface, which is intrinsically subjective as it depends on the experience of inspectors. Further, it is time-consuming, expensive, and often unsafe when inaccessible structural members are to be assessed. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies combined with digital image processing have recently been applied to crack assessment to overcome the drawbacks of manual visual inspection. However, identification of crack information in terms of width and length has not been fully explored in the UAV-based applications, because of the absence of distance measurement and tailored image processing. This paper presents a crack identification strategy that combines hybrid image processing with UAV technology. Equipped with a camera, an ultrasonic displacement sensor, and a WiFi module, the system provides the image of cracks and the associated working distance from a target structure on demand. The obtained information is subsequently processed by hybrid image binarization to estimate the crack width accurately while minimizing the loss of the crack length information. The proposed system has shown to successfully measure cracks thicker than 0.1 mm with the maximum length estimation error of 7.3%.

Modelling the influence of cracking and healing on modal properties of concrete beams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Savija, B.; Schlangen, E.

2015-01-01

Concrete structures are commonly cracked when in service. To overcome issues arising from cracking, self-healing concrete is being developed. Together with the development of the material, techniques to verify and quantify self-healing are being developed. A number of destructive techniques have

Chloride Ingress in Concrete Cracks under Cyclic Loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Küter, André; Geiker, Mette Rica; Olesen, John Forbes

2005-01-01

was similar for both sets and the maximum crack width was kept constant throughout the exposure period by means of precracking and an external prestressed reinforcement. Chloride profiles after 40 days revealed a considerable increase in ingress towards the crack tip in contrast to data from the literature....... Preliminary investigations have been undertaken to quantify the effect of dynamic load application on the chloride ingress into concrete cracks. Specimens were designed allowing ingress of a chloride solution into a single crack of a saturated unreinforced mortar beam. One set of specimens was subjected...... to a load frequency of ten applications per minute and a second set to one application per hour simulating static cracks, however limiting the ingress hampering effects of autogenous healing and a possible dense precipitation on the crack faces. The averaged chloride exposure interval of the crack faces...

Cracked reinforced concrete walls of chimneys, silos and cooling towers as result of using formworks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maj Marek

2018-01-01

Full Text Available There are presented in this paper some problems connected with reinforced concrete shell objects operation in the aggressive environment and built in method of formworks. Reinforced concrete chimneys, cooling towers, silos and other shells were built for decades. Durability of cracked shells are one of the most important parameters during process of designing, construction and exploitation of shells. Some reasons of appearance of horizontal and vertical cracks as temperature, pressure of stored material, live loads e.g. dynamic character of wind, moisture, influence of construction joints, thermal insulation, chemistry active environmental etc. reduce the carrying capacity of the walls. Formworks, as is occurred recently, are the reason for technological joints with leaking connection, imperfections of flexible formworks slabs and as result can initiate cracks. Cracked surface of this constructions causes decreasing capacity and lower the state of reliability. Horizontal, vertical cracks can caused corrosion of concrete and steel bars, decreasing stiffness of contraction, increasing of deflection and carbonation of concrete cover. Local and global imperfactions of concrete shells are increasing according to greater number of cracks...

The use of image analysis to quantify the orientation of cracks in concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreassen, Einar N.; Elbrønd, Andreas B.; Hasholt, Marianne Tange

2016-01-01

Cracks formed in concrete due to frost action (or other expansive reactions) can lead to further damage e.g. because they increase moisture transport. The extent of the consequential damage in concrete is likely influenced by the orientation of the initial cracks. Traditional quantification...

Hysteretic evaluation of seismic performance of normal and fiber reinforced concrete shear walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choun, Young Sun; Hahm, Dae Gi

2012-01-01

The use of fibers in concrete or cement composites can enhance the performance of structural elements. Fibers have been used for a cement mixture to increase the toughness and tensile strength, and to improve the cracking and deformation characteristics. The addition of fibers into concrete can improve the ductility and increase the seismic resistance of concrete structures. The application of fibers to earthquake-resistant concrete structures has a major research topic. A recent study shows that an excellent seismic performance can be obtained in shear critical members constructed with high performance fiber reinforced cement composites. To increase the seismic performance of safety related concrete structures in nuclear power plants, fibers can be used. This study investigated the effect of fibers on the hysteretic behavior of a reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall by cyclic tests

Hysteretic evaluation of seismic performance of normal and fiber reinforced concrete shear walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choun, Young Sun; Hahm, Dae Gi [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-15

The use of fibers in concrete or cement composites can enhance the performance of structural elements. Fibers have been used for a cement mixture to increase the toughness and tensile strength, and to improve the cracking and deformation characteristics. The addition of fibers into concrete can improve the ductility and increase the seismic resistance of concrete structures. The application of fibers to earthquake-resistant concrete structures has a major research topic. A recent study shows that an excellent seismic performance can be obtained in shear critical members constructed with high performance fiber reinforced cement composites. To increase the seismic performance of safety related concrete structures in nuclear power plants, fibers can be used. This study investigated the effect of fibers on the hysteretic behavior of a reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall by cyclic tests.

Crack identification for reinforced concrete using PZT based smart rebar active sensing diagnostic network

Science.gov (United States)

Song, N. N.; Wu, F.

2016-04-01

An active sensing diagnostic system using PZT based smart rebar for SHM of RC structure has been currently under investigation. Previous test results showed that the system could detect the de-bond of concrete from reinforcement, and the diagnostic signals were increased exponentially with the de-bonding size. Previous study also showed that the smart rebar could function well like regular reinforcement to undertake tension stresses. In this study, a smart rebar network has been used to detect the crack damage of concrete based on guided waves. Experimental test has been carried out for the study. In the test, concrete beams with 2 reinforcements have been built. 8 sets of PZT elements were mounted onto the reinforcement bars in an optimized way to form an active sensing diagnostic system. A 90 kHz 5-cycle Hanning-windowed tone burst was used as input. Multiple cracks have been generated on the concrete structures. Through the guided bulk waves propagating in the structures from actuators and sensors mounted from different bars, crack damage could be detected clearly. Cases for both single and multiple cracks were tested. Different crack depths from the surface and different crack numbers have been studied. Test result shows that the amplitude of sensor output signals is deceased linearly with a propagating crack, and is decreased exponentially with increased crack numbers. From the study, the active sensing diagnostic system using PZT based smart rebar network shows a promising way to provide concrete crack damage information through the "talk" among sensors.

New methods to quantify the cracking performance of cementitious systems made with internal curing

Science.gov (United States)

Schlitter, John L.

The use of high performance concretes that utilize low water-cement ratios have been promoted for use in infrastructure based on their potential to increase durability and service life because they are stronger and less porous. Unfortunately, these benefits are not always realized due to the susceptibility of high performance concrete to undergo early age cracking caused by shrinkage. This problem is widespread and effects federal, state, and local budgets that must maintain or replace deterioration caused by cracking. As a result, methods to reduce or eliminate early age shrinkage cracking have been investigated. Internal curing is one such method in which a prewetted lightweight sand is incorporated into the concrete mixture to provide internal water as the concrete cures. This action can significantly reduce or eliminate shrinkage and in some cases causes a beneficial early age expansion. Standard laboratory tests have been developed to quantify the shrinkage cracking potential of concrete. Unfortunately, many of these tests may not be appropriate for use with internally cured mixtures and only provide limited amounts of information. Most standard tests are not designed to capture the expansive behavior of internally cured mixtures. This thesis describes the design and implementation of two new testing devices that overcome the limitations of current standards. The first device discussed in this thesis is called the dual ring. The dual ring is a testing device that quantifies the early age restrained shrinkage performance of cementitious mixtures. The design of the dual ring is based on the current ASTM C 1581-04 standard test which utilizes one steel ring to restrain a cementitious specimen. The dual ring overcomes two important limitations of the standard test. First, the standard single ring test cannot restrain the expansion that takes place at early ages which is not representative of field conditions. The dual ring incorporates a second restraining ring

Reduction of the Early Autogenous Shrinkage of High Strength Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drago Saje

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The results of a laboratory investigation on the early autogenous shrinkage of high strength concrete, and the possibilities of its reduction, are presented. Such concrete demonstrates significant autogenous shrinkage, which should, however, be limited in the early stages of its development in order to prevent the occurrence of cracks and/or drop in the load-carrying capacity of concrete structures. The following possibilities for reducing autogenous shrinkage were investigated: the use of low-heat cement, a shrinkage-reducing admixture, steel fibres, premoistened polypropylene fibres, and presoaked lightweight aggregate. In the case of the use of presoaked natural lightweight aggregate, with a fraction from 2 to 4 mm, the early autogenous shrinkage of one-day-old high strength concrete decreased by about 90%, with no change to the concrete's compressive strength in comparison with that of the reference concrete.

Cracking behavior of reinforced concrete beams: experiment and simulations on the numerical influence of the steel-concrete bond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jason, L.; Torre-Casanova, A.; Pinelli, X.; Davenne, L.

2013-01-01

Experimental and numerical results are provided in this contribution to study the global and cracking behaviors of two reinforced concrete beams subjected to four point bending. Experimentally, the use of image correlation technique enables to obtain precise information concerning the cracking properties (spacing, cumulated, maximum and mean values of the opening). Numerically, two simulations are compared taking into account a bond model between steel and concrete or supposing a perfect relation between the two materials. In both cases, a good agreement is achieved between numerical and experimental results even if the introduction of the bond effects has a direct influence during the development of the cracks (better agreement during the 'active' cracking phase). (authors)

Dynamic behaviour of anchors in cracked and uncracked concrete: a progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez, M.; Klingner, R.E.

1997-01-01

In early 1993, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission began a research program at The University of Texas at Austin, dealing with the dynamic behavior of anchors in cracked and uncracked concrete. In this paper, the progress of that research program is reviewed. The test program is summarized, and work performed to date is reviewed, with emphasis on the dynamic and static behavior of single tensile anchors in uncracked concrete. General conclusions from that work are discussed, and future plans are presented. (orig.)

Corrosion initiation and propagation in cracked concrete - a literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pacheco, J.; Polder, R.

2012-01-01

The major degradation mechanism in civil engineering concrete structures is corrosion of reinforcement due to chloride penetration. Corrosion reduces serviceability and safety due to cracking and spalling of concrete and loss of steel cross section. Recently, service life design has moved from

Use of alternative waste materials in producing ultra-high performance concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Shamsad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In a corrosive environment similar to that of the Arabian Gulf, use of high-performance concrete is one of the options to ensure a target service life of concrete structures. However, in absence of good quality coarse aggregates, it is a challenging task to produce high-performance concrete. Recently, the possibility of producing ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC has been widely reported in the literature. UHPC is produced without coarse aggregates at very low water to cementitious materials ratio, high amounts of cement, mineral admixtures, and superplasticizer along with fine quartz sand as aggregate, quartz powder as micro-filler, a nd steel fibres for fracture toughness. In the present work, an effort was made to utilize local waste materials as alternative mineral admixtures and local dune sand as aggregate in producing different UHPC mixtures without addition of quartz powder. The mechanical properties, shrinkage, and durability characteristics of the UHPC mixtures were studied. Test results indicate that it is possible to produce UHPC mixtures using alternative waste materials, which would have targeted flow, strength, toughness, and resistance against reinforcement corrosion. The information presented in the paper would help in optimum selection of a mixture of UHPC considering the availability of local materials, exposure conditions and structural requirements.

The Effect of Crack Width on Chloride-Induced Corrosion of Steel in Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available When subjected to loading or thermal shrinkage, reinforced concrete structures usually behave in a cracking state, which raises the risk of bar corrosion from the working environment. The influence of cover cracking on chloride-induced corrosion was experimentally investigated through a 654-day laboratory test on cracked reinforced concrete specimens exposed to chloride solution. The concrete specimens have a dimension of 100 mm × 100 mm × 400 mm and a single prefabricated crack at the midspan. When the percentage concentration of chloride ion (0.6%, 1.2%, 2.1%, 3.0%, and 6.0% and crack width (uncracked, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 mm are taken as variables, the experimental results showed that the corrosion rates for cracked specimens increased with increasing percentage concentration of chloride and increasing crack width. This study also showed the interrelationship between crack width and percentage concentration of chloride on the corrosion rate. In addition, an empirical model, incorporating the influence of the cover cracking and chloride concentration, was developed to predict the corrosion rate. This model allows the prediction of the maximum allowable wcr based on the given percentage concentration of chloride in the exposure condition.

Durability of cracked fibre reinforced concrete structures exposed to chlorides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ernst Jan De Place; Ekman, Tom; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

1999-01-01

is used as environmental load. The chloride penetration is characterized both qualitatively (UV-test) and quantitatively (chloride profile) and by microscopy. The test programme involves three different concrete qualities. Both steel fibres and polypropylene fibres are used in the concrete beams as well...... as main reinforcement. The effect of the cracks, the fibres and the concrete quality on the chloride penetration is studied....

The design of an instrumented rebar for assessment of corrosion in cracked reinforced concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pease, Bradley Justin; Geiker, Mette Rica; Stang, Henrik

2011-01-01

rebar with 17 electronically isolated corrosion sensors. Instrumented and standard rebars were cast into concrete beams and bending cracks were induced and held open using steel frames. Epoxy impregnation was used to assess and compare cracks in the concrete around the instrumented and standard rebar...... between the steel and concrete. Cracked beams with cast-in instrumented and standard rebars were ponded with a 10\\% chloride solution and the open circuit corrosion potential (OCP) of the 17 sensors was measured for up to 62 days. Measurements from the individual sensors indicate when and where active...

Performance of Reinforced Concrete Beam with Differently Positioned Replacement Zones of Block Infill under Low Impact Loads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mokhatar Shahrul Niza

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reveals a study performed on reinforced concrete with artificial aggregate concrete block infill composite beams to innovate a lightweight reinforced concrete utilizing polyethylene (PE waste materials, such as waste plastic bags. Six beam specimens of normal reinforced concrete (NRC and different block infill replacement zone positions RCAI (RZ1 beams containing 100% MAPEA with 50, 95, and 1,000 mm width, height, and length, respectively, were provided for the block infill, whereas RCAI (RZ2 with different block infill positions containing a 100% MAPEA with 50, 115, and 1000 mm width, height, and length were provided and tested under low impact load. The steel impactor with blunt nose dropped at 0.6 m height which equivalent to 3.5 m/s. The behaviors of the beams were studied relative to the impact force-time and displacement-time histories, the flexural/ bending cracks, and the impact failure. Results show that the overall failure modes of all the beam specimens were successfully recorded. In addition, the residual displacements of the RZ2 was almost same than those of the RZ1 and the significantly lower than those of the NRC. In the reinforced concrete beams, less stressed concrete near the neutral axis can be replaced by certain light weight material like waste plastic bags as modified artificial polyethylene aggregates to serve as an artificial aggregate.

Durability of cracked fibre reinforced concrete structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ernst Jan De Place; Nielsen, Laila

1997-01-01

(capillary water uptake) is used, involving an in-situ method and a laboratory method. Three different concrete qualities as well as steel fibres (ZP) and polypropylene fibres (PP) are used. Results of the durability tests on cracked FRC-beams are compared to results for uncracked FRC-beams and beams without......Durability studies are carried out by subjecting FRC-beams to combined mechanical and environmental load. Mechanical load is obtained by exposing beams to il-point bending until a predefined crack width is reached, using a newly developed test setup. As environmental load, exposure to water...

Mitigation strategies for autogenous shrinkage cracking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bentz, Dale P.; Jensen, Ole Mejlhede

2004-01-01

As the use of high-performance concrete has increased, problems with early-age cracking have become prominent. The reduction in water-to-cement ratio, the incorporation of silica fume, and the increase in binder content of high-performance concretes all contribute to this problem. In this paper......, the fundamental parameters contributing to the autogenous shrinkage and resultant early-age cracking of concrete are presented. Basic characteristics of the cement paste that contribute to or control the autogenous shrinkage response include the surface tension of the pore solution, the geometry of the pore...... of early-age cracking due to autogenous shrinkage. Mitigation strategies discussed in this paper include: the addition of shrinkage-reducing admixtures more commonly used to control drying shrinkage, control of the cement particle size distribution, modification of the mineralogical composition...

Effects of Crack and Climate Change on Service Life of Concrete Subjected to Carbonation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Yong Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Carbonation is among the primary reasons for the initiation of the corrosion of steel rebar in reinforced concrete (RC structures. Due to structural loading effects and environmental actions, inevitable cracks have frequently occurred in concrete structures since the early ages. Additionally, climate change, which entails increases in CO2 concentration and environmental temperature, will also accelerate the carbonation of concrete. This article presents an analytical way of predicting the service life of cracked concrete structures considering influences of carbonation and climate change. First, using a hydration model, the quantity of carbonatable materials and concrete porosity were calculated. Carbonation depth was evaluated considering properties of concrete materials and environmental conditions. Second, the influence of cracks on CO2 diffusivity was examined. Carbonation depth for cracked concrete was evaluated using equivalent CO2 diffusivity. The effects of climate change, for example, growing CO2 concentration and environmental temperature, were considered using different schemes of carbonation models. Third, different climate change scenarios (such as Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, RCP 8.5 and upper 90% confidence interval of RCP 8.5 and time slices (such as 2000 and 2050 were used for case studies. By utilizing the Monte Carlo method, the influences of various climate change scenarios on the service life loss of concrete structures were highlighted.

Smart Crack Control in Concrete through Use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) : A Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Šavija, B.

2018-01-01

Cracks in concrete structures present a threat to their durability. Therefore, numerous research studies have been devoted to reducing concrete cracking. In recent years, a new approach has been proposed for controlling temperature related cracking—utilization of phase change materials (PCMs) in

Aggregate-cement paste transition zone properties affecting the salt-frost damage of high-performance concretes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cwirzen, Andrzej; Penttala, Vesa

2005-01-01

The influence of the cement paste-aggregate interfacial transition zone (ITZ) on the frost durability of high-performance silica fume concrete (HPSFC) has been studied. Investigation was carried out on eight non-air-entrained concretes having water-to-binder (W/B) ratios of 0.3, 0.35 and 0.42 and different additions of condensed silica fume. Studies on the microstructure and composition of the cement paste have been made by means of environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM)-BSE, ESEM-EDX and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) analysis. The results showed that the transition zone initiates and accelerates damaging mechanisms by enhancing movement of the pore solution within the concrete during freezing and thawing cycles. Cracks filled with ettringite were primarily formed in the ITZ. The test concretes having good frost-deicing salt durability featured a narrow transition zone and a decreased Ca/Si atomic ratio in the transition zone compared to the bulk cement paste. Moderate additions of silica fume seemed to densify the microstructure of the ITZ

Crack Models for Concrete, Discrete or Smeared? Fixed, Multi-Directional or Rotating?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rots, J.G.; Blaauwendraad, J.

1989-01-01

Numerical tools to simulate cracking in concrete and similar materials are developed. Firstly, a treatment is given of smeared and discrete crack concepts, which start from the notion of a continuum and a discontinuum respectively. With the smeared crack concept a distinction is furthermore made

A study on the effect of crack in concrete structure in the point of radiation shielding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chang-Min; Lee, Yoon-Hee; Lee, Kun-Jai; Cho, Cheon-Hyung; Choi, Byung-Il; Lee, Heung-Young

2005-01-01

The saturation of South Korea's at-reactor (AR) spent fuel storage pools has created a necessity for additional spent fuel storage capacity. Because the South Korean government has a plan to increase the number of nuclear power plants to 27 units by 2016, the increase of spent nuclear fuel generation will be accelerated. Because there is no concrete plan for spent unclear fuel permanent disposal, the Korea hydraulic nuclear power company is planning to construct dry storage facility. Spent nuclear fuel from CANDU type nuclear power plant will be stored in MACSTOR-400 composed by reinforced concrete. Because it is new model, it has to be licensed. Life time estimation is needed for licensing. Deterioration of reinforced concrete structure is currently of great concern for life time estimation. The most significant form of deterioration is reinforcement corrosion that gives rise to crack the concrete structure. In this study, in order to estimate the life time of MACSTOR, the tendency of crack creation, propagation and the effect of crack in concrete structure against radiation shielding are investigated. Crack creation and propagation depends on concrete cover thickness and c/d ratio. The surface dose rate at the concrete shield in MACSTOR is simulated by MCNP code about several cases. Generally in the case of point source, surface dose rate depends on shape, width and length of crack. In the case of MACSTOR-400, It is estimated that crack is not dominant factor in the point of radiation shielding in less than 0.4mm of crack width. Above results will be helpful to estimate the life time of concrete structure as radiation shield

Development of Nano technology in High Performance Concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nima Farzadnia; Abang Abdullah Abang Ali; Ramazan Demirboga; Demirboga, R.

2011-01-01

Concrete is the most widely used building material all around the world which has been undergoing many changes aligned with technological advancement. The most recent available type of concrete is high performance concrete which is produced by employing different admixtures both chemical and mineral to enhance mechanical properties and durability. Recently, technology has made it easy for scientist to study nano sized admixtures and their effect on microstructure of concrete. This paper reviews nano particles in cement composites and how they can improve different properties of concrete. (author)

Time-dependent crack growth and fracture in concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Fan Ping.

1992-02-01

The objectives of this thesis are to study time-dependent fracture behaviour in concrete. The thesis consists of an experimental study, costitutive modelling and numerical analysis. The experimental study was undertaken to investigate the influences of time on material properties for the fracture process zone and on crack growth and fracture in plain concrete structures. The experiments include tensile relaxation tests, bending tests on notched beams to determine fracture energy at varying deflection rates, and sustained bending and compact tensile tests. From the tensile relaxation tests, the envelope of the σ-w relation does not seem to be influenced by holding periods, though some local detrimental effect does occur. Fracture energy seems to decrease as rates become slower. In the sustained loading tests, deformation (deflection or CMOD) growth curves display three stages, as usually observed in a creep rupture test. The secondary stage dominates the whole failure lifetime, and the secondary deformation rate appears to have good correlation with the failure lifetime. A crack model for time-dependent fracture is proposed, by applying the idea of the Fictitious Crack Model. In this model, a modified Maxwell model is introduced for the fracture process zone incorporated with the static σ-w curve as a failure criterion, based on the observation of the tensile relaxation tests. The time-dependent σ-w curve is expressed in an incremental law. The proposed model has been implemented in a finite element program and applied to simulating sustained flexural and compact tensile tests. Numerical analysis includes simulations of crack growth, load-CMOD curves, stress-failure lifetime curves, size effects on failure life etc. The numerical results indicate that the model seems to be able to properly predict the main features of time-dependent fracture behaviour in concrete, as compared with the experimental results. 97 refs

FEM Modelling of the Evolution of Corrosion Cracks in Reinforced Concrete Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thoft-Christensen, Palle

Corrosion cracks are caused by the increasing volume of corrosion products during the corrosion of the reinforcement. After corrosion initiation the rust products from the corroded reinforcement will initially fill the porous zone near the reinforcement and the result in an expansion of the concr......Corrosion cracks are caused by the increasing volume of corrosion products during the corrosion of the reinforcement. After corrosion initiation the rust products from the corroded reinforcement will initially fill the porous zone near the reinforcement and the result in an expansion...... of the concrete near the reinforcement. Tensile stresses are then initiated in the concrete. With increasing corrosion, the tensile stresses will at a certain time reach a critical value and cracks will be developed. The increase of the crack with after formation of the initial crack is the subject of this paper...

Experimental Studies on the Fire Behaviour of High Performance Concrete Thin Plates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hulin, Thomas; Hodicky, Kamil; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup

2015-01-01

In recent decades, the use of structural high performance concrete (HPC) sandwich panels made with thin plates has increased as a response to modern environmental challenges. Fire endurance is a requirement in structural HPC elements, as for most structural elements. This paper presents experimen......In recent decades, the use of structural high performance concrete (HPC) sandwich panels made with thin plates has increased as a response to modern environmental challenges. Fire endurance is a requirement in structural HPC elements, as for most structural elements. This paper presents....... The parametric assessment of the specimen performance included: thickness of the specimen, testing apparatus, and concrete mix (both with and without polypropylene fibres). The results verified the ability of H-TRIS to impose an equivalent thermal boundary condition to that imposed during a standard furnace test......, with good repeatability, and at comparatively low economic and temporal costs. The results demonstrated that heat induced concrete spalling occurred 1 to 5 min earlier, and in a more destructive manner, for thinner specimens. An analysis is presented combining the thermal material degradation, vapour pore...

Development of high shrinkage polyethylene terephthalate (PET) shape memory polymer tendons for concrete crack closure

Science.gov (United States)

Teall, Oliver; Pilegis, Martins; Sweeney, John; Gough, Tim; Thompson, Glen; Jefferson, Anthony; Lark, Robert; Gardner, Diane

2017-04-01

The shrinkage force exerted by restrained shape memory polymers (SMPs) can potentially be used to close cracks in structural concrete. This paper describes the physical processing and experimental work undertaken to develop high shrinkage die-drawn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) SMP tendons for use within a crack closure system. The extrusion and die-drawing procedure used to manufacture a series of PET tendon samples is described. The results from a set of restrained shrinkage tests, undertaken at differing activation temperatures, are also presented along with the mechanical properties of the most promising samples. The stress developed within the tendons is found to be related to the activation temperature, the cross-sectional area and to the draw rate used during manufacture. Comparisons with commercially-available PET strip samples used in previous research are made, demonstrating an increase in restrained shrinkage stress by a factor of two for manufactured PET filament samples.

Modeling Restrained Shrinkage Induced Cracking in Concrete Rings Using the Thick Level Set Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Nakhoul

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Modeling restrained shrinkage-induced damage and cracking in concrete is addressed herein. The novel Thick Level Set (TLS damage growth and crack propagation model is used and adapted by introducing shrinkage contribution into the formulation. The TLS capacity to predict damage evolution, crack initiation and growth triggered by restrained shrinkage in absence of external loads is evaluated. A study dealing with shrinkage-induced cracking in elliptical concrete rings is presented herein. Key results such as the effect of rings oblateness on stress distribution and critical shrinkage strain needed to initiate damage are highlighted. In addition, crack positions are compared to those observed in experiments and are found satisfactory.

Study of the early age cracking of concrete massive structures: effect of the temperature decrease rate, steel reinforcement and construction joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briffaut, M.

2010-01-01

At early-age, massive concrete structures (ex. nuclear power plant) are submitted to strains due to the hydration reaction. If they are restrained, crossing cracks can occurs. This cracking may increase significantly the concrete wall permeability. The objectives of this work was to characterize the early age concrete behavior (thermal and endogenous shrinkage, basic and thermal transient creep, mechanical characteristic evolution) as well as develop a new device to study the early age cracking of a concrete structure submitted to restrained shrinkage. The experimental campaign achieved with this new device (called thermal active ring test) and the numerical analysis of the test thanks to finite element simulations allows us to evaluate the coupling between creep and damage, to identify the tensile strength decrease due to construction joints and to quantify the effect of reinforcement on the concrete behaviour. Moreover, with this device, permeability measurements have been performed on a cracked specimen. Finally, numerical simulations of massive structures highlight the influence of boundary conditions for restrained shrinkage and the influence of the coupling between creep and damage on the damage pattern. (author)

Characterization of fracture patterns and hygric properties for moisture flow modelling in cracked concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rouchier, Simon; Janssen, Hans; Rode, Carsten

2012-01-01

porous media. Digital Image Correlation was performed during the fracturing of concrete samples, in which moisture uptake was then monitored using X-ray radiography. Finite-element simulations were then performed based on the measurements of the fracture patterns, in order to recreate the measured......Several years after their installation, building materials such as concrete present signs of ageing in the form of fractures covering a wide range of sizes, from microscopic to macroscopic cracks. All sizes of fractures can have a strong influence on heat and moisture flow in the building envelope...

Capillary transport of water through textile-reinforced concrete applied in repairing and/or strengthening cracked RC structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lieboldt, M.; Mechtcherine, V.

2013-01-01

The use of textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) has great potential for innovative solutions in repairing, protecting, and strengthening concrete and RC structures. The article at hand reports on an investigation on composite concrete specimens made of cracked ordinary concrete as substrate and textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) as a cover layer for its strengthening and repair. The TRC cover layer was assessed with regard to its effectiveness as a protective layer against the ingress of water through capillary action. Since in real applications such TRC layers may be cracked or presumed to be so, thereby activating the load-carrying function of the textile reinforcement, the TRC layer was cracked for purposes of this study. The water transport in the cracked ordinary concrete specimens without the TRC layer was used as a reference. Gravimetric measurements and neutron radiography served as the testing techniques. In ordinary concrete quick and deep ingress of water through relatively wide macro-cracks of approximately 100 μm width, followed by transport through the capillary pore system, caused saturation of large areas in a rather short time. TRC applied to the RC surface reduced the ingress of water to a large extent. Its small crack widths of 15 to 20 μm changed suction behaviour fundamentally. In the cracked substrate of ordinary concrete, capillary suction was prevented, and transport through the pore system of the matrix became the prevailing transport mechanism of capillary action. Not only was the mechanism altered, but the transport of water deep into inner regions was markedly retarded as well

Crack formation and fracture energy of normal and high strength ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Abstract. The crack path through composite materials such as concrete depends on the mechanical interaction of inclusions with the cement-based matrix. Fracture energy depends on the deviations of a real crack from an idealized crack plane. Fracture energy and strain softening of normal, high strength, and self- ...

Impact resistance performance of green construction material using light weight oil palm shells reinforced bamboo concrete slab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muda, Z C; Usman, F; Beddu, S; Alam, M A; Thiruchelvam, S; Sidek, L M; Basri, H; Saadi, S

2013-01-01

This paper investigate the performance of lightweight oil palm shells (OPS) concrete with varied bamboo reinforcement content for the concrete slab of 300mm x 300mm size reinforced with different thickness subjected to low impact projectile test. A self-fabricated drop-weight impact test rig with a steel ball weight of 1.2 kg drop at 1 m height has been used in this research work. The main variables for the study is to find the relationship of the impact resistance against the amount of bamboo reinforcement and slab thickness. A linear relationship has been established between first and ultimate crack resistance against bamboo diameters and slab thickness by the experiment. The linear relationship has also been established between the service (first) crack and ultimate crack resistance against the bamboo reinforcement diameter for a constant spacing for various slab thickness using 0.45 OPS and 0.6 OPS bamboo reinforced concrete. The increment in bamboo diameter has more effect on the first crack resistance than the ultimate crack resistance. The linear relationship has also been established between the service (first) crack and ultimate crack resistance against the various slab thickness. Increment in slab thickness of the slab has more effect on the crack resistance as compare to the increment in the diameter of the bamboo reinforcement.

Behaviour of concrete beams reinforced withFRP prestressed concrete prisms

Science.gov (United States)

Svecova, Dagmar

The use of fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) to reinforce concrete is gaining acceptance. However, due to the relatively low modulus of FRP, in comparison to steel, such structures may, if sufficient amount of reinforcement is not used, suffer from large deformations and wide cracks. FRP is generally more suited for prestressing. Since it is not feasible to prestress all concrete structures to eliminate the large deflections of FRP reinforced concrete flexural members, researchers are focusing on other strategies. A simple method for avoiding excessive deflections is to provide sufficiently high amount of FRP reinforcement to limit its stress (strain) to acceptable levels under service loads. This approach will not be able to take advantage of the high strength of FRP and will be generally uneconomical. The current investigation focuses on the feasibility of an alternative strategy. This thesis deals with the flexural and shear behaviour of concrete beams reinforced with FRP prestressed concrete prisms. FRP prestressed concrete prisms (PCP) are new reinforcing bars, made by pretensioning FRP and embedding it in high strength grout/concrete. The purpose of the research is to investigate the feasibility of using such pretensioned rebars, and their effect on the flexural and shear behaviour of reinforced concrete beams over the entire loading range. Due to the prestress in the prisms, deflection of concrete beams reinforced with this product is substantially reduced, and is comparable to similarly steel reinforced beams. The thesis comprises both theoretical and experimental investigations. In the experimental part, nine beams reinforced with FRP prestressed concrete prisms, and two companion beams, one steel and one FRP reinforced were tested. All the beams were designed to carry the same ultimate moment. Excellent flexural and shear behaviour of beams reinforced with higher prestressed prisms is reported. When comparing deflections of three beams designed to have the

Pull-out strength of a headed stud in cracked concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takiguchi, K.; Hotta, H.

1995-01-01

Pull-out strength of a headed stud due to cone failure of concrete with/without cracks were examined. This paper presents empirical data basis to decide the criteria for designing a headed stud embedded in a shear wall under earthquake. As a result, it is known that cracks running through the stud reduce the pull-out strength, but it almost recovers when the cracks are closed again by an external compressive load. (author). 2 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab

Concrete pedestals for high-performance semiconductor production equipment

Science.gov (United States)

Vogen, Wayne; Franklin, Craig L.; Morneault, Joseph

1999-09-01

Concrete pedestals have many vibration and stiffness characteristics that make them a superior choice for sensitive semiconductor production equipment including scanners, scanning electron microscopes, focused ion beam millers and optical inspection equipment. Among the advantages of concrete pedestals are high inherent damping, monolithic construction that eliminates low stiffness joints common in steep pedestals, ability to reuse and ease of installation. Steel pedestals that have plates attached to the top of the frame are easily excited by acoustic excitation, especially in the range from 50 Hertz to 400 Hertz. Concrete pedestals do not suffer from this phenomenon because of the high mass and damping of the top surface.

Mathematical modeling of vibration processes in reinforced concrete structures for setting up crack initiation monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Bykov, A. A.; Matveenko, B. P.; Serovaev, G. S.; Shardakov, I. N.; Shestakov, A. P.

2015-03-01

The contemporary construction industry is based on the use of reinforced concrete structures, but emergency situations resulting in fracture can arise in their exploitation. In a majority of cases, reinforced concrete fracture is realized as the process of crack formation and development. As a rule, the appearance of the first cracks does not lead to the complete loss of the carrying capacity but is a fracture precursor. One method for ensuring the safe operation of building structures is based on crack initiation monitoring. A vibration method for the monitoring of reinforced concrete structures is justified in this paper. An example of a reinforced concrete beam is used to consider all stages related to the analysis of the behavior of natural frequencies in the development of a crack-shaped defect and the use of the obtained numerical results for the vibration test method. The efficiency of the method is illustrated by the results of modeling of the physical part of the method related to the analysis of the natural frequency evolution as a response to the impact action in the crack development process.

Fatigue Performance and Multiscale Mechanisms of Concrete Toughened by Polymers and Waste Rubber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available For improving bending toughness and fatigue performance of brittle cement-based composites, two types of water-soluble polymers (such as dispersible latex powder and polyvinyl alcohol powder and waste tire-rubber powders are added to concrete as admixtures. Multiscale toughening mechanisms of these additions in concretes were comprehensively investigated. Four-point bending fatigue performance of four series concretes is conducted under a stress level of 0.70. The results show that the effects of dispersible latex powder on bending toughness and fatigue life of concrete are better than those of polyvinyl alcohol powder. Furthermore, the bending fatigue lives of concrete simultaneously containing polymers and waste rubber powders are larger than those of concrete with only one type of admixtures. The multiscale physics-chemical mechanisms show that high bonding effect and high elastic modulus of polymer films as well as good elastic property and crack-resistance of waste tire-rubber powders are beneficial for improving bending toughness and fatigue life of cementitious composites.

High and low torque handpieces: cutting dynamics, enamel cracking and tooth temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, T F; Flanagan, D; Stone, D G

2000-06-24

The aim of these experiments was to compare the cutting dynamics of high-speed high-torque (speed-increasing) and high-speed low-torque (air-turbine) handpieces and evaluate the effect of handpiece torque and bur type on sub-surface enamel cracking. Temperature changes were also recorded in teeth during cavity preparation with high and low torque handpieces with diamond and tungsten carbide (TC) burs. The null hypothesis of this study was that high torque handpieces cause more damage to tooth structure during cutting and lead to a rise in temperature within the pulp-chamber. Images of the dynamic interactions between burs and enamel were recorded at video rate using a confocal microscope. Central incisors were mounted on a specially made servomotor driven stage for cutting with a type 57 TC bur. The two handpiece types were used with simultaneous recording of cutting load and rate. Sub-surface enamel cracking caused by the use of diamond and TC burs with high and low torque was also examined. Lower third molars were sectioned horizontally to remove the cusp tips and then the two remaining crowns cemented together with cyanoacrylate adhesive, by their flat surfaces. Axial surfaces of the crowns were then prepared with the burs and handpieces. The teeth were then separated and the original sectioned surface examined for any cracks using a confocal microscope. Heat generation was measured using thermocouples placed into the pulp chambers of extracted premolars, with diamond and TC burs/high-low torque handpiece variables, when cutting occlusal and cervical cavities. When lightly loaded the two handpiece types performed similarly. However, marked differences in cutting mechanisms were noted when increased forces were applied to the handpieces with, generally, an increase in cutting rate. The air turbine could not cope with steady heavy loads, tending to stall. 'Rippling' was seen in the interface as this stall developed, coinciding with the bur 'clearing' itself. No

Corrosion characteristics of a 4-year naturally corroded reinforced concrete beam with load-induced transverse cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Chuanqing; Jin, Nanguo; Ye, Hailong; Jin, Xianyu; Dai, Wei

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A comprehensive study of corrosion characteristics of a naturally corroded RC beam. • New insights on the role of cracks in corrosion propagation of steel in concrete. • EMPA and 3D laser scanning provide quantitative analysis of corroded rebar. - Abstract: This work studies the corrosion characteristics of reinforcement in a 4-year naturally corroded concrete beam after accelerated chloride penetration. The results show that the presence of transverse cracks in the tension surface of reinforced concrete beam can globally exacerbate the loss of cross-sectional area of rebar. However, there is no strong correlation between the width of transverse cracks, with the width of longitudinal cracks and loss of cross-sectional area of corroded rebar at a specific location. The self-healing of cracks and sacrificing roles of stirrups at crack tips seem to reduce the impacts of cracks on the corrosion propagation.

Impact of Steel Fiber Size and Shape on the Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

2015-08-01

characteristics of steel fiber reinforcement to the mechanical properties of high-strength concretes , this study investigated four commercially available...Standard test method for flexural performance of fiber - reinforced concrete (using beam with third-point loading). Designation: C1609/1609M. West...STEEL FIBERS are low-carbon, drawn w ire for reinforced concrete . NYCON-SF fibers distribute stresses within the concrete and provide improvement

An experimental study of crack development in flexural reinforced concrete members

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Annette Beedholm; Hagsten, Lars German; Würst Sørensen, Bjarke

2017-01-01

This paper presents the results of an experimental program of eight reinforced concrete beams carried out in order to investigate the development of cracks related to flexure. To be able to investigate possible size effects with respect to cracking, beams of two different depths were tested...

Modelling Dowel Action of Discrete Reinforcing Bars in Cracked Concrete Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwan, A. K. H.; Ng, P. L.; Lam, J. Y. K.

2010-01-01

Dowel action is one of the component actions for shear force transfer in cracked reinforced concrete. In finite element analysis of concrete structures, the use of discrete representation of reinforcing bars is considered advantageous over the smeared representation due to the relative ease of modelling the bond-slip behaviour. However, there is very limited research on how to simulate the dowel action of discrete reinforcing bars. Herein, a numerical model for dowel action of discrete reinforcing bars crossing cracks in concrete is developed. The model features the derivation of dowel stiffness matrix based on beam-on-elastic-foundation theory and the direct assemblage of dowel stiffness into the concrete element stiffness matrices. The dowel action model is incorporated in a nonlinear finite element programme with secant stiffness formulation. Deep beams tested in the literature are analysed and it is found that the incorporation of dowel action model improves the accuracy of analysis.

Comparison of Crack Initiation, Propagation and Coalescence Behavior of Concrete and Rock Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Zengin, Enes; Abiddin Erguler, Zeynal

2017-04-01

There are many previously studies carried out to identify crack initiation, propagation and coalescence behavior of different type of rocks. Most of these studies aimed to understand and predict the probable instabilities on different engineering structures such as mining galleries or tunnels. For this purpose, in these studies relatively smaller natural rock and synthetic rock-like models were prepared and then the required laboratory tests were performed to obtain their strength parameters. By using results provided from these models, researchers predicted the rock mass behavior under different conditions. However, in the most of these studies, rock materials and models were considered as contains none or very few discontinuities and structural flaws. It is well known that rock masses naturally are extremely complex with respect to their discontinuities conditions and thus it is sometimes very difficult to understand and model their physical and mechanical behavior. In addition, some vuggy rock materials such as basalts and limestones also contain voids and gaps having various geometric properties. Providing that the failure behavior of these type of rocks controlled by the crack initiation, propagation and coalescence formed from their natural voids and gaps, the effect of these voids and gaps over failure behavior of rocks should be investigated. Intact rocks are generally preferred due to relatively easy side of their homogeneous characteristics in numerical modelling phases. However, it is very hard to extract intact samples from vuggy rocks because of their complex pore sizes and distributions. In this study, the feasibility of concrete samples to model and mimic the failure behavior vuggy rocks was investigated. For this purpose, concrete samples were prepared at a mixture of %65 cement dust and %35 water and their physical and mechanical properties were determined by laboratory experiments. The obtained physical and mechanical properties were used to

Behaviour of Nano Silica in Tension Zone of High Performance Concrete Beams

Science.gov (United States)

Jaishankar, P.; Vivek, D.

2017-07-01

High performance concrete (HPC) is similar to High strength concrete (HSC).It is because of lowering of water to cement ratio, which is needed to attain high strength and generally improves other properties. This concrete contains one or more cementitious materials such as fly ash, Silica fume or ground granulated blast furnace slag and usually a super plasticizer. The term ‘high performance’ is somewhat different because the essential feature of this concrete is that it’s ingredients and proportions are specifically chosen so as to have particularly appropriate properties for the expected use of the structure such as high strength and low permeability. Usage of nano scale properties such as Nano SiO2 can result in dramatically improved properties from conventional grain size materials of same chemical composition. This project is more interested in evaluate the behaviour of nano silica in concrete for 5%, 10%, and 15% volume fraction of cement. Flexural test for beams were conducted with two point loads, at different percentage as mentioned above. From results interpolated, Nano silica with higher order replacement gives optimized results compared to control specimens.

Long-term analysis of slender concrete structures with cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chern, J.C.; Marchertas, A.H.

1985-01-01

A special form of the finite element program, which is based on the equilibrium of forces in various cross sections of the beam together with the principle of virtual work, is presented for solving concrete beam problems. This analytical method uses the newly developed rheological element and exponential algorithm for computing time-dependent deformation and stress distribution in cracked concrete members subjected to sustained loads, temperature, or drying. Temperature and moisture effects on hydration (aging) and creep rate are included. The rate effects of temperature and moisture on the deformation of concrete are also taken into account in the formulation. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the validity of the analysis on concrete beams. Plain and reinforced concrete beams subjected to bending, heating or drying are analyzed and checked against experimental data

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH OF THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL PERFORMANCE OF COMPOSITE STEEL AND CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zamaliev Farit Sakhapovich

2012-12-01

steel-concrete slabs limits their use in the construction of residential housing. This article describes the composition, geometry, reinforcement, and anchors to enable the use of concrete slabs and steel beams. The article contains photographs that illustrate the load distribution model. Methods of testing of fiber strains of concrete slabs and steel profiles, deflections of beams, shear stresses in the layers of the "steel-to-concrete" contact area that may involve slab cracking are analyzed. Dynamics of fiber deformations of concrete slabs, steel beams, and layers of the "steel-to-concrete" contact areas, deflection development patterns, initial cracking and crack development to destruction are analyzed. The author also describes the fracture behavior of the floor model. Results of experimental studies of the three-dimensional overlapping of structural elements are compared to the test data of individual composite beams. Peculiarities of the stress-strain state of composite steel and concrete slabs, graphs of strains and stresses developing in sections of middle and external steel-and-concrete beams, deflection graphs depending on the loading intensity are provided. The findings of the experimental studies of the three-dimensional performance of composite steel-and-concrete slabs are provided, as well.

How PE tape performs under concrete coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dritt, H.J.

1984-01-01

The program objectives were to evaluate the performance of polyethylene tape plant coating and fusion bonded epoxy powder systems with particular respect to the following: 1. Concrete coating application procedures; 2. The shear resistance during laying and retrieving operations of the coating at the various interfaces (a) Pipe and anti-corrosion coating; (b) Anti-corrosion coating and outerwrap; (c) Overlap areas of the anti-corrosion and outerwrap layers; (d) Between concrete and the various corrosion coatings during laying and retrieving operations. 3. Resistance to damage of the coating as a consequence of cracking or slippage of the concrete weight coating. 4. Ability of various coatings to withstand the damage during concrete application by both impact and compression methods; 5. Evaluation of tape and shrink sleeve joint coatings at the cut-back area as well as performance of tape under hot asphalt coating

High-performance heavy concrete as a multi-purpose shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mortazavi, S. M. J.; Mosleh-Shirazi, M. A.; Roshan-Shomal, P.; Raadpey, N.; Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi, M.

2010-01-01

Concrete has long been used as a shield against high-energy photons and neutrons. In this study, colemanite and galena minerals (CoGa) were used for the production of an economical high-performance heavy concrete. To measure the gamma radiation attenuation of the CoGa concrete samples, they were exposed to a narrow beam of gamma rays emitted from a 60 Co radiotherapy unit. An Am-Be neutron source was used for assessing the shielding properties of the samples against neutrons. The compression strengths of both types of concrete mixes (CoGa and reference concrete) were investigated. The range of the densities of the heavy concrete samples was 4100-4650 kg m -3 , whereas it was 2300-2600 kg m -3 in the ordinary concrete reference samples. The half-value layer of the CoGa concrete samples for 60 Co gamma rays was 2.49 cm; much less than that of ordinary concrete (6.0 cm). Moreover, CoGa concrete samples had a 10% greater neutron absorption compared with reference concrete. (authors)

Effects of Silica in Rice Husk Ash (RHA) in producing High Strength Concrete

OpenAIRE

Kartini, K; Nurul Nazierah, M.Y; Zaidahtulakmal, M.Z; Siti Aisyah, G

2012-01-01

High strength concrete (HSC) are known to have a higher amount of cement binder in the mix design properties with low w/b ratio. The high mass of cement content produced substantial heat liberation in the concrete due to the reaction between cement and water, which can lead to cracking. Additive likes silica fume is too expensive to use in the HSC in order to overcome the problems, however, the initiative of utilizing the rice husk ash (RHA) which have high silica content are apply for the de...

Experimental data of the static behavior of reinforced concrete beams at room and low temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzazadeh, M Mehdi; Noël, Martin; Green, Mark F

2016-06-01

This article provides data on the static behavior of reinforced concrete at room and low temperature including, strength, ductility, and crack widths of the reinforced concrete. The experimental data on the application of digital image correlation (DIC) or particle image velocimetry (PIV) in measuring crack widths and the accuracy and precision of DIC/PIV method with temperature variations when is used for measuring strains is provided as well.

A viscoelastic Unitary Crack-Opening strain tensor for crack width assessment in fractured concrete structures

Science.gov (United States)

Sciumè, Giuseppe; Benboudjema, Farid

2017-05-01

A post-processing technique which allows computing crack width in concrete is proposed for a viscoelastic damage model. Concrete creep is modeled by means of a Kelvin-Voight cell while the damage model is that of Mazars in its local form. Due to the local damage approach, the constitutive model is regularized with respect to finite element mesh to avoid mesh dependency in the computed solution (regularization is based on fracture energy).

Effect of fire exposure on cracking, spalling and residual strength of fly ash geopolymer concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarker, Prabir Kumar; Kelly, Sean; Yao, Zhitong

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Fire endurance of fly ash geopolymer concrete has been studied. • No spalling in geopolymer concrete cylinders up to 1000 °C fire. • Less cracking and better fire endurance of geopolymer concrete than OPC concrete. • Geopolymer microstructure remained stable up to 1000 °C fire. - Abstract: Fly ash based geopolymer is an emerging alternative binder to cement for making concrete. The cracking, spalling and residual strength behaviours of geopolymer concrete were studied in order to understand its fire endurance, which is essential for its use as a building material. Fly ash based geopolymer and ordinary portland cement (OPC) concrete cylinder specimens were exposed to fires at different temperatures up to 1000 °C, with a heating rate of that given in the International Standards Organization (ISO) 834 standard. Compressive strength of the concretes varied in the range of 39–58 MPa. After the fire exposures, the geopolymer concrete specimens were found to suffer less damage in terms of cracking than the OPC concrete specimens. The OPC concrete cylinders suffered severe spalling for 800 and 1000 °C exposures, while there was no spalling in the geopolymer concrete specimens. The geopolymer concrete specimens generally retained higher strength than the OPC concrete specimens. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of geopolymer concrete showed continued densification of the microstructure with the increase of fire temperature. The strength loss in the geopolymer concrete specimens was mainly because of the difference between the thermal expansions of geopolymer matrix and the aggregates

A comparison of elastic-plastic and variable modulus-cracking constitutive models for prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, C.A.; Smith, P.D.

1979-01-01

Numerical prediction of the behavior of prestressed concrete reactor vessels (PCRVs) under static, dynamic and long term loadings is complicated by the currently ill-defined behavior of concrete under stress and the three-dimensional nature of PCRVs. Which constitutive model most closely approximates the behavior of concrete in PCRVs under load has not yet been decided. Many equations for accurately modeling the three-dimensional behavior of PCRVs tax the capability of a most up-to-date computing system. The main purpose of this paper is to compare the characteristics of two constitutive models which have been proposed for concrete, variable modulus cracking model and elastic-plastic model. Moreover, the behavior of typical concrete structures was compared, the materials of which obey these constitutive laws. The response to internal pressure of PCRV structure, the constitutive models for concrete, the test problems using a thick-walled concrete ring and a rectangular concrete plate, and the analysis of an axisymmetric concrete pressure vessel PV-26 using the variable modulus cracking model of the ADINA code are explained. The variable modulus cracking model can predict the behavior of reinforced concrete structures well into the range of nonlinear behavior. (Kako, I.)

Experimental investigations of sandwich panels using high performance concrete thin plates exposed to fire

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hulin, Thomas; Hodicky, Kamil; Schmidt, Jacob Wittrup

2015-01-01

Structural sandwich panels using thin high performance concrete (HPC) plates offer a possibility to address the modern environmental challenges faced by the construction industry. Fire resistance is a major necessity in structures using HPC. This paper presents experimental studies at elevated...... temperatures for panels with 30 mm thick plates stiffened by structural ribs, thick insulation layers, and steel shear connecting systems. Parametric variation assessing the role of each component of the sandwich structure was performed on unloaded specimens of reduced size. Full size walls were tested...... with load. Tests were performed in standard furnaces, following the conditions of REI certification tests. Unloaded specimens successfully passed tests. Loaded specimens met the R and I requirements, failing E due to sustained flaming of the insulation. They exhibited multiple cracking of their exposed...

Behavior of cracked concrete nuclear containment vessels during earthquakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gergely, P.; Stanton, J.F.; White, R.N.

1975-01-01

When pressure builds up in a reinforced concrete nuclear containment shell, its cylindrical wall cracks vertically and horizontally at intervals of about five feet. If an earthquake occurs simultaneously with this pressurization, inertia forces are transmitted across the horizontal crack planes. The forces and deformations must be small enough to maintain the integrity of the steel liner. A typical containment shell has a radius of about 65 ft. and a wall thickness of about 4 ft. It is heavily reinforced with vertical, horizontal, and sometimes diagonal bars. A steel shell of about 3 / 8 in. thickness is attached to the concrete with anchors. The seismic shear forces are transmitted across the horizontal cracks by interface shear transfer (combination of shear friction and aggregate interlocking), by dowel action of the bars, and by diagonal bars if they are used. One important question in the design of such vessels is whether the diagonal bars are necessary. In the experimental portion of the current investigation several types of tests were conducted to study the load-slip characteristics of interface shear transfer under high intensity cyclic loading. In some cases external bars provided the clamping action of reinforcement, in more recent tests large diameter embedded bars were used. This presentation summarizes the analytical part of the investigation. A representative load-slip curve has been used in the analyses to assess the intensity of the stresses and deformations, and to study the importance of the variables as an aid in planning future tests

Assessing the Portion of the Crack Length Contributing to Water Sorption in Concrete Using X-ray Absorption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pease, Bradley Justin; Couch, Jon; Geiker, Mette Rica

2009-01-01

While it is generally known that cracks accelerate fluid movements, there is a need to quantify how cracks influence the controlling transport mechanism(s) for more accurate service life modeling. This paper describes an experimental approach using x-ray absorption measurements to quantify the in......-ray absorption measurements over time. The effect cracks have on sorption is discussed and compared to the behavior of pristine concrete. In addition, the maximum water sorption depth after one hour of exposure is compared to crack lengths determined by the cracked hinge model.......While it is generally known that cracks accelerate fluid movements, there is a need to quantify how cracks influence the controlling transport mechanism(s) for more accurate service life modeling. This paper describes an experimental approach using x-ray absorption measurements to quantify...... the influence of cracks with varying width and length on water sorption in concrete. Concrete wedge splitting specimens, conditioned to 50% relative humidity, were loaded to varying crack openings. Water sorption was monitored for ponded specimens with varying crack widths and lengths by taking multiple x...

Performance of intact and partially degraded concrete barriers in limiting fluid flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, J.C.; Seitz, R.R.

1991-07-01

Concrete barriers will play a critical role in the long-term isolation of low-level radioactive wastes. Over time the barriers will degrade, and in many cases, the fundamental processes controlling performance of the barriers will be different for intact and degraded conditions. This document examines factors controlling fluid flow through intact and degraded concrete disposal facilities. Simplified models are presented fro predicting build up of fluid above a vault; fluid flow through and around intact vaults, through flaws in coatings/liners applied to a vault, and through cracks in a concrete vault; and the influence of different backfill materials around the outside of the vault. Example calculations are presented to illustrate the parameters and processes that influence fluid flow. 46 refs., 49 figs., 2 tabs

Study on effects of solar radiation and rain on shrinkage, shrinkage cracking and creep of concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asamoto, Shingo; Ohtsuka, Ayumu; Kuwahara, Yuta; Miura, Chikako

2011-01-01

In this paper, the effects of actual environmental actions on shrinkage, creep and shrinkage cracking of concrete are studied comprehensively. Prismatic specimens of plain concrete were exposed to three sets of artificial outdoor conditions with or without solar radiation and rain to examine the shrinkage. For the purpose of studying shrinkage cracking behavior, prismatic concrete specimens with reinforcing steel were also subjected to the above conditions at the same time. The shrinkage behavior is described focusing on the effects of solar radiation and rain based on the moisture loss. The significant environment actions to induce shrinkage cracks are investigated from viewpoints of the amount of the shrinkage and the tensile strength. Finally, specific compressive creep behavior according to solar radiation and rainfall is discussed. It is found that rain can greatly inhibit the progresses of concrete shrinkage and creep while solar radiation is likely to promote shrinkage cracking and creep.

Corrosion Behavior of Steel Reinforcement in Concrete with Recycled Aggregates, Fly Ash and Spent Cracking Catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurdián, Hebé; García-Alcocel, Eva; Baeza-Brotons, Francisco; Garcés, Pedro; Zornoza, Emilio

2014-04-21

The main strategy to reduce the environmental impact of the concrete industry is to reuse the waste materials. This research has considered the combination of cement replacement by industrial by-products, and natural coarse aggregate substitution by recycled aggregate. The aim is to evaluate the behavior of concretes with a reduced impact on the environment by replacing a 50% of cement by industrial by-products (15% of spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst and 35% of fly ash) and a 100% of natural coarse aggregate by recycled aggregate. The concretes prepared according to these considerations have been tested in terms of mechanical strengths and the protection offered against steel reinforcement corrosion under carbonation attack and chloride-contaminated environments. The proposed concrete combinations reduced the mechanical performance of concretes in terms of elastic modulus, compressive strength, and flexural strength. In addition, an increase in open porosity due to the presence of recycled aggregate was observed, which is coherent with the changes observed in mechanical tests. Regarding corrosion tests, no significant differences were observed in the case of the resistance of these types of concretes under a natural chloride attack. In the case of carbonation attack, although all concretes did not stand the highly aggressive conditions, those concretes with cement replacement behaved worse than Portland cement concretes.

Micro-crack detection in high-performance cementitious materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lura, Pietro; Guang, Ye; Tanaka, Kyoji

2005-01-01

of high-performance cement pastes in silicone moulds that exert minimal external restraint. Cast-in steel rods with varying diameter internally restrain the autogenous shrinkage and lead to crack formation. Dimensions of the steel rods are chosen so that the size of this restraining inclusion resembles......-ray tomography, do not allow sufficient resolution of microcracks. A new technique presented in this paper allows detection of microcracks in cement paste while avoiding artefacts induced by unwanted restraint, drying or temperature variations. The technique consists in casting small circular cylindrical samples...... aggregate size. Gallium intrusion of the cracks and subsequent examination by electron probe micro analysis, EPMA, are used to identify the cracks. The gallium intrusion technique allows controllable impregnation of cracks in the cement paste. A distinct contrast between gallium and the surrounding material...

Enhancement of crack healing efficiency and performance of SAP in biocrete

Science.gov (United States)

Giriselvam, M. G.; Poornima, V.; Venkatasubramani, R.; Sreevidya, V.

2018-02-01

Concrete usage in Construction becomes more common in this speedy world. Despite its benefits, concrete often exhibits crack which appear due to stresses. Larger cracks cause Structural integrity problems and smaller cracks may result in durability issues. A novel environmental friendly strategy to restore or remediate cracks formed in the structures is bio-mineralization of calcium carbonate using microbes such as Bacillus Subtilis (used in this study), as manual repair and maintenance is costly. In this Paper, an idea of using Super Absorbent Polymer in Bacterial Concrete was analysed which increases the strength and durability properties of concrete and also which acts as a protection to bacteria, where Self-Healing nature is viewed. In the span of 90 days, the results of Bacterial concrete cured under normal water providing nutrients inside with SAP shows healing up to 74 % and without SAP displays 49 % and when it is cured under nutrient medium, Bacterial Concrete having SAP displays healing up to 66 %, whereas without SAP it displays 57.4% of healing. During the observation it is discernible that the crack width ranging from 0.10 mm near 0.45 mm show better self-healing capacity. XRD analysis displays the presence of Calcium carbonate precipitation in cracks.

Initial rheological description of high performance concretes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Lorenzetti de Castro

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Concrete is defined as a composite material and, in rheological terms, it can be understood as a concentrated suspension of solid particles (aggregates in a viscous liquid (cement paste. On a macroscopic scale, concrete flows as a liquid. It is known that the rheological behavior of the concrete is close to that of a Bingham fluid and two rheological parameters regarding its description are needed: yield stress and plastic viscosity. The aim of this paper is to present the initial rheological description of high performance concretes using the modified slump test. According to the results, an increase of yield stress was observed over time, while a slight variation in plastic viscosity was noticed. The incorporation of silica fume showed changes in the rheological properties of fresh concrete. The behavior of these materials also varied with the mixing procedure employed in their production. The addition of superplasticizer meant that there was a large reduction in the mixture's yield stress, while plastic viscosity remained practically constant.

Smeared crack modelling approach for corrosion-induced concrete damage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thybo, Anna Emilie Anusha; Michel, Alexander; Stang, Henrik

2017-01-01

In this paper a smeared crack modelling approach is used to simulate corrosion-induced damage in reinforced concrete. The presented modelling approach utilizes a thermal analogy to mimic the expansive nature of solid corrosion products, while taking into account the penetration of corrosion...... products into the surrounding concrete, non-uniform precipitation of corrosion products, and creep. To demonstrate the applicability of the presented modelling approach, numerical predictions in terms of corrosion-induced deformations as well as formation and propagation of micro- and macrocracks were......-induced damage phenomena in reinforced concrete. Moreover, good agreements were also found between experimental and numerical data for corrosion-induced deformations along the circumference of the reinforcement....

Comparison of elastic--plastic and variable modulus-cracking constitutive models for prestressed concrete reactor vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, C.A.; Smith, P.D.

1978-01-01

The variable modulus-cracking model is capable of predicting the behavior of reinforced concrete structures (such as the reinforced plate under transverse pressure described previously) well into the range of nonlinear behavior including the prediction of the ultimate load. For unreinforced thick-walled concrete vessels under internal pressure the use of elastic--plastic concrete models in finite element codes enhances the apparent ductility of the vessels in contrast to variable modulus-cracking models that predict nearly instantaneous rupture whenever the tensile strength at the inner wall is exceeded. For unreinforced thick-walled end slabs representative of PCRV heads, the behavior predicted by finite element codes using variable modulus-cracking models is much stiffer in the nonlinear range than that observed experimentally. Although the shear type failures and crack patterns that are observed experimentally are predicted by such concrete models, the ultimate load carrying capacity and vessel-ductility are significantly underestimated. It appears that such models do not adequately model such features as aggregate interlock that could lead to an enhanced vessel reserve strength and ductility

Performance modeling of concrete/metal barriers used in low-level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuman, R.; Chau, Nam; Icenhour, A.S.; Godbee, H.W.; Tharp, M.L.

1993-01-01

Low-Level radioactive wastes generated in government and commercial operations involving nuclear materials need to be isolated from the environment almost in perpetuity. An increasing number of disposal sites are using concrete/metal barriers (so called ''engineered'' barriers) to isolate these wastes from the environment. Two major concerns hamper the use of engineered barriers; namely, the lack of ability to reliably predict the service life of these barriers and to estimate the confidence level of the service life predicted. Computer codes (SOURCE1 and SOURCE2) for estimating the long-term (centuries to millennia) service life of these barriers are presented. These codes use mathematical models (based on past observations, currently accepted data, and established theories) to predict behavior into the future. Processes modeled for concrete degradation include sulfate attack, calcium hydroxide leaching, and reinforcement corrosion. The loss of structural integrity due to cracking is also modeled. Mechanisms modeled for nuclide leaching include advection and diffusion. The coupled or linked effects of these models are addressed in the codes. Outputs from the codes are presented and analyzed

Assessment of cracks in reinforced concrete by means of electrical resistance and image analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pacheco, J.; Šavija, B.; Schlangen, E.; Polder, R.B.

2014-01-01

The durability of cracked reinforced concrete is a serious concern in the construction industry. Cracks represent fast routes for chloride penetration, which can result in reinforcement corrosion. Bending or tapered cracks have the characteristic of being wider at the surface and becoming narrower

ASSESSMENT OF CRACKING RESISTANCE OF CELLULAR CONCRETE PRODUCTS UNDER MOISTURE AND CARBONISATION DEFORMATIONS WITH STRESS RELAXATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sh. I. Apkarov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. On the basis of the experimental, theoretical and field studies, an engineering calculation method was developed for assessing the cracking resistance of external enclosing constructions made of cellular concrete, with the maximum gradient development of moisture and carbonisation forced deformations along their thickness, taking into account the relaxation of the shrinkage stresses. In this regard, the aim of the work is to provide technological measures at the manufacturing stage in order to increase the operational cracking resistance of the construction's outer surface layers by reducing the moisture and carbonation shrinkage of cellular concrete by introducing a large or fine porous aggregate in calculated amounts.Methods. A number of analytical equations were applied to establish the dependence of the shrinkage of heavy concrete of conventional hardness on the amount of aggregate introduced and its elasticity modulus, water-cement ratio and cement consumption, as well as the concrete's moisture content.Results. Knowing the volumes of the structural aggregate and the cellular concrete mass, as well as their modulus of elasticity, the shrinkage reduction factor of the cellular concrete was calculated with the addition of a lightweight porous aggregate. Subsequently, the shrinkage deformations of concrete in the surface layer of the outer enclosing construction, maximising crack resistance due to moisture exchange and carbonation influences under operating conditions, were defined, taking into account the relaxation of tensile stresses due to creep of concrete.Conclusion. Theoretical calculations, based on the recommended method of assessing the cracking resistance of cellular concrete enclosing constructions under moisture exchange and carbonisation processes, taking into account the relaxation of shrinkage stresses, showed that in order to exclude the appearance of cracks in wall panels 280 mm thick made of 700 kg/m3 gas ash

Finite element analysis-based study of fiber Bragg grating sensor for cracks detection in reinforced concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lili; Xin, Xiangjun; Song, Jun; Wang, Honggang; Sai, Yaozhang

2018-02-01

Fiber Bragg sensor is applied for detecting and monitoring the cracks that occur in the reinforced concrete. We use the three-dimensional finite element model to provide the three-axial stresses along the fiber Bragg sensor and then converted the stresses as a wavelength deformation of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) reflected spectrum. For the crack detection, an FBG sensor with 10-mm length is embedded in the reinforced concrete, and its reflection spectrum is measured after loading is applied to the concrete slab. As a result, the main peak wavelength and the ratio of the peak reflectivity to the maximal side-mode reflectivity of the optic-fiber grating represent the fracture severity. The fact that the sharp decreasing of the ratio of the peak reflectivity to the maximal side-mode reflectivity represents the early crack is confirmed by the theoretical calculation. The method can be used to detect the cracks in the reinforced concrete and give safety evaluation of large-scale infrastructure.

Fatigue crack growth due to overloads in plain concrete using ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

cation of overload on concrete structures, acceleration in the crack growth process .... study by the same authors, Ray & Chandra Kishen (2010), they have employed the population growth ...... Institute of Technology, University of Trondheim.

Very high cycle fatigue testing of concrete using ultrasonic cycling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karr, Ulrike; Schuller, Reinhard; Fitzka, Michael; Mayer, Herwig [Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria). Inst. of Physics and Materials Science; Denk, Andreas; Strauss, Alfred [Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria)

2017-06-01

The ultrasonic fatigue testing method has been further developed to perform cyclic compression tests with concrete. Cylindrical specimens vibrate in resonance at a frequency of approximately 20 kHz with superimposed compressive static loads. The high testing frequency allows time-saving investigations in the very high cycle fatigue regime. Fatigue tests were carried out on ''Concrete 1'' (compressive strength f{sub c} = 80 MPa) and ''Concrete 2'' (f{sub c} = 107 MPa) under purely compressive loading conditions. Experiments at maximum compressive stresses of 0.44 f{sub c} (Concrete 1) and 0.38 f{sub c} (Concrete 2) delivered specimen failures above 109 cycles, indicating that no fatigue limit exists for concrete below one billion load cycles. Resonance frequency, power required to resonate the specimen and second order harmonics of the vibration are used to monitor fatigue damage in situ. Specimens were scanned by X-ray computed tomography prior to and after testing. Fatigue cracks were produced by ultrasonic cycling in the very high cycle fatigue regime at interfaces of grains as well as in cement. The possibilities as well as limitations of ultrasonic fatigue testing of concrete are discussed.

How can we make good concrete even better?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kovler, Konstantin; Jensen, Ole Mejlhede; Falikman, Vyacheslav

2005-01-01

It is known that some high-strength/high-performance concretes are prone to cracking at an early age unless special precautions are used. The paper deals with the methods of curing as one of the main strategies to provide both strength and performance. Curing by both external (conventional) and i...... of professionals who work for them. The differences between conventional methods of external curing and novel methods of internal curing are described. It is concluded that proper curing is a key factor to achieve durable concrete......It is known that some high-strength/high-performance concretes are prone to cracking at an early age unless special precautions are used. The paper deals with the methods of curing as one of the main strategies to provide both strength and performance. Curing by both external (conventional...

Non destructive characterization of cracks in concrete by ultrasonic auscultation of civil engineering structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quiviger, A.; Payan, C.; Chaix, J.F.; Zardan, J.P.; Garnier, V.; Salin, J.

2011-01-01

Concrete Non Destructive Characterisation is one of the important issues to evaluate the life duration in the present and future civil engineering structures. The damaging modes of the structures often imply the phases of the appearance and after growth of the cracks. We have to detect, identify and characterize them. The characterization result must lead to a diagnosis of the criticality of a crack regarding to the integrity of the structure and its ability to fulfill its function. The Non Destructive Evaluation techniques are numerous but the ultrasonic ones are able to give an answer to both the characterization and the follow-up of the defect on site. Yet if this method is potentially relevant to detect and identify the cracks in the concrete, we have today a certain amount of locks to remove in order to offer robust and reproducible industrial solutions. These locks range from research points like the description of the real propagation of linear or non linear ultrasonic waves in a heterogeneous material, to more industrial concepts such as the development of devices designed to be applied in the concrete control. For this purpose, we present our latest works on this topic. We develop an overview of the problem: first, to extract the most important theoretical solutions to analyse an unstopping and closed crack in concrete with an only one face access. Then we suggest a methodology to apply one of these solutions on site. A first step of this work after having chosen a solution is to check the ability of the technique to detect a crack, and its sensitivity to the length, depth and opening of the crack. We have developed an experimental plan based on theoretical concept to compare the linear and non linear survey on a set of specimens composed of concrete beams cracked to different depths. We describe the devices and give the latest results. The non linear technique is able to extract information on the size of the cracks. It is an important step to progress in

Non destructive characterization of cracks in concrete by ultrasonic auscultation of civil engineering structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quiviger, A.; Payan, C.; Chaix, J.F.; Zardan, J.P.; Garnier, V. [EDF, LCND (France); Salin, J. [EDF Paris (France)

2011-07-01

Concrete Non Destructive Characterisation is one of the important issues to evaluate the life duration in the present and future civil engineering structures. The damaging modes of the structures often imply the phases of the appearance and after growth of the cracks. We have to detect, identify and characterize them. The characterization result must lead to a diagnosis of the criticality of a crack regarding to the integrity of the structure and its ability to fulfill its function. The Non Destructive Evaluation techniques are numerous but the ultrasonic ones are able to give an answer to both the characterization and the follow-up of the defect on site. Yet if this method is potentially relevant to detect and identify the cracks in the concrete, we have today a certain amount of locks to remove in order to offer robust and reproducible industrial solutions. These locks range from research points like the description of the real propagation of linear or non linear ultrasonic waves in a heterogeneous material, to more industrial concepts such as the development of devices designed to be applied in the concrete control. For this purpose, we present our latest works on this topic. We develop an overview of the problem: first, to extract the most important theoretical solutions to analyse an unstopping and closed crack in concrete with an only one face access. Then we suggest a methodology to apply one of these solutions on site. A first step of this work after having chosen a solution is to check the ability of the technique to detect a crack, and its sensitivity to the length, depth and opening of the crack. We have developed an experimental plan based on theoretical concept to compare the linear and non linear survey on a set of specimens composed of concrete beams cracked to different depths. We describe the devices and give the latest results. The non linear technique is able to extract information on the size of the cracks. It is an important step to progress in

Material and Structural Performance Evaluations of Hwangtoh Admixtures and Recycled PET Fiber-Added Eco-Friendly Concrete for CO₂ Emission Reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Bon-Min; Kim, Jang-Ho Jay; Kim, Sung-Bae; Mun, Sungho

2014-08-19

In order to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and produce an eco-friendly construction material, a type of concrete that uses a minimal amount of cement, yet still retains equivalent properties to ordinary cement concrete, has been developed and studied all over the world. Hwangtoh, a type of red clay broadly deposited around the world, has traditionally been considered an eco-friendly construction material, with bonus advantages of having health and cost benefits. Presently, Hwangtoh is not commonly used as a modern construction material due to properties such as low strength and high rates of shrinkage cracking. Recent studies, however, have shown that Hwangtoh can be used as a mineral admixture to improve the strength of concrete. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers recycled from PET bottle waste can be used to control shrinkage cracks in Hwangtoh concrete. Therefore, in this study, performance verification is conducted on newly developed Hwangtoh concrete mixed with short recycled PET fibers. The results show that Hwangtoh concrete has compressive strength, elastic modulus, and pH properties that are similar to these features in ordinary cement concrete. The properties of carbonation depth and creep strain of Hwangtoh concrete, however, are larger and smaller, respectively, than in ordinary cement concrete. According to flexural tests, reinforced concrete (RC) specimens cast with Hwangtoh admixtures (with and without PET fibers) possess similar or better capacities than ordinary RC specimens. The addition of PET fibers significantly improves the structural ductility of RC specimens under normal environmental conditions. However, the implementations of the concrete in aggressive environment must be carefully considered, since a previous study result indicates degradation of its durability performance in aggressive environments, such as seawater [1]. The results of this study validate the possibility of using eco-friendly Hwangtoh concrete

Effect of corrosion potential on the corrosion fatigue crack growth behaviour of low-alloy steels in high-temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, S.; Seifert, H.P.

2008-01-01

The low-frequency corrosion fatigue (CF) crack growth behaviour of different low-alloy reactor pressure vessel steels was characterized under simulated boiling water reactor conditions by cyclic fatigue tests with pre-cracked fracture mechanics specimens. The experiments were performed in the temperature range of 240-288 deg. C with different loading parameters at different electrochemical corrosion potentials (ECPs). Modern high-temperature water loops, on-line crack growth monitoring (DCPD) and fractographical analysis by SEM were used to quantify the cracking response. In this paper the effect of ECP on the CF crack growth behaviour is discussed and compared with the crack growth model of General Electric (GE). The ECP mainly affected the transition from fast ('high-sulphur') to slow ('low-sulphur') CF crack growth, which appeared as critical frequencies ν crit = f(ΔK, R, ECP) and ΔK-thresholds ΔK EAC f(ν, R, ECP) in the cycle-based form and as a critical air fatigue crack growth rate da/dt Air,crit in the time-domain form. The critical crack growth rates, frequencies, and ΔK EAC -thresholds were shifted to lower values with increasing ECP. The CF crack growth rates of all materials were conservatively covered by the 'high-sulphur' CF line of the GE-model for all investigated temperatures and frequencies. Under most system conditions, the model seems to reasonably well predict the experimentally observed parameter trends. Only under highly oxidizing conditions (ECP ≥ 0 mV SHE ) and slow strain rates/low loading frequencies the GE-model does not conservatively cover the experimentally gathered crack growth rate data. Based on the GE-model and the observed cracking behaviour a simple time-domain superposition-model could be used to develop improved reference CF crack growth curves for codes

Monitoring localized cracks on under pressure concrete nuclear containment wall using linear and nonlinear ultrasonic coda wave interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Legland, J.-B.; Abraham, O.; Durand, O.; Henault, J.-M.

2018-04-01

Civil engineering is constantly demanding new methods for evaluation and non-destructive testing (NDT), particularly to prevent and monitor serious damage to concrete structures. Tn this work, experimental results are presented on the detection and characterization of cracks using nonlinear modulation of coda waves interferometry (NCWT) [1]. This method consists in mixing high-amplitude low-frequency acoustic waves with multi-scattered probe waves (coda) and analyzing their effects by interferometry. Unlike the classic method of coda analysis (CWT), the NCWT does not require the recording of a coda as a reference before damage to the structure. Tn the framework of the PTA-ENDE project, a 1/3 model of a preconstrained concrete containment (EDF VeRCoRs mock-up) is placed under pressure to study the leakage of the structure. During this evaluation protocol, specific areas are monitored by the NCWT (during 5 days, which correspond to the protocol of nuclear power plant pressurization under maintenance test). The acoustic nonlinear response due to the high amplitude of the acoustic modulation gives pertinent information about the elastic and dissipative nonlinearities of the concrete. Tts effective level is evaluated by two nonlinear observables extracted from the interferometry. The increase of nonlinearities is in agreement with the creation of a crack with a network of microcracks located at its base; however, a change in the dynamics of the evolution of the nonlinearities may indicate the opening of a through crack. Tn addition, as during the experimental campaign, reference codas have been recorded. We used CWT to follow the stress evolution and the gas leaks ratio of the structure. Both CWT and NCWT results are presented in this paper.

Top-down cracking of rigid pavements constructed with fast setting hydraulic cement concrete

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Heath, AC

2009-01-29

Full Text Available Jointed plain concrete pavement (JPCP) test sections were constructed using fast setting hydrualic cement concrete (FSHCC) as part of the California accelerated pavement testing program (CAL/APT). Many of the longer slabs cracked under environmental...

Low pH self compacting concrete for deposition tunnel plugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogt, Carsten; Lagerblad, Bjoern; Wallin, Kjell; Baldy, Franziska; Jonasson, Jan-Erik

2009-04-01

coarse aggregate. Two mix designs were tested, one mix design with 200 kg of binder (cement and silica fume) per cubic meter concrete (B200) and one with 300 kg of binder (B300). The low-pH SCC has high flowability, combined with good stability. Due to the low amount of cement in the low-pH SCC, the heat development due to hydration was low. The strength development was slow at early age but after 28 days, the compressive strength was 53 MPa (B200) and 71 MPa (B300). After 3 months, B200 has a compressive strength of about 75 MPa and B300 of about 100 MPa. The tensile strength of mature low-pH SCC is similar to mature conventional concrete. The properties of mature low-pH SCC do not differ significantly from conventional concrete other than a higher ultimate strength development. The established models for Young's modulus, compressive strength, tensile strength, stress-strain and creep are valid. The creep ratio is low when the concrete is mature. There is no large difference between the two mix designs; however, the mix B300 has a higher final compressive strength, Young's modulus and tensile strength. The higher early volume changes of B300 lead to higher stresses at young age when fully restrained. Evaluation of the obtained results using mathematical models, established for traditional concrete, was possible. A setup of input data for finite element calculations was established. To what extent the differences between the two mix designs influence the development of stresses and consequently the risk of crack development in the plugs needs to be evaluated by further numerical modelling

Low pH self compacting concrete for deposition tunnel plugs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogt, Carsten; Lagerblad, Bjoern; Wallin, Kjell; Baldy, Franziska (Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute, Stockholm (Sweden)); Jonasson, Jan-Erik (Luleaa Univ. of Technology, Luleaa (Sweden))

2009-04-15

crushed coarse aggregate. Two mix designs were tested, one mix design with 200 kg of binder (cement and silica fume) per cubic meter concrete (B200) and one with 300 kg of binder (B300). The low-pH SCC has high flowability, combined with good stability. Due to the low amount of cement in the low-pH SCC, the heat development due to hydration was low. The strength development was slow at early age but after 28 days, the compressive strength was 53 MPa (B200) and 71 MPa (B300). After 3 months, B200 has a compressive strength of about 75 MPa and B300 of about 100 MPa. The tensile strength of mature low-pH SCC is similar to mature conventional concrete. The properties of mature low-pH SCC do not differ significantly from conventional concrete other than a higher ultimate strength development. The established models for Young's modulus, compressive strength, tensile strength, stress-strain and creep are valid. The creep ratio is low when the concrete is mature. There is no large difference between the two mix designs; however, the mix B300 has a higher final compressive strength, Young's modulus and tensile strength. The higher early volume changes of B300 lead to higher stresses at young age when fully restrained. Evaluation of the obtained results using mathematical models, established for traditional concrete, was possible. A setup of input data for finite element calculations was established. To what extent the differences between the two mix designs influence the development of stresses and consequently the risk of crack development in the plugs needs to be evaluated by further numerical modelling

Crack growth and fracture in fiber reinforced concrete beams under static and fatigue loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeanfreau, J.; Arockiasamy, M.; Reddy, D.V.

1987-01-01

The paper presents the results of a two-phase experimental investigation on the fatigue and fracture of six different types of concrete: plain, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% steel fibers and 0.5% kevlar fibers. In the first phase the J-integral was evaluated for different types of concrete from load-displacement curves. The value shows a marked increase in the energy required to fracture concrete when fibers are added. The values did not vary substantially for different notch depths. In the second phase concrete beams were subjected to fatigue by applying a pure bending on the notch. The effect of fiber addition was examined with emphasis on the crack propagation and the increase in the fatigue strength. The crack pattern was mainly influenced by the presence, amount, and the distribution of the fibers in the concrete. (orig./HP)

Modeling of crack in concrete structures subjected to severe loadings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, T.G.

2012-01-01

Concrete is a construction materials are prevalent in the world. However, in many industries, it is becoming more common to study the safety margins of a structure with respect to solicitations. It becomes important to predict the failure mode of the structure. Much work has already been made in the world on this subject, leading to operational models in computer codes using finite elements. Nevertheless, difficulties remain, mainly related to concrete cracking. These difficulties lead to open problems concerning the location, initiation and crack propagation. The thesis explores two ways of improving methods of numerical simulation of crack propagation. The first possibility of improvement is the use of the extended finite element method, XFEM. A modeling of mechanical behavior of crack is introduced and leads to a description of crack propagation from one element to another. The second possibility is based on damage mechanics. As part of the modeling of damage generalized standard type, the localization phenomenon has been studied numerically for various behaviors: viscous or damage fragile. These behaviors are described in the same spirit that the laws of the visco-elastic or visco-plasticity or plasticity classics, from a general thermodynamic interpretation. In particular, the laws gradient of damage are also considered in conjunction with recent results from the literature. It is well known that a gradient model for interpreting the effects of scale structures under mechanical loading. It also plays an interesting role in the effects of strain localization. (author)

Determining the Environmental Benefits of Ultra High Performance Concrete as a Bridge Construction Material

Science.gov (United States)

Lande Larsen, Ingrid; Granseth Aasbakken, Ida; O'Born, Reyn; Vertes, Katalin; Terje Thorstensen, Rein

2017-10-01

Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a material that is attracting attention in the construction industry due to the high mechanical strength and durability, leading to structures having low maintenance requirements. The production of UHPC, however, has generally higher environmental impact than normal strength concrete due to the increased demand of cement required in the concrete mix. What is still not sufficiently investigated, is if the longer lifetime, slimmer construction and lower maintenance requirements lead to a net environmental benefit compared to standard concrete bridge design. This study utilizes life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the lifetime impacts of two comparable highway crossing footbridges spanning 40 meters, designed respectively with UHPC and normal strength concrete. The results of the study show that UHPC is an effective material for reducing lifetime emissions from construction and maintenance of long lasting infrastructure, as the UHPC design outperforms the normal strength concrete bridge in most impact categories.

A simple test procedure for evaluating low temperature crack resistance of asphalt concrete : executive summary report.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-03-01

Low temperature cracking is one of the major : distress modes in asphalt pavement and is : disastrous to pavement performance and service : life. A poor riding surface leads to an increase in : maintenance and eventual early replacement of : the pave...

Corrosion Behavior of Steel Reinforcement in Concrete with Recycled Aggregates, Fly Ash and Spent Cracking Catalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hebé Gurdián

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The main strategy to reduce the environmental impact of the concrete industry is to reuse the waste materials. This research has considered the combination of cement replacement by industrial by-products, and natural coarse aggregate substitution by recycled aggregate. The aim is to evaluate the behavior of concretes with a reduced impact on the environment by replacing a 50% of cement by industrial by-products (15% of spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst and 35% of fly ash and a 100% of natural coarse aggregate by recycled aggregate. The concretes prepared according to these considerations have been tested in terms of mechanical strengths and the protection offered against steel reinforcement corrosion under carbonation attack and chloride-contaminated environments. The proposed concrete combinations reduced the mechanical performance of concretes in terms of elastic modulus, compressive strength, and flexural strength. In addition, an increase in open porosity due to the presence of recycled aggregate was observed, which is coherent with the changes observed in mechanical tests. Regarding corrosion tests, no significant differences were observed in the case of the resistance of these types of concretes under a natural chloride attack. In the case of carbonation attack, although all concretes did not stand the highly aggressive conditions, those concretes with cement replacement behaved worse than Portland cement concretes.

Evaluation of bridge deck with shrinkage-compensating concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-01

Concrete bridge decks are susceptible to premature cracking and to corrosion of reinforcing steel. Low-permeability : concrete does not always ensure durability if the concrete has excessive cracks that facilitate the intrusion of aggressive solution...

Intermediate Crack Induced Debonding in Concrete Beams Strengthened with CFRP Plates - An Experimental Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rusinowski, Piotr Michal; Täljsten, Björn

2009-01-01

, ductility and even durability. Design of structural strengthening applications using externally bonded FRP composites is usually based on conventional design approaches with improvement to account for the presence and characteristics of the FRP material. Non-conventional design issues that are specific...... of the strengthening method. End-peeling has governed a large interest and several debonding models have been presented. However, interfacial peeling at flexural cracks has not attained the same focus – even though this debonding failure is most likely more common. This paper presents laboratory tests of concrete...... beams strengthened in flexure with CFRP epoxy bonded plates. Wrapping with CFRP sheets was applied in order to try to localize the failure initiation. Concrete cracking as well as debonding initiation and propagation was possible to observe with help of advanced optical measuring system and high speed...

Cracking control in mass concrete for three gorges dam; Sankyo damu ni okeru masu konkurito no hibiware yokusei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chu, CHuanying

1999-09-10

The provisional cofferdam work of the mainstream of Three Gorges Dam project was successfully finished on November 8, 1997. Now, the work enters its second stage, and the placing of large-scale concrete was started. The total quantity of concrete used in this project reaches 15.00 million m{sup 3}. Inhibition of dam concrete cracking is an important subject. In order to manufacture concrete with good crack-resistance, cements, fly ashes, aggregates and blending agents are strictly selected; and hydration-generating heat is reduced by means of strict temperature control, precooling of aggregates, reduction of placing temperature and concrete temperature in mixers, and the like. As a consequence of maintaining the highest temperature value in concrete blocks to be lower than a predetermined value, harmful cracks can be prevented from occurring when the temperature in the dam lowers. (NEDO)

Performance of "Waterless Concrete"

Science.gov (United States)

Toutanji, H. A.; Grugel, R. N.

2009-01-01

Waterless concrete consists of molten elementary sulfur and aggregate. The aggregates in a lunar environment will be lunar rocks and soil. Sulfur is present on the Moon in Troilite soil (FeS) and, by oxidation of the soil, iron and sulfur can be produced. Sulfur concrete specimens were cycled between liquid nitrogen (approx.]91 C) and room temperature (^21 C) to simulate exposure to a lunar environment. Cycled and control specimens were subsequently tested in compression at room temperatures (^21 C) and ^-101 C. Test results showed that due to temperature cycling, the compressive strength of cycled specimens was 20% of those non-cycled. This reduction in strength can be attributed to the large differences in thermal coefficients of expansion of the materials constituting the concrete which promoted cracking. Similar sulfur concrete mixtures were strengthened with short and long glass fibres. The lunar regolith simulant was melted in a 25 cc Pt- Rh crucible in a Sybron Thermoline high temperature MoSi2 furnace at melting temperatures of 1450 to 1600 C for times of 30 min to i hour. Glass fibres and small rods were pulled from the melt. The glass fibres were used to reinforce sulfur concrete plated to improve the flexural strength of the sulfur concrete. Beams strengthened with glass fibres showed to exhibit an increase in the flexural strength by as much as 45%.

Material and Structural Performance Evaluations of Hwangtoh Admixtures and Recycled PET Fiber-Added Eco-Friendly Concrete for CO2 Emission Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bon-Min Koo

2014-08-01

Full Text Available In order to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2 emissions and produce an eco-friendly construction material, a type of concrete that uses a minimal amount of cement, yet still retains equivalent properties to ordinary cement concrete, has been developed and studied all over the world. Hwangtoh, a type of red clay broadly deposited around the world, has traditionally been considered an eco-friendly construction material, with bonus advantages of having health and cost benefits. Presently, Hwangtoh is not commonly used as a modern construction material due to properties such as low strength and high rates of shrinkage cracking. Recent studies, however, have shown that Hwangtoh can be used as a mineral admixture to improve the strength of concrete. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate (PET fibers recycled from PET bottle waste can be used to control shrinkage cracks in Hwangtoh concrete. Therefore, in this study, performance verification is conducted on newly developed Hwangtoh concrete mixed with short recycled PET fibers. The results show that Hwangtoh concrete has compressive strength, elastic modulus, and pH properties that are similar to these features in ordinary cement concrete. The properties of carbonation depth and creep strain of Hwangtoh concrete, however, are larger and smaller, respectively, than in ordinary cement concrete. According to flexural tests, reinforced concrete (RC specimens cast with Hwangtoh admixtures (with and without PET fibers possess similar or better capacities than ordinary RC specimens. The addition of PET fibers significantly improves the structural ductility of RC specimens under normal environmental conditions. However, the implementations of the concrete in aggressive environment must be carefully considered, since a previous study result indicates degradation of its durability performance in aggressive environments, such as seawater [1]. The results of this study validate the possibility of using eco

Material and Structural Performance Evaluations of Hwangtoh Admixtures and Recycled PET Fiber-Added Eco-Friendly Concrete for CO2 Emission Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Bon-Min; Kim, Jang-Ho Jay; Kim, Sung-Bae; Mun, Sungho

2014-01-01

In order to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and produce an eco-friendly construction material, a type of concrete that uses a minimal amount of cement, yet still retains equivalent properties to ordinary cement concrete, has been developed and studied all over the world. Hwangtoh, a type of red clay broadly deposited around the world, has traditionally been considered an eco-friendly construction material, with bonus advantages of having health and cost benefits. Presently, Hwangtoh is not commonly used as a modern construction material due to properties such as low strength and high rates of shrinkage cracking. Recent studies, however, have shown that Hwangtoh can be used as a mineral admixture to improve the strength of concrete. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers recycled from PET bottle waste can be used to control shrinkage cracks in Hwangtoh concrete. Therefore, in this study, performance verification is conducted on newly developed Hwangtoh concrete mixed with short recycled PET fibers. The results show that Hwangtoh concrete has compressive strength, elastic modulus, and pH properties that are similar to these features in ordinary cement concrete. The properties of carbonation depth and creep strain of Hwangtoh concrete, however, are larger and smaller, respectively, than in ordinary cement concrete. According to flexural tests, reinforced concrete (RC) specimens cast with Hwangtoh admixtures (with and without PET fibers) possess similar or better capacities than ordinary RC specimens. The addition of PET fibers significantly improves the structural ductility of RC specimens under normal environmental conditions. However, the implementations of the concrete in aggressive environment must be carefully considered, since a previous study result indicates degradation of its durability performance in aggressive environments, such as seawater [1]. The results of this study validate the possibility of using eco-friendly Hwangtoh concrete

Durability of high performance concrete in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amjad Hussain Memon; Salihuddin Radin Sumadi; Rabitah Handan

2000-01-01

This paper presents a report on the effects of blended cements on the durability of high performance concrete (HPC) in seawater. In this research the effect of seawater was investigated. The specimens were initially subjected to water curing for seven days inside the laboratory at room temperature, followed by seawater curing exposed to tidal zone until testing. In this study three levels of cement replacement (0%, 30% and 70%) were used. The combined use of chemical and mineral admixtures has resulted in a new generation of concrete called HPC. The HPC has been identified as one of the most important advanced materials necessary in the effort to build a nation's infrastructure. HPC opens new opportunities in the utilization of the industrial by-products (mineral admixtures) in the construction industry. As a matter of fact permeability is considered as one of the fundamental properties governing the durability of concrete in the marine environment. Results of this investigation indicated that the oxygen permeability values for the blended cement concretes at the age of one year are reduced by a factor of about 2 as compared to OPC control mix concrete. Therefore both blended cement concretes are expected to withstand in the seawater exposed to tidal zone without serious deterioration. (Author)

Dynamic performance of concrete undercut anchors for Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahrenholtz, Christoph, E-mail: christoph@mahrenholtz.net; Eligehausen, Rolf

2013-12-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Behavior of undercut anchors under dynamic actions simulating earthquakes. • First high frequency load and crack cycling tests on installed concrete anchors ever. • Comprehensive review of anchor qualification for Nuclear Power Plants. - Abstract: Post-installed anchors are widely used for structural and nonstructural connections to concrete. In many countries, concrete anchors used for Nuclear Power Plants have to be qualified to ensure reliable behavior even under extreme conditions. The tests required for qualification of concrete anchors are carried out at quasi-static loading rates well below the rates to be expected for dynamic actions deriving from earthquakes, airplane impacts or explosions. To investigate potentially beneficial effects of high loading rates and cycling frequencies, performance tests on installed undercut anchors were conducted. After introductory notes on anchor technology and a comprehensive literature review, this paper discusses the qualification of anchors for Nuclear Power Plants and the testing carried out to quantify experimentally the effects of dynamic actions on the load–displacement behavior of undercut anchors.

An experimental investigation on bending stiffness and neutral axis depth variation of over-reinforced high strength concrete beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadhassani, Mohammad; Bin Jumaat, Mohd Zamin; Chemrouk, Mohamed; Akbar Maghsoudi, Ali; Jameel, Mohammed; Akib, Shatirah

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Improvement of the assessment of correspond stress for calculation of modules of elasticity → better evaluation of cracked moment of inertia. → Low distinction of neutral axis depth → low bending stiffness variation. → Rate of slope in the line connecting the origin of first crack to yield point of N.A.D-LOAD graph → rate of ductility of beam section. - Abstract: The present work is an attempt to study the neutral axis variation and the evolution of the moment inertia with the loading of over reinforced high strength concrete sections in conjunction with ACI 318-05. In this sense, four high strength concrete beams, having different tension reinforcement quantities expressed as proportions of the balanced steel ratio (0.75ρ b , 0.85ρ b , ρ b , 1.2ρ b ) were tested. Measurements of the deflection and the reinforcement and concrete strains of all specimens were made during the loading process. The load-neutral axis depth variation and the load-section stiffness curves were drawn. The slope of the line connecting the origin of the first crack to the initial yielding of the failure point in the neutral axis depth-load graphs shows the rate of ductility; ductile behaviour in the beam increases as the slope becomes steeper. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that the modulus of elasticity of concrete E c be reviewed and evaluated at a stress higher than 0.5f ' c for the determination of the cracked moment of inertia.

Seismic Performance Evaluation of Concrete Gravity Dams with Penetrated Cracks Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Behshad

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a comprehensive study on the seismic behavior of fractured concrete gravity dams during ground shakings is carried out considering dam–reservoir interaction effects. To gain the seismic behavior of the whole system, finite and boundary elements are employed to model the liquid region and the cracked structure, respectively. Formulation and different computational aspects of the suggested staggered hybrid approach are thoroughly argued. A computer code was developed in order to discuss the presented hybrid BE–DE technique and comparisons are made between the obtained results and those reported in the literature. To gain this goal, several problems of seismic excitations in frequency- and time-domains are presented employing the proposed approach, showing that the present results agree well with the results from other numerical procedures. The cracked Koyna Dam is scrutinized, considering the dynamic interaction between dam and reservoir with focus on the nonlinear behavior due to its top profile crack. The developed numerical model is rigorously validated by extensive comparisons with available results in the literature in which the dam–reservoir interaction were simplified by added masses. It can be concluded that there is significant disparity between the overturning and sliding response schemes of the nonlinear analysis and those of added mass technique.

Experimental analysis of crack evolution in concrete by the acoustic emission technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Saliba

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The fracture process zone (FPZ was investigated on unnotched and notched beams with different notch depths. Three point bending tests were realized on plain concrete under crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD control. Crack growth was monitored by applying the acoustic emission (AE technique. In order to improve our understanding of the FPZ, the width and length of the FPZ were followed based on the AE source locations maps and several AE parameters were studied during the entire loading process. The bvalue analysis, defined as the log-linear slope of the frequency-magnitude distribution of acoustic emissions, was also carried out to describe quantitatively the influence of the relative notch depth on the fracture process. The results show that the number of AE hits increased with the decrease of the relative notch depth and an important AE energy dissipation was observed at the crack initiation in unnotched beams. In addition, the relative notch depth influenced the AE characteristics, the process of crack propagation, and the brittleness of concrete.

Chloride-induced corrosion of steel in cracked concrete – Part I: Experimental studies under accelerated and natural marine environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otieno, M.; Beushausen, H.; Alexander, M.

2016-01-01

Parallel corrosion experiments were carried out for 2¼ years by exposing one half of 210 beam specimens (120 × 130 × 375 mm long) to accelerated laboratory corrosion (cyclic wetting and drying) while the other half underwent natural corrosion in a marine tidal zone. Experimental variables were crack width w cr (0, incipient crack, 0.4, 0.7 mm), cover c (20, 40 mm), binder type (PC, PC/GGBS, PC/FA) and w/b ratio (0.40, 0.55). Results show that corrosion rate (i corr ) was affected by the experimental variables in the following manner: i corr increased with increase in crack width, and decreased with increase in concrete quality and cover depth. The results also show that the corrosion performance of concretes in the field under natural corrosion cannot be inferred from its performance in the laboratory under accelerated corrosion. Other factors such as corrosion process should be taken into account.

Engineering Solution for the Uniform Strength of Partially Cracked Concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Elin A.; Hansen, Will; Brincker, Rune

2005-01-01

Significant computational resources are required to predict the remaining strength from numerical fracture analysis of a jointed plain concrete pavement that contains a partial depth crack. It is, therefore, advantageous when the failure strength can be adequately predicted with an engineering...

The Effect of superficial cracks of the concrete on the behavior and corrosion rate of steel rebars in Persian Golf (Booshehr)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afshar, A.; Rajabi, A.

2001-01-01

The presence of superficial cracks in concrete increases the diffusion of destructive agents into concrete and the corrosion of rebars will take place. In the present work, the effects of cracks width on the behavior and corrosion rate of steel rebars in the concrete containing cements type I and II at Persian Gulf water have been studied. The results show that the corrosion rate of steel rebars in the concrete with cracks width less than 0.4 mm is negligible, but with increasing the cracks width to 0.7 mm, the corrosion rate increase rapidly. Also, the corrosion gate of gebars in the concrete containing cement type I is more than that of cement type II. The visual inspection of the surface area of gebars shows that the corroded area is 6-7 times of the crack width and length

Self-repairing performance of concrete beams strengthened using superelastic SMA wires in combination with adhesives released from hollow fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuang Yachuan; Ou Jinping

2008-01-01

By taking advantage of the superelastic effect of shape memory alloy (SMA) and the cohering characteristic of repairing adhesive, a smart self-repairing concrete beam with damage self-repairing performance has been developed. In order to verify the potential self-repairing capacity of smart concrete beams reinforced with SMA wires and brittle fibers containing adhesives, static loading tests were conducted. Experimental results show that the superelastic SMA wires added self-restoration capacity to concrete beams, the deflection of the beams reversed and the crack closed almost completely after unloading. After the release of adhesive from the broken-open fibers into the cracks from the first loading, stress was redistributed to the uncracked section where a new crack was formed, while the sealed crack remained closed during reloading for the smart concrete beams reinforced with SMA wires and brittle fibers containing adhesives. While the original cracks experienced reopening, the load was carried directly by the wires during reloading for concrete beams reinforced with SMA wires

Adaptive Crack Modeling with Interface Solid Elements for Plain and Fiber Reinforced Concrete Structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, Yijian; Meschke, Günther

2017-07-08

The effective analysis of the nonlinear behavior of cement-based engineering structures not only demands physically-reliable models, but also computationally-efficient algorithms. Based on a continuum interface element formulation that is suitable to capture complex cracking phenomena in concrete materials and structures, an adaptive mesh processing technique is proposed for computational simulations of plain and fiber-reinforced concrete structures to progressively disintegrate the initial finite element mesh and to add degenerated solid elements into the interfacial gaps. In comparison with the implementation where the entire mesh is processed prior to the computation, the proposed adaptive cracking model allows simulating the failure behavior of plain and fiber-reinforced concrete structures with remarkably reduced computational expense.

Fatigue behaviour of high performance concretes for wind turbines; Ermuedungsverhalten von Hochleistungsbetonen in Windenergieanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lohaus, Ludger; Oneschkow, Nadja; Elsmeier, Kerstin; Huemme, Julian [Hannover Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Baustoffe

2012-08-15

New developments in the wind energy sector will lead to wind turbines with enormous capacities. As a result, the loads of the supporting structures are also increasing. For some time now, high performance concretes with self-compacting properties have been used in wind turbines for structural connections. Furthermore, slender foundations and prestressed concrete supporting structures made out of high-strength concrete are under development. In future, fatigue design of these high performance concretes is to be done according to the new fib-Model Code 2010. This code includes a new fatigue design model which enables a safe and economic fatigue design, even for high strength concrete. Extensive research with regard to the fatigue behaviour of different types of high performance concrete has been carried out at the Institute of Building Materials Science, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover. As part of these research activities, the influences of steel fibre reinforcement on the fatigue behaviour of high performance concretes are being investigated. In this paper, interim results of these investigations are presented and the potential for the practical applications of high performance concrete is discussed. The results of the conducted investigations are presented in comparison with the new fatigue design model of the fib-Model Code 2010. (orig.)

Post-cracking behavior of blocks, prisms, and small concrete walls reinforced with plant fiber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. I. Soto

Full Text Available Structural masonry using concrete blocks promotes the rationalization of construction projects, lowering the final cost of a building through the elimination of forms and the reduction of the consumption of reinforcement bars. Moreover, production of a block containing a combination of concrete and vegetable fiber sisal results in a unit with properties such as mechanical strength, stiffness, flexibility, ability to absorb energy, and post-cracking behavior that are comparable to those of a block produced with plain concrete. Herein are reported the results of a study on the post-cracking behavior of blocks, prisms, and small walls reinforced with sisal fibers (lengths of 20 mm and 40 mm added at volume fractions of 0.5% and 1%. Tests were performed to characterize the fibers and blocks and to determine the compressive strength of the units, prisms, and small walls. The deformation modulus of the elements was calculated and the stress-strain curves were plotted to gain a better understanding of the values obtained. The compression test results for the small walls reinforced with fibers were similar to those of the reference walls and better than the blocks and prisms with added fibers, which had resistances lower than those of the corresponding conventional materials. All elements prepared with the addition of sisal exhibited an increase in the deformation capacity (conferred by the fibers, which was observed in the stress-strain curves. The failure mode of the reference elements was characterized by an abrupt fracture, whereas the reinforced elements underwent ductile breakage. This result was because of the presence of the fibers, which remained attached to the faces of the cracks via adhesion to the cement matrix, thus preventing loss of continuity in the material. Therefore, the cement/plant fiber composites are advantageous in terms of their ductility and ability to resist further damage after cracking.

Recent trends in steel fibered high-strength concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, Abid A.; Ribakov, Y.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Recent studies on steel fibred high strength concrete (SFHSC) are reviewed. → Different design provisions for SFHSC are compared. → Applications of SFHSC in new and existing structures and elements are discussed. → Using non-destructive techniques for quality control of SFHSC are reviewed. -- Abstract: Steel fibered high-strength concrete (SFHSC) became in the recent decades a very popular material in structural engineering. High strength attracts designers and architects as it allows improving the durability as well as the esthetics of a construction. As a result of increased application of SFHSC, many experimental studies are conducted to investigate its properties and to develop new rules for proper design. One of the trends in SFHSC structures is to provide their ductile behavior that is desired for proper structural response to dynamic loadings. An additional goal is to limit development and propagation of macro-cracks in the body of SFHSC elements. SFHSC is tough and demonstrates high residual strengths after appearance of the first crack. Experimental studies were carried out to select effective fiber contents as well as suitable fiber types, to study most efficient combination of fiber and regular steel bar reinforcement. Proper selection of other materials like silica fume, fly ash and super plasticizer has also high importance because of the influence on the fresh and hardened concrete properties. Combination of normal-strength concrete with SFHSC composite two-layer beams leads to effective and low cost solutions that may be used in new structures as well as well as for retrofitting existing ones. Using modern nondestructive testing techniques like acoustic emission and nonlinear ultrasound allows verification of most design parameters and control of SFHSC properties during casting and after hardening. This paper presents recent experimental results, obtained in the field SFHSC and non-destructive testing. It reviews the

Analytical Model for Fictitious Crack Propagation in Concrete Beams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ulfkjær, J. P.; Krenk, Steen; Brincker, Rune

1995-01-01

An analytical model for load-displacement curves of concrete beams is presented. The load-displacement curve is obtained by combining two simple models. The fracture is modeled by a fictitious crack in an elastic layer around the midsection of the beam. Outside the elastic layer the deformations...... are modeled by beam theory. The state of stress in the elastic layer is assumed to depend bilinearly on local elongation corresponding to a linear softening relation for the fictitious crack. Results from the analytical model are compared with results from a more detailed model based on numerical methods...... for different beam sizes. The analytical model is shown to be in agreement with the numerical results if the thickness of the elastic layer is taken as half the beam depth. It is shown that the point on the load-displacement curve where the fictitious crack starts to develop and the point where the real crack...

Kinetic Hydration Heat Modeling for High-Performance Concrete Containing Limestone Powder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Yong Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Limestone powder is increasingly used in producing high-performance concrete in the modern concrete industry. Limestone powder blended concrete has many advantages, such as increasing the early-age strength, reducing the setting time, improving the workability, and reducing the heat of hydration. This study presents a kinetic model for modeling the hydration heat of limestone blended concrete. First, an improved hydration model is proposed which considers the dilution effect and nucleation effect due to limestone powder addition. A degree of hydration is calculated using this improved hydration model. Second, hydration heat is calculated using the degree of hydration. The effects of water to binder ratio and limestone replacement ratio on hydration heat are clarified. Third, the temperature history and temperature distribution of hardening limestone blended concrete are calculated by combining hydration model with finite element method. The analysis results generally agree with experimental results of high-performance concrete with various mixing proportions.

Implementation and field evaluation of pretensioned concrete girder end crack control.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

Wisconsin bulb tee pretensioned concrete girders are currently used for bridge construction. Their efficiency in load resistance has made them particularly desirable. To provide that efficiency, these girders are heavily prestressed. Cracking is evid...

Evaluation of the environmental, material, and structural performance of recycled aggregate concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Michaud, Katherine Sarah

Concrete is the most commonly used building material in the construction industry, and contributes to 52% of construction and demolition waste in Canada. Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is one way to reduce this impact. To evaluate the performance of coarse and granular (fine and coarse) RCA in structural concrete applications, four studies were performed: an environmental assessment, a material testing program, a shear performance study, and a flexural performance study. To determine the environmental benefits of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), three case studies were investigated using different populations and proximities to city centres. Environmental modelling suggested that RCA replacement could result in energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions, especially in remote areas. Tests were performed to determine if the volumetric replacement of up to 30% coarse RCA and 20% granular RCA is suitable for structural concrete applications in Canada. Fresh, hardened, and durability properties were evaluated. All five (5) of the RCA mixes showed equivalent material performance to the control mixes and met the requirements for a structural concrete mix. The five (5) RAC mixes were also used in structural testing. One-way reinforced concrete slab specimens were tested to failure to evaluate the shear and flexural performance of the RAC members. Peak capacities of and crack formation within each member were analyzed to evaluate the performance of RAC compared to conventional concrete. The shear capacity of specimens made from four (4) of the five (5) RAC mixtures was higher or equivalent to the control specimens. Specimens of the concrete mixture containing the highest content of recycled aggregate, 20% volumetric replacement of granular RCA, had shear capacities 14.1% lower, and exhibited cracking at lower loads than the control. The average flexural capacities of all RAC specimens were within 3.7% of the control specimens. Results from this research

Crack growth initiation in concrete-like materials in the presence of creep

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masuero, J.R.; Creus, G.J.

1993-01-01

A numerical procedure that employs the finite elements method and the state variables approach is proposed to analyze the critical condition of a crack in an ageing viscoelastic body under sustained load. A far field solution proposed by Schapery is used. An example shows how a crack can becomes critical after some finite time that depends on the characteristics of the concrete. (author)

Performance of intact and partially degraded concrete barriers in limiting mass transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, J.C.

1992-06-01

Mass transport through concrete barriers and release rate from concrete vaults are quantitatively evaluated. The thorny issue of appropriate diffusion coefficients for use in performance assessment calculations is covered, with no ultimate solution found. Release from monolithic concrete vaults composed of concrete waste forms is estimated with a semi-analytical solution. A parametric study illustrates the importance of different parameters on release. A second situation of importance is the role of a concrete shell or vault placed around typical waste forms in limiting mass transport. In both situations, the primary factor controlling concrete performance is cracks. The implications of leaching behavior on likely groundwater concentrations is examined. Frequently, lower groundwater concentrations can be expected in the absence of engineered covers that reduce infiltration

Protective design of critical infrastructure with high performance concretes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedel, W.; Nöldgen, M.; Stolz, A.; Roller, C.

2012-01-01

Conclusions: High performance concrete constructions will allow innovative design solutions for critical infrastructures. Validation of engineering methods can reside on large and model scale experiments conducted on conventional concrete structures. New consistent impact experiments show extreme protection potential for UHPC. Modern FEM with concrete models and explicit rebar can model HPC and UHPC penetration resistance. SDOF and TDOF approaches are valuable design tools on local and global level. Combination of at least 2 out of 3 design methods FEM – XDOF- EXP allow reliable prediction and efficient innovative designs

Prediction of reinforcement corrosion using corrosion induced cracks width in corroded reinforced concrete beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, Inamullah; François, Raoul; Castel, Arnaud

2014-01-01

This paper studies the evolution of reinforcement corrosion in comparison to corrosion crack width in a highly corroded reinforced concrete beam. Cracking and corrosion maps of the beam were drawn and steel reinforcement was recovered from the beam to observe the corrosion pattern and to measure the loss of mass of steel reinforcement. Maximum steel cross-section loss of the main reinforcement and average steel cross-section loss between stirrups were plotted against the crack width. The experimental results were compared with existing models proposed by Rodriguez et al., Vidal et al. and Zhang et al. Time prediction models for a given opening threshold are also compared to experimental results. Steel cross-section loss for stirrups was also measured and was plotted against the crack width. It was observed that steel cross-section loss in the stirrups had no relationship with the crack width of longitudinal corrosion cracks. -- Highlights: •Relationship between crack and corrosion of reinforcement was investigated. •Corrosion results of natural process and then corresponds to in-situ conditions. •Comparison with time predicting model is provided. •Prediction of load-bearing capacity from crack pattern was studied

Parameters of straining-induced corrosion cracking in low-alloy steels in high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenz, E.; Liebert, A.; Stellwag, B.; Wieling, N.

Tensile tests with slow deformation speed determine parameters of corrosion cracking at low strain rates of low-alloy steels in high-temperature water. Besides the strain rate the temperature and oxygen content of the water prove to be important for the deformation behaviour of the investigated steels 17MnMoV64, 20 MnMoNi55 and 15NiCuMoNb 5. Temperatures about 240 0 C, increased oxygen contents in the water and low strain rates cause a decrease of the material ductility as against the behaviour in air. Tests on the number of stress cycles until incipient cracking show that the parameters important for corrosion cracking at low strain velocities apply also to low-frequency cyclic loads with high strain amplitude. In knowledge of these influencing parameters the strain-induced corrosion cracking is counteracted by concerted measures taken in design, construction and operation of nuclear power stations. Essential aims in this matter are to avoid as far as possible inelastic strains and to fix and control suitable media conditions. (orig.) [de

Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior of RC Beams Strengthened with CFRP under High Temperature and High Humidity Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongyang Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Numerical and experimental methods were applied to investigate fatigue crack propagation behavior of reinforced concrete (RC beams strengthened with a new type carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP named as carbon fiber laminate (CFL subjected to hot-wet environment. J-integral of a central crack in the strengthened beam under three-point bending load was calculated by ABAQUS. In finite element model, simulation of CFL-concrete interface was based on the bilinear cohesive zone model under hot-wet environment and indoor atmosphere. And, then, fatigue crack propagation tests were carried out under high temperature and high humidity (50°C, 95% R · H environment pretreatment and indoor atmosphere (23°C, 78% R · H to obtain a-N curves and crack propagation rate, da/dN, of the strengthened beams. Paris-Erdogan formula was developed based on the numerical analysis and environmental fatigue tests.

Use of fiber reinforced concrete for concrete pavement slab replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-01

Unlike ordinary concrete pavement, replacement concrete slabs need to be open to traffic within 24 hours (sooner in : some cases). Thus, high early-strength concrete is used; however, it frequently cracks prematurely as a result of high : heat of hyd...

Study on Performance of Steel Fiber Concrete Bridge Pier Specimens under Horizontal Cyclic Loading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baiben Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Because of that steel fiber can effectively prevent the extension and development of small cracks in the concrete, steel fiber reinforced concrete has good toughness and tensile strength. In the application of building materials, steel fiber reinforced concrete is an ideal elastic-plastic material. For the seismic performance, it has advantages. In order to analyze the seismic performance of steel fiber reinforced concrete, 4 piers of the scale model test under horizontal cyclic loading were done. The results showed that failure mode of steel fiber reinforced concrete is better than that of ordinary concrete, and has a large yield moment under the external loads.

Artificial-Crack-Behavior Test Evaluation of the Water-Leakage Repair Materials Used for the Repair of Water-Leakage Cracks in Concrete Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo-Yeon Kim

2016-09-01

Full Text Available There are no existing standard test methods at home and abroad that can verify the performance of water leakage repair materials, and it is thus very difficult to perform quality control checks in the field of water leakage repair. This study determined that the key factors that have the greatest impact on the water leakage repair materials are the micro-behaviors of cracks, and proposed an artificial-crack-behavior test method for the performance verification of the repair materials. The performance of the 15 kinds of repair materials that are currently being used in the field of water leakage repair was evaluated by applying the proposed test method. The main aim of such a test method is to determine if there is water leakage by injecting water leakage repair materials into a crack behavior test specimen with an artificial 5-mm crack width, applying a 2.5 mm vertical behavior load at 100 cycles, and applying 0.3 N/mm2 constant water pressure. The test results showed that of the 15 kinds of repair materials, only two effectively sealed the crack and thus stopped the water leakage. The findings of this study confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed artificial-crack-behavior test method and suggest that it can be used as a performance verification method for checking the responsiveness of the repair materials being used in the field of water leakage repair to the repetitive water leakage behaviors that occur in concrete structures. The study findings further suggest that the use of the proposed test method makes it possible to quantify the water leakage repair quality control in the field.

Prediction of Cracking Induced by Indirect Actions in RC Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Anerdi, Costanza; Bertagnoli, Gabriele; Gino, Diego; Malavisi, Marzia; Mancini, Giuseppe

2017-10-01

Cracking of concrete plays a key role in reinforced concrete (RC) structures design, especially in serviceability conditions. A variety of reasons contribute to develop cracking and its presence in concrete structures is to be considered as almost unavoidable. Therefore, a good control of the phenomenon in order to provide durability is required. Cracking development is due to tensile stresses that arise in concrete structures as a result of the action of direct external loads or restrained endogenous deformations. This paper focuses on cracking induced by indirect actions. In fact, there is very limited literature regarding this particular phenomenon if compared to its high incidence in the construction practice. As a consequence, the correct prediction of the crack opening, width and position when structures are subjected to imposed deformations, such as massive castings or other highly restrained structures, becomes a compelling task, not so much for the structural capacity, as for their durability. However, this is only partially addressed by commonly used design methods, which are usually intended for direct actions. A set of non-linear analysis on simple tie models is performed using the Finite Element Method in order to study the cracking process under imposed deformations. Different concrete grades have been considered and analysed. The results of this study have been compared with the provisions of the most common codes.

Automatic concrete cracks detection and mapping of terrestrial laser scan data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Rabah

2013-12-01

The current paper submits a method for automatic concrete cracks detection and mapping from the data that was obtained during laser scanning survey. The method of cracks detection and mapping is achieved by three steps, namely the step of shading correction in the original image, step of crack detection and finally step of crack mapping and processing steps. The detected crack is defined in a pixel coordinate system. To remap the crack into the referred coordinate system, a reverse engineering is used. This is achieved by a hybrid concept of terrestrial laser-scanner point clouds and the corresponding camera image, i.e. a conversion from the pixel coordinate system to the terrestrial laser-scanner or global coordinate system. The results of the experiment show that the mean differences between terrestrial laser scan and the total station are about 30.5, 16.4 and 14.3 mms in x, y and z direction, respectively.

Simple Technique for Tracking Chloride Penetration in Concrete Based on the Crack Shape and Width under Steady-State Conditions

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Keun-Hyeok Yang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Chloride attack is considered one of the most threatening deterioration mechanisms in concrete. Any cracks or other imperfections on the surface open up additional routes for chloride intrusion. This paper develops existing anisotropic (1-D and isotropic (2-D models for chloride diffusion in concrete with cracks by considering the crack shape and roughness. In order to verify the proposed model, concrete samples with crack widths from 0.0 to 0.4 mm were prepared and the chloride diffusion coefficients under steady-state conditions evaluated. The proposed model for a wedge-shaped model with roughness reduced chloride diffusion and provided more reasonable results than previous models based on rectangular shaped cracks with no roughness, which have tended to overestimate the effect. Our results revealed that including roughness in the model produced a 10%–20% reduction in chloride diffusion.

Structural performance evaluation on aging underground reinforced concrete structures. Part 5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Takuro; Matsuo, Toyofumi; Miyagawa, Yoshinori

2009-01-01

When we evaluate the soundness of reinforced concrete structures, it is important to assess the chloride induced deterioration. We conducted the reinforcing steel corrosion tests of reinforced concrete specimens under simulated tidal environment of sea. Parameters of the tests were water cement ratio, cement type and crack width of concrete. Periods of the tests were eighty month. The obtained results were summarized at follows: (a) The chloride ion concentration at the initiation of reinforcing steel corrosion was about 3.0 kg/m 3 in case of reinforcing steel in non-crack concrete used ordinary cement. (b) The corrosion rate of reinforcing steels was almost constant at any cement type specimens after causing crack by reinforcing steel corrosion. (c) The corrosion rate of reinforcing steels in specimens, which caused cracks by bending load, increased as crack width. In the same type specimens, the corrosion rate of reinforcing steels in fly ash cement specimens was larger than that of ordinary cement specimens. In this case, the corrosion rate of reinforcing steels was evaluated about 0.18 mm/year. (author)

Structural health monitoring methods for the evaluation of prestressing forces and pre-release cracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiba Abdel-Jaber

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Prestressed concrete bridges currently account for 45% of bridges built in the last five years in the United States. This has resulted in an increase in the number of deficient bridges composed of prestressed concrete, which requires a better understanding of the on-site performance of this building material. The use of new materials, such as high performance concrete, in conjunction with prestressing provides additional motivation for the creation of structural health monitoring (SHM methods for prestressed concrete. This paper identifies two parameters relevant to prestressed concrete, along with methods for their evaluation. The parameters evaluated are the prestressing force value at transfer and the width of pre-release cracks, both of which are indicators of structural performance. Improper transfer of the prestressing force can result in tensile stresses in the concrete that exceed capacity and result in cracks and/or excessive deflections. Pre-release cracks occur in the concrete prior to transfer of the prestressing force and are mainly caused by autogenous shrinkage and thermal gradients. Closure of the cracks is expected by virtue of prestressing force transfer. However, the extent of crack closure is important in order to guarantee durability and structural integrity. This paper presents an integral overview of two novel methods for the statistical evaluation of the two monitored parameters: prestressing forces and the width of pre-release cracks. Validation of the methods is performed through application to two structures, both of which are components of Streicker Bridge on the Princeton University campus. Uncertainties are evaluated and thresholds for unusual behavior are set through the application.

Analysis of the status of pre-release cracks in prestressed concrete structures using long-gauge sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Jaber, H; Glisic, B

2015-01-01

Prestressed structures experience limited tensile stresses in concrete, which limits or completely eliminates the occurrence of cracks. However, in some cases, large tensile stresses can develop during the early age of the concrete due to thermal gradients and shrinkage effects. Such stresses can cause early-age cracks, termed ‘pre-release cracks’, which occur prior to the transfer of the prestressing force. When the prestressing force is applied to the cross-section, it is assumed that partial or full closure of the cracks occurs by virtue of the force transfer through the cracked cross-section. Verification of the closure of the cracks after the application of the prestressing force is important as it can either confirm continued structural integrity or indicate and approximate reduced structural capacity. Structural health monitoring (SHM) can be used for this purpose. This paper researches an SHM method that can be applied to prestressed beam structures to assess the condition of pre-release cracks. The sensor network used in this method consists of parallel long-gauge fiber optic strain sensors embedded in the concrete cross-sections at various locations. The same network is used for damage detection, i.e. detection and characterization of the pre-release cracks, and for monitoring the prestress force transfer. The method is validated on a real structure, a curved continuous girder. Results from the analysis confirm the safety and integrity of the structure. The method and its application are presented in this paper. (paper)

Analysis of the status of pre-release cracks in prestressed concrete structures using long-gauge sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Jaber, H.; Glisic, B.

2015-02-01

Prestressed structures experience limited tensile stresses in concrete, which limits or completely eliminates the occurrence of cracks. However, in some cases, large tensile stresses can develop during the early age of the concrete due to thermal gradients and shrinkage effects. Such stresses can cause early-age cracks, termed ‘pre-release cracks’, which occur prior to the transfer of the prestressing force. When the prestressing force is applied to the cross-section, it is assumed that partial or full closure of the cracks occurs by virtue of the force transfer through the cracked cross-section. Verification of the closure of the cracks after the application of the prestressing force is important as it can either confirm continued structural integrity or indicate and approximate reduced structural capacity. Structural health monitoring (SHM) can be used for this purpose. This paper researches an SHM method that can be applied to prestressed beam structures to assess the condition of pre-release cracks. The sensor network used in this method consists of parallel long-gauge fiber optic strain sensors embedded in the concrete cross-sections at various locations. The same network is used for damage detection, i.e. detection and characterization of the pre-release cracks, and for monitoring the prestress force transfer. The method is validated on a real structure, a curved continuous girder. Results from the analysis confirm the safety and integrity of the structure. The method and its application are presented in this paper.

Influence of Steel Fibers on the Structural Performance of a Prestressed Concrete Containment Building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choun, Youngsun; Hahm, Daegi; Park, Junhee

2013-01-01

A large number of previous experimental investigations indicate that the use of steel fibers in conventional reinforced concrete (RC) can enhance the structural and functional performance of prestressed concrete containment buildings (PCCBs) in nuclear power plants. A prevention of through-wall cracks and an increase of the post-cracking ductility will improve the ultimate internal pressure capacity, and a high shear resistance under cyclic loadings will increase the seismic resisting capacity. In this study, the effects of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) on the ultimate pressure and seismic capacities of a PCCB are investigated. The effects of steel fibers on the ultimate pressure and shear resisting capacities of a PCCB are investigated. It is revealed that both of the ultimate pressure capacity and the shear resisting capacity of a PCCB can be greatly enhanced by introducing steel fibers in a conventional RC. Estimation results indicate that the ultimate pressure capacity and maximum lateral displacement of a PCCB can be improved by 16% and 64%, respectively, if a conventional RC contains hooked steel fibers in a volume fraction of 1.0%

Influence of Steel Fibers on the Structural Performance of a Prestressed Concrete Containment Building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choun, Youngsun; Hahm, Daegi; Park, Junhee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

A large number of previous experimental investigations indicate that the use of steel fibers in conventional reinforced concrete (RC) can enhance the structural and functional performance of prestressed concrete containment buildings (PCCBs) in nuclear power plants. A prevention of through-wall cracks and an increase of the post-cracking ductility will improve the ultimate internal pressure capacity, and a high shear resistance under cyclic loadings will increase the seismic resisting capacity. In this study, the effects of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) on the ultimate pressure and seismic capacities of a PCCB are investigated. The effects of steel fibers on the ultimate pressure and shear resisting capacities of a PCCB are investigated. It is revealed that both of the ultimate pressure capacity and the shear resisting capacity of a PCCB can be greatly enhanced by introducing steel fibers in a conventional RC. Estimation results indicate that the ultimate pressure capacity and maximum lateral displacement of a PCCB can be improved by 16% and 64%, respectively, if a conventional RC contains hooked steel fibers in a volume fraction of 1.0%.

Stripping demolition of reinforced concrete by electric heating method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Wahei; Nishita, Kiwamu; Kasai, Yoshio

1993-01-01

The present paper describes the procedures and results of a series of experiments the authors conducted to verify the efficiency of the electric heating method, previously proposed for so-called stripping demolition by applying electric current through reinforcing bars. In this method, a low voltage high current is run from one end to the other of a reinforcing bar or bars existing in a concrete structure, inducing intense heat in the bar(s) which in its turn brings about cracks in the surrounding concrete mass, facilitating secondary demolition by hammer picks or other means. The experiments were performed on full-scale biological shield wall mock-ups of a BWR and a small reactor. The results of the experiments are summarized as follows. (1) When electric current is applied through reinforcing bars, the bond between concrete and bars is loosened, and cracks start from one bar and progress toward other bars. Under appropriate conditions, the cracks in concrete run from the contact surface at one bar all the way to its the contact surface on another bar. (2) Cracks appear and grow only between two electrodes between which current is applied, not extending out of the area thus defined. (3) The concrete in the region closer to a current-bearing bar is intensely heated, whereas the concrete far from the bars remains nearly unheated. (4) Concrete walls after electric heating of bars disintegrates, if demolished with hammers, with the covering concrete are removed from the remaining portion of the structure together with heated bars, in shapes of flakes. (5) The reinforced concrete collapses in massive pieces of concrete, without generating much dust as is the case with the demolition of a concrete structure not heated by electricity. Results of the experiments show that the electric heating method is worth applying also to the demolition of nuclear power plants where concrete in the radioactivated surface region of shield walls needs to be stripped off in flakes

Study of thermal performance of capillary micro tubes integrated into the building sandwich element made of high performance concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikeska, Tomas; Svendsen, Svend

2013-01-01

The thermal performance of radiant heating and cooling systems (RHCS) composed of capillary micro tubes (CMT) integrated into the inner plate of sandwich elements made of high performance concrete (HPC) was investigated in the article. Temperature distribution in HPC elements around integrated CM...... and cooling purposes of future low energy buildings. The investigations were conceived as a low temperature concept, where the difference between the temperature of circulating fluid and air in the room was kept in range of 1–4 °C.......The thermal performance of radiant heating and cooling systems (RHCS) composed of capillary micro tubes (CMT) integrated into the inner plate of sandwich elements made of high performance concrete (HPC) was investigated in the article. Temperature distribution in HPC elements around integrated CMT...... HPC layer covering the CMT. This paper shows that CMT integrated into the thin plate of sandwich element made of HPC can supply the energy needed for heating (cooling) and at the same time create the comfortable and healthy environment for the occupants. This solution is very suitable for heating...

Multi-scale modelling and simulation of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of concrete with explicit representation of cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tognevi, Amen

2012-01-01

The concrete structures of nuclear power plants can be subjected to moderate thermo-hydric loadings characterized by temperatures of the order of hundred of degrees in service conditions as well as in accidental ones. These loadings can be at the origin of important disorders, in particular cracking which accelerate hydric transfers in the structure. In the framework of the study of durability of these structures, a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model denoted THMs has been developed at Laboratoire d'Etude du Comportement des Betons et des Argiles (LECBA) of CEA Saclay in order to perform simulations of the concrete behavior submitted to such loadings. In this work, we focus on the improvement in the model THMs in one hand of the assessment of the mechanical and hydro-mechanical parameters of the unsaturated micro-cracked material and in the other hand of the description of cracking in terms of opening and propagation. The first part is devoted to the development of a model based on a multi-scale description of cement-based materials starting from the scale of the main hydrated products (portlandite, ettringite, C-S-H etc.) to the macroscopic scale of the cracked material. The investigated parameters are obtained at each scale of the description by applying analytical homogenization techniques. The second part concerns a fine numerical description of cracking. To this end, we choose to use combined finite element and discrete element methods. This procedure is presented and illustrated through a series of mechanical tests in order to show the feasibility of the method and to proceed to its validation. Finally, we apply the procedure to a heated wall and the proposed method for estimating the permeability shows the interest to take into account an anisotropic permeability tensor when dealing with mass transfers in cracked concrete structures. (author) [fr

Disposal and close of major non-conformity of crack of concrete baseplate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhihua; Liu Hangan; Qian Dazhi; Huang Hongwen; Deng Yue; Zhou Wei; Yang Guoqing

2009-01-01

In terms of the quality assurance and control for nuclear engineering construction, this paper introduced the determination, origin analysis, remediation, disposal and close of the major non conformity of crack of concrete baseplate. (authors)

Assessment of low temperature cracking in asphalt pavement mixes and rheological performance of asphalt binders

Science.gov (United States)

Sowah-Kuma, David

Government spends a lot of money on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of road pavements in any given year due to various distresses and eventual failure. Low temperature (thermal) cracking, one of the main types of pavement distress, contributes partly to this economic loss, and comes about as a result of accumulated tensile strains exceeding the threshold tensile strain capacity of the pavement. This pavement distress leads to a drastic reduction of the pavement's service life and performance. In this study, the severity of low temperature (thermal) cracking on road pavements selected across the Province of Ontario and its predicted time to failure was assessed using the AASTHO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) and AASHTOWARE(TM) software, with inputs such as creep compliance and tensile strength from laboratory test. Highway 400, K1, K2, Y1, Sasobit, Rediset LQ, and Rediset WMX were predicted to have a pavement in-service life above 15 years. Additionally, the rheological performance of the recovered asphalt binders was assessed using Superpave(TM) tests such as the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and bending beam rheometer (BBR). Further tests using modified standard protocols such as the extended bending beam rheometer (eBBR) (LS-308) test method and double-edge notched tension (DENT) test (LS-299) were employed to evaluate the failure properties associated with in service performance. The various rheological tests showed K1 to be the least susceptible to low temperature cracking compared to the remaining samples whiles Highway 24 will be highly susceptible to low temperature cracking. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was performed on the recovered asphalt binders to determine the presence of metals such as zinc (Zn) and molybdenum (Mo) believed to originate from waste engine oil, which is often added to asphalt binders. Finally, the severity of oxidative aging (hardening) of the recovered asphalt binders was also evaluated using the

Performance of Damaged Soil-Concrete Wraparound Dam Sections under Dynamic Loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanarska, Y; Lomov, I; Glascoe, L; Morris, J; Antoun, T; Hall, R; Woodson, S; Fortune, J; Hynes, M E

2009-09-28

Predicting seismic or shock loading damage of the soil-concrete interface where an embankment wraparound dam provides support to the end monoliths in a concrete gravity dam is an inherently challenging three-dimensional coupled problem. We wish to predict formation and growth of a crack between the soil and concrete with a sustained flow of water. Further, we seek to better understand all critical phenomenology of this type of problem such as the potential mitigating and stabilizing role of upstream and downstream filter zone and shell materials. This collaborative research effort will ultimately determine whether advances in computational platforms, constitutive soil models (advances in representing particulates, tension, flow, and hydraulic erosion), and physical testing (advances in centrifuge and flume testing) can be applied successfully to solve this complex problem. Our focus is (1) to develop and validate high fidelity numerical models to investigate crack formation, soil erosion, transport of materials, and stability as part of the erosion process, and deposition within interface cracks; and (2) to investigate the performance of the filter zone materials if an extreme loading event such as an earthquake or shock damages the wraparound section. Our numerical tools include both continuum and discrete approaches. The continuum approach is based on the drift-flux multiphase model where a fluid and a solid are represented as interpenetrating continua and can account for turbulent flow characteristics, particle lift forces due to shear flow, particle collisions, and gravity settling. The discrete particle approach is also applied and is useful when deriving constitutive laws and parameterizations of soil behavior. Different experimental validation studies are under consideration for model validation and calibration. Several case studies for different crack sizes and orientations, particle sizes and environmental hydraulic conditions may be required to confirm

Behavior of hybrid high-strength fiber reinforced concrete slab-column connections under the effect of high tempera

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Reham H. Ahmed

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Concrete can be modified to perform in a more ductile form by the addition of randomly distributed discrete fibers in the concrete matrix. The combined effect of the addition of two types of fibers (steel fiber and polypropylene fiber with different percentages to concrete matrix, which is called hybrid effect is currently under investigation worldwide. The current research work presents the conducted experimental program to observe the behavior of hybrid high strength reinforced concrete slab-column connections under the effect of high temperature. For this purpose, ten slab-column connections were casted and tested. The experimental program was designed to investigate the effect of different variables such as concrete mixture, column location and temperature fighting system. All specimens were exposed to a temperature of 500 °C for duration of two hours. To observe the effect of each variable, specimens were divided into four groups according to the studied parameters. The test results revealed that using hybrid high strength concrete HFHSC produced more strength in punching failure compared with high strength concrete HSC when exposed to elevated temperature. Fighting by air had higher initial crack load compared with that for without fighting and fighting by water. On the other hand, fighting by water decreased the ultimate load.

Crack growth prediction for low-cycle fatigue regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamaya, Masayuki

2017-01-01

The objective of this study is to show a crack growth prediction procedure for the low-cycle fatigue regime. First, fatigue crack growth tests using Type 316 stainless steel specimens at room temperature were reviewed. It was seen that the crack growth rates correlated well with the equivalent stress intensify factor, which was derived using strain range instead of stress range. Furthermore, the effective equivalent stress intensify factor derived using the effective strain range exhibited excellent correlation with the crack growth rates obtained under various specimen geometries and loading conditions including high and low-cycle regimens. The obtained crack growth rates were also compared with the growth rate prescribed in the fitness-for-service code of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). The test results agreed with the growth rate of JSME code. Finally, the procedure for predicting the low-cycle fatigue crack growth was shown. Although the JSME code is aimed at predicting fatigue crack growth for the so-called small scale yielding condition (high-cycle fatigue regime), the material constants determined for the high-cycle fatigue regime can be used even for the low-cycle fatigue regime. (author)

Studying the Combination Effect of Additives and Micro Steel Fibers on Cracks of Self-Healing Concrete

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Muhannad Hussien Muhsin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, the effect of the combination of micro steel fibers and additives (calcium hydroxide and sodium carbonate on the size of cracks formation and healing them were investigated. This study aims to apply the use of self-healing phenomenon to repair cracks and to enhance the service life of the concrete structures. Micro steel fibers straight type were used in this research with 0.2% and 0.4% by volume of concrete. A weight of 20 and 30 kg/m3 of Ca(OH2 and 2 and 3 kg/m3 of Na2CO3 were used as a partial cement replacement. The results confirm that the concrete cracks were significantly self-healed up to 30 days re-curing. Cracks width up to 0.2 mm were completely self-healed after re-curing for 90 days by using the combination of micro steel fiber of 0.4% by volume of concrete and 25 kg/m3 of Ca(OH2 and 2.5 kg/m3 of Na2CO3 as a partial replacement of cement. Products of Self-healing are observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX. It was found that self-healing occurred mainly due to precipitation of calcium carbonate.

A study on the fracture energy of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete structures with initial cracks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Dong-Il; Sim Jongsung; Chai, Won-Kyu; Lee, Myeong-Gu

1991-01-01

Fracture test is performed in order to investigate the fracture behavior of SFRC (Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete) structures. Thirty six SFRC beams are used in this test. The relationships between loading, strain, and mid-span deflection of the beams are observed under the three point loading system. From the test results, the effects of the fiber content, the fiber aspect ratio and the initial crack ratio on the concrete fracture behavior were studied, and the flexural strength and the fracture energy of SFRC beams were also calculated. According to the regression technique, some empirical formulae for predicting the flexural strength and the fracture energy of SFRC beams are also suggested. (author)

Impact of Air Entraining Method on the Resistance of Concrete to Internal Cracking

Science.gov (United States)

Wawrzeńczyk, Jerzy; Molendowska, Agnieszka

2017-10-01

This paper presents the test results of air entrained concrete mixtures made at a constant W/C ratio of 0.44. Three different air entraining agents were used: polymer microspheres, glass microspheres and a conventional air entraining admixture. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the air entraining methods. Concrete mixture tests were performed for consistency (slump test), density and, in the case of AEA series, air content by pressure method. Hardened concrete tests were performed for compressive strength, water absorption, resistance to chloride ingress, and freeze-thaw durability - resistance to internal cracking tests were conducted in accordance with PN-88/B-06250 on cube specimens and with the modified ASTM C666 A test method on beam specimens; porosity characteristics (A, A300, \\bar L) were determined to PN-EN 480-11:1998. No significant mass and length changes were recorded for the concrete air entrained with the conventional methods or with polymer microspheres. The results indicate that polymer microspheres are a very good alternative to traditional air entraining methods for concrete, providing effective air entrainment and protection from freezing and thawing. The glass microsphere-based concretes showed insufficient freeze-thaw resistance. The test results indicate that both the conventional methods (AEA) and the air entrainment by polymer microspheres are effective air entraining methods. It has to be noted that in the case of the use of polymer microspheres, a comparable value of \\bar L and a very good freeze-thaw resistance can be achieved at a noticeably lower air and micropore contents and at lower strength loss.

High-temperature performance of mortars and concretes based on alkali-activated slag/metakaolin blends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernal, S. A.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper assesses the performance of mortars and concretes based on alkali activated granulated blastfurnace slag (GBFS/metakaolin (MK blends when exposed to high temperatures. High stability of mortars with contents of MK up to 60 wt.% when exposed to 600 °C is identified, with residual strengths of 20 MPa following exposure to this temperature. On the other hand, exposure to higher temperatures leads to cracking of the concretes, as a consequence of the high shrinkage of the binder matrix and the restraining effects of the aggregate, especially in those specimens with binders containing high MK content. A significant difference is identified between the water absorption properties of mortars and concretes, and this is able to be correlated with divergences in their performance after exposure to high temperatures. This indicates that the performance at high temperatures of alkali-activated mortars is not completely transferable to concrete, because the systems differ in permeability. The differences in the thermal expansion coefficients between the binder matrix and the coarse aggregates contribute to the macrocracking of the material, and the consequent reduction of mechanical properties.

Este artículo evalúa el desempeño de morteros y hormigones basados en mezclas de escoria siderúrgica (GBFS/metacaolín (MK, activadas alcalinamente expuestos a temperaturas altas. Se identifica una elevada estabilidad en morteros con contenidos de MK de hasta un 60% cuando se exponen a temperaturas de 600 ºC, con una resistencia residual de 20 MPa posterior a la exposición a esta temperatura. Por otra parte, la exposición a temperaturas más elevadas conduce al agrietamiento de los hormigones como consecuencia de una elevada contracción de la matriz cementante y las restricciones por efecto de los áridos, especialmente en aquellos especímenes con cementantes que contienen altos contenidos de MK. Se identifican diferencias significativas en

Modelling of cracking and inelastic behaviour of reinforced concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, A.G.; Albana, M.O.

1989-09-01

The report contains a review of work available in the literature on local bond transfer and the main factors which influence it, involving deformed reinfocing bar. Possible load transfer mechanisms are investigated and the significance of secondary cracking, local consolidation and shearing assessed. On the basis of these studies a linkage element which realistically models bond action, and is applicable to both monotonic and cyclic load, is proposed. Its ability to accurately predict stress, strain and crack geometry in typical reinforced concrete components is demonstrated by comparison of the results of finite element analysis using this model with experimental data. Aspects requiring further research are identified. An analysis of the dynamic response of a reinforced concrete beam is given which makes the simplifying assumption of rigid-plastic behaviour. A comparison of the analytical solution with experimental results obtained by bend tests in the Large Dynamic Test Facility at Ispra shows that, despite the neglect of elastic vibrations, a reasonable prediction of the fundamental response is obtained providing due allowance is made for rate-of-strain effects

Experimental study on the cracking behavior of reinforced concrete hollow cylinders subjected to temperature gradient and the assessment of decrease in flexural rigidity due to cracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoyagi, Yukio; Onuma, Hiroshi; Okazawa, Takao

1976-01-01

Altough the consideration of thermal stress constitutes one of the primary factors governing the design of the hollow cylindrical structures made of reinforced concrete and subjected to temperature gradient, such as radiation-shielding walls and reactor containment vessels, the method of rationally evaluating the safety to such stress has not been established so far. The purposes of this study are to investigate the conditions under which cracks initiate in reinforced concrete structures due to temperature gradient, and to evaluate the decreases in the flexural rigidity after cracking, mainly on the basis of experiment. Three hollow cylinders with top and bottom slabs, 120 cm height and 100 cm outside diameter, were tested. The cylinders were externally cooled by being immersed in water, and internally heated by circulating hot water through the cavities. The maximum temperature difference of 65 deg C was attained. The strain was measured, and the crack patterns were observed. A reinforced concrete beam of 3.8 m length was subjected to temperature difference of 65 deg C. Horizontal cracks appeared first at 27 deg C, and vertical cracks followed at 31 deg C difference at the middle of cylindrical walls. It was assumed that the first cracks appear at the tensile strain of 100 x 10 -6 , and the calculated result was agreed fairly well with the observed temperature difference. The rational method for evaluating the decrease in flexural rigidity due to cracking was proposed by the authors. (Kako, I.)

Improving the high performance concrete (HPC behaviour in high temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cattelan Antocheves De Lima, R.

2003-12-01

Full Text Available High performance concrete (HPC is an interesting material that has been long attracting the interest from the scientific and technical community, due to the clear advantages obtained in terms of mechanical strength and durability. Given these better characteristics, HFC, in its various forms, has been gradually replacing normal strength concrete, especially in structures exposed to severe environments. However, the veiy dense microstructure and low permeability typical of HPC can result in explosive spalling under certain thermal and mechanical conditions, such as when concrete is subject to rapid temperature rises, during a f¡re. This behaviour is caused by the build-up of internal water pressure, in the pore structure, during heating, and by stresses originating from thermal deformation gradients. Although there are still a limited number of experimental programs in this area, some researchers have reported that the addition of polypropylene fibers to HPC is a suitable way to avoid explosive spalling under f re conditions. This change in behavior is derived from the fact that polypropylene fibers melt in high temperatures and leave a pathway for heated gas to escape the concrete matrix, therefore allowing the outward migration of water vapor and resulting in the reduction of interned pore pressure. The present research investigates the behavior of high performance concrete on high temperatures, especially when polypropylene fibers are added to the mix.

El hormigón de alta resistencia (HAR es un material de gran interés para la comunidad científica y técnica, debido a las claras ventajas obtenidas en término de resistencia mecánica y durabilidad. A causa de estas características, el HAR, en sus diversas formas, en algunas aplicaciones está reemplazando gradualmente al hormigón de resistencia normal, especialmente en estructuras expuestas a ambientes severos. Sin embargo, la microestructura muy densa y la baja permeabilidad t

Behavior of prestressed concrete subjected to low temperatures and cyclic loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berner, D.E.

1984-01-01

Concrete has exhibited excellent behavior in cryogenic containment vessels for several decades under essentially static conditions. Tests were conducted to determine the response of prestressed lightweight concrete subjected to high-intensity cyclic loading and simultaneous cryogenic thermal shock, simulating the relatively dynamic conditions encountered offshore or in seismic areas. Lightweight concrete has several attractive properties for cryogenic service including: (1) very low permeability, (2) good strain capacity, (3) relatively low thermal conductivity, and (4) a low modulus of elasticity. Experimental results indicated that the mechanical properties of plain lightweight concrete significantly increase with moisture content at low temperatures, while cyclic loading fatigue effects are reduced at low temperatures. Also, tests on uniaxially and on biaxially prestressed lightweight concrete both indicate that the test specimens performed well under severe cyclic loading and cryogenic thermal shock with only moderate reduction in flexural stiffness. Supplementary tests conducted in this study indicate that conventionally reinforced concrete degrades significantly faster than prestressed concrete when subjected to cyclic loading and thermal shock

Experimental Study on the Shear Transfer Across Cracks in Reinforced Concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weiqing, Liu; Nielsen, Mogens Peter; Ding, Dajun

1999-01-01

In this paper the influence of the concrete compressive strength and the reinforcement ratio on the shear transfer across cracks are studied experimentally and theoretically. Tests on 84 specimens of the push-off type are reported. Most of the specimens were precracked along the shear plane. Among...

Heat affected zone and fatigue crack propagation behavior of high performance steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sung Won; Kang, Dong Hwan; Kim, Tae Won; Lee, Jong Kwan

2009-01-01

The effect of heat affected zone in high performance steel on fatigue crack propagation behavior, which is related to the subsequent microstructure, was investigated. A modified Paris-Erdogan equation was presented for the analysis of fatigue crack propagation behavior corresponding to the heat affected zone conditions. Fatigue crack propagation tests under 0.3 stress ratio and 0.1 load frequency were conducted for both finegrained and coarse-grained heat affected zones, respectively. As shown in the results, much higher crack growth rate occurred in a relatively larger mean grain size material under the same stress intensity range of fatigue crack propagation process for the material.

Preparation of Shrinkage Compensating Concrete with HCSA Expansive Agent

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Changcheng; Jia, Fujia

2017-10-01

Shrinkage compensating concrete (SCC) has become one of the best effective methods of preventing and reducing concrete cracking. SCC is prepared by HCSA high performance expansive agent for concrete which restrained expansion rate is optimized by 0.057%. Slump, compressive strength, restrained expansion rate and cracking resistance test were carried out on SCC. The results show that the initial slump of fresh SCC was about 220mm-230mm, while slump after 2 hours was 180mm-200mm. The restrained expansion rate of SCC increased with the mixing amount of expansive agent. After cured in water for 14 days, the restrained expansion rate of C35 and C40 SCC were 0.020%-0.032%. With the dosage of expansive agent increasing, restrained expansion rate of SCC increased, maximum compressive stress and cracking stress improved, cracking temperature fell, thus cracking resistance got effectively improvement.

Post-cracking Behaviour and Fracture Energy of Synthetic Fibre Reinforced Concrete

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Marta KOSIOR-KAZBERUK

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The paper reports the results of experimental programme focused on the effect of various synthetic fibres on fracture properties and ductility of concrete. The fracture energy was assessed on beams with initial notches in three-point bend test. The incorporation of synthetic fibres had a slight effect on mechanical properties of concrete but, at the same time, it had a significant influence on the fracture energy by modification of post-cracking behaviour of concrete. It was found that the modern synthetic fibres might be able to impart significant toughness and ductility to concrete. However, the beneficial effect of fibres depends on their length and flexibility. The analysis of load-deflection curves obtained made it possible to fit the simple function, describing the post-peak behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete, which can be useful for the calculation of GF value.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.4.13246

Microbial network of the carbonate precipitation process induced by microbial consortia and the potential application to crack healing in concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiaguang; Zhou, Aijuan; Liu, Yuanzhen; Zhao, Bowei; Luan, Yunbo; Wang, Sufang; Yue, Xiuping; Li, Zhu

2017-11-06

Current studies have employed various pure-cultures for improving concrete durability based on microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP). However, there have been very few reports concerned with microbial consortia, which could perform more complex tasks and be more robust in their resistance to environmental fluctuations. In this study, we constructed three microbial consortia that are capable of MICP under aerobic (AE), anaerobic (AN) and facultative anaerobic (FA) conditions. The results showed that AE consortia showed more positive effects on inorganic carbon conversion than AN and FA consortia. Pyrosequencing analysis showed that clear distinctions appeared in the community structure between different microbial consortia systems. Further investigation on microbial community networks revealed that the species in the three microbial consortia built thorough energetic and metabolic interaction networks regarding MICP, nitrate-reduction, bacterial endospores and fermentation communities. Crack-healing experiments showed that the selected cracks of the three consortia-based concrete specimens were almost completely healed in 28 days, which was consistent with the studies using pure cultures. Although the economic advantage might not be clear yet, this study highlights the potential implementation of microbial consortia on crack healing in concrete.

Models for estimation of service life of concrete barriers in low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, J.C.; Plansky, L.E.; Smith, R.W.

1990-09-01

Concrete barriers will be used as intimate parts of systems for isolation of low level radioactive wastes subsequent to disposal. This work reviews mathematical models for estimating the degradation rate of concrete in typical service environments. The models considered cover sulfate attack, reinforcement corrosion, calcium hydroxide leaching, carbonation, freeze/thaw, and cracking. Additionally, fluid flow, mass transport, and geochemical properties of concrete are briefly reviewed. Example calculations included illustrate the types of predictions expected of the models. 79 refs., 24 figs., 6 tabs

Models for estimation of service life of concrete barriers in low-level radioactive waste disposal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walton, J.C.; Plansky, L.E.; Smith, R.W. (EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA))

1990-09-01

Concrete barriers will be used as intimate parts of systems for isolation of low level radioactive wastes subsequent to disposal. This work reviews mathematical models for estimating the degradation rate of concrete in typical service environments. The models considered cover sulfate attack, reinforcement corrosion, calcium hydroxide leaching, carbonation, freeze/thaw, and cracking. Additionally, fluid flow, mass transport, and geochemical properties of concrete are briefly reviewed. Example calculations included illustrate the types of predictions expected of the models. 79 refs., 24 figs., 6 tabs.

Post-cracking tensile behaviour of steel-fibre-reinforced roller-compacted-concrete for FE modelling and design purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jafarifar, N.; Pilakoutas, K.; Angelakopoulos, H.; Bennett, T.

2017-01-01

Fracture of steel-fibre-reinforced-concrete occurs mostly in the form of a smeared crack band undergoing progressive microcracking. For FE modelling and design purposes, this crack band could be characterised by a stress-strain (σ-ε) relationship. For industrially-produced steel fibres, existing methodologies such as RILEM TC 162-TDF (2003) propose empirical equations to predict a trilinear σ-ε relationship directly from bending test results. This paper evaluates the accuracy of these methodologies and their applicability for roller-compacted-concrete and concrete incorporating steel fibres recycled from post-consumer tyres. It is shown that the energy absorption capacity is generally overestimated by these methodologies, sometimes up to 60%, for both conventional and roller-compacted concrete. Tensile behaviour of fibre-reinforced-concrete is estimated in this paper by inverse analysis of bending test results, examining a variety of concrete mixes and steel fibres. A multilinear relationship is proposed which largely eliminates the overestimation problem and can lead to safer designs. [es

Bridge deck cracking : effects on in-service performance, prevention, and remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-08-01

The main objectives of this project were: (a) to identify the causes of early-age cracking in concrete bridge decks, (b) to provide : recommendations for effective mitigation of early-age cracking, (c) to assess the effect of cracks on the long-term ...

High-performance hybrid-fibre concrete : Development and utilisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Markovic, I.

2006-01-01

Although concrete is the most utilised building material nowdays, this material has a large shortcoming: it has a good resistance against compressive stresses, but a very low resistance against tensile stresses. Usual way to solve this problem is the application of steel reinforcement in concrete

The influence of the scale effect and high temperatures on the strength and strains of high performance concrete

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Korsun Vladimyr Ivanovych

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The most effective way to reduce the structure mass, labor input and expenses for its construction is to use modern high-performance concrete of the classes С50/60… С90/105, which possess high physical and mathematic characteristics. One of the constraints for their implementation in mass construction in Ukraine is that in design standards there are no experimental data on the physical and mathematic properties of concrete of the classes more than С50/60. Also there are no exact statements on calculating reinforced concrete structures made of high-performance concretes.The authors present the results of experimental research of the scale effect and short-term and long-term heating up to +200 ° C influence on temperature and shrinkage strain, on strength and strain characteristics under compression and tensioning of high-strength modified concrete of class C70/85. The application of high performance concretes is challenging in the process of constructing buildings aimed at operating in high technological temperatures: smoke pipes, coolers, basins, nuclear power plants' protective shells, etc. Reducing cross-sections can lead to reducing temperature drops and thermal stresses in the structures.

Characteristics and applications of high-performance fiber reinforced asphalt concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Philip

Steel fiber reinforced asphalt concrete (SFRAC) is suggested in this research as a multifunctional high performance material that can potentially lead to a breakthrough in developing a sustainable transportation system. The innovative use of steel fibers in asphalt concrete is expected to improve mechanical performance and electrical conductivity of asphalt concrete that is used for paving 94% of U. S. roadways. In an effort to understand the fiber reinforcing mechanisms in SFRAC, the interaction between a single straight steel fiber and the surrounding asphalt matrix is investigated through single fiber pull-out tests and detailed numerical simulations. It is shown that pull-out failure modes can be classified into three types: matrix, interface, and mixed failure modes and that there is a critical shear stress, independent of temperature and loading rate, beyond which interfacial debonding will occur. The reinforcing effects of SFRAC with various fiber sizes and shapes are investigated through indirect tension tests at low temperature. Compared to unreinforced specimens, fiber reinforced specimens exhibit up to 62.5% increase in indirect tensile strength and 895% improvements in toughness. The documented improvements are the highest attributed to fiber reinforcement in asphalt concrete to date. The use of steel fibers and other conductive additives provides an opportunity to make asphalt pavement electrically conductive, which opens up the possibility for multifunctional applications. Various asphalt mixtures and mastics are tested and the results indicate that the electrical resistivity of asphaltic materials can be manipulated over a wide range by replacing a part of traditional fillers with a specific type of graphite powder. Another important achievement of this study is development and validation of a three dimensional nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model that is capable of simulating both linear and nonlinear viscoelasticity of asphaltic materials. The

Physico-mechanical properties of high performance concrete using different aggregates in presence of silica fume

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Salah A. Abo-El-Enein

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Heavy weight high performance concrete (HPC can be used when particular properties, such as high strength and good radiation shielding are required. Such concrete, using ilmenite and hematite coarse aggregates can significantly have higher specific gravities than those of concrete made with dolomite and air-cooled slag aggregates. Four different concrete mixes with the same cement content and different w/c ratios were designed using normal dolomite aggregate, air-cooled slag by-product and two different types of iron ore aggregates. High performance concrete (grade-M60 can be achieved using superplasticizer to reduce the water/cement ratio; the effect of SF on the performance of concrete was studied by addition of 10% silica fume to the total cement content. The physico-mechanical properties of coarse aggregates and hardened concrete were studied. The results show that, Ilmenite coarse aggregate gives higher physical and mechanical properties than the other aggregates. Also, addition of 10% silica fume developed a stronger and a denser interfacial transition zone (ITZ between concrete particles and the cement matrix. Crushed air-cooled slag can be used to produce a high-strength concrete with better mechanical properties than corresponding concrete made with crushed hematite and ilmenite. Heavy density concrete made with fine aggregates of ilmenite and air-cooled slag are expected to be suitable as shielding materials to attenuate gamma rays.

Rebar corrosion due to carbonation in structural reinforced concretes for near-surface LLW repositories: A critical failure mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torok, J

1995-03-01

The concrete roof of a near-surface radioactive waste repository is the principle protection against water infiltration and intrusion. The following potential roof failure mechanism is examined: carbon dioxide generated by the biodegradation of organic materials in the repository initiates corrosion of reinforcing steel embedded in the concrete roof. Because the bottom surface of the roof is mostly under tension, it is susceptible to cracking. The migration path for carbon dioxide is through cracks in the concrete between the bottom of the roof and the reinforcing bars. Carbonate corrosion of the reinforcing bars may result in concrete spalling, more extensive rebar corrosion and ultimately structural failure. Attention is brought to this failure mechanism because it has generally been overlooked in repository performance assessments. Literature relevant to the above failure is reviewed. Prerequisites for rebar corrosion are the presence of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the repository gas, high relative humidity and through-cracks in the concrete. High carbon dioxide concentrations and relative humidity are expected in the repository. The oxygen concentration in the repository is expected to be very low, and that is expected to minimize rebar corrosion rates. Cracks are likely to form in locations with high tensile stresses. Healing of the cracks could be a mitigating factor, but based on our analysis, it can not be relied on. To minimize the potential of this failure mechanism occurring with the Intrusion Resistant Underground Structure (IRUS), Canada`s proposed near-surface repository, carbon dioxide from the repository gas will be absorbed by the reactive, porous concrete placed between the waste and the roof. (author). 4 refs.

Rebar corrosion due to carbonation in structural reinforced concretes for near-surface LLW repositories: A critical failure mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torok, J.

1995-03-01

The concrete roof of a near-surface radioactive waste repository is the principle protection against water infiltration and intrusion. The following potential roof failure mechanism is examined: carbon dioxide generated by the biodegradation of organic materials in the repository initiates corrosion of reinforcing steel embedded in the concrete roof. Because the bottom surface of the roof is mostly under tension, it is susceptible to cracking. The migration path for carbon dioxide is through cracks in the concrete between the bottom of the roof and the reinforcing bars. Carbonate corrosion of the reinforcing bars may result in concrete spalling, more extensive rebar corrosion and ultimately structural failure. Attention is brought to this failure mechanism because it has generally been overlooked in repository performance assessments. Literature relevant to the above failure is reviewed. Prerequisites for rebar corrosion are the presence of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the repository gas, high relative humidity and through-cracks in the concrete. High carbon dioxide concentrations and relative humidity are expected in the repository. The oxygen concentration in the repository is expected to be very low, and that is expected to minimize rebar corrosion rates. Cracks are likely to form in locations with high tensile stresses. Healing of the cracks could be a mitigating factor, but based on our analysis, it can not be relied on. To minimize the potential of this failure mechanism occurring with the Intrusion Resistant Underground Structure (IRUS), Canada's proposed near-surface repository, carbon dioxide from the repository gas will be absorbed by the reactive, porous concrete placed between the waste and the roof. (author). 4 refs

Nanostructured silicate polymer concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Figovskiy Oleg L'vovich

2014-03-01

Full Text Available It has been known that acid-resistant concretes on the liquid glass basis have high porosity (up to 18~20 %, low strength and insufficient water resistance. Significant increasing of silicate matrix strength and density was carried out by incorporation of special liquid organic alkali-soluble silicate additives, which block superficial pores and reduce concrete shrinkage deformation. It was demonstrated that introduction of tetrafurfuryloxisilane additive sharply increases strength, durability and shock resistance of silicate polymer concrete in aggressive media. The experiments showed, that the strength and density of silicate polymer concrete increase in case of decreasing liquid glass content. The authors obtained optimal content of silicate polymer concrete, which possesses increased strength, durability, density and crack-resistance. Diffusive permeability of concrete and its chemical resistance has been investigated in various corroding media.

Permeability of Concrete with Recycled Concrete Aggregate and Pozzolanic Materials under Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hailong; Sun, Xiaoyan; Wang, Junjie; Monteiro, Paulo J M

2016-03-30

The research reported herein studied the permeability of concrete containing recycled-concrete aggregate (RA), superfine phosphorous slag (PHS), and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) with and without stress. Test results showed that the chloride diffusion coefficient of RA concrete (RAC) without external loads decreased with time, and the permeability of RAC is much lower than that of the reference concrete due to the on-going hydration and the pozzolanic reaction provided by the PHS and GGBS additives in the RAC mixture. The permeability of chloride under flexural load is much more sensitive than that under compressive load due to the differences in porosity and cracking pattern. At low compressive stress levels, the permeability of chloride decreased by the closing of pores and microcracks within RAC specimens. However, in a relatively short time the chloride diffusion coefficient and the chloride content increased rapidly with the increase of compressive stress when it exceeded a threshold stress level of approximate 35% of the ultimate compressive strength. Under flexural stress, the chloride transport capability increased with the increase of stress level and time. At high compressive and flexural stress levels, creep had a significant effect on the permeability of chloride in the RAC specimens due to the damage from the nucleation and propagation of microcracks over time. It is apparent that mortar cracking has more of a significant effect on the chloride transport in concrete than cracking in the interfacial transition zone (ITZ).

Using a centrifuge for quality control of pre-wetted lightweight aggregate in internally cured concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Albert E.

Early age shrinkage of cementitious systems can result in an increased potential for cracking which can lead to a reduction in service life. Early age shrinkage cracking can be particularly problematic for high strength concretes, which are often specified due to their high strength and low permeability. However, these high strength concretes frequently exhibit a reduction in the internal relative humidity (RH) due to the hydration reaction (chemical shrinkage) and self-desiccation which results in a bulk shrinkage, termed autogenous shrinkage, which is substantial at early ages. Due to the low permeability of these concretes, standard external curing is not always efficient in addressing this reduction in internal RH since the penetration of water can be limited. Internal curing has been developed to reduce autogenous shrinkage. Internally cured mixtures use internal reservoirs filled with fluid (generally water) that release this fluid at appropriate times to counteract the effects of self-desiccation thereby maintaining a high internal RH. Internally cured concrete is frequently produced in North America using pre-wetted lightweight aggregate. One important aspect associated with preparing quality internally cured concrete is being able to determine the absorbed moisture and surface moisture associated with the lightweight aggregate which enables aggregate moisture corrections to be made for the concrete mixture. This thesis represents work performed to develop a test method using a centrifuge to determine the moisture state of pre-wetted fine lightweight aggregate. The results of the test method are then used in a series of worksheets that were developed to assist field technicians when performing the tests and applying the results to a mixture design. Additionally, research was performed on superabsorbent polymers to assess their ability to be used as an internal curing reservoir.

Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Hybrid Trapezoidal Box Girders Using Ordinary and Highly Strength Concrete

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Nameer A. Alawsh

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the general behavior of reinforced concrete hybrid box girders is studied by experimental and numerical investigation. Experimental work is included casting monolithically five specimens of box girders with trapezoidal cross section and testing it as simply supported under two point loading. Two specimens were cast as homogenous box girders (full normal strength concrete (NSC (about 35 MPa and full high strength concrete (HSC (about 55 MPa and three specimens were cast as hybrid box girders (HSC in upper flange only, HSC in upper flange and half depth of webs, and HSC in bottom flange and total depth of webs. Experimental results showed significant effects of concrete hybridization on the structural behavior of box girders specimens such as: cracking loads, cracking patterns, ultimate strengths, and failure modes. The ultimate strength of Hybrid box girders increased by 23% as average when compared with the homogenous box girder (full NSC and decreased by 9% as average when compared with homogenous box girder (full HSC. In numerical investigation, the tested specimens were modeled and analyzed using three dimensional non-linear finite element analysis. The analysis was carried out by using a computer program (ANSYS V16.1. The numerical results showed an acceptable agreement with the experimental work with difference about (3.12% and 9.588% as average for ultimate load and deflection, respectively.

Steel-concrete bond model for the simulation of reinforced concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mang, Chetra

2015-01-01

Reinforced concrete structure behavior can be extremely complex in the case of exceeding the cracking threshold. The composite characteristics of reinforced concrete structure should be finely presented especially in the distribution stress zone between steel-concrete at their interface. In order to compute the industrial structures, a perfect relation hypothesis between steel and concrete is supposed in which the complex phenomenon of the two-material relation is not taken into account. On the other hand, this perfect relation is unable to predict the significant disorders, the repartition, and the distribution of the cracks, which is directly linked to the steel. In literature, several numerical methods are proposed in order to finely study the concrete-steel bond behavior, but these methods give many difficulties in computing complex structures in 3D. With the results obtained in the thesis framework of Torre-Casanova (2012), the new concrete-steel bond model has been developed to improve performances (iteration numbers and computational time) and the representation (cyclic behavior) of the initial one. The new model has been verified with analytical solution of steel-concrete tie and validated with the experimental results. The new model is equally tested with the structural scale to compute the shear wall behavior in the French national project (CEOS.fr) under monotonic load. Because of the numerical difficulty in post-processing the crack opening in the complex crack formation, a new crack opening method is also developed. This method consists of using the discontinuity of relative displacement to detect the crack position or using the slip sign change between concrete-steel. The simulation-experiment comparison gives validation of not only the new concrete-steel bond model but also the new crack post-processing method. Finally, the cyclic behavior of the bond law with the non-reduced envelope is adopted and integrated in the new bond model in order to take

The Shrinkage Cracking Behavior in Reinforced Reactive Powder Concrete Walls

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Samir A. Al-Mashhadi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, the reduced scale wall models were used (they are believed to resemble as much as possible the field conditions to study the shrinkage behavior of reactive powder concrete (RPC base restrained walls. Six base restrained RPC walls were casted in different length/height ratios of two ratios of steel fiber by volume in Summer. These walls were restrained by reinforced concrete bases to provide the continuous base restraint to the walls. The mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete investigated were; compressive strength between (75.3 – 140.1 MPa, splitting tensile strength between (5.7 – 13.9 MPa, flexural tensile strength (7.7 – 24.5 MPa, and static modulus of elasticity (32.7 – 47.1GPa. Based on the observations of this work, it was found that the cracks did not develop in the reduced scale of the reactive powder concrete (RPC walls restrained from movement at their bases for different L/H ratios (2, 5, and 10 and for two ratio of steel fiber (1% & 2% during 90 days period of drying conditions. Moreover, the shrinkage values increase toward the edges. Based on the results of this work, the increase in the maximum shrinkage values of walls with 1% steel fiber were (29%, 28%, 28% of the maximum shrinkage values of walls with 2% steel fiber of length/height ratios of (2, 5, and 10 respectively. The experimental observation in beam specimens showed that the free shrinkage, tensile strain capacity and elastic tensile strain capacity (at date of cracking of beams with 1% steel fiber were higher than the beams with 2% steel fiber by about (24%, (45% and (42% respectively

Ultra high performance concrete made with rice husk ash for reduced autogenous shrinkage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Breugel, K.; Van Tuan, N.

2014-01-01

Ultra High Strength Concrete (UHPC) is generally made with low w/c mixtures and by adding silica fume. Low w/c mixtures, however, exhibit high autogenous shrinkage, while a high amount of silica fume increases the price of these mixtures. For designing ultra high strength mixtures with low

A simple test procedure for evaluating low temperature crack resistance of asphalt concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-11-01

The current means of evaluating the low temperature cracking resistance of HMA relies on extensive test : methods that require assumptions about material behaviors and the use of complicated loading equipment. The purpose : of this study was to devel...

Low pH concretes: instantaneous and delayed behaviors under external stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung Pah Hang, Thierry

2015-01-01

In the context of the radioactive wastes disposal in deep geological repository of clay, low-alkalinity and low heat of hydration concretes referenced 'low pH' were designed. The degradation of the properties of the clay can be limited by using these types of concrete. Two types of low pH binder were chosen for this research: the first one is comprised of cement, silica fume and fly ash (TCV) and the other one is comprised of cement, silica fume and slag (TL). The objective of this research is to comprehend the behavior of these concrete in order to ensure the well-placing of the fresh concrete at an industrial scale and good mechanical performances, chemical stability and confining properties. The experimental program focuses on a physico-chemical and mechanical characterization of these recent materials with high pozzolanic addition content. The experimental data are then modeled for the purpose of having a tool that, in the end, is able to predict the behavior of the low pH concretes within the structure. The results show that grinding altogether the three constituents improves the reactivity of the binder and allows a good reproducibility of the low pH design. The most important criterion which is a pH of the interstitial solution below 11 is met at 28 days. The heat measurements at early age show that the low pH concretes are low heat of hydration concretes as well. In the long run, high mechanical performances, low permeabilities and diffusivities were obtained on these materials. The modeling of the hydration, evolution of mechanical properties, damage, creep and hydric transfers is also covered in this thesis. The model of hydration was adjusted to match the hydration of ternary binders by taking into account the effects of the additions such as the heterogeneous nucleation, on the hydration of the cement. As for the other models, the experimental results were used as data input to validate the models on binders with high replacement rates

High performance repairing of reinforced concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iskhakov, I.; Ribakov, Y.; Holschemacher, K.; Mueller, T.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Steel fibered high strength concrete is effective for repairing concrete elements. ► Changing fibers’ content, required ductility of the repaired element is achieved. ► Experiments prove previously developed design concepts for two layer beams. -- Abstract: Steel fibered high strength concrete (SFHSC) is an effective material that can be used for repairing concrete elements. Design of normal strength concrete (NSC) elements that should be repaired using SFHSC can be based on general concepts for design of two-layer beams, consisting of SFHSC in the compressed zone and NSC without fibers in the tensile zone. It was previously reported that such elements are effective when their section carries rather large bending moments. Steel fibers, added to high strength concrete, increase its ultimate deformations due to the additional energy dissipation potential contributed by fibers. When changing the fibers’ content, a required ductility level of the repaired element can be achieved. Providing proper ductility is important for design of structures to dynamic loadings. The current study discusses experimental results that form a basis for finding optimal fiber content, yielding the highest Poisson coefficient and ductility of the repaired elements’ sections. Some technological issues as well as distribution of fibers in the cross section of two-layer bending elements are investigated. The experimental results, obtained in the frame of this study, form a basis for general technological provisions, related to repairing of NSC beams and slabs, using SFHSC.

Bond behavior of reinforcing steel in ultra-high performance concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-01

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) is a relatively new class of advanced cementitious composite : materials, which exhibits high compressive [above 21.7 ksi (150 MPa)] and tensile [above 0.72 ksi (5 MPa)] : strengths. The discrete steel fiber rei...

Ultra-high performance concrete : a state-of-the-art report for the bridge community.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

"The term Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) refers to a relatively new class of advanced cementitious : composite materials whose mechanical and durability properties far surpass those of conventional concrete. This : class of concrete has been ...

Electrical and Self-Sensing Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete with Carbon Nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilhwan You

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study examined the electrical and self-sensing capacities of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC with and without carbon nanotubes (CNTs. For this, the effects of steel fiber content, orientation, and pore water content on the electrical and piezoresistive properties of UHPFRC without CNTs were first evaluated. Then, the effect of CNT content on the self-sensing capacities of UHPFRC under compression and flexure was investigated. Test results indicated that higher steel fiber content, better fiber orientation, and higher amount of pore water led to higher electrical conductivity of UHPFRC. The effects of fiber orientation and drying condition on the electrical conductivity became minor as sufficiently high amount of steel fibers, 3% by volume, was added. Including only steel fibers did not impart UHPFRC with piezoresistive properties. Addition of CNTs substantially improved the electrical conductivity of UHPFRC. Under compression, UHPFRC with a CNT content of 0.3% or greater had a self-sensing ability that was activated by the formation of cracks, and better sensing capacity was achieved by including greater amount of CNTs. Furthermore, the pre-peak flexural behavior of UHPFRC was precisely simulated with a fractional change in resistivity when 0.3% CNTs were incorporated. The pre-cracking self-sensing capacity of UHPFRC with CNTs was more effective under tensile stress state than under compressive stress state.

Electrical and Self-Sensing Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete with Carbon Nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Ilhwan; Yoo, Doo-Yeol; Kim, Sooho; Kim, Min-Jae; Zi, Goangseup

2017-10-29

This study examined the electrical and self-sensing capacities of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) with and without carbon nanotubes (CNTs). For this, the effects of steel fiber content, orientation, and pore water content on the electrical and piezoresistive properties of UHPFRC without CNTs were first evaluated. Then, the effect of CNT content on the self-sensing capacities of UHPFRC under compression and flexure was investigated. Test results indicated that higher steel fiber content, better fiber orientation, and higher amount of pore water led to higher electrical conductivity of UHPFRC. The effects of fiber orientation and drying condition on the electrical conductivity became minor as sufficiently high amount of steel fibers, 3% by volume, was added. Including only steel fibers did not impart UHPFRC with piezoresistive properties. Addition of CNTs substantially improved the electrical conductivity of UHPFRC. Under compression, UHPFRC with a CNT content of 0.3% or greater had a self-sensing ability that was activated by the formation of cracks, and better sensing capacity was achieved by including greater amount of CNTs. Furthermore, the pre-peak flexural behavior of UHPFRC was precisely simulated with a fractional change in resistivity when 0.3% CNTs were incorporated. The pre-cracking self-sensing capacity of UHPFRC with CNTs was more effective under tensile stress state than under compressive stress state.

High strength oil palm shell concrete beams reinforced with steel fibres

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S. Poh-Yap

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The utilization of lightweight oil palm shell to produce high strength lightweight sustainable material has led many researchers towards its commercialization as structural concrete. However, the low tensile strength of Oil Palm Shell Concrete (OPSC has hindered its development. This study aims to enhance the mechanical properties and flexural behaviours of OPSC by the addition of steel fibres of up to 3% by volume, to produce oil palm shell fibre-reinforced concrete (OPSFRC. The experimental results showed that the steel fibres significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of OPSFRC. The highest compressive strength, splitting tensile and flexural strengths of 55, 11.0 and 18.5 MPa, respectively, were achieved in the OPSFRC mix reinforced with 3% steel fibres. In addition, the flexural beam testing on OPSFRC beams with 3% steel fibres showed that the steel fibre reinforcement up to 3% produced notable increments in the moment capacity and crack resistance of OPSFRC beams, but accompanied by reduction in the ductility.

Autogenous healing and reinforcement corrosion of water-penetrated separation cracks in reinforced concrete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramm, W.; Biscoping, M.

1998-01-01

Depending on the crack width, the thickness of the structure, the water pressure, and the degree of acid of the water, long-term investigations have been performed over a period of 2 years with respect to the autogenous healing and reinforcement corrosion of water-penetrated separation cracks in reinforced concrete by the University of Kaiserslautern, supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). For the waters penetrating the cracks deionised water (neutral, pH=7.0), and boric acid treated deionised water with a pH-value of 6.1 and 5.2 (weakly acid waters) were used. A complete autogenous healing could not be observed. The water penetrating the cracks could hardly be measured with a pH-value of 7.0 at the end of the test. While naturally at the beginning of the test, no influence of the water-chemical degree of the acids could be determined, the existing flow-through quantities towards the end of the test period depended clearly on the crack width and the pH-value. With an increasing crack width and an increasing acid-degree larger flow-through quantities were measured. Depending on the pH-value and the crack width it was determined whether and to which extent corrosion developed at the reinforcing steel bars crossing the cracks. With a crack width of 0.1 mm, corrosion was not to be observed in any case. For the test specimens with a crack width of 0.2 mm a start of the corrosion was found depending on the pH-value. With an increasing width of the crack, an increasing corrosion development is to be expected for test specimens penetrated by acid water. For a crack width of 0.4 mm and a pH-value of 5.2, the highest corrosion development was to be observed, however, there were weakenings of the cross section not worth being mentioned even after a 2-year test period. (orig.)

Bond slip and crack development in FRC and regular concrete specimens longitudinally reinforced with FRP or steel under tension loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lárusson, Lárus Helgi; Fischer, Gregor

2012-01-01

tensile loading using high definition image analysis in two unique test setups. Two different types of cementitious materials, conventional concrete and highly ductile Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC), and two types of reinforcement bars, regular steel and Glass Fiber Reinforcement Polymer (GFRP......The governing mechanism in the structural response of reinforced concrete members in tension is the interaction between structural reinforcement and the surrounding concrete matrix. The composite response and the mechanical integrations of reinforced cementitious members were investigated during......), were tested. It was found that the ductile ECC in contrast to regular brittle concrete decreases crack widths significantly which effectively results in decreased bond slip between the reinforcement and surrounding matrix. Furthermore the use of elastic GFRP in comparison to elastic/plastic steel...

Composite Strain Hardening Properties of High Performance Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vikram Jothi Jayakumar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Hybrid fibres addition in concrete proved to be a promising method to improve the composite mechanical properties of the cementitious system. Fibre combinations involving different fibre lengths and moduli were added in high strength slag based concrete to evaluate the strain hardening properties. Influence of hybrid fibres consisting of steel and polypropylene fibres added in slag based cementitious system (50% CRL was explored. Effects of hybrid fibre addition at optimum volume fraction of 2% of steel fibres and 0.5% of PP fibres (long and short steel fibre combinations were observed in improving the postcrack strength properties of concrete. Test results also indicated that the hybrid steel fibre additions in slag based concrete consisting of short steel and polypropylene (PP fibres exhibited a the highest compressive strength of 48.56 MPa. Comparative analysis on the performance of monofibre concrete consisting of steel and PP fibres had shown lower residual strength compared to hybrid fibre combinations. Hybrid fibres consisting of long steel-PP fibres potentially improved the absolute and residual toughness properties of concrete composite up to a maximum of 94.38% compared to monofibre concrete. In addition, the relative performance levels of different hybrid fibres in improving the matrix strain hardening, postcrack toughness, and residual strength capacity of slag based concretes were evaluated systematically.

Analytical Model for Fictitious Crack Propagation in Reinforced Concrete Beams without Debonding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ulfkjær, J. P.; Brincker, Rune

1994-01-01

, the crack growth is further simplified by introducing a continuous layer of springs at the midsection mainly representing a simplified material response around the fracture zone. In the reinforcement the strain condition is assumed to be equal to the strain condition in the concrete. the important question...

Seismic performance of interior precast concrete beam-column connections with T-section steel inserts under cyclic loading

Science.gov (United States)

Ketiyot, Rattapon; Hansapinyo, Chayanon

2018-04-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the performance of precast beam-column concrete connections using T-section steel inserts into the concrete beam and joint core, under reversed cyclic loading. Six 2/3-scale interior beam-column subassemblies, one monolithic concrete specimen and five precast concrete specimens were tested. One precast specimen was a simple connection for a gravity load resistant design. Other precast specimens were developed with different attributes to improve their seismic performance. The test results showed that the performance of the monolithic specimen M1 represented ductile seismic behavior. Failure of columns and joints could be prevented, and the failure of the frame occurred at the flexural plastic hinge formation at the beam ends, close to the column faces. For the precast specimens, the splitting crack along the longitudinal lapped splice was a major failure. The precast P5 specimen with double steel T-section inserts showed better seismic performance compared to the other precast models. However, the dowel bars connected to the steel inserts were too short to develop a bond. The design of the precast concrete beams with lap splice is needed for longer lap lengths and should be done at the beam mid span or at the low flexural stress region.

Development for low-activation concrete design reducing radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Ken-ichi; Kinno, Masaharu; Hasegawa, Akira

2008-01-01

activation cross section library and accurate estimation of major target elements in various raw materials for the concrete with width of uncertainty are necessary. So, development for low-activation concrete design reducing radioactive waste have been conducted in the project mentioned above. Detail survey of the selected aggregates and cements for the low-activation concrete are carried out and uncertain of the materials are obtained. Tons of execution experimental works for several types of low-activation concrete are conducted to categorize as conventional, high performance and boron added, with reduction rate of radioactivity to the ordinary concrete from 1/10 to 10000. Low-activation material development system and activation mapping system could calculate required quantities of target elements in certain area and boundary of the radioactivity level for shielding wall in decommissioning. These results contribute to optimize the design of low-activation concrete for reducing radioactive waste. This work is supported by a grant-in-aid of Innovative and Viable Nuclear Technology (IVNET) development project of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan. (author)

Experimental study of the leakage rate through cracked reinforced concrete wall elements for defining the functional failure criteria of containment buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choun, Young Sun; Cho, Nam So

2004-01-01

Containment buildings in nuclear power plants should maintain their structural safety as well as their functional integrity during an operation period. To maintain the functional integrity, the wall and dome of the containment buildings have to maintain their air tightness under extreme loading conditions such as earthquakes, missile impact, and severe accidents. For evaluating the functional failure of containments, it is important to predict the leak amount through cracked concrete walls. The leakage through concrete cracks has been studied since 1972. Buss examined the flow rate of air through a pre-existing crack in a slab under air pressure. Rizkalla el al. initiated an experimental study for the leakage of prestressed concrete building segments under uniaxial and biaxial loadings to simulate the loading condition of containment buildings under an internal pressure. Recently, Salmon el al. initiated an experimental program for determining the leak rates in typical reinforced concrete shear walls subjected to beyond design basis earthquakes. This study investigates the cracking behavior of reinforced concrete containment wall elements under a uniaxial tension and addresses the outline of the leakage test for unlined containment wall elements

Fracture Mechanics of Concrete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ulfkjær, Jens Peder

Chapter 1 Chapter l contains the introduction to this thesis. The scope of the thesis is partly to investigate different numerical and analytical models based on fracture mechanical ideas, which are able to predict size effects, and partly to perform an experimental investigation on high-strength......Chapter 1 Chapter l contains the introduction to this thesis. The scope of the thesis is partly to investigate different numerical and analytical models based on fracture mechanical ideas, which are able to predict size effects, and partly to perform an experimental investigation on high......-strength concrete. Chapter 2 A description of the factors which influence the strength and cracking of concrete and high strength concrete is made. Then basic linear fracture mechanics is outlined followed by a description and evaluation of the models used to describe concrete fracture in tension. The chapter ends...... and the goveming equations are explicit and simple. These properties of the model make it a very powerful tool, which is applicable for the designing engineer. The method is also extended to reinforced concrete, where the results look very promising. The large experimental investigation on high-strength concrete...

Earthquake resistance of cracked concrete embedded with large size rebars (D43 and D57) in nuclear containment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kan, Y-C. [Chaoyang Univ. of Tech., Taichung, Taiwan (China); Pei, K-C. [Inst. of Nuclear Energy Research, Taiwan (China)

2014-07-01

The bond behavior of varying size re-bar (D19, D32, D43 and D57) embedded in concrete, under cyclic load in a pullout test, were investigated through a series of experiments and monitored in real-time by acoustic emission (AE) herein. Parallel tests of specimens with an existing crack were also conducted to observe the behavior of cracked concrete subject to cyclic load. The detailed acoustics information can be used for analyzing and comparing the effects of concrete with varying size re-bar. The results provide useful in formation in evaluating the safety of NPP RC structure subjected to cyclic load. (author)

High-Temperature Performance and Multiscale Damage Mechanisms of Hollow Cellulose Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liping Guo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Spalling resistance properties and their damage mechanisms under high temperatures are studied in hollow cellulose fiber-reinforced concrete (CFRC used in tunnel structures. Measurements of mass loss, relative dynamic elastic modulus, compressive strength, and splitting tensile strength of CFRC held under high temperatures (300, 600, 800, and 1050°C for periods of 2.5, 4, and 5.5 h were carried out. The damage mechanism was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry, thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction phase analysis. The results demonstrate that cellulose fiber can reduce the performance loss of concrete at high temperatures; the effect of holding time on the performance is more noticeable below 600°C. After exposure to high temperatures, the performance of ordinary concrete deteriorates faster and spalls at 700–800°C; in contrast, cellulose fiber melts at a higher temperature, leaving a series of channels in the matrix that facilitate the release of the steam pressure inside the CFRC. Hollow cellulose fibers can thereby slow the damage caused by internal stress and improve the spalling resistance of concrete under high temperatures.

Laboratory Performance Evaluation of High Modulus Asphalt Concrete Modified with Different Additives

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Peng Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to evaluate comprehensive performance of high modulus asphalt concrete (HMAC and propose common values for establishing evaluation system. Three gradations with different modifiers were conducted to study the high and low temperature performance, shearing behavior, and water stability. The laboratory tests for HMAC included static and dynamic modulus tests, rutting test, uniaxial penetration test, bending test, and immersion Marshall test. Dynamic modulus test results showed that modifier can improve the static modulus and the improvements were remarkable at higher temperature. Moreover, modulus of HMAC-20 was better than those of HMAC-16 and HMAC-25. The results of performance test indicated that HMAC has good performance to resist high temperature rutting, and the resistances of the HMAC-20 and HMAC-25 against rutting were better than that of HMAC-16. Then, the common values of dynamic stability were recommended. Furthermore, common values of HMAC performance were established based on pavement performance tests.

Hybrid Effect Evaluation of Steel Fiber and Carbon Fiber on the Performance of the Fiber Reinforced Concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Weimin; Yin, Jian

2016-08-18

Fiber reinforcement is an important method to enhance the performance of concrete. In this study, the compressive test and impact test were conducted, and then the hybrid effect between steel fiber (SF) and carbon fiber (CF) was evaluated by employing the hybrid effect index. Compressive toughness and impact toughness of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC), carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) and hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HFRC) were explored at steel fiber volume fraction 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and carbon fiber 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%. Results showed that the addition of steel fiber and carbon fiber can increase the compressive strength. SF, CF and the hybridization between them could increase the compressive toughness significantly. The impact test results showed that as the volume of fiber increased, the impact number of the first visible crack and the ultimate failure also increased. The improvement of toughness mainly lay in improving the crack resistance after the first crack. Based on the test results, the positive hybrid effect of steel fiber and carbon fiber existed in hybrid fiber reinforced concrete. The relationship between the compressive toughness and impact toughness was also explored.

Transport of radon through cracks in a concrete slab

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landman, K A; Cohen, D S

1983-03-01

A model involving the use of line sources is developed to describe the transport of radon through the cracks or gaps which appear in concrete slabs used in building foundations. The strength of these sources is determined from the results of the diffusion model proposed by Landman in a previous work. Once the strength of the source is known, additional transport mechanisms can be treated in a simple manner. Pressure differences across the slab and in the underlying soil are discussed. The rate of exhalation through a portion of the cracked slab is determined and compared to the rate of exhalation from the same surface area of bare soil. In typical cases, their ratios vary from 0.25 to 0.50. Therefore, these transport mechanisms account for a larger portion of the levels of radon found in many houses than do previous models.

Low velocity impact behaviour of ultra high strength concrete panels

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Ultra high strength concrete; panel; drop weight test; impact analysis;. ABAQUS. 1. Introduction. Ultra high strength concrete ... Knight (2012) investigated the dynamic behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete plates under impact loading with ...

Assessing the performance of reinforced concrete structures under impact loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Akanshu; Reddy, G.R.; Vaze, K.K.; Ozbolt, Josko; Hofmann, J.

2011-01-01

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures housing nuclear facilities must qualify against much stringent requirements of operating and accidental loads than conventional structures. One such accidental load that must be considered while assessing the performance of safety related RC structures is impact load. It is known that the behavior of concrete/reinforced concrete structures is strongly influenced by the loading rate. The RC structural members subjected to impact loads behave quite differently as compared to the same subjected to quasi-static loading due to the strain-rate influence on strength, stiffness, and ductility as well as to the activation of inertia forces. Moreover, for concrete structures, which exhibit damage and fracture phenomena, the failure mode and cracking pattern depend significantly on loading rate. In general, there is a tendency that with the increase of loading rate the failure mode changes from mode-I to mixed mode. In order to assess the performance of existing structures against impact loads that may be generated mainly due to man-made accidental conditions, it is important to have models that can realistically predict the impact behavior of concrete structures. The present paper focuses on a relatively new approach for 3D finite element analysis of RC structures under impact loads. The approach uses rate sensitive micro-plane model as constitutive law for concrete, while the strain-rate influence is captured by the activation energy. Inertia forces are implicitly accounted for through dynamic finite element analysis. It is shown with the help of different examples that the approach can very well simulate the behavior of RC structural elements under high rate loading. (author)

Sensitivity quantification of airport concrete pavement stress responses associated with top-down and bottom-up cracking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adel Rezaei-Tarahomi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s rigid pavement design standard employs the NIKE3D-FAA software to compute critical pavement responses of concrete airport pavement structures. NIKE3D-FAA is a modification of the original NIKE3D three-dimensional finite element analysis program developed by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL of the U.S. Department of Energy, and is currently used in the FAA’s FAARFIELD program. This study evaluated the sensitivity of NIKE3D-FAA rigid pavement responses with respect to top-down and bottom-up cracking. The analysis was conducted by positioning a Boeing 777-300ER (B777-300ERaircraft at different locations (interior, corner, and edge of slab as baseline while varying other NIKE3D-FAA inputs, including rigid pavement geometric features, mechanical properties of paving and foundation materials, equivalent temperature gradient and thermal coefficient of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC layers. Several sensitivity charts were developed by examining the sensitivity of critical pavement responses to each input variation. Sensitivity evaluations were performed using a normalized sensitivity index (NSI as the quantitative metric. Using such sensitivity evaluation, the most significant NIKE3D-FAA input parameters for generating an effective synthetic database that will lower computational cost for future modeling developments were identified. Keywords: Sensitivity analysis, Airfield concrete pavement, Finite element analysis, Top down cracking

Contribution of mesoscopic modeling for flows prediction in cracked concrete buildings in condition of severe accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, T.D.

2010-01-01

This Ph.D. thesis aims at characterising and modeling the mechanical behavior of concrete at the mesoscopic scale. The more general scope of this study is the development of mesoscopic model for concrete; this model is to represent the concrete as a heterogeneous medium, taking into account the difference between aggregate and cement paste respecting the grading curve, the model parameters describe the mechanical and thermal behavior of cement paste and aggregates. We are interested in understanding the concrete behaviour, considered one structure. A program of random granular structure valid in 2D and 3D has been developed. This program is interfaced with the Finite Element code CAST3M in order to compute the numerical simulations. A method for numerical representation of the inclusions of concrete was also developed and validated by projection of the geometry on the shape functions, thus eliminating the problems of meshing that made the representation of all aggregates skeleton almost impossible, particularly in 3D. Firstly, the model is studied in two-dimensional and three-dimensional in order to optimize the geometrical model of the inner structure of concrete in terms of the meshing strategy and the smallest size of the aggregate to be taken into account. The results of the 2D and 3D model are analyzed and compared in the case of uniaxial tension and uniaxial compression. The model used is an isotropic unilateral damage model from Fichant [Fichant et al., 1999]. The model allows to simulate both the macroscopic behavior but also with the local studies of the distribution of crack and crack opening. The model shows interesting results on the transition from diffuse to localized damage and is able to reproduce dilatancy in compression. Finally, the mesoscopic model is applied to three simulations: the calculation of the permeability of cracked concrete; the simulation of the hydration of concrete at early age and finally the scale effect illustrated by bending

Effect of dynamic strain ageing on the environmentally assisted cracking of low-alloy steels oxygenated high-temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devrient, B.; Roth, A.; Kuester, K.; Ilg, U.; Widera, M.

2007-01-01

The plastic deformation behavior of low-alloy steels (LAS) is significantly influenced by their individual susceptibility to dynamic strain ageing (DSA). Interstitial atoms of nitrogen (N) or carbon (C) in the steel matrix can change the mechanical properties like ductility and strength by interaction with moving dislocations during plastic deformation. The degree of DSA is depending on temperature and strain rate during plastic deformation. Under critical parameter combinations strength increases while ductility decreases. Furthermore, the interaction of dislocations and interstitial atoms can lead to a localization of plastic deformation, which results in planar gliding processes. Shear bands in LAS types with a high susceptibility to DSA show significantly higher slip steps during plastic deformation as compared to heats with low susceptibility to DSA. Since the basic mechanism of environmentally-assisted cracking (EAC) of LAS in high-temperature water (HTW) environment is slip-step-dissolution, slip behavior is of crucial nature for the kinetics of crack initiation and crack growth. Therefore, a program concerning deformation behavior, slip characterization regarding distribution and size, and behavior in oxygenated HTW environment was performed. Analysis of slip steps by advanced techniques for surface morphology investigation showed that the maximum height of slip steps is in the range of freshly formed magnetite layers on LAS in oxygenated HTW environment. This supports the active effect of localized deformation on EAC in LAS types of high susceptibility to DSA. The exposure to oxygenated HTW environment with additional mechanical loading under critical combinations of temperature and strain rate of different LAS types with high, intermediate and low susceptibility to DSA in Slow Strain Rate Tensile-tests (SSRT) showed preferential crack initiation in the areas of coarse shear bands due to localized deformation. Furthermore, a continuous transition of the

Early age damage quantification of actively restrained concrete using inverse analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Albanna, Ali

Early-age cracking can be a significant problem in concrete pavements, floors, and bridge decks. Cracking occurs when the volumetric changes associated with drying, hydration, and temperature reduction are prevented. Good knowledge about the characteristics of early age concrete is necessary to achieve reliable crack control. Volumetric changes due to shrinkage depend on the type of concrete and its components. It has been found that light weight aggregates can work as internal reservoir to supply the concrete matrix with water that is needed during the early age; this process is called internal curing. Also fibers can give more ductility to the concrete and produce less shrinkage. There is a need to better understand the effects of early age uniaxial restraint on long term concrete mechanical performance. In this study, two types of concrete were studied (high performance fiber reinforced concrete and ordinary concrete) under actively restrained loading conditions to assess the effect on the long term fracture toughness and energy. Single edge notched specimens having dimensions of 250 mm x 150 mm x 75 mm and a notch to depth ratio of 0.33 were caste and used in both direct tension and three point bending. The direct tension tests were carried out on a direct tension loading frame constructed in house that was supplied with two mechanical jacks and load cell.

Development of heat resistant concrete and its application to concrete casks. Improvement of neutron shielding performance of concrete in high temperature environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owaki, Eiji; Hata, Akihito; Sugihara, Yutaka; Shimojo, Jun; Taniuchi, Hiroaki; Mantani, Kenichi

2003-01-01

Heat resistant concrete with hydrogen, which is able to shield neutron at more than 100degC, was developed. Using this new type concrete, a safety concrete cask having the same concept of metal casks was designed and produced. The new type cask omitted the inhalation and exhaust vent of the conventional type concrete casks. The new concrete consists of Portland cement added calcium hydroxide, iron powder and iron fiber. It showed 2.17 g/cm 3 density, 10.8 mass% water content, 1.4 W/(m·K) thermal conductivity at 150degC. Increasing of heat resistance made possible to produce the perfect sealing type structure, which had high shielding performance of radiation no consideration for streaming of radiation. Moreover, a monitor of sealing can be set. General view of concrete casks, outer view of 1/3 scaled model, cask storage system in the world, properties of new developed heat resistant concrete, results of shielding calculation are contained. (S.Y.)

Leakage of pressurized gases through unlined concrete containment structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)