Frozen sand-concrete interface direct shear behavior under constant normal load and constant normal height boundary

The shear strength properties of the frozen sand–structure interface are critical for evaluating the serviceability of pile foundations in frozen ground.The shear characteristics of the frozen sand–concrete interface were studied with two boundary conditions(constant normal load(CNL)and constant normal height(CNH)),at three normal stresses(100,200,and 300 k Pa),and at three temperatures(-2,-5,and-8℃).A detailed comparative analysis was performed to explore the principal factors affecting the shear/normal-shear displacement.The results showed that the shear behavior of the frozen sand–concrete interface under CNL was similar to that under CNH.The shear stress–shear displacement exhibited strain softening.The temperature and normal stress were the major influences on normal properties.The lower the temperature and the higher the normal stress,the greater was the elastic shear modulus.The peak shear stress and critical shear stress exhibited a dependence on normal stress.An exponential growth in the peak shear stress was observed as the temperature decreased.Critical shear stress was dependent on temperature.The value and percentage of peak ice-cementation in peak shear stress was affected by temperature and normal stress.

Meso-mechanical Interfacial Behavior of Elbow Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete

The strain distributions near the interface when the elbow steel fiber is pulled out from the half-mould concrete matrix are directly measured using a combined method of single fiber pull-out test and digital image correlation. Meanwhile, the real-time processes of the bonding, debonding and sliding at the interface are observed. The micro-mechanism of the strain localization in the failure process of interface when debonding occurs and the strengthening mechanism at the imbedded fiber are discussed. The experimental results show that the meso-scale strain localization gives rise to the localization of shear damage near the fiber interface. This strain localization characterized by the debonding process near the interface occurs, develops and moves gradually at an apparently regular interval. At the elbow part of the imbedded fiber, the peak value of the shearing stress occurs. But the primary debonding does not occur at this place because the strength of the shear damage is increased at the local area of the elbow part in the concrete, displaying an apparent reinforced effect at the end of the fiber.

Shear Behavior in Indented Concrete Layers with Different Strengths

This paper investigates the design formula for the shear strength at the concrete-to-concrete interface proposed in Eurocode with regard to concrete layers with different strengths. Based upon the results of the study on the applicability of the design formula, push-off test is conducted on specimens with various indented interfaces to evaluate the actual behavior with respect to the surface roughness. The experimental results reveal that the interfacial shear strength increases with higher compressive strength of the concrete layers presenting different strengths and that the shear strength at the indented interface differs by 20% to 50% compared to the value predicted by the design formula. Especially, the shear strength developed between the concrete layers with different strengths appears to be different from the prediction of the design formula as much as the layers present larger difference in their compressive strengths.

Deflection analysis of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with carbon fibre reinforced polymer under long-term load action

This paper presents the results of an experimental research on reinforced concrete beams strengthened with an external carbon fibre reinforced polymer(CFRP) layer under long-term load action that lasted for 330 d.We describe the characteristics of deflection development of the beams strengthened with different additional anchorages of the external carbon fibre composite layer during the period of interest.The conducted experiments showed that the additional anchorage influences the slip of the external layer with respect to the strengthened element.Thus,concrete and carbon fibre composite interface stiffness decreases with a long-term load action.Therefore,the proposed method of analysis based on the built-up-bars theory can be used to estimate concrete and carbon fibre composite interface stiffness in the case of long-term load.