Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) has become a popular alternative to using traditional construction techniques in new bridge construction and existing bridge deck replacement because of the reduction of time spent in field activities. A key feature of bridges built using ABC techniques is the extensive use of prefabricated components. Prefabricated components are joined in the field using small volume closure pours involving high performance materials (steel and concrete) to ensure adequate transfer of forces between components. To date, the materials developed for closure pours have been based on proprietary components, so a need has arisen for development of mixes that use generic components. The goal of this research was to create a method to develop concrete mixtures that are designed using generic constituents and that satisfy performance requirements of accelerated bridge construction closure pours in New England, primarily high early strength and long-term durability. Two concrete mixtures were developed with a primary goal of reaching high-early strength while maintaining constructability. The secondary goal of the concrete mixtures was to be durable; therefore, measures were taken during the development of the concrete mixture to generate a mixture that also had durable properties.

When subjected to a combination of moment and shear force, a reinforced concrete (RC) beam with either little or no transverse reinforcement can fail in shear before reaching its full flexural strength. This type of failure is sudden in nature and usually disastrous because it does not give sufficient warning prior to collapse. To prevent this type of shear failure, reinforced concrete beams are traditionally reinforced with stirrups. However, the use of stirrups is not always cost effective since it increases labor costs, and can make casting concrete difficult in situations where closely-spaced stirrups are required. The use of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) could be considered as a potential alternative to the use of traditional shear reinforcement. Concrete is very weak and brittle in tension, SFRC transforms this behaviour and improves the diagonal tension capacity of concrete and thus can result in significant enhancements in shear capacity. However, one of the drawbacks associated with SFRC is that the addition of fibers to a regular concrete mix can cause problems in workability. The use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is an innovative solution to this problem and can result in improved workability when fibers are added to the mix. The thesis presents the experimental results from tests on twelve slender self-consolidating fiber reinforced concrete (SCFRC) beams tested under four-point loading. The results demonstrate the combined use of SCC and steel fibers can improve the shear resistance of reinforced concrete beams, enhance crack control and can promote flexural ductility. Despite extensive research, there is a lack of accurate and reliable design guidelines for the use of SFRC in beams. This study presents a rational model which can accurately predict the shear resistance of steel fiber reinforced concrete beams. The thesis also proposes a safe and reliable equation which can be used for the shear design of SFRC beams.

Bone drilling is a major part of orthopaedic surgery performed during the internal fixation of fractured bones. At present, information related to drilling force, drilling torque, rate of drill bit penetration and drill bit rotational speed is not available to orthopaedic surgeons, clinicians and researchers as bone drilling is performed manually. This research demonstrates that bone drilling force data if recorded in-vivo, during the repair of bone fractures, can provide information about the strength/quality of the bone. Drilling force does not give a direct measure of bone strength; therefore it has been correlated with the shear strength and screw pullout strength to determine the efficacy in estimating the bone strength. Various synthetic bone material densities and animal bones have been tested to demonstrate the use of drilling force data. A novel automated experimental test rig, which enables drilling tests, screw insertion and screw pullout tests to be carried out in a controlled environment, has been developed. Both drilling and screw pullout tests have been carried out in a single setting of the specimen to reduce the experimental errors and increase repeatability of the results. A significantly high value of correlation (r² > 0.99) between drilling force & shear strength and also between drilling force & normalised screw pullout strength in synthetic bone material was found. Furthermore, a high value of correlation (r² = 0.958 for pig bones and r² = 0.901 for lamb bones) between maximum drilling force & normalised screw pullout strength was also found. The result shows that drilling data can be used to predict material strength. Bone screws are extensively used during the internal fixation of fractured bones. The amount of screw been tightened is one of the main factor which affects the bone-screw fixation quality. Over tightening of screw can result into the loss of bone-screw fixation strength, whereas under tightening can result in the screw loosening. Therefore, optimum tightening of the screw is important to achieve the maximum bone-screw fixation strength. At present, optimum tightening of the screw is entirely dependent upon the skill and judgment of the surgeon, which is predominantly based on the feel of the screw tightening torque. Various studies have been reported in the literature to develop an algorithm to set an optimum tightening torque value to be used in surgery. A method which is based on the use of rotation angle of the screw while tightening, rather than using screw insertion/tightening torque, to optimise the bone-screw fixation strength is proposed in this research. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been successfully demonstrated on the synthetic bone material using the designed test rig. The optimum angle for the tested screw was found to be 120° which is equivalent to 33% of the screw pitch.

When subjected to a combination of moment and shear force, a reinforced concrete (RC) beam with either little or no transverse reinforcement can fail in shear before reaching its full flexural strength. This type of failure is sudden in nature and usually disastrous because it does not give sufficient warning prior to collapse. To prevent this type of shear failure, reinforced concrete beams are traditionally reinforced with stirrups. However, the use of stirrups is not always cost effective since it increases labor costs, and can make casting concrete difficult in situations where closely-spaced stirrups are required. The use of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) could be considered as a potential alternative to the use of traditional shear reinforcement. Concrete is very weak and brittle in tension, SFRC transforms this behaviour and improves the diagonal tension capacity of concrete and thus can result in significant enhancements in shear capacity. However, one of the drawbacks associated with SFRC is that the addition of fibers to a regular concrete mix can cause problems in workability. The use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is an innovative solution to this problem and can result in improved workability when fibers are added to the mix. The thesis presents the experimental results from tests on twelve slender self-consolidating fiber reinforced concrete (SCFRC) beams tested under four-point loading. The results demonstrate the combined use of SCC and steel fibers can improve the shear resistance of reinforced concrete beams, enhance crack control and can promote flexural ductility. Despite extensive research, there is a lack of accurate and reliable design guidelines for the use of SFRC in beams. This study presents a rational model which can accurately predict the shear resistance of steel fiber reinforced concrete beams. The thesis also proposes a safe and reliable equation which can be used for the shear design of SFRC beams.

Zur Untersuchung der Schädigungs- und Versagensmechanismen eines in Beton eingebetteten Multifilamentgarns im Auszugversuch wurde die Schallemissionsanalyse zur Identifizierung und Lokalisierung von Filamentbrüchen eingesetzt. Im ersten Schritt wurden dazu die Schall emittierenden Ursachen (Filamentriss, Filamentablösung und Mikroriss im Beton) für eine Differenzierung charakterisiert. Es wurden Versuche zur Erzeugung von isolierten Signalen durchgeführt, welche mit Hilfe der Signal- und Frequenzanalyse untersucht wurden. Bei dem durchgeführten Garnauszugversuch konnte eine hohe Lokalisierungsgenauigkeit der Filamentbrüche erzielt werden. Der Schädigungsverlauf des Garns während des Auszugversuchs konnte detailliert untersucht werden.

When subjected to a combination of moment and shear force, a reinforced concrete (RC) beam with either little or no transverse reinforcement can fail in shear before reaching its full flexural strength. This type of failure is sudden in nature and usually disastrous because it does not give sufficient warning prior to collapse. To prevent this type of shear failure, reinforced concrete beams are traditionally reinforced with stirrups. However, the use of stirrups is not always cost effective since it increases labor costs, and can make casting concrete difficult in situations where closely-spaced stirrups are required. The use of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) could be considered as a potential alternative to the use of traditional shear reinforcement. Concrete is very weak and brittle in tension, SFRC transforms this behaviour and improves the diagonal tension capacity of concrete and thus can result in significant enhancements in shear capacity. However, one of the drawbacks associated with SFRC is that the addition of fibers to a regular concrete mix can cause problems in workability. The use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) is an innovative solution to this problem and can result in improved workability when fibers are added to the mix. The thesis presents the experimental results from tests on twelve slender self-consolidating fiber reinforced concrete (SCFRC) beams tested under four-point loading. The results demonstrate the combined use of SCC and steel fibers can improve the shear resistance of reinforced concrete beams, enhance crack control and can promote flexural ductility. Despite extensive research, there is a lack of accurate and reliable design guidelines for the use of SFRC in beams. This study presents a rational model which can accurately predict the shear resistance of steel fiber reinforced concrete beams. The thesis also proposes a safe and reliable equation which can be used for the shear design of SFRC beams.

Ces dernières années, les matériaux composites à matrices minérales ont suscité un grand intérêt dans le domaine du génie civil, en raison de leurs multiples avantages tels que la grande résistance en traction, le comportement pseudo-ductile, la facilité de mise en oeuvre, la nontoxicité et la compatibilité aux substrats. Toutefois, l’efficacité de ces composites est souvent limitée du fait de la faible adhérence du renfort avec la matrice. Cela est du à la faible pénétration des particules de la matrice entre les filaments internes du fil, ce qui entraine une rupture prématurée du matériau. Ce travail a pour but d’améliorer l’adhérence fil-matrice par pré-imprégnation du renfort, afin d’optimiser le comportement mécanique des composites. Deux méthodes de pré-imprégnation ont été utilisées : pré-imprégnation classique par voie humide et pré-imprégnation par voie sèche. Cette dernière se base sur l’application d’un champ électrostatique alternatif permettant la pénétration de la poudre au sein du renfort. La première méthode a déjà été utilisée dans la littérature et a permis d’améliorer les propriétés mécaniques du composite. Cependant, son utilisation reste limitée aux éléments préfabriqués simples contrairement à la deuxième méthode qui peut être appliquée pour réaliser des éléments de construction de grande taille, ou bien pour le renforcement et la réparation des structures in situ. La présente étude s’appuie sur une analyse multi-échelles permettant d’aborder le problème d’adhérence à l’échelle d’interface (fil-matrice) et à l’échelle du composite (fil-matrice et textile-matrice). Tout d’abord, des essais d’arrachement ont été conduits sur des fils de verre enrobés dans une matrice ettringitique. Huit configurations ont été étudiées afin d’évaluer l’effet du processus de pré-imprégnation et le type des matériaux de pré-imprégnation à sec. Il en sort que le comportement d’arrachement est amélioré par pré-imprégnation du fil par voie humide et sèche mais, précisons que par voie sèche, l’amélioration est significative seulement dans le cas d’utilisation de poudre de particules très fines. Une modélisation numérique de l’essai d’arrachement a été également réalisée afin d’identifier les propriétés d’interface fil-matrice. En se basant sur ces résultats, une étude expérimentale et numérique du comportement en traction des composites fil-matrice a été ensuite réalisée. Cinq configurations ont été retenues, après avoir écarté les prétraitements de fil ayant eu un effet néfaste sur l’adhérence fil-matrice. Il s’est avéré que les deux procédés contribuent à une augmentation significative des propriétés mécaniques du composite. De plus, un modèle numérique 3D a été développé pour simuler l’essai de traction d’un composite sec et pré-imprégné. Il a permis d’une part de prédire le comportement global du matériau et d’autre part d’apporter une meilleure compréhension de ce comportement grâce à l’analyse des états de déformation et de contrainte au niveau du fil, de la matrice et de l’interface. Enfin, une comparaison de l’effet des deux procédés de pré-imprégnation a été établie à l’échelle du composite textile-matrice au moyen d’essais de traction et d’analyse de corrélation d’image. Cinq différents types de tissu de verre unidirectionnel ont été utilisés. La pré-imprégnation par voie sèche a démontré la plus forte amélioration des performances du composite quel que soit le grammage du tissu, contrairement à la pré-imprégnation par voie humide qui trouve sa limite quand le textile devient dense / In recent years, mineral matrix composites have gained great interest in the field of civil engineering, thanks to their multiple advantages such as high tensile strength, pseudo-ductile behavior, ease of implementation, non-toxicity and substrate compatibility. However, the efficiency of these composites is often limited because of the low adhesion of the reinforcement to the matrix. This is due to the low penetrability of matrix particles into the space between the inner filaments of the yarn, which leads to premature failure of the material. The purpose of this work is to improve the yarn-matrix adhesion by pre-impregnating the reinforcement in order to optimize the mechanical behavior of composites. Two pre-impregnation methods were used : conventional pre-impregnation in a wet manner and pre-impregnation in a dry manner. This last is based on an alternating electrostatic field used to impregnate yarns with powder. The first method has already been used in the literature and has improved the mechanical properties of the composite. However, it is suited only for the manufacturing of simple prefabricated elements, unlike the second method, which can be applied for the construction of large elements, or for strengthening or repairing structures in site. This study is based on a multi-scale analysis to investigate the bond problem at the interface scale (yarn-matrix) and at the composite scale (yarn-matrix and textile-matrix). First, pull-out tests were conducted on glass yarns embedded in an ettringitic matrix. Eight configurations were studied to evaluate the effect of the pre-impregnation process and the type of dry pre-impregnation powders. It results that the pull-out behavior is improved by pre-impregnating the yarn in wet and dry manner but, it should be noted that in dry process, the improvement is significant only when using very fine particle powders. A numerical modeling of the pull-out test was also carried out in order to identify the yarn-matrix interface properties. Based on these results, an experimental and numerical study of the tensile behavior of yarn-matrix composites was then carried out. Five configurations were selected, after excluding the yarn pre-treatments that had a negative effect on the yarn-matrix bond. It was found that both processes contribute to a significant increase in the mechanical properties of the composite. In addition, a 3D numerical model has been developed to simulate the tensile test of a dry and pre-impregnated composite. It allowed on the one hand to predict the global behavior of the material and on the other hand to provide a better understanding of this behavior by analyzing the deformation and stress states at the level of the yarn, the matrix and the interface. Finally, a comparison of the effect of the two pre-impregnation processes was established at the textile-matrix composite scale by means of tensile tests and image correlation analysis. Five different types of unidirectional glass fabric were used. The dry pre-impregnation has shown the best improvement in composite performance regardless of fabric density, unlike the wet pre-impregnation, which has its limits when the textile becomes dense

Zur Untersuchung der Schädigungs- und Versagensmechanismen eines in Beton eingebetteten Multifilamentgarns im Auszugversuch wurde die Schallemissionsanalyse zur Identifizierung und Lokalisierung von Filamentbrüchen eingesetzt. Im ersten Schritt wurden dazu die Schall emittierenden Ursachen (Filamentriss, Filamentablösung und Mikroriss im Beton) für eine Differenzierung charakterisiert. Es wurden Versuche zur Erzeugung von isolierten Signalen durchgeführt, welche mit Hilfe der Signal- und Frequenzanalyse untersucht wurden. Bei dem durchgeführten Garnauszugversuch konnte eine hohe Lokalisierungsgenauigkeit der Filamentbrüche erzielt werden. Der Schädigungsverlauf des Garns während des Auszugversuchs konnte detailliert untersucht werden.

Hochduktiler Beton ist ein mit kurzen Kunststofffasern bewehrter Hochleistungs-verbundwerkstoff auf Zementbasis, der unter Zugbelastung eine hohe nichtelastische Verformbarkeit und ein verfestigendes Materialverhalten aufweist. Dieses Verhalten wird durch die Zugabe von diskontinuierlich verteilten Kurzfasern aus Kunststoff erzielt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden einachsige Bauteilzugversuche durchgeführt auf deren Basis das globale und lokale Zugtragverhalten der großformatigen Versuchskörper beschrieben werden kann. Ausgangspunkt sind experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Tragverhalten des Stabstahls und des hochduktilen Betons sowie zu deren gemeinsamen Verbundverhalten. Die Untersuchungen zeigen, dass der Herstellungsprozess das Betongefüge und damit auch das mechanische Verhalten von hochduktilem Beton beeinflusst und dieser auf Grund seiner Zusammensetzung ein ausgeprägtes Schwindverhalten aufweist. Beides muss bei der Untersuchung großformatiger Versuchskörper berücksichtigt werden. Dazu wurden sowohl unbewehrte als auch bewehrte Dehnkörper mit unterschiedlichem Bewehrungsgehalt unter kontrollierten Herstellungsbedingungen in einem konventionellen Mischwerk hergestellt. Die Ergebnisse der experimentellen Untersuchung erlauben die Abbildung des Last-Verformungsverhaltens unter Berücksichtigung der hohen Schwindmaße durch isoliert ermittelte Spannungs-Dehnungs-Beziehungen des hochduktilen Betons und des reinen Stahls. Dieses Verfahren erlaubt eine einfache Beschreibung des kombinierten Tragverhaltens unter Berücksichtigung der rissüberbrückenden Wirkung der Fasern. / SHCC is an advanced construction material developed especially for strain-hardening, quasi-ductile behaviour. Both are achieved through the combined interaction of short polymer fibres dispersed in the cementitious matrix. The resulting tensile behaviour of SHCC is characterized by a progressive formation of multiple cracks and high strain capacity, which influences the structural behaviour especially in combination with steel reinforcement. This thesis reports on experimental investigations to analyse the load-bearing behaviour of R/SHCC members. The investigations included the determination of relevant material properties as well as uniaxial tension tests on steel reinforced slab elements. The aim was to study the effect of multiple cracking on the bond interaction with steel reinforcement and their combined load-deformation behaviour. Specific attention was also given to the influence of the production process and shrinkage behaviour of SHCC. It was shown that production and size related changes of material properties influence the cracking behaviour of SHCC, which can lead to a significant reduction of tensile strain capacity in a structural element. The interaction with steel reinforcement, on the other hand, was found to facilitate multiple cracking and enhance tensile strain capacity during the stage of elastic steel deformations. However, a mutual dependency of SHCC fracture and plastic steel deformations could be observed in the post-yielding stage of the steel rebar. The experimental results were discussed with respect to their implications for constitutive modelling of the tensile load-bearing behaviour. The resulting relationships are based upon the individual material behaviour as well as their bond interaction. Further to that, the effects of SHCC shrinkage and early strain-hardening of steel reinforcement were assessed based on the experimental data. These results contribute to the understanding of the mechanical processes in order to determine the behaviour of steel reinforced SHCC for practical applications.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Frage untersucht, ob effektive Eigenschaften von Verbunden auch nach dem Auftreten einer Dehnungslokalisierung aufgrund von entfestigendem Materialverhalten noch durch numerische Homogenisierungsmethoden berechnet werden können. Ihr Nutzen für diesen Anwendungsfall wird in der Literatur kritisch beurteilt. Aus diesem Grund werden hier systematisch alle Teilaufgaben betrachtet, die zu diesem Zweck gelöst werden müssen. Die erste dieser Aufgaben ist die Charakterisierung der einzelnen Verbundbestandteile. Zur Demonstration einer experimentell gestützten Charakterisierung wird ein glasfaserverstärktes Epoxidharz als Beispielmaterial gewählt. Neben der Beschreibung von Faser- und Matrixmaterial wird besonderes Augenmerk auf die Charakterisierung der Grenzschicht zwischen beiden gelegt. Die für die Glasfasern vorliegenden Festigkeitsmessungen entsprechen nicht der Kettenhypothese. Daher werden zahlreiche Verallgemeinerungen der Weibull-Verteilung untersucht, um störende Effekte zu erfassen. Schließlich werden Wahrscheinlichkeitsverteilungen hergeleitet, die Faserbrüche im Bereich der Einspannung einbeziehen. Die Messwerte können von diesen Verteilungen gut wiedergegeben werden. Zusätzlich macht ihre Anwendung das aufwändige Aussortieren und Wiederholen jener Experimente unnötig, bei denen der Faserbruch im Klemmbereich auftritt. Zur Modellierung der Grenzfläche wird ein Kohäsivzonengesetz entwickelt. Die Bestimmung seiner Parameter erfolgt anhand von Daten aus Pullout- und Einzelfaserfragmentierungsversuchen. Aus diesen ermittelte Festigkeiten und Energiefreisetzungsraten weisen eine sehr gute Übereinstimmung zwischen beiden Versuchen auf. Dabei erfolgt die Parameteridentifikation mithilfe von Finite-Elemente-Modellen anstatt der häufig genutzten vereinfachten analytischen Modelle, welche üblicherweise eine schlechtere Übereinstimmung erreichen. Sobald eine Dehnungslokalisierung auftritt, ist neben der Materialmodellierung auch das Homogenisierungsschema zu verallgemeinern. Zu diesem gehören die Generierung repräsentativer Volumenelemente, Randbedingungen (RB) und ein Mittelungsoperator. Anhand des aktuellen Standes der Literatur werden die Randbedingungen als ein signifikanter Schwachpunkt von Homogenisierungsverfahren erkannt. Daher erfolgt die Untersuchung periodischer RB, linearer Verschiebungsrandbedingungen und minimal kinematischer RB sowie zweier adaptiver RB, nämlich Lokalisierungspfad-ausgerichteter RB und generalisiert periodischer RB. Unter der Bezeichnung Tesselationsrandbedingungen wird ein weiterer Typ adaptiver RB vorgeschlagen. Zunächst erfolgt der Beweis, dass alle drei adaptiven RB die Hill-Mandel-Bedingung erfüllen. Des Weiteren wird mittels einer Modifikation der Hough-Transformation ein systematischer Fehler derselben bei der Bestimmung der Richtung von Lokalisierungszonen eliminiert. Schließlich werden die Eigenschaften aller Randbedingungen an verschiedenen Beispielen demonstriert. Dabei zeigt sich, dass nur Tesselationsrandbedingungen sowohl beliebige Richtungen von Lokalisierungszonen erlauben als auch fehlerhafte Lokalisierungen in Eckbereichen ausschließen. Zusammengefasst können in der Literatur geäußerte grundlegende Einschränkungen hinsichtlich der Anwendbarkeit numerischer Homogenisierungsverfahren beim Auftreten von Dehnungslokalisierungen aufgehoben werden. Homogenisierungsmethoden sind somit auch für entfestigendes Materialverhalten anwendbar. / The thesis at hand is concerned with the question if numerical homogenization schemes can be of use in deriving effective material properties of composite materials after the onset of strain localization due to strain softening. In this case, the usefulness of computational homogenization methods has been questioned in the literature. Hence, all the subtasks to be solved in order to provide a successful homogenization scheme are investigated herein. The first of those tasks is the characterization of the constituents, which form the composite. To allow for an experimentally based characterization an exemplary composite has to be chosen, which herein is a glass fiber reinforced epoxy. Hence the constituents to be characterized are the epoxy and the glass fibers. Furthermore, special attention is paid to the characterization of the interface between both materials. In case of the glass fibers, the measured strength values do not comply with the weakest link hypothesis. Numerous generalizations of the Weibull distribution are investigated, to account for interfering effects. Finally, distributions are derived, that incorporate the possibility of failure inside the clamped fiber length. Application of such a distribution may represent the measured data quite well. Additionally, it renders the cumbersome process of sorting out and repeating those tests unnecessary, where the fiber fails inside the clamps. Identifying the interface parameters of the proposed cohesive zone model relies on data from pullout and single fiber fragmentation tests. The agreement of both experiments in terms of interface strength and energy release rate is very good, where the parameters are identified by means of an evaluation based on finite element models. Also, the agreement achieved is much better than the one typically reached by an evaluation based on simplified analytical models. Beside the derivation of parameterized material models as an input, the homogenization scheme itself needs to be generalized after the onset of strain localization. In an assessment of the current state of the literature, prior to the generation of representative volume elements and the averaging operator, the boundary conditions (BC) are identified as a significant issue of such a homogenization scheme. Hence, periodic BC, linear displacement BC and minimal kinematic BC as well as two adaptive BC, namely percolation path aligned BC and generalized periodic BC are investigated. Furthermore, a third type of adaptive BC is proposed, which is called tesselation BC. Firstly, the three adaptive BC are proven to fulfill the Hill-Mandel condition. Secondly, by modifying the Hough transformation an unbiased criterion to determine the direction of the localization zone is given, which is necessary for adaptive BC. Thirdly, the properties of all the BC are demonstrated in several examples. These show that tesselation BC are the only type, that allows for arbitrary directions of localization zones, yet is totally unsusceptible to spurious localization zones in corners of representative volume elements. Altogether, fundamental objections, that have been raised in the literature against the application of homogenization in situations with strain localization, are rebutted in this thesis. Hence, the basic feasibility of homogenization schemes even in case of strain softening material behavior is shown.