Three-Dimensional Multi-Phase Microscopic Simulation of Service Life of Recycled Large Aggregate Self-Compacting Concrete

Recycled large aggregate self-compacting concrete (RLA-SCC) within multiple weak areas. These weak areas have poor resistance to chloride ion erosion, which affects the service life of RLA-SCC in the marine environment. A three-dimensional multi-phase mesoscopic numerical model of RLA-SCC was established to simulate the chloride ions transportation in concrete. Experiments of RLA-SCC immersing in chloride solution were carried out to verify the simulation results. The effects of recycled large aggregate (RLA) content and RLA particle size on the service life of concrete were explored. The results indicate that the mesoscopic numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. At the same depth, the closer to the surface of the RLA, the greater the chloride ion concentration. The service life of RLA-SCC in marine environment decreases with the increase of RLA content. Compared with the service life of 20% content, the service life of 25% and 30% content decreased by 20% and 42% respectively. Increasing the particle size of RLA can effectively improve the service life of RLA-SCC in chloride environment. Compared with the service life of 50 mm particle size, the service life of 70 mm and 90 mm increased by 61% and 163%, respectively. .

Experimental Study on Force Behavior of Steel Rein forced Concrete Transfer Beam Structure with Basement of Large Space

Based on comparative test of two transfer story models, in one of which the transfer beam and basement column is constructed of steel reinforced concrete, and the other is constructed of ordinary reinforced concrete, its force behavior, ductility and failure mechanism under vertical and horizontal loads are studied. The results show that loading bearing and seismic behavior of transfer story structure with steel reinforced concrete beam and basement column is good. The relative design suggestion is put forward.

Bending Stiffness of Concrete-Filled Steel Tube and Its Influence on Concrete Placement Timing of Composite Beam-String Structure

When the upper chord beam of the beam-string structure(BSS)is made of concrete-filled steel tube(CFST),its overall stiffness will change greatly with the construction of concrete placement,which will have an impact on the design of the tensioning plans and selection of control measures for the BSS.In order to accurately obtain the bending stiffness of CFST beam and clarify its impact on the mechanical properties of composite BSS during construction,the influence of some factors such as height-width ratio,wall thickness of steel tube,elasticity modulus of concrete,and friction coefficient on the bending stiffness are analyzed parametrically by the numerical simulation technology based on an actual project.The calculation formula of the equivalent bending stiffness of CFST is also established through mathematical statistical simulation.Then,the equivalent bending stiffness is introduced into the construction and use stages of the composite BSS,respectively,and the mechanical properties such as prestress-tensioning control value,structural deformation,and internal force of key members are comparatively analyzed when adopting two different construction plans.Moreover,the optimal construction plan of concrete placement first and then prestress-tensioning is proposed.

Discrete Numerical Study on Type II Fracture of Partially Detached Concrete Panels in Cold Region

When the upper chord beam of the beam-string structure(BSS)is made of concrete-filled steel tube(CFST),its overall stiffness will change greatly with the construction of concrete placement,which will have an impact on the design of the tensioning plans and selection of control measures for the BSS.In order to accurately obtain the bending stiffness of CFST beam and clarify its impact on the mechanical properties of composite BSS during con-struction,the influence of some factors such as height-width ratio,wall thickness of steel tube,elasticity modulus of concrete,and friction coefficient on the bending stiffness are analyzed parametrically by the numerical simula-tion technology based on an actual project.The calculation formula of the equivalent bending stiffness of CFST is also established through mathematical statistical simulation.Then,the equivalent bending stiffness is introduced into the construction and use stages of the composite BSS,respectively,and the mechanical properties such as prestress-tensioning control value,structural deformation,and internal force of key members are comparatively analyzed when adopting two different construction plans.Moreover,the optimal construction plan of concrete placementfirst and then prestress-tensioning is proposed.

Crack elongation and its width of large depth reinforced concrete beams

In order to meet the requirement of structural inspection,the crack spacing and crack width at various heights in the tensile zone of six large depth reinforced concrete beams were measured under several loading levels of serviceability state.The effects of the depth of normal section beams on the crack spacing and crack width were analyzed,and the modified model is proposed for calculating the average crack spacing by thinking about the depth of normal section,the reinforcement arrangement and the effective reinforcement ratio.The relationships of crack widths at any position in the tensile zone and at the reinforcement level on the side surface of beam were studied.By theoretical and statistical analysis,a method is proposed to calculate the ratios of crack widths between any position and the reinforcement level on the side surface of large depth reinforced concrete beams.

Improved methods for decreasing stresses of concrete slab of large-span through tied-arch composite bridge

Mechanical behavior of concrete slab of large-span through tied-arch composite bridge was investigated by finite element analysis (FEA). Improved methods to decrease concrete stresses were discussed based on comparisons of different deck schemes, construction sequences and measures, and ratios of reinforcement. The results show that the mechanical behavior of concrete slab gets worse with the increase of composite regions between steel beams and concrete slab. The deck scheme with the minimum composite region is recommended on condition that both strength and stiffness of the bridge meet design demands under service loads. Adopting in-situ-place construction method, concrete is suggested to be cast after removing the full-supported frameworks under the bridge. Thus, the axial tensile force of concrete slab caused by the first stage dead load is eliminated. Preloading the bridge before concrete casting and removing the load after the concrete reaching its design strength, the stresses of concrete slab caused by the second stage dead load and live load are further reduced or even eliminated. At last, with a high ratio of reinforcement more than 3%, the concrete stresses decrease obviously.

Development of a new type of foam concrete and its application on stability analysis of large-span soft rock tunnel

The long-term stability of large-span soft rock tunnel is influenced greatly by the creep effect of surrounding rock.The development of a new type of foam concrete which has the property of high compressibility and low ductility was introduced.And it was made as filling material of reserved deformation layer between the first lining and the second lining used in large-span soft rock tunnel.The effect of the new type of foam concrete was simulated as filling material of reserved deformation layer using numerical simulation.Through the comparison with the common large-span soft rock tunnel,the vault settlement and surrounding convergence are reduced by about 61% and 45%,respectively,after creep of 100 a.And in the second lining,the plastic zone reduces apparently and the maximum equivalent plastic strain decreases relatively.So,it can be found that the application of the new type of foam concrete as the filling material of reserved deformation layer can relieve the excessive force in second lining induced by rock creep,reduce its deformation and improve the stability of tunnel.

Reducing risks in the investigation, design and construction of large concrete dams

An overview of the GeoSafe 2016 Symposium topic is provided using the example of large concrete dams for purposes of illustration.It is essential that the risks associated with large dams be evaluated rigorously and managed proactively at all stages of their lives so that the risk of failure remains As Low As Reasonably Practicable(ALARP).Rock engineering features of large concrete dams that require particular attention,assessment and monitoring during the investigation,design,construction,initial filling,inservice operation,and subsequent repair and upgrade stages of the lives of concrete dams are identified and illustrated by examples from recorded experiences.A number of major concrete dam failures,including that of the St.Francis dam,California,U.S.A.,in 1928,have led to significant developments in rock mechanics and rock engineering knowledge and techniques,as well as in dam design and review processes.More recent advances include a range of analytical,numerical modelling,probabilistic,reliability,failure mode and risk assessment approaches.

Seismic behavior of large-scale FRP–recycled aggregate concrete–steel columns with shear connectors

The application of fi ber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for the development of high-performance composite structural systems has received signifi cant recent research attention. A composite of FRP–recycled aggregate concrete (RAC)–steel column (FRSC), consisting of an outer FRP tube, an inner steel tube and annular RAC fi lled between two tubes, is proposed herein to facilitate green disposal of demolished concrete and to improve the ductility of concrete columns for earthquake resistance. To better understand the seismic behavior of FRSCs, quasi-static tests of large-scale basalt FRSCs with shear connectors were conducted. The infl uence of the recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement percentage, shear connectors and axial loading method on the lateral load and deformation capacity, energy dissipation and cumulative damage were analyzed to evaluate the seismic behavior of FRSCs. The test results show that FRSCs have good seismic behavior, which was evidenced by high lateral loads, excellent ductility and energy dissipation capacity, indicating RAC is applicable in FRSCs. Shear connectors can signifi cantly postpone the steel buckling and increase the lateral loads of FRSCs, but weaken the deformation capacity and energy dissipation performance.

Experimental study on complete stress-deformation curves of larger-size concrete specimens subjected to uniaxial tension

In order to provide parameters for numerical analyses of the huge Three-Gorge concrete dam (2309 m long by 175 m height), complete tensile stress-deformation curves for large-size plain concrete specimens were measured and studied by per-forming uniaxial tensile tests on large-size unnotched specimens (250 mm×250 mm×1400 mm). The specimens were prepared with the three-graded-aggregate materials provided by the client of the Three-Gorge project. To prevent a failure occurring near the ends of the unnotched specimens, both the ends of each specimen (450 mm in length) were cast using a higher-strength concrete than the middle part (i.e., active part). Tensile tests were completed on a specially-designed tensile testing machine, which can be easily re-assembled to accommodate different-size specimens. To make the specimens fail stably, a cyclic loading scheme was adopted after the peak strength was reached. Four of five tests in this study were successful, and four complete tensile stress-deformation curves were obtained. It was found that the post-peak curve of the large-size specimens used in this study is more gradual than those for the small-size specimens reported in the literature.

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.

Research and application of schemes for constructing concrete pillars in large section finishing cut in backfill coal mining

Based on the technology of controlling surrounding rock deformation by constructing concrete pillars in large section finishing cut in backfill coal mining, the characteristics of vertical stress on concrete pillars and main factors influencing pillar stability are analyzed. By building a Winkler elastic foundation mechanical model for the support system constituted of coal pillar, backfill body and concrete pillars, mechanical calculation on stability of concrete pillar is carried out to evaluate the pillar stability and safety. Seven numeral models in three schemes with different pillar sizes, inter-row distances and compression ratios at the stopes were analyzed through numerical simulation according to width reduction principle. The practice of finishing cut at IIIB44 workface at Yangzhuang coal mine shows that： when the actual compression ratio is 86.5%, construction size inside the finishing cut is 2000 mm x 2000 mm and the interval between concrete pillars is 2000 mm x 2000 mm, the pillars can be stable with the maximum movement of two sides of each pillar being only 83 mm and 54 mm, which achieves the expected effect.

Damage of a large-scale reinforced concrete wall caused by an explosively formed projectile(EFP)

To quickly break through a reinforced concrete wall and meet the damage range requirements of rescuers entering the building,the combined damage characteristics of the reinforced concrete wall caused by EFP penetration and explosion shock wave were studied.Based on LS-DYNA finite element software and RHT model with modified parameters,a 3D large-scale numerical model was established for simulation analysis,and the rationality of the material model parameters and numerical simulation algorithm were verified.On this basis,the combined damage effect of EFP penetration and explosion shock wave on reinforced concrete wall was studied,the effect of steel bars on the penetration of EFP was highlighted,and the effect of impact positions on the damage of the reinforced concrete wall was also examined.The results reveal that the designed shaped charge can form a crater with a large diameter and high depth on the reinforced concrete wall.The average crater diameter is greater than 67 cm(5.58 times of charge diameter),and crater depth is greater than 22 cm(1.83 times of charge diameter).The failure of the reinforced concrete wall is mainly caused by EFP penetration.When only EFP penetration is considered,the average diameter and depth of the crater are 54.0 cm(4.50 times of charge diameter)and 23.7 cm(1.98 times of charge diameter),respectively.The effect of explosion shock wave on crater depth is not significant,resulting in a slight increase in crater depth.The average crater depth is 24.5 cm(2.04 times of charge diameter)when the explosion shock wave is considered.The effect of explosion shock wave on the crater diameter is obvious,which can aggravate the damage range of the crater,and the effect gradually decreases with the increase of standoff distance.Compared with the results for a plain concrete wall,the crater diameter and crater depth of the reinforced concrete wall are reduced by 5.94%and 9.96%,respectively.Compared to the case in which the steel bar is not hit,when the EFP hit one steel bar and the intersection of two steel bars,the crater diameter decreases by 1.36%and 5.45%respectively,the crater depth decreases by 4.92%and 14.02%respectively.The EFP will be split by steel bar during the penetration process,resulting in an irregular trajectory.

Application of Large-diameter and Long-span Micro-expansive Pumping Concrete Filled Steel Tube Arch Bridge

In this article the high strength micro-expansive concrete that has been applied on big-diameter and long-span steel arch bridge is researched. The applications show that the concrete has some merits, such as good fluidity, low bleeding ratio and no segregation, low slump loss, high early strength and high later strength, micro-expansion etc.

The Technology Analysis of Blast Furnace Foundation Large Volume of Concrete Structure Construction at Minus Temperature Severe Winter

Construction of mass concrete structures face more challenges in temperature difference and complex stress under low temperature than the ambient temperature. It has been proved by the practice that, not only improving tensile strength of structural concrete as soon as possible and removing of constrain as much as possible, but also calculation of the thermal stress in the process of construction and maintenance, controlling structure of concrete tensile strength and temperature difference stress ratio can ensure the safety and defect-free.

Engineering Geological Investigations for the Foundations of Large Structures-Examples of a Concrete Dam and a long Bridge in Portugal

The safety of large structures requires adequate foundations, which implies a good knowledge of the geological and geotechnical conditions of the respective ground. In general, that is only possible through engineering geological studies which include proper site investigation techniques, adapted to the nature of the ground (rock mass or soil) and to the associated engineering problems. The paper illustrates the studies carried out for the design of the foundations of Ribeiradio 76 m high concrete gravity dam in a difficult rock mass and of Vasco da Gama Bridge, 13 km long, crossing the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal, through piles 75 m deep.

Service Life Design for Concrete Engineering in Marine Environments of Northern China Based on a Modified Theoretical Model of Chloride Diffusion and Large Datasets of Ocean Parameters

In this study,through experimental research and an investigation on large datasets of the durability parameters in ocean engineering,the values,ranges,and types of distribution of the durability parameters employed for the durability design in ocean engineering in northern China were confirmed.Based on a modified theoretical model of chloride diffusion and the reliability theory,the service lives of concrete structures exposed to the splash,tidal,and underwater zones were calculated.Mixed concrete proportions meeting the requirement of a service life of 100 or 120 years were designed,and a cover thickness requirement was proposed.In addition,the effects of the different time-varying relationships of the boundary condition(Cs)and diffusion coefficient(Df)on the service life were compared;the results showed that the time-varying relationships used in this study(i.e.,Cscontinuously increased and then remained stable,and Dfcontinuously decreased and then remained stable)were beneficial for the durability design of concrete structures in marine environment.

Analysis of the Performances and Optimization of Polyurethane Concrete with a Large Percentage of Fly Ash

The properties of polyurethane concrete containing a large amount of fly ash are investigated,and accordingly,a model is introduced to account for the influence of fly ash fineness,water ratio,and loss of ignition(LOI)on its mechanical performances.This research shows that,after optimization,the concrete has a compressive strength of 20.8 MPa,a flexural strength of 3.4 MPa,and a compressive modulus of elasticity of 19.2 GPa.The main factor influencing 28 and 90 d compressive strength is fly ash content,water-binder ratio,and early strength agent content.

Finite Element Analysis on the Uniaxial Compressive Behavior of Concrete with Large-Size Recycled Coarse Aggregate

To model the concrete with complex internal structure of concrete with large sized aggregates the effect of internal structure on uniaxial compression behavior are studied.Large-sized recycled aggregates behave differently in the concrete matrix.To understand the influence on concrete matrix,a finite element model was developed to model recycled aggregate concrete composed of multiple randomly distributed irregular aggregates and cement mortar.The model was used to calculate the effect of large-size recycled coarse aggregate(LRCA)on the strength of recycled aggregate concrete and simulate the compressive strength of cubes and prisms.The factors such as the strength of new concrete,the strength of old concrete,the defective element content,the shape of LRCA,the incorporation ratio of LRCA and the size of LRCA that can affect the strength of concrete are analyzed in this paper.Results showed that the influence of various factors on concrete strength are in the following desend-ing order:(i)strength of newly poured concrete;(ii)original strength of recycled aggregates;and(iii)defects.It can be seen that the cracking of the phase material elements starts along the bonding zones between gravel and mortar or the new and old mortar,then spreads to mortar and finally to LRCA.The cracking tendency is most significant in LRCA,which means that the fracturing is related to the fracture of the LRCA.After evaluating the variations in strength and quality of the recycled concrete,the influences on concrete strength and quality were studied.The results showed that the proposed concrete model with LRCA was successfully applied to studying the uniaxial compressive behavior of concrete with large-size recycled coarse aggregate.

Application of ultrasonic CT method in nondestructive detection of interior defects in large scale concrete structural member of bridge

The ultrasonic computed tomography （USCT） method is derived from the basic principles of X-ray section scanning. This method records the arriving times of ultrasonic wave between the probes and the sources to ealculate the elastic wave velocity values in the section using the arrival times. Through analyzed the distribution Of elastic wave velocity in aim area, the information of the strength and the homogeneity of the investigated zone could be got indirectly. The authors introduced the operational principle of USCT and a practical case of using this method to detect the interior defects in large scale concrete structural member. Compared with other exploration methods, this method is more efficient and accurate.