Embedded Through-Section shear strengthening technique using steel and CFRP bars in RC beams of different percentage of existing stirrups

The Embedded Through-Section (ETS) technique is a promising technique for the shear strengthening of existing (RC) elements. According to this technique, holes are drilled through the beam section, and bars of steel or FRP material are introduced into these holes and bonded to the concrete with adhesive materials. An experimental program was carried out with RC T-cross section beams strengthened in shear using the ETS steel bars and ETS CFRP rods. The research is focused on the evaluation of the ETS efficiency on beams with different percentage of existing internal transverse reinforcement (ρsw=0.0%, ρsw=0.1% and ρsw=0.17%). The effectiveness of different ETS strengthening configurations was also investigated. The good bond between the strengthening ETS bars and the surrounding concrete allowed the yield initiation of the ETS steel bars and the attainment of high tensile strains in the ETS CFPR rods, leading to significant increase of shear capacity, whose level was strongly influenced by the inclination of the ETS bars and the percentage of internal transverse reinforcement.

Optimization procedures in the design of continuous induction hardening and tempering installations for magnetic steel bars

An inverse problem concerning the industrial process of steel bars hardening and tempering is considered. The associated optimization problem is formulated in terms of membership functions and, for the sake of comparison, also in terms of quadratic residuals; both geometric and electromagnetic design variables have been considered. The numerical solution is achieved by coupling a finite difference procedure for the calculation of the electromagnetic and thermal fields to a deterministic strategy of minimization based on modified Flctcher and Reeves method. © 1998 IEEE.

Steel bars identification in reinforced concrete structures by using ANN and magnetic fields

This work proposes a methodology for non destructive testing (NDT) of reinforced concrete structures, using superficial magnetic fields and artificial neural networks, in order to identify the size and position of steel bars, embedded into the concrete. For the purposes of this paper, magnetic induction curves were obtained by using a finite element program. Perceptron Multilayered (PML) ANNs, with Levemberg-Marquardt training algorithm were used. The results presented very good agreement with the expect ones, encouraging the development of real systems based upon the proposed methodology.

Identification of steel bars immersed in reinforced concrete based on experimental results of eddy current testing and artificial neural network analysis

This paper presents an experimental research on the use of eddy current testing (ECT) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) in order to identify the gauge and position of steel bars immersed in concrete structures. The paper presents details of the ECT probe and concrete specimens constructed for the tests, and a study about the influence of the concrete on the values of measured voltages. After this, new measurements were done with a greater number of specimens, simulating a field condition and the results were used to generate training and validation vectors for multilayer perceptron ANNs. The results show a high percentage of correct identification with respect to both, the gauge of the bar and of the thickness of the concrete cover. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Development of corrosion of steel bars embedded in mortar made with slag from secondary metallurgy

The aim of this work is to study the evolution of the corrosion rate of reinforcements embedded in mortar specimens that have been partly or fully replaced by the sand ladle furnace white slag. Prisms are manufactured mortar 6cm x 8cm x 2cm in which are embedded reinforcing steel bars of 6mm diameter B500SD. At the time of mixing were added varying amounts of chloride ion content by weight of cement (0%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2%, 2%). The specimens were made totally or partially replacing the white slag, getting four different mixes depending on the degree of substitution. After curing the specimens for 28 days in moist chambers proceeded to dry up naturally. Here are gradually dampened by its conservation in a moist chamber, periodically measuring the corrosion rate of the bars using the technique of polarization curve. The results, in terms of corrosion current and corrosion potential, were compared with those obtained on standard samples, without replacement by slag aggregate. The analysis of results allows us to know, depending on the type of mortar used, the chloride threshold with the depassivation produced steel and the corrosion rates achieved in steels in the active state in terms of mortar moisture, obtained from qualitatively using gravimetric techniques. The results achieved to date support the conclusion that no significant differences in the behavior against corrosion induced by chloride ions, between the steel bars embedded in standard samples and the steel bars embedded in samples including with aggregates from slag. Both the chloride threshold resulting in the depassivation steel as the corrosion rate reached through the bars in an active state are very similar in both types of mortars when they have the same moisture content.

A fracture model for pearlitic steel bars using a cohesive model

The fracture of ductile materials, such as metals, is usually explained with the theory of nucleation, growth and coalescence of microvoids. Based on this theory, many numerical models have been developed, with a special mention to Gurson-type models. These models simulate mathematically the physical growth of microvoids, leading to a progressive development of the internal damage that takes place during a tensile test. In these models, the damage starts to develop in very early stages of the test. Tests carried out by the authors suggest that, in the case of some eutectoid steels such as those used for manufacturing prestressing steel wires, the internal damage that takes place as a result of the growth of microvoids is only noticeable in very late stages of the tensile test. In the authors’ opinion, using a cohesive model as a failure criterion may be interesting in this case; a cohesive model only requires two parameters to be defined, with the fracture energy being one of them, which can be obtained experimentally. In addition to this, given that it is known that the stress triaxiality has a strong influence on the fracture of ductile materials, a cohesive model whose parameters are affected by the value of the stress triaxiality can be considered. This work presents a fracture model for steel specimens in a tensile test, based on a cohesive behaviour and taking into account the effect of stress triaxiality, which is different at each point of the fracture plane.

Experimental validation of a fracture model for pearlitic steel bars based on the cohesive zone model

Congreso internacional celebrado en Praga sobre modelos numéricos de fractura en el campo de la ciencia de materiales y estructuras.

Experimental validation of a fracture model for pearlitic steel bars based on the cohesive zone model

Steel is, together with concrete, the most widely used material in civil engineering works. Not only its high strength, but also its ductility is of special interest, since it allows for more energy to be stored before failure. A better understanding of the material behaviour before failure may lead to better structural safety strategies.

Experimental and numerical study of bond response in structural concrete with corroded steel bars

Corrosion can affect the bond between reinforcing bars and concrete and hence the transfer of longitudinal stresses. Although a number of experimental studies on bond failure have been conducted in recent years, the findings have diverged rather widely, due primarily to differing test conditions. The present paper reports on an experimental programme consisting of eccentric pull-out tests run on corroded steel bars in specimens subjected to accelerated or natural corrosion. An axisymmetric bi-dimensional FE model with finite deformations initially developed to study bond mechanics with sound steel bars, has been enhanced to consider bond effects in corroded steel bars. The model simulation is compared to some of the experimental results for corroded and sound bars and the findings are analysed.

Causes and control of cracking in concrete reinforced with high-strength steel bars : a review of research /

Mode of access: Internet.

Report on the exploratory series of tests on longitudinal distribution of stresses in reinforcing bars. A cooperative project between the American Iron and Steel Institute and Cornell University.

"Not for public release."

Recycled steel fibre reinforced concrete failing in bending and in shear

Recent research is showing that the addition of Recycled Steel Fibres (RSF) from wasted tyres can decrease significantly the brittle behaviour of cement based materials, by improving its toughness and post-cracking resistance. In this sense, Recycled Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (RSFRC) seems to have the potential to constitute a sustainable material for structural and non-structural applications. To assess this potential, experimental and numerical research was performed on the use of RSFRC in elements failing in bending and in beams failing in shear. The values of the fracture mode I parameters of the developed RSFRC were determined by performing inverse analysis with test results obtained in three point notched beam bending tests. To assess the possibility of using RSF as shear reinforcement in Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams, three point bending tests were executed with three series of RSFRC beams flexurally reinforced with a relatively high reinforcement ratio of longitudinal steel bars in order to assure shear failure for all the tested beams. By performing material nonlinear simulations with a computer program based on the finite element method (FEM), the applicability of the fracture mode I crack constitutive law derived from the inverse analysis is assessed for the prediction of the behaviour of these beams. The performance of the formulation proposed by RILEM TC 162 TDF and CEB-FIP 2010 for the prediction of the shear resistance of fibre reinforced concrete elements was also evaluated.

Assessment of the effectiveness of steel fibre reinforcement for the punching resistance of flat slabs by experimental research and design approach

The present paper deals with the experimental assessment of the effectiveness of steel fibre reinforcement in terms of punching resistance of centrically loaded flat slabs, and to the development of an analytical model capable of predicting the punching behaviour of this type of structures. For this purpose, eight slabs of 2550 x 2550 x 150 mm3 dimensions were tested up to failure, by investigating the influence of the content of steel fibres (0, 60, 75 and 90 kg/m3) and concrete strength class (50 and 70 MPa). Two reference slabs without fibre reinforcement, one for each concrete strength class, and one slab for each fibre content and each strength class compose the experimental program. All slabs were flexurally reinforced with a grid of ribbed steel bars in a percentage to assure punching failure mode for the reference slabs. Hooked ends steel fibres provided the unique shear reinforcement. The results have revealed that steel fibres are very effective in converting brittle punching failure into ductile flexural failure, by increasing both the ultimate load and deflection, as long as adequate fibre reinforcement is assured. An analytical model was developed based on the most recent concepts proposed by the fib Mode Code 2010 for predicting the punching resistance of flat slabs and for the characterization of the behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete. The most refined version of this model was capable of predicting the punching resistance of the tested slabs with excellent accuracy and coefficient of variation of about 5%.