Effects of Manufactured-sand on Dry Shrinkage and Crccp of High-strength Concrete

The influences of natural sand, manufactured-sand （MS） and stone-dust （SD） in the manufactured-sand on workability, compressive strength, elastic modulus, drying shrinkage and creep properties of high-strength concrete （HSC） were tested and compared. The results show that the reasonable content （7%-10.5%） of SD in MS will not deteriorate the workability of MS-HSC. It could even improve the workability. Moreover, the compressive strength increases gradually with the increasing SD content,and the MS- HSC with low SD content （smaller than 7%） has the elastic modulus which approaches that of the natural sand HSC, but the elastic modulus reduces when the SD content is high. The influence of the SD content on drying shrinkage performance of MS-HSC is closely related to the hydration age. The shrinkage rate of MS-HSC in the former 7 d age is higher than that of the natural sand HSC, but the difference of the shrinkage rate in the late age is not marked. Meanwhile the shrinkage rate reduces as the fly ash is added; the specific creep and creep coefficient of MS-HSC with 7% SD are close to those of the natural sand HSC.

Nonlinear fi nite element analysis of high-strength concrete columns and experimental verification

This paper describes a nonlinear finite element （FE） analysis of high strength concrete （HSC） columns, and verifies the results through laboratory experiments. First, a cyclically lateral loading test on nine cantilever column specimens of HSC is described and a numerical simulation is presented to verify the adopted FE models. Next, based on the FE model for specimen No.6, numerical simulations for 70 cases, in which different concrete strengths, stirrup ratios and axial load ratios are considered, are presented to explore the effect of these parameters on the behavior of the HSC columns, and to check the rationality of requirements for these columns specified in the China Code for Seismic Design of Buildings （GB 50011- 2001）. In addition, three cases with different stirrup strengths are analyzed to investigate their effect on the behavior of HSC columns. Finally, based on the numerical results some conclusions are presented.

Uplift behavior and load transfer mechanism of prestressed high-strength concrete piles

Prestressed high-strength-concrete (PHC) tube-shaped pile is one of the recently used foundations for soft soil. The research on uplift resistance of PHC pile is helpful to the design of pile foundations. A field-scale test program was conducted to study the uplift behavior and load transfer mechanism of PHC piles in soft soil. The pullout load tests were divided into two groups with different diameters, and there were three piles in each group. A detailed discussion of the axial load transfer and pile skin resistance distribution was also included. It is found from the tests that the uplift capacity increases with increasing the diameter of pile. When the diameter of piles increases from 500 to 600 mm, the uplift load is increased by 51.2%. According to the load-displacement (Q-S) curves, all the piles do not reach the ultimate state at the maximum load. The experimental results show that the piles still have uplift bearing capacity.

CT Image-based Analysis on the Defect of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced High-Strength Concrete at High Temperatures

With the application of X-ray computed tomography（CT） technology of C80 high-strength concrete with polypropylene fiber at elevated temperatures, the microscopic damage evolution process observation and image building could be obtained, based on the statistics theory and numerical analysis of the combination of concrete internal defects extension and evolution regularity of microscopic structure. The expermental results show that the defect rate has changed at different temperatures and can determine the concrete degradation threshold temperatures. Also, data analysis can help to establish the evolution equation between the defect rate and the effect of temperature damage, and identify that the addition of polypropylene fibers in the high strength concrete at high temperature can improve cracking resistance.

Pseudo-dynamic test and numerical simulation of high-strength concrete frame structure reinforced with high-strength rebars

This paper describes an investigation of a high-strength concrete frame reinforced with high-strength rebars that was tested in the structure engineering laboratory at Shenyang Jianzhu University. The frame specimen was pseudo- dynamically loaded to indicate three earthquake ground motions of different hazard levels, after which the test specimen was subjected to a pseudo-static loading. This paper focuses on the design, construction and experiment of the test frame and validation of the simulation models. Research shows that a high-strength concrete frame reinforced with high-strength rebars is more efficient and economical than a traditional reinforced concrete frame structure. In addition to the economies achieved by effective use of materials, research shows that the frame can provide enough strength to exceed conventional reinforced concrete frames and provide acceptable ductility. The test study provides evidence to validate the performance of a high- strength concrete frame designed according to current seismic code provisions. Based on previous test research, a nonlinear FEM analysis is completcd by using OpenSees software, The dynamic responses of the frame structure are numerically analyzed, The results of the numerical simulation show that the model can calculate the seismic responses of the frame by OpenSees. At the same time, the test provides additional opportunities to validate the performance of the simulation models.

Seismic behavior of multiple reinforcement,high-strength concrete columns:experimental and theoretical analysis

This study investigates the seismic performance of multiple reinforcement,high-strength concrete(MRHSC)columns that are characterized by multiple transverse and longitudinal reinforcements in core areas.Eight MRHSC columns were designed and subjected to a low cycle,reversed loading test.The response,including the failure modes,hysteretic behavior,lateral bearing capacity,and displacement ductility,was analyzed.The effects of the axial compression ratio,stirrup form,and stirrup spacing of the central reinforcement configuration on the seismic performance of the columns were studied.Furthermore,an analytical model was developed to predict the backbone force-displacement curves of the MRHSC columns.The test results showed that these columns experienced two failure modes:shear failure and flexure-shear failure.As the axial compression ratio increased,the bearing capacity increased significantly,whereas the deformation capacity and ductility decreased.A decrease in the spacing of central transverse reinforcements improved the ductility and delayed the degradation of load-bearing capacity.The proposed analytical model can accurately predict the lateral force and deformations of MRHSC columns.

Experimental investigation on strength and deformation of plain high-strength concrete under multiaxial stress state

To investigate the strength and deformation behavior of plain high-strength concrete （HSC） under muhiaxial stress states, a large static-dynamic true triaxial machine was employed, and muhiaxial tests were performed on 100 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm cubes concrete specimens. Friction-reducing pads were three-layer plastic membranes with glycerine in-between for the compressive loading plane. The tensile loading plane of concrete samples was processed by attrition machine, and then the samples were glued up with the loading plate with structural glue. Failure modes of specimens were described. The principal static compressive strengths, strains at the peak stress and stress-strain curves were measured, and the influence of stress ratios on them was analyzed as well. Experimental results show that the ratio of the compressive strength σ3f over the uniaxial compressive strengthfo depends on brittleness-stiffness of concrete besides stress state and stress ratios. The formula of Kupfer-Gerstle＇ s and Ottosen＇ s failure criterion for plain HSC under biaxial compression and muhiaxial stress state is proposed respectively.

Elasto-plastic Analysis of High-strength Concrete Shear Wall with Boundary Columns Using Fiber Model

In this study,an experimental study and numerical calculations using fiber model were conducted for four high-strength concrete shear walls with boundary columns under low cyclic load.The boundary column and shear wall were divided into fiber elements,and PERFORM-3D finite element analysis software was used to carry out push-over analysis on the test specimens.The results show that the finite element analysis results were in good agreement with the experimental results.The proposed analysis method could perform elasto-plastic analysis on the high-strength concrete shear wall with boundary columns without distinguishing the categories of frame column and shear wall.The seismic performance of high-strength concrete shear wall with boundary columns was analyzed using the following parameters:axis compression ratio,height to width ratio,ratio of vertical reinforcement,and ratio of longitudinal reinforcement in the boundary column.The results show that the increase in the axial compression ratio causes the bearing capacity of the shear wall to increase at first and then to decrease and causes the ductility to decrease.The increase in the height to width ratio causes the bearing capacity of the shear wall to decrease and its ductility to increase.The ratio of vertical reinforcement was found to have little effect on the bearing capacity and ductility.The increase in the ratio of longitudinal reinforcement in boundary column resulted in a significant increase in the bearing capacity and caused the ductility to decrease at first and then to slowly increase.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of High-Strength Concrete Beams Including Steel Fibers and Large-Particle Recycled Coarse Aggregates

In order to study the performances of high-strength concrete beams including steel fibers and large-particle recycled aggregates,four different beams have been designed,tested experimentally and simulated numerically.As varying parameters,the replacement rates of recycled coarse aggregates and CFRP(carbon fiber reinforced polymer)sheets have been considered.The failure mode of these beams,related load deflection curves,stirrup strain and shear capacity have been determined through monotonic loading tests.The simulations have been conducted using the ABAQUS finite element software.The results show that the shear failure mode of recycled concrete beams is similar to that of ordinary concrete beams.The shear carrying capacity of high-strength concrete beams including steel fibers and large-particle recycled coarse aggregates grows with an increase in the replacement rate of recycled coarse aggregates.Reinforcement with CFRP sheets can significantly improve the beam’s shear carrying capacity and overall resistance to deformation.

Residual Mechanical Properties and Explosive Spalling Behavior of Ultra-High-Strength Concrete Exposed to High Temperature

In order to explore the characteristics of ultra-high-strength concrete exposed to high temperature,residual mechanical properties and explosive spalling behavior of ultra-high-strength concrete( UHSC) and high strength concrete( HSC) exposed to high temperatures ranging from 20 ℃ to 800 ℃ were determined. The microstructure of the specimens after exposure to elevated temperature was analyzed by means of scanning electron microscope( SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry( MIP). The residual compressive strengths of UHSC and HSC were first increased and then decreased as temperature increased. After exposure to 800 ℃,the compressive strengths of UHSC and HSC were 24. 2 % and 22. 3 % of their original strengths at 20 ℃,respectively. The residual splitting tensile strengths of both UHSC and HSC were consistently decreased with the temperature increasing and were approximately 20% of their original strengths after 800 ℃. However,the residual fracture energies of both concretes tended to ascend even at 600 ℃. The explosive spalling of UHSC was more serious than that of HSC. Moisture content of the specimens governs the explosive spalling of both concretes with a positive correlations,and it is more pronounced in UHSC. These results suggest that UHSC suffers a substantial loss in load-bearing capacity and is highly prone to explosive spalling due to high temperature. The changes in compressive strength are due to the changes in the density and the pore structure of concrete. The probability and severity of explosive spalling of UHSC are much higher than those of HSC due to the higher pore volume in HSC.

Seismic performance of steel reinforced ultra high-strength concrete composite frame joints

To investigate the seismic performance of a composite frame comprised of steel reinforced ultra high-strength concrete （SRUHSC） columns and steel reinforced concrete （SRC） beams, six interior frame joint specimens were designed and tested under low cyclically lateral load. The effects of the axial load ratio and volumetric stirrup ratio were studied on the characteristics of the frame joint performance including crack pattern, failure mode, ductility, energy dissipation capacity, strength degradation and rigidity degradation. It was found that all joint specimens behaved in a ductile manner with flexural-shear failure in the joint core region while plastic hinges appeared at the beam ends. The ductility and energy absorption capacity of joints increased as the axial load ratio decreased and the volumetric stirIup ratio increased. The displacement ductility coefficient and equivalent damping coefficient of the joints fell between the corresponding coefficients of the steel reinforced concrete （SRC） frame joint and RC frame joint. The axial load ratio and volumetric stirrup ratio have less influence on the strength degradation and more influence on the stiffness degradation. The stiffness of the joint degrades more significantly for a low volumetric stirrup ratio and high axial load ratio. The characteristics obtained from the SRUHSC composite frame joint specimens with better seismic performance may be a useful reference in future engineering applications.

Mechanical properties of high-strength concrete subjected to high temperature by stressed test

Recently, the effects of high temperature on compressive strength and elastic modulus of high strength concrete were experimentally investigated. The present study is aimed to study the effect of elevated temperatures ranging from 20 ℃ to 700 ℃ on the material mechanical properties of high-strength concrete of 40, 60 and 80 MPa grade. During the strength test, the specimens are subjected to a 25% of ultimate compressive strength at room temperature and sustained during heating, and when the target temperature is reached, the specimens are loaded to failure. The tests were conducted at various temperatures (20-700 ℃) for concretes made with W/B ratios of 46%, 32% and 25%, respectively. The results show that the relative values of compressive strength and elastic modulus decrease with increasing compressive strength grade of specimen.

An Improved Technique of Calculating Deflections of Flexural Reinforced Concrete Elements Made of Conventional and High-Strength Concrete

The paper presents an improved technique of calculating total deflections of flexural reinforced concrete elements that takes discrete crack formation into account. The technique is based on determining the curvature of the cross section of reinforced concrete elements with cracks and fissures in the area between cracks. The curvature of the element is calculated using a non-linear function of the deformation of concrete under compression. Approximating dependency of concrete resistance on compression developed by one of the authors is presented. An algorithm of finding the curvature and formulas for calculating curvature and deflection are provided. The function of the curvature distribution along the length of a flexible element is proposed by the authors. The paper also presents the results of the author＇s experimental research. The characteristics of samples tested are described. The experimental research results of deflections of fiexural reinforced concrete elements made of conventional and high-strength concretes are presented. Comparison of the values calculated using the technique with those obtained from the experimental research as well as those calculated according to existing regulations in Russia, USA and Europe is drawn.

Thermo-Mechanical Modeling of High-Strength Concrete Column Subjected to Moderate Case Heating Scenario in a Fire

This paper presents a numerically developed computer model to simulate the thermal behavior and evaluate the mechanical performance of a fixed ends centrically loaded High Strength Concrete Column(HSCC),subjected to Moderate Case Heating Scenario(MCHS),in a hydrocarbon fire.The temperature distribution within the mid-height cross-sectional area of the column was obtained to determine the thermal and mechanical responses as a function of temperature.The governing two-dimensional transient heat transfer partial differential equation(PDE),was converted into a set of or­dinary algebraic equations,subsequently,integrated numerically by using the explicit finite difference method,(FDM).A computer program,Visual Basic for Applications(VBA),was then developed to solve the set of or­dinary algebraic equations by implementing the boundary as well as initial conditions.The predictions of the model were validated against experimen­tal data from previous studies.The general behavior of the model as well as the effect of the key model parameters were investigated at length in the review.Finally,the reduction in the column’s compression strength and the modulus of elasticity was estimated using correlations from existing litera­ture.And the HSCC failure load under fire conditions was predicted using the Rankine formula.The results showed that the model predictions of the temperature distribution within the concrete column are in good agreement with the experimental data.Furthermore,the increase in temperature of the reinforced concrete column,(RCC),due to fire resulted in a significant reduction in the column compression strength and considerably accelerates the column fire failure load.

Seismic Performance of Steel Reinforced Ultra High-strength Concrete Columns

The seismic performance of steel reinforced ultra-high-strength concrete columns(SRSHC) with various shear-span ratios(λ) were studied through a series of experiments.The concrete compressive cube strength value of experimental specimens ranged from 92.9 MPa to 108.1 MPa.The main experimental variables affecting seismic performance of specimens were axial load ratio and stirrup reinforcement ratio.The columns(λ=2.75) subjected to low cyclic reversed lateral loads failed mainly in the flexural-shear mode failure and columns(λ≤2.0) subjected to low cyclic reversed lateral loads failed mainly in the shear mode failure.Shear force-displacement hysteretic curves and skeleton curves were drawn.Coefficient of the specimen displacement ductility was calculated.Experimental results indicate that ductility decreases with axial pressure ratio increasing,and increases with stirrup reinforcement ratio increasing.Limit values of axial pressure ratio and minimum stirrup reinforcement ratio of columns are proposed to satisfy definite ductility requirement.The suggested values provide a reference for engineering application and for the amendment of the current Chinese design code of steel reinforced concrete composite structures.

Slender reinforced concrete shear walls with high-strength concrete boundary elements

Reinforced concrete structural walls are commonly used for resisting lateral forces in buildings. Owing to the advancements in the field of concrete materials over the past few decades, concrete mixes of high compressive strength, commonly referred to as high-strength concrete (HSC), have been developed. In this study, the effects of strategic placement of HSC on the performance of slender walls were examined. The finite-element model of a conventional normal-strength concrete (NSC) prototype wall was validated using test data available in extant studies. HSC was incorporated in the boundary elements of the wall to compare its performance with that of the conventional wall at different axial loads. Potential reductions in the reinforcement area and size of the boundary elements were investigated. The HSC wall exhibited improved strength and stiffness, and thereby, allowed reduction in the longitudinal reinforcement area and size of the boundary elements for the same strength of the conventional wall. Cold joints resulting from dissimilar concrete pours in the web and boundary elements of the HSC wall were modeled and their impact on behavior of the wall was examined.

Intelligent Small Sample Defect Detection of Concrete Surface Using Novel Deep Learning Integrating Improved YOLOv5

Dear Editor,This letter presents an intelligent small sample defect detection of concrete surface using novel deep learning integrating the improved YOLOv5 based on the Wasserstein GAN(WGAN)enhancement algorithm.The proposed method is capable of producing top-notch data sets to address the issues of insufficient samples and substandard quality.

Utilization of Basalt Saw Mud as a Spherical Porous Functional Aggregate for the Preparation of Ordinary Structure Concrete

To promote the production and application of artificial aggregates,save natural sand resources and protect the ecological environment,we evaluated the feasibility of using spherical porous functional aggregates(SPFAs) formed by basalt saw mud under autoclave curing in ordinary structural concrete.In our work,two types of prewetted functional aggregates were taken as replacements for natural aggregates with different volume substitution rates(0%,5%,10%,15%,20%,25%,and 30%) in the preparation of ordinary structural concrete with water-to-binder ratios(W/B) of 0.48 and 0.33.The effects of the functional aggregate properties and content,W/B,and curing age on the fluidity,density,mechanical properties and autogenous shrinkage of ordinary concrete were analyzed.The experimental results showed that the density of concrete declined at a rate of not more than 5%,and the 28 d compressive strength could reach 31.0-68.2 MPa.Low W/B,long curing age and high-quality functional aggregates were conducive to enhancing the mechanical properties of SPFAs concrete.Through the rolling effects,SPFAs can optimize the particle gradation of aggregate systems and improve the fluidity of concrete,and the water stored inside SPFAs provides an internal curing effect,which prolongs the cement hydration process and considerably reduces the autogenous shrinkage of concrete.SPFAs exhibits high strength and high density,as well as being more cost-effective and ecological,and is expected to be widely employed in ordinary structural concrete.

High-speed penetration of ogive-nose projectiles into thick concrete targets:Tests and a projectile nose evolution model

The majority of the projectiles used in the hypersonic penetration study are solid flat-nosed cylindrical projectiles with a diameter of less than 20 mm.This study aims to fill the gap in the experimental and analytical study of the evolution of the nose shape of larger hollow projectiles under hypersonic penetration.In the hypersonic penetration test,eight ogive-nose AerMet100 steel projectiles with a diameter of 40 mm were launched to hit concrete targets with impact velocities that ranged from 1351 to 1877 m/s.Severe erosion of the projectiles was observed during high-speed penetration of heterogeneous targets,and apparent localized mushrooming occurred in the front nose of recovered projectiles.By examining the damage to projectiles,a linear relationship was found between the relative length reduction rate and the initial kinetic energy of projectiles in different penetration tests.Furthermore,microscopic analysis revealed the forming mechanism of the localized mushrooming phenomenon for eroding penetration,i.e.,material spall erosion abrasion mechanism,material flow and redistribution abrasion mechanism and localized radial upsetting deformation mechanism.Finally,a model of highspeed penetration that included erosion was established on the basis of a model of the evolution of the projectile nose that considers radial upsetting;the model was validated by test data from the literature and the present study.Depending upon the impact velocity,v0,the projectile nose may behave as undistorted,radially distorted or hemispherical.Due to the effects of abrasion of the projectile and enhancement of radial upsetting on the duration and amplitude of the secondary rising segment in the pulse shape of projectile deceleration,the predicted DOP had an upper limit.

Fractal Study on the Evolution of Micro-Pores in Concrete Under Freeze-Thaw

After exposure to freeze-thaw cycles, scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) were used to test the four mixtures. The microstructure is qualitatively analyzed from the 2D SEM image and the 3D pore distribution curve before and after freezing and thawing. The fractal dimension is utilized to characterize the two-dimensional topography image and the three-dimensional pore distribution, quantitatively. The results reveal that the surface porosity and volume porosity increase as the freeze-thaw action increases. Self-similarity characteristics exist in micro-damage inside the concrete. In the fractal dimension, it is possible to characterize pore evolution quantitatively. The fractal dimension correlates with pore damage evolution. The fractal dimension effectively quantitatively characterizes micro-damage features at various scales from the local to the global level.