Numerical parametric study on the influence of location and inclination of large-scale asperities on the shear strength of concreterock interfaces of small buttress dams

When assessing the sliding stability of a concrete dam,the influence of large-scale asperities in the sliding plane is often ignored due to limitations of the analytical rigid body assessment methods provided by current dam assessment guidelines.However,these asperities can potentially improve the load capacity of a concrete dam in terms of sliding stability.Although their influence in a sliding plane has been thoroughly studied for direct shear,their influence under eccentric loading,as in the case of dams,is unknown.This paper presents the results of a parametric study that used finite element analysis(FEA)to investigate the influence of large-scale asperities on the load capacity of small buttress dams.By varying the inclination and location of an asperity located in the concrete-rock interface along with the strength of the rock foundation material,transitions between different failure modes and correlations between the load capacity and the varied parameters were observed.The results indicated that the inclination of the asperity had a significant impact on the failure mode.When the inclinationwas 30and greater,interlocking occurred between the dam and foundation and the governing failure modes were either rupture of the dam body or asperity.When the asperity inclination was significant enough to provide interlocking,the load capacity of the dam was impacted by the strength of the rock in the foundation through influencing the load capacity of the asperity.The location of the asperity along the concrete-rock interface did not affect the failure mode,except for when the asperity was located at the toe of the dam,but had an influence on the load capacity when the failure occurred by rupture of the buttress or by sliding.By accounting for a single large-scale asperity in the concrete-rock interface of the analysed dam,a horizontal load capacity increase of 30%e160%was obtained,depending on the inclination and location of the asperity and the strength of the foundation material.

Roughness characterization and shearing dislocation failure for rock-backfill interface

Shearing dislocation is a common failure type for rock–backfill interfaces because of backfill sedimentation and rock strata movement in backfill mining goaf.This paper designed a test method for rock–backfill shearing dislocation.Using digital image techno-logy and three-dimensional(3D)laser morphology scanning techniques,a set of 3D models with rough joint surfaces was established.Further,the mechanical behavior of rock–backfill shearing dislocation was investigated using a direct shear test.The effects of interface roughness on the shear–displacement curve and failure characteristics of rock–backfill specimens were considered.The 3D fractal dimen-sion,profile line joint roughness coefficient(JRC),profile line two-dimensional fractal dimension,and the surface curvature of the frac-tures were obtained.The correlation characterization of surface roughness was then analyzed,and the shear strength could be measured and calculated using JRC.The results showed the following:there were three failure threshold value points in rock–backfill shearing dis-location:30%–50%displacement before the peak,70%–90%displacement before the peak,and 100%displacement before the peak to post-peak,which could be a sign for rock–backfill shearing dislocation failure.The surface JRC could be used to judge the rock–backfill shearing dislocation failure,including post-peak sliding,uniform variations,and gradient change,corresponding to rock–backfill disloca-tion failure on the field site.The research reveals the damage mechanism for rock–backfill complexes based on the free joint surface,fills the gap of existing shearing theoretical systems for isomerism complexes,and provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of possible disasters in backfill mining.

Resilient performance of self-centering hybrid rocking walls with curved interface under pseudo-static loading

Frame and rocking wall(FRW)structures have excellent resilient performance during earthquakes.However,the concrete at interfacial corners of rocking walls(RWs)is easily crushed due to local extreme compression during the rocking process.An innovative RW with a curved interface is proposed to prevent interfacial corners from producing local damage,enhancing its earthquake resilient performance(ERP).The precast wall panel with a curved interface is assembled into an integral self-centering hybrid rocking wall(SCRW)by two post-tensioned unbonded prestressed tendons.Moreover,two ordinary energy dissipation steel rebars and two shear reinforcements are arranged to increase the energy dissipation capacity and lateral resistance.Two SCRW specimens and one monolithic reinforced concrete(RC)shear wall(SW)were tested under pseudo-static loading to compare the ERPs of the proposed SCRW and the SW,focusing on studying the effect of the curved interface on the SCRW.The key resilient performance of rocking effects,failure modes,and hysteretic properties of the SCRW were explored.The results show that nonlinear deformations of the SCRW are concentrated along the interface between the SCRW and the foundation,avoiding damage within the SCRW.The restoring force provided by the prestressed tendons can effectively realize self-centering capacity with small residual deformation,and the resilient performance of the SCRW is better than that of monolithic SW.In addition,the curved interface of the SCRW makes the rocking center change and move inward,partially relieving the stress concentration and crush of concrete.The rocking range of the rocking center is about 41.4%of the width of the SCRW.

The Effects of Degradation Phenomena of the Steel-Concrete Interface in Reinforced Concrete Structures

Reinforced concrete (RC) constructions are the innovation of sustainable constructions replacing masonry constructions. Despite this, the use of concrete and steel to improve the performance of structural members in service is a recurring problem due to the immediate or overtime appearance of cracks. The objective of this work was therefore to assess the damage phenomena of the steel-concrete interface in order to assess the performance of an RC structure. Samples of approximately 30 cm of reinforcement attacked by rust were taken from broken reinforced concrete columns and beams in order to determine the impact of corrosion on high adhesion steel (HA) and therefore on its ability to resist. The experimental results have shown that the corrosion degradation rates of reinforcing bars of different diameters increase as the diameter of the reinforcing bars decreases: 5% for HA12;23.75% for HA8 and 50% for HA6. Using the approach proposed by Mangat and Elgalf on the bearing capacity as a function of the progress of the corrosion phenomenon, these rates made it possible to assess the new fracture limits of corroded HA steels. For HA6 respectively HA8 and HA12, their initial limit resistances will decrease by 4/4, 3/4 and 1/4. Based on the results of this study and in order to guarantee their durability, an RC structure can be dimensioned by taking into account the effects of reinforcement corrosion.

Micro-structure and Macro-performance:Surface Layer Evolution of Concrete under Long-term Exposure in Harsh Plateau Climate

We conducted a series tests on surface layers of plateau concrete at the ages of 180 and 540 days,including the most superficial cement paste,the 5 mm thick surface mortar,and the 50 mm thick surface concrete.Thermogravimetry and nitrogen absorption porosimetry on cement past,mercury intrusion porosimetry on mortar,and microhardness test on interface transition zone between mortar and coarse aggregate were conducted to evaluate the hydration degree and characterize the micro-structure.Whilst,tests for the rebound strength,abrasion resistance,and chloride ion impenetrability of concrete were conducted to assess the macro-performance.The experimental results show that,affected by the harsh plateau climate,outward surfaces have lower hydration degrees and worse pore structure than inward surfaces.As the hydration of concrete surface is ongoing after the age of 180 days,both the micro-structure and the macro-performance are continuously improved.In the long-term,either the orientation or the depth towards surface does not significantly affect concrete performance.Surface carbonation brings positive effects on mechanical properties but negative effects on the durability.Additionally,standard test result of chloride ion impenetrability is found significantly affected by the atmospheric pressure.For a same batch of concrete,charge passed in plateau regions is obviously lower than that in common regions.

Fracture behaviors of columnar jointed rock mass using interface mechanics theorem

For a special geological structure of columnar jointed rock mass(CJRM),its mechanical properties are strongly affected by the columnar joints.To describe the fracture behaviors of CJRM using the basic theories of interface mechanics for composite materials,the interface stresses of the vertical and horizontal joints,which are the two primary joints in the CJRM under triaxial compression,are studied,and their mathematical expressions are derived based on the superposition principle.Based on the obtained interface stresses of the vertical and horizontal joints in the CJRM,the crack initiation of the joint interface in the CJRM is studied using the maximum circumferential stress theory in fracture mechanics.Moreover,based on this investigation,the fracture behaviors of CJRM are analyzed.According to the results of similar material physical model tests for the CJRM,the theoretical study is verified.Finally,the influence of the mechanical parameters of the CJRM on the joint interface stress is discussed comprehensively.

Mode-I fracture and durability of FRP-concrete bonded interfaces

In this study, a work-of-fracture method using a three-point bend beam （3PBB） specimen, which is commonly used to determine the fracture energy of concrete, was adapted to evaluate the mode-I fracture and durability of fiber-reinforced polymer （FRP） composite-concrete bonded interfaces. Interface fracture properties were evaluated with established data reduction procedures. The proposed test method is primarily for use in evaluating the effects of freeze-thaw （F-T） and wet-dry （W-D） cycles that are the accelerated aging protocols on the mode-I fracture of carbon FRP-concrete bonded interfaces. The results of the mode-I fracture tests of F-T and W-D cycle-conditioned specimens show that both the critical load and fracture energy decrease as the number of cycles increases, and their degradation pattern has a nearly linear relationship with the number of cycles. However, compared with the effect of the F-T cycles, the critical load and fracture energy degrade at a slower rate with W-D cycles, which suggests that F-T cyclic conditioning causes more deterioration of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer （CFRP）-concrete bonded interface. After 50 and 100 conditioning cycles, scaling of concrete was observed in all the specimens subjected to F-T cycles, but not in those subjected to W-D cycles. The examination of interface fracture surfaces along the bonded interfaces with varying numbers of F-T and W-D conditioning cycles shows that （1） cohesive failure of CFRP composites is not observed in all fractured surfaces; （2） for the control specimens that have not been exposed to any conditioning cycles, the majority of interface failure is a result of cohesive fracture of concrete （peeling of concrete from the concrete substrate）, which means that the cracks mostly propagate within the concrete; and （3） as the number of F-T or W-D conditioning cycles increases, adhesive failure along the interface begins to emerge and gradually increases. It is thus concluded that the fracture properties （i.e., the critical load and fracture energy） of the bonded interface are controlled primarily by the concrete cohesive fracture before conditioning and by the adhesive interface fracture after many cycles of F-T or W-D conditioning. As demonstrated in this study, a test method using 3PBB specimens combined with a fictitious crack model and experimental conditioning protocols for durability can be used as an effective qualification method to test new hybrid material interface bonds and to evaluate durability-related effects on the interfaces.

Viscoelastic micromechanical model for dynamic modulus prediction of asphalt concrete with interface effects

A viscoelastic micromechanical model is presented to predict the dynamic modulus of asphalt concrete （AC） and investigate the effect of imperfect interface between asphalt mastic and aggregates on the overall viscoelastic characteristics of AC. The linear spring layer model is introduced to simulate the interface imperfection. Based on the effective medium theory, the viscoelastic micromechanical model is developed by two equivalence processes. The present prediction is compared with available experimental data to verify the developed framework. It is found that the proposed model has the capability to predict the dynamic modulus of AC. Interface effect on the dynamic modulus of AC is discussed using the developed model. It is shown that the interfacial bonding strength has a significant influence on the global mechanical performance of AC, and that continued improvement in surface fimctionalization is necessary to realize the full potential of aggregates reinforcement.

Physicochemical Study on the Interface Zone of Concrete Exposed to Different Sulfate Solutions

This paper reports the results of the visual observations and micro-analysis of concrete core samples after 6 and 12 months of their exposure to sodium, ammonium and magnesium sulfate solutions with the same concentration of sulfate ions. XRD, SEM and EDS were used for micro-analysis of the mi-crostructure and the composition of the interface zone in the samples. The results indicate that the deterioration of concrete by different sulfate solutions could proceed differently with regard to the mechanism and the mode of damage caused. The damage of concrete exposed to sodium sulfate solution is mainly caused by the gypsum crystals formed in the interface zone, which lead to expansion and cracking. In the case of concrete immersed in magnesium sulfate solutions, a layer of brucite (magnesium hydroxide) and gypsum was produced in the interface zone, which reduces the cohesiveness of the interface zone in concrete. For the concrete immersed in ammonium sulfate solutions, the conversation of mortar to some mush mass by ammonium ions and the formation of a large of gypsum occurred in the interface zone, consequently, serious softening of hydrated cement pastes and expansion and cracking of concrete are the characteristics of the attack by ammonium sulfate solutions. Also, it is considered that using drilled concrete core as samples to evaluate the sulfate resistance of concrete is a good and accelerated method.

Performance of interface between TRC and existing concrete under a chloride dry-wet cycle environment

Textile-reinforced concrete(TRC)is suitable to repair and reinforce concrete structures in harsh environments.The performance of the interface between TRC and existing concrete is an important factor in determining the strengthening effect of TRC.In this paper,a double-sided shear test was performed to investigate the effects of the chloride dry-wet cycles on the average shear strength and slip at the interface between the TRC and existing concrete,also considering the existing concrete strength,bond length,textile layer and short-cut fiber arrangements.In addition,X-ray diffraction(XRD)technology was used to analyze the microscopic matter at the interface in the corrosive environment.The experimental results indicate that the interface performance between TRC and existing concrete would decrease with continued chloride dry-wet cycles.Compared with the specimen with a single layer of textile reinforcement,the specimens with two layers of textile with added PVA or AR-glass short-cut fibers could further improve the properties of the interface between the TRC layer and existing concrete.For the TRC with a single layer of textile,the average shear strength tended to decrease with increasing bond length.In addition,the strength grade of the existing concrete had a minor effect on the interface properties.

Influence of construction interfaces on dynamic characteristics of roller compacted concrete dams

To study the influence of construction interfaces on dynamic characteristics of roller compacted concrete dams(RCCDs),mechanical properties of construction interfaces are firstly analyzed. Then, the viscous-spring artificial boundary(VSAB) is adopted to simulate the radiation damping of their infinite foundations, and based on the Marc software, a simplified seismic motion input method is presented by the equivalent nodal loads. Finally, based on the practical engineering of a RCC gravity dam, effects of radiation damping and construction interfaces on the dynamic characteristics of dams are investigated in detail. Analysis results show that dynamic response of the RCC gravity dam significantly reduces about 25% when the radiation damping of infinite foundation is considered. Hot interfaces and the normal cold interfaces have little influence on the dynamic response of the RCC gravity dam.However, nonlinear fracture along the cold interfaces at the dam heel will occur under the designed earthquake if the cold interfaces are combined poorly. Therefore, to avoid the fractures along the construction interfaces under the potential super earthquakes,combination quality of the RCC layers should be significantly ensured.

A study on dynamic shear strength on frozen soil-concrete interface

Using newly developed dynamic shearing devices, the dynamic sheafing strength of frozen soil-conerete interface was studied experimentally. By placing concrete blocks in the lower half of the shear box and frozen soil sample in the upper part, a series of dynamic shear tests on their interfaces were carried out. The obtained results are summarized and the main influencing factors are revealed.

Finite Element Analysis of Shrinkage in the Interface of Functionally Graded Concrete Segment Used in Shield Tunneling

In functionally graded materials (FGM), the problem of interface stability caused by the volume deformation is commonly regarded as the key factor for its performance. Based on test results, in terms of finite element method (FEM) this paper analyzed problems in the shrinkage of functionally graded material interface of shield concrete segment, which was designed and produced by the principle of functionally graded materials. In the analysis model, the total shrinkage of concrete was converted into the thermal shrinkage by means of the method of 'Equivalent Temperature Difference'. Consequently, the shrinkage stress of interface layer was calculated and compared with the bond strength of interface layer. The results indicated that the volume deformation of two-phase materials of functionally graded concrete (FGC) segment, which were the concrete cover and the concrete structure layer, showed better compatibility and the tension stress of interface layer, which was resulted from the shrinkage of concrete and calculated by ANSYS, was less than the bond strength of interface layer. Therefore, the interface stability of functionally graded concrete segment was good and the sliding deformation of interface layer would not generate.

Interactions between Superplasticizer and Release Agents at the Concrete/Formwork Interface

Improving the knowledge of rheological and tribological characteristics of fresh concrete is important to contribute to the progress of construction sites and the final quality of the work. The objective of this study is to identify the effect of a superplasticizer based on polycarboxylic ether on the tribological behavior of fresh concrete at the concrete/formwork and concrete/oil/formwork interfaces. Friction tests on fresh concrete were carried out using a plan/plan tribometer. In order to study the behavior of the superplasticizer close to the formwork, three concretes with 30% of paste and different dosage of superplasticizer were formulated. The results show that the increase of the dosage of superplasticizer reduces the friction stress. The properties of the superplasticizer generate a deflocculating action of concrete grains and lead to a stabilisation of the soap-oil micellae present in the vicinity of the formwork. Thus, the efficiency of superplasticizer depends on the quantity of fines, on the quantity of soap formed and so, on the release agent formulation.

Freeze-Thaw Effect on Coarse Sand Coated Interface between FRP and Concrete

This paper examines the effect of freezing and thawing on the coarse sand coating chosen to achieve the composition of FRP and concrete in FRP-concrete composite deck. Push-out test specimens with dimensions of 100 × 100 × 450 mm were subjected to repeated freeze-thaw cycles under wet conditions ranging from -18℃± 2℃ to 4℃ ± 2℃. The failure strength of the interface and the deformation of FRP at failure exhibited by the specimens that experienced 300 freezing-thawing cycles showed a difference of merely 5% compared to those of the specimens that were not subjected to freeze-thaw. This indicates that coarse sand coating is not affected by freezing-thawing cycles and the FRP-concrete composite deck owns sufficient applicability in terms of durability against freezing-thawing.

The shear strength of the interface between artificial rock and printed concrete at super-early ages

3D concrete printing has the potential to replace shotcrete for construction of linings of tunnels in hard rock.The shear strength of the interface between rock and printed concrete is vital,especially at super-early ages.However,traditional methods for testing the shear strength of the interface,e.g.,the direct shear test,are time-consuming and result in a high variability for fast-hardening printed concrete.In this paper,a new fast bond shear test is proposed.Each test can be completed in 1 min,with another 2 min for preparing the next test.The influence of the matrix composition,the age of the printed matrices,and the interface roughness of the artificial rock substrate on the shear strength of the interface was experimentally studied.The tests were conducted at the age of the matrices at the 1st,the 4th,the 8th,the 16th,the 32nd,and the 64th min after its final setting.A dimensionless formula was established to calculate the shear strength,accounting for the age of the printed matrices,the interface roughness,and the shear failure modes.It was validated by comparing the calculated results and the experimental results of one group of samples.

Investigation on Fracture Behavior of FRP-Concrete Interface under Direct Shear

In this study, the authors reviewed and compared the existing researches on debonding performance of FRP-Concrete Interface under direct shear firstly. Following that, two determinants of the debonding ultimate bearing capacity of FRP-Concrete Interface under pure shear are introduced into this study, namely fracture-resisting force at the undamaged area and friction stress transferred along the already debonded surface. The authors deduced the formulae on fracture energy for FRP-Concrete Interface and obtained the values for fracture energy and friction stress at FRP-Concrete Interface based on the experimental results of eight specimens of FRP-Concrete Interface. On the basis of theoretical frame mentioned above, the authors concluded that the friction-resisting stress transferred along the deteriorated bi-material interface is independent of length of FRP bonded onto concrete substrates and concrete strength, but it relies on the tension rigidity （i.e., the layers of the bonding FRP, it is found that the friction stress declines substantially while the layers of FRP increases bonded to concrete substrate）. On the contrary, cohesive fracture energy is dependent on length of FRP bonded to concrete substrate and the tension stiffness of bi-material interface. In addition, the percentage of the fracture-resisting force in the ultimate debonding load at the interface decreases with the bonding length of FRP increasing, but increases with the increase of the layers of the FRP.

Study on Interface mechanical behavior of steel tube reinforced concrete composite pile

Currently for the steel tube reinforced concrete composite pile research, although predecessors make a comprehensive research on the composite pile beating performance, design technology, but there are still many problems have not been solved, such as the steel tube reinforced concrete pile composite interracial force learn performance research is still in the initial stage. In this paper, we mainly discuss the research methods of several interface mechanical properties and propose the possibility of studying the mechanical properties of the steel tube reinforced concrete composite pile by using the principle of ultrasonic speckle.

Mechanical properties and associated seismic isolation effects of foamed concrete layer in rock tunnel

Foamed concrete has a good energy absorption capability and can be used as seismic isolation material for tunnels. This study aims to investigate the mechanical properties and associated seismic isolation effects of foamed concrete layer in rock tunnel. For this, a series of uniaxial/triaxial compression tests was conducted to understand the effects of concrete density, confining stress and strain rate on the mechanical properties of foamed concrete. The direct shear tests were also performed to investigate the effects of concrete density and normal stress on the nonlinear behaviors of foamed concrete layer-lining interface. The test results showed that the mechanical properties of foamed concrete are significantly influenced by the concrete density. The foamed concrete also has high volumetric compressibility and strain-rate dependence. The peak stress. residual stress. shear stiffness and residual friction coefficient of the foamed concrete layer-lining interface are influenced by the foamed concrete density and normal stress applied. Then, a crushable foam constitutive model was constructed using ABAQUS software and a composite exponential model was also established to study the relationship between shear stress and shear displacement of the interface, in which their parameters were fitted based on the experimental results. Finally, a parametric analysis using the finite element method(FEM) was conducted to understand the influence of foamed concrete layer properties on the seismic isolation effect, including the density and thickness of the layer as well as the shear stiffness and residual friction coefficient of the interface. It was revealed that lower density and greater thickness in addition to smaller shear stiffness or residual friction coefficient of the foamed concrete layer could yield better seismic isolation effect, and the influences of the first two tend to be more significant.

Attenuation of rock blasting induced ground vibration in rock-soil interface

Blasting has been widely used in mining and construction industries for rock breaking.This paper presents the results of a series of field tests conducted to investigate the ground wave propagation through mixed geological media.The tests were conducted at a site in the northwestern part of Singapore composed of residual soil and granitic rock.The field test aims to provide measurement data to better understand the stress wave propagation in soil/rock and along their interface.Triaxial accelerometers were used for the free field vibration monitoring.The measured results are presented and discussed,and empirical formulae for predicting peak particle velocity (PPV) attenuation along the ground surface and in soil/rock were derived from the measured data.Also,the ground vibration attenuation across the soil-rock interface was carefully examined,and it was found that the PPV of ground vibration was decreased by 37.2% when it travels from rock to soil in the vertical direction.