Behaviour of eccentric loading of FRP confined fibre steel reinforced concrete columns

This paper presents results of testing 16 specimens, 12 of which as columns under different eccentricities and four as beams under four point loading regime. All 16 specimens were circular in cross section and were made of reinforced concrete. Four specimens served as reference specimens and were just made of reinforced concrete. The next four specimens were wrapped with carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP). The next four specimens had steel fibres added to the concrete. The final four specimens were reinforced with steel fibres and wrapped with CFRP. From each group of specimens, one specimen was tested as a column under a concentric load, the second specimen was tested as a column under 25 mm eccentricity, the third specimen was tested as a column under 50 mm eccentricity, and the final specimen was tested as a beam under four point loading regime. The experimental programme proved that the introduction of fibres as well as wrapping the specimens with FRP improve the properties of concrete, especially its ductility.     

Shear strength of RC beams subjected to cyclic thermal loading

The experiments were performed for assessing the influence of cyclic thermal loading on the shear strength of reinforced concrete (RC) beam specimens. One hundred eleven RC beams of 100 × 150 × 1200 mm size reinforced in tension zone with two bars of 8, 10 and 12 mm diameters were tested under four point loading. The beams were subjected to a number of thermal cycles varying from 7 to 28 cycles with peak temperature taken as 100, 200 and 300 °C. The effects of thermal cycles on the crack pattern, failure mechanism, first crack load and the shear strength of beams have been discussed. The shear strength of the beams has been found to increase by up to 10% at lower temperature cycles of 100 and 200 °C but reduces by up to 14% at higher temperature (300 °C) depending on the severity of thermal loading. The results of study emphasize the need for developing appropriate guidelines for the design of RC structural elements used in comparatively high temperature environment with cyclic thermal loading conditions.     

同跨受火时两层两跨组合钢框架抗火性能的试验研究

利用自行研制的火灾试验炉,对两榀两层两跨组合钢框架在同跨火灾作用下的性能进行了试验研究,火灾工况包括:梁、板、柱同时受火、节点不受火,梁、板受火而柱、节点不受火两种。试验中量测了各种工况的炉温,框架梁、柱及混凝土楼板中的温度分布及框架水平和竖向位移。结果表明:钢柱四面受火时,钢柱翼缘、腹板的温度相差很小;对于钢梁,除了与混凝土接触的上翼缘外,其余H型钢梁的裸露部分温度分布基本均匀;混凝土内部的温升一般滞后于钢梁,钢筋混凝土板对钢梁有约束作用,升温时混凝土限制钢梁的膨胀、降温时则限制钢梁的收缩,致使钢筋混凝土板中出现很多裂缝;组合梁的抗火性能明显优于钢柱,工程中应对钢柱和节点实施保护;钢框架未受火部分对受火部分约束很大,导致受火跨边柱与中柱的变形不对称,同样也产生了内力重分布。     

Flexural strengthening of RC beams with prestressed NSM CFRP rods – Experimental and analytical investigation

The effectiveness of strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) beams with prestressed near-surface mounted (NSM) carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) rods was investigated. Four RC beams (254 mm deep by 152 mm wide by 3500 mm long) were tested under monotonic loading. One beam was kept un-strengthened as a control beam. One beam was strengthened with a non-prestressed NSM CFRP rod. Two beams were strengthened with prestressed NSM CFRP rods stressed to 40% and 60% of the rod’s ultimate strength. The test results showed that strengthening with non-prestressed NSM CFRP rod enhanced the flexural response of the beam compared to that of the control beam. A remarkable improvement in the response was obtained when the RC beams were strengthened with prestressed (40% and 60%) NSM CFRP rods. An increase up to 90% in the yield load and a 79% in the ultimate load compared to those of the control beam were obtained. An analytical model was developed using sectional analysis method to predict the flexural response of RC beams strengthened with prestressed NSM CFRP rods. The proposed model showed excellent agreement with the experimental results.     

Composite tubes as an alternative to steel spirals for concrete members in bending and shear

Glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) tubes are compared to steel spiral reinforcement in circular concrete members with longitudinal reinforcement and prestressing, using six beam tests. Two 324 mm diameter and 4.2 m long prestressed specimens were tested in bending. Four 219 mm diameter reinforced specimens were also tested, including two 2.43 m long beams tested in bending and two 0.6 m long beams tested in shear. In each set, one specimen was essentially a concrete-filled GFRP tube, while the other control specimen included steel spiral reinforcement of comparable hoop stiffness to that of GFRP tube. The strength of control specimens was governed by crushing and spalling of concrete cover. Unlike spiral reinforcement, GFRP tubes confined larger concrete areas and also contributed as longitudinal reinforcement, leading to increases in flexural and shear strengths, up to 113% and 69%, respectively.     

Creep effect on the behavior of concrete beams reinforced with GFRP bars subjected to different environments

The effect of different environmental conditions on the creep behavior of concrete beams reinforced with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars under sustained loads is investigated. This is achieved through testing concrete beams reinforced with GFRP bars and subjected to a stress level of about 20–25% of the ultimate stress of the GFRP bars. Reference beams were loaded in the temperature-controlled laboratory (24 ± 3 °C). Other test beams were either completely or partially immersed in different environments (tap-water and sea-water) at elevated temperature (40 ± 2 °C) to accelerate the reaction. During the exposure period, which lasted for ten months, strains in concrete and GFRP bars as well as the midspan deflections were recorded for all considered environmental conditions. The results show that the creep effect due to sustained loads was significant for all environments considered in the study and the highest effect was on beams subjected to wet/dry cycles of sea-water at 40 ± 2 °C.     

核芯区混凝土强度低于柱的框架节点受力性能试验研究

针对核芯区混凝土强度低于柱混凝土强度的框架节点进行了试验研究。通过五个试件在较高轴压比下的低周反复加载试验和弹性有限元分析,研究了此类节点的破坏形态、受力性能,探讨核芯区混凝土强度低于柱的混凝土强度的可行性。提出了核芯区混凝土强度比柱的混凝土强度低时的设计建议。     

Improvement of residual compressive strength and spalling resistance of high-strength RC columns subjected to fire

This paper investigates the spalling properties of high-strength concrete in order to improve the residual compressive strength and spalling resistance in specimens subjected to 3 h of unloading fire conditions. This study consists of three series of experiments with eighteen different specimens varying in fiber type and content, finishing material and simultaneous fiber content and lateral confinement. They were fabricated to a 300 × 300 × 600 mm mock-up size. Results of the fire test showed that the control concrete was explosive, while the specimens that contained more than 0.1 vol% of polypropylene (PP) and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) fibers were prevented from spalling. One specimen, finished by a fire endurance spray, exhibited even more severe spalling than the control concrete. The specimen containing 0.1 vol% of PP fiber and using a confining metal fabric at the same time, showed the most effective spalling resistance; in particular, the residual compressive strength ratio was even higher than that of the control concrete before the fire test. It was demonstrated that adding fibers in concrete prevented the spalling occurrence and confining metal fabric around the main bars of concrete specimens can secure the strength of structures during the conditions of elevated temperature.     

Experimental behaviour of RACFST stub columns after exposed to high temperatures

The experimental studies on the behaviour of recycled aggregate concrete-filled steel tube (RACFST) stub columns after exposed to high temperatures are reported in this paper. Forty specimens, including 32 RACFST stub columns and 8 normal concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) stub columns as reference, were tested, and the failure pattern, load versus strain relation and ultimate strength of the specimens were presented and analysed. Five types of concrete were produced: one reference concrete with natural aggregates, two concrete mixes with recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) replacement ratios of 50% and 100%, and two concrete mixes with recycled fine aggregate (RFA) replacement ratios of 50% and 100%. The specimens were exposed to 300 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C for 3 h. The test results showed that, due to the existence of the recycled aggregates, the post-fire performance of RACFST stub columns was lower than the corresponding normal CFST specimens under the same maximum temperature suffered, and the RACFST specimens with RCA had a better behaviour than those with RFA under the same recycled aggregate replacement ratio.     

Experimental investigation of thin-walled concrete-filled steel tube columns with reinforced lattice angle

Experimental investigation of thin-walled concrete-filled steel tube columns with reinforced lattice angle was conducted in this study. The lattice angle was designed to reinforce the concrete-filled steel tube columns by increasing the percentage of steel cross-sectional area. Column specimens having different lengths ranged from 500 mm to 3500 mm were tested. The behavior and strengths of concrete-filled steel tube columns with lattice angle were investigated. In addition, concrete-filled steel tube columns having the same size but without reinforced lattice angle were also tested for comparison. Material properties of the concrete and steel used in the test specimens were measured. The test strengths are compared with the design strengths calculated using the AISC Specification and Eurocode for the design of composite structural members. A new design method was also proposed for the concrete-filled steel tube columns with reinforced lattice angle. It is shown that the design predictions from the proposed method agree with test results well.     

Experimental investigation on thermal and mechanical behaviour of composite floors exposed to standard fire

This paper presents experimental investigations on the thermal and mechanical behavior of composite floors subjected to ISO standard fire. Four 5.2 m×3.7 m composite slabs are tested with different combinations of the presence of one unprotected secondary beam, direction of ribs, and location of the reinforcement. The experimental results show that the highest temperature in the reinforcements occurs during the cooling phase (30–50 °C increment after 10-min cooling). The temperature at the unexposed side of the slabs is below 100 °C up to 100-min heating, compared to the predicted fire resistance close to 90 mins from EC4. For the slabs without secondary beams, the cracks first occur around the boundaries of the slab, while for the slabs supported by one unprotected secondary beam, concrete cracks first occur on the top of the slab above the beam due to the negative bending moment, and later on develop around boundaries. Debonding is observed between the steel deck and concrete slab. The secondary beam significantly impacts the deformation shape of tested slabs. Although a large deflection, 1/20 of the span length, is reached in the tests, the composite slabs can still provide sufficient load-bearing capacity due to membrane action. The occurrence of tensile membrane action is confirmed by the measured tensile stress in the reinforcement and compressive stress in the concrete. A comparison between measured and predicted fire resistance of the slabs indicates that EC4 calculations might be used for the composite slabs beyond the specified geometry limit, and the prediction is conservative.     

腹板摩擦式自定心预应力混凝土框架梁柱节点的理论分析

为减少钢筋混凝土框架在地震作用下的残余变形和损伤,提出一种新型的腹板摩擦式自定心预应力混凝土梁柱节点。其中,预制的钢筋混凝土梁柱通过无黏结预应力钢绞线进行拼接。当梁端弯矩超过节点的临界张开弯矩,梁柱接触面张开;震后,接触面在预应力的作用下重新闭合。梁柱的接触部位分别预埋钢套和钢板,以避免梁柱相对转动时混凝土的压碎。在梁端钢套的腹板处设置摩擦耗能件,从而可以在梁柱相对转动时耗散地震能。介绍腹板摩擦式自定心预应力混凝土梁柱节点的基本构造和受力特点,对梁端轴力、剪力、弯矩以及梁柱接触面张开后转动刚度的表达式进行推导,建立起梁端弯矩-相对转角关系的理论分析模型,并得到节点耗能系数和等效黏滞阻尼比的计算公式。理论分析结果与试验值吻合较好,为腹板摩擦式自定心预应力混凝土框架的设计提供了依据和参考。     

The effect of cement dosage on mechanical properties of concrete exposed to high temperatures

Although concrete is a non-combustible material, it is found that when exposed to high temperatures, such as fire, the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of concrete can drastically change. Thus, it becomes important to assess the relative properties of concrete under high temperatures in order to evaluate and predict the post-fire response of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings and structures. This paper assesses the effects of elevated temperatures and cement dosages on the mechanical properties of concrete. Two concrete mix designs were considered in this research in an attempt to study the effects of cement dosage (250 and 350 kg/m³) on the post-fire response of concrete. Once cast, the test samples were first exposed to elevated temperatures ranging from 100 to 800 °C, and then allowed to cool down slowly to ambient room temperature of 20 °C before being tested to failure. Several tests were then carried out to determine the mechanical properties of the cooled concrete specimens. The test results indicated that at temperature above 400 °C, concrete undergoes significant strength loss when compared to the strength of non-heated concrete. In addition this strength reduction was found to be unaffected by the cement dosages. The experimental results were also compared with current European standard (BS EN 1992-1-2:2004 standard) strength equations and American Concrete Institute standard (ACI 216.1).     

两层两跨组合钢框架抗火性能的试验研究

利用自行研制的火灾试验炉,对3榀两层两跨组合钢框架在不同火灾工况下的性能进行了试验研究,火灾工况包括:单室受火、同跨受火和底层受火三种工况,试验时,梁、板、柱同时受火,节点不受火.试验中量测了各种工况下的炉温,框架梁、柱及混凝土楼板中的温度分布及框架水平和竖向位移.结果表明:钢柱四面受火时,钢柱翼缘、腹板的温度相差很小;而单面受火时则相差较大;对于钢梁,除了与混凝土接触的上翼缘外,其余H型钢梁的裸露部分温度基本一致;混凝土内部的温升一般滞后于钢梁,钢筋混凝土板对钢梁有约束作用,升温时混凝土限制钢梁的膨胀,降温时则限制钢梁的收缩,致使钢筋混凝土板中出现很多裂缝;组合钢框架在降温时因为收缩,导致节点等处出现不同程度的破坏,并产生很大的残余变形;钢框架未受火部分对受火部分约束很大, 导致受火跨边柱与中柱的变形不对称, 同样也产生了内力重分布;组合梁的抗火性能明显优于钢柱,工程中应对钢柱和节点实施保护.     

装配整体式混凝土梁-柱子结构角柱失效后承载能力试验研究

钢筋混凝土框架结构在角柱失效后,与失效角柱相连的两边梁处于弯剪扭复杂受力状态,其承载能力不同于纯弯构件。为评估装配整体式混凝土框架结构在角柱失效后边梁的承载能力,对5个装配整体式梁 柱子结构试件与1个整体现浇梁-柱子结构试件进行单调静力试验。对于装配整体式子结构,考虑了3种节点连接形式（90°弯钩连接、开槽水平搭接、锚固板焊接）和3种扭弯比受力状态（0、0.127、0.254）。通过对比各子结构的破坏形态、承载能力与延性,分析了扭弯比及节点连接形式对边梁承载能力的影响,对比了装配整体式子结构与整体现浇子结构在复杂受力状态下的性能差异。结果表明：在弯扭作用下装配整体式叠合梁承载力随着扭弯比的增加而降低;扭弯比为0.127∶1与0.254∶1时,结构承载力比纯弯结构分别降低了15.9%与40.4%;节点连接形式为90°弯钩连接时,装配整体式叠合梁在复杂受力状态下的性能可以认为与整体现浇梁的相同。     

Investigation of insulated FRP-wrapped reinforced concrete columns in fire

Research has demonstrated that fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) can be used efficiently and safely in strengthening and rehabilitation of reinforced concrete structures. However, the use of FRPs in buildings has been limited because relatively little is known about the behaviour in fire of reinforced concrete structural members that have been strengthened with FRP systems. This paper presents the recent results of an ongoing experimental study of the fire performance of FRP-wrapped reinforced concrete circular columns. The results of fire tests on two columns are presented, one of which was tested without supplemental fire protection, and one of which was protected by a supplemental fire protection system applied to the exterior of the FRP-strengthening system. The primary objective of these tests was to compare the fire behaviour of the two FRP-wrapped columns and to investigate the effectiveness of the supplemental insulation system. The thermal and structural behaviour of the two columns are discussed. The results show that, although FRP systems are sensitive to high temperatures, satisfactory fire endurance ratings can be achieved for reinforced concrete columns that are strengthened with FRP systems by providing adequate supplemental fire protection. In particular, the insulated FRP-strengthened column in this study was able to resist elevated temperatures during the fire tests for at least 90 min longer than the equivalent uninsulated FRP-strengthened column.     

Post-crack (or post-peak) flexural response and toughness of fiber reinforced concrete after exposure to high temperature

Several studies have already reported on the various effects of high temperature on the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC). Some of these effects include changes in; compressive strength, compression toughness and splitting tensile strength. None of the previous studies have investigated the changes that might occur on the post-crack flexural response and flexural toughness. Post-crack (or peak) response and toughness is considered one of FRC’s key beneficial characteristics – as the purpose of adding fibers is to increase the energy absorption and load carrying capacity after an initial crack. In this study, the flexural toughness test according to ASTM C1018 was carried out on two types of concrete: plain concrete and fiber reinforced concrete with three different types of fiber (steel, polypropylene, and polyethylene) at 0.5% and 1.0% by volume fractions. Prior to the flexural test, the specimens were put in an oven chamber and subjected to high temperatures using the ISO/TR834 standards of: 400 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C. The results showed the typical load–deflection response of FRC was a double-peak response. The first peak represented the properties of concrete matrix and the second peak represented the properties of the fibers used. Under flexural load, instead of dropping (or remaining unchanged), the post-peak load and the toughness were found to increase at lower temperatures (400 °C) and later, decreased as the temperature increased (600 °C and 800 °C). Fiber type and content also played an important role. At a temperature of 400 °C, all FRCs exhibited higher flexural strength and increased post-peak response and toughness. A significant decrease in strength, toughness and load–deflection response was observed with synthetic or plastic FRC (PFRC) when the temperature approached 800 °C. When steel FRC (SFRC) was used, those effects were relatively small. It appears, SFRC has better heat resistance than the PFRC. The density (measured by ultrasonic pulse velocity) was found to decrease more in the PFRC than in the SFRC.     

Experimental and finite element analysis on the steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams ultimate behavior

Steel fiber-added reinforced concrete (SFRC) applications have become widespread in areas such as higher upper layers, tunnel shells, concrete sewer pipes, and slabs of large industrial buildings. Usage of SFRC in load-carrying members of buildings having conventional reinforced concrete (RC) frames is also gaining popularity recently because of its positive contribution to both energy absorption capacity and concrete strength.This paper presents experimental and finite element analysis of three SFRC beams. For this purpose, three SFRC beams with 250 × 350 × 2000 mm dimensions are produced using a concrete class of C20 with 30 kg/m³ dosage of steel fibers and steel class S420 with shear stirrups. SFRC beams are subjected to bending by a four-point loading setup in certified beam-loading frame, exactly after having been moist-cured for 28 days. The tests are with control of loads. The beams are loaded until they are broken and the loadings are stopped when the tensile steel bars are broken into two pieces. Applied loads and mid-section deflections are carefully recorded at every 5 kN load increment from the beginning till the ultimate failure.One of the SFRC beams modeled by using nonlinear material properties adopted from experimental study is analyzed till the ultimate failure cracks by ANSYS. Eight-noded solid brick elements are used to model the concrete. Internal reinforcement is modeled by using 3D spar elements. A quarter of the full beam is taken into account in the modeling process.The results obtained from the finite element and experimental analyses are compared to each other. It is seen from the results that the finite element failure behavior indicates a good agreement with the experimental failure behavior.     

Preliminary experimental investigation of the fatigue bond behavior of CFRP confined RC beams

This paper presents the results of the first phase of a study on the effect of the confinement provided by transverse carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets on the fatigue bond strength of steel reinforcing bars in concrete beams. Reinforced concrete bond-beams 150 × 250 × 2000 mm were tested. The variables examined were the area of the CFRP sheets (none or one U-wrap CFRP sheet), the reinforcing bar diameter (20 or 25 mm) and the load range applied to the specimens. The results showed that increasing the bar diameter increased the fatigue bond strength for the unwrapped beams. The CFRP sheets increased the bond strength of the bond-beams with 20 mm bars. However, for the beams with 25 mm steel bars the failure mode changed from a bond splitting failure for the unwrapped beams to a diagonal shear failure for the CFRP wrapped beams, and there was little increase in fatigue strength. Finally, the bond failure mechanism for repeated loading is described.     

Behaviour of recycled aggregate concrete under drop weight impact load

This paper presents the experimental results of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) beams prepared with different amount of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) subjected to low velocity impact. The recycled coarse aggregates are obtained from a demolished RCC culvert. Four concrete mixes with 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% RCA respectively are prepared. With each mix three beam specimens of size 1.15 × 0.1 × 0.15 m are prepared and tested under drop weight impact load. The behavior of the RAC beams are studied in terms of acceleration, strains and support reaction histories under impact load in addition to the physical and mechanical characteristics of RCA and RAC. It is observed that 25% RCA does not influence the strength of concrete. In addition, it is found that for a given impact energy (the energy imparted by the hammer per blow) the reactions and strains of RAC with 50% and 100% RCA are significantly lower and higher respectively than those of normal concrete and RAC with 25% RCA.