Nonlinear response of a structure to progressive loading may originate from two different sources viz, geometric nonlinearity and material nonlinear behaviour. For a rationally proportioned concrete structure, the material nonlinear responses are believed to contribute the major part of its total nonlinear behaviour. Geometric nonlinearities, become significant only when the structure is relatively slender. It is the material nonlinearities of reinforced concrete structures that are of interest in this investigation. Two plate bending finite elements have been generalised to include coupling of inplane actions with the bending effects. This was achieved through layering concept. One of these elements had been employed by some previous researchers. But the present formulation is different from theirs in that a numerical integration scheme is introduced to evaluate the stiffnesses and internal equivalent forces. A number of schemes for solving the nonlinear equations have been included in the present formulation. Suitability and effectiveness of these schemes in tracing the material nonlinear responses of concrete slabs have been examined. The numerical material model behaviour is based on the experimental observation reported by various authors. Readily available material characteristic properties are used in the description of the model. The overall response of reinforced concrete slabs is found to be significantly influenced by the cracking and post cracking treatment of concrete. Some form of tension stiffening scheme seems necessary to represent the structural response realistically. A number of conventional tension stiffening schemes have been incorporated, including a simple alternative formulation. The effect of different tension stiffening schemes and some other numerical parameters on the numerical solution of concrete structures have been investigated. Laboratory tests were carried out on a number of square and rectangular model slabs. The supporting arrangement and the applied loading systems were the main variables. These experimental records were later compared with the numerical predictions. Some other test results from literature have been included also.

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This thesis investigates the performance of diamond-shaped dowel joints in concrete slabs on ground under static loads. Diamond-shaped dowels have been in common use in concrete slab construction since 1996. A comprehensive literature review revealed that published studies regarding laboratory tests and finite element modelling of diamond-shaped dowel performance were limited to primary experiments and simple numerical analysis. Importantly, the limited finite element modelling has not been verified against test data, and the scant published test data lacks clarity. The results were inconclusive, unclear and there exists different recommendations for joint stability. Some recommended design data are not based on any testing, but on inferred or extrapolated data from smaller slabs with smaller dowel thicknesses. Hence, this research provides the opportunity to enlighten the design community with real data on the performance of diamond-shaped dowel joint behaviour. The research program includes experimental, numerical modelling and parametric evaluations. In the experimental investigation, testing facilities were designed and developed in the course of this research. A total of one trial and six cast-in-place slabs encompassing two slab thicknesses, two diamond-shaped dowel thicknesses, and two dowel spacing, were tested in the structures laboratory of the Division of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland. Joint gaps of 10 or 15 mm were used to simulate typical slab contraction causing by the shrinkage of concrete slabs. All tests were subjected to static loading to failure. This enabled slab joint response to be evaluated in terms of relative deflection, load transfer efficiency, load transfer, ultimate load and crack geometry. In addition to the experiments, numerical models were developed using the LUSAS finite element program. The model dimensions corresponded to those of the laboratory test specimens. The concrete slabs were modelled using a “multi-crack concrete model 94”. The test rig, diamond-shaped dowels and other materials were modelled as elastic materials. Results from the laboratory experiments were compared to the finite element results in order to validate the model. These models were then used to undertake a preliminary parametric study of diamond-shaped dowel performance. Criteria such as joint gap widths, dowel spacing, concrete property reduction, and dowel and slab thickness were investigated. The three main sections of this work - comprising laboratory testing, finite element modelling and parametric study evaluating have been combined to provide a betterinformed understanding of the performance of concrete slabs using diamond-shaped dowels.

The research presented in this thesis focuses on the accuracy of predicting deflections and cambers in partially prestressed suspended slabs. Precision in predicting this behaviour accurately is complex due to the large number of variables which affect the behaviour of suspended prestressed slabs. This level of complexity is particularly relevant for post tensioned slabs due to the numerous on site construction steps. Many of the variables are hard to determine accurately due to their tendency to be unique for each construction site. Variables such as ambient temperatures, concrete material properties, stressing times, applied loads, loading times, prop movement and humidity are all examples of these properties. Hence, when predicting the behaviour of post tensioned suspended slabs of a multi storey building there always remains a degree of uncertainty. The research presented in this thesis addresses crucial areas of this topic and ultimately aims to supply reinforced concrete designers and constructors with additional confidence when predicting this behaviour. The requirement for this project surfaced during the design stages of 151 Pirie, a multistorey building constructed in Adelaide, Australia. The design project for 151 Pirie was particularly complex due to a very ambitious construction timeline. The strict construction timeline was imposed due to the contractual agreement of early occupancy of the top three floors (of a 9 storey building). The client purchasing the top floors required functioning office space within a matter of months. This contract created a construction priority of erecting the bare structural requirements up to and including the top three floors in the shortest possible time. Fittings and services to the top three floors was then the secondary priority. Fitting and services to the lower floors (which would usually be achieved before the upper floors) would be performed at a later date. Excessive deflection limits of the slabs due to the accelerated construction were a major concern for the client. The effect on the deformation performance due to the accelerated construction was difficult to predict for the designer. Therefore, this project was born to help supply confidence to the designer and concrete supplier for this construction scenario. This research project was designed to assist in the close monitoring and recording of the construction process of 151 Pirie. Due to the nature of data collection, data from this construction site would be limited in its benefits for the current construction. However, the data obtained would be vital for future projects by providing a log of onsite slab performance data as well as explanations of delays or other general outcomes with the construction process. Therefore, the aim of this research is to present the issues that were faced, the methods used to overcome these issues as well as displaying the vast amounts of site specific data documented within this project for future reference. In this research a wide range of concrete material properties were collected and monitored closely on site as well as in the laboratory. The experimental testing created large detailed database of concrete material properties as well as other relevant factors such as surveyed deflections and construction timing. Concrete material properties were the primary focus of this research due to their direct effect on member performance. The database was sufficiently large to allow a meaningful statistical data analysis to be performed on the compressive strength (f’[subscript]c), modulus of elasticity (E[subscript]c) and tensile strength (f’[subscript] t) of the concrete samples. This analysis supplied a detailed understanding of the statistical relationship between different concrete material properties. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed, with multiple deflection and camber models, to create a statistical distribution of predicted deflections and cambers from the statistical distribution of concrete material properties. This statistical output is then critically analysed and compared to the surveyed data. Proposed improvements to the process of predicting deflections and cambers have been outlined. These improvements have then been utilised in the construction of a finite element style program. Finally, the multiple predictions of column strip and mid panel deformation are compared to the short term surveyed deflections. It is summarised that the improvements suggested and implemented in the finite style analysis yield results with a higher degree of accuracy. The accuracy and benefits of the suggested improvements has been justified and proven by the application of multiple examples and a parametric study. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1366459 / Thesis (M.Eng.Sc.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, 2009

The thesis presents the structural behaviour of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) laminated composites based on 3D elasticity formulation and finite element modeling using Abaqus. This investigation into the performance of the laminate included subjecting it to various parameters i.e. different boundary conditions, material properties and loading conditions to examine the structural responses of deformation and stress. Both analytical and numerical investigations were performed to determine the stress and displacement distributions at any point of the laminates. Other investigative work undertaken in this study includes the numerical analysis of the effect of flexural deformation of the FRP strengthened RC slab. The formulation of 3D elasticity and enforced boundary conditions were applied to establish the state equation of the laminated composites. Transfer matrix and recursive solutions were then used to produce analytical solutions which satisfied all the boundary conditions throughout all the layers of the composites. These analytical solutions were then compared with numerical analysis through one of the commercial finite element analysis programs, Abaqus. Out of wide variety of element types available in the Abaqus element library, shells and solids elements are chosen to model the composites. From these FEM results, comparison can be made to the solution obtained from the analytical. The novel work and results presented in this thesis are the analysis of fully clamped laminated composite plates. The breakthrough results of fully clamped laminated composite plate can be used as a benchmark for further investigation. These analytical solutions were verified with FEM solutions which showed that only the solid element (C3D20) exhibited close results to the exact solutions. However, FEM gave poor results on the transverse shear stresses particularly at the boundary edges. As an application of the work above, it is noticed that the FEM results for the FRP strengthened RC slab, agreed well with the experimental work conducted in the laboratory. The flexural capacity of the RC slab showed significant increase, both at service and ultimate limit states, after FRP sheets were applied at the bottom surface of the slab. Given the established and developed programming codes, exact solutions of deflection and stresses can be determined for any reduced material properties, boundary and loading conditions, using Mathematica.

This thesis presents the development and validation of a new wireless Impact Echo (IE) system for condition assessment of reinforced concrete slabs. The new IE prototype was compared with other commercially available non-destructive testing (NDT) devices used for similar purposes, namely Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Ultrasonic Pulse Echo (UPE). Monitoring and structural inspections are critical to effective management of civil infrastructure and NDTs can enhance the quality of condition assessments by providing objective visualizations of the interior of a structural element. The IE method, first developed in the 1980s, has seen few advancements in the last 20 years. The method has been standardized and used on site, but the underlying technology has become outdated. The data obtained from the transducer is difficult to interpret and requires a computer to post-process it before being usable, thus limiting the direct feedback of the method when conducting tests on-site. Because of those limitations and the test being relatively more time consuming than other alternatives, the method is lacking in usability. A new prototype IE device was designed and built by the project industry partner, FPrimeC Solutions. The methodology followed the traditional approach, but it was designed to work with today’s technology. The device is operated wirelessly via a Bluetooth connection, uses smaller-sized electronic components, and connects with a user-friendly interface on a small tablet to set-up the tests and compute the results immediately. The first part of the project focused on product development by testing iterations of the prototype and providing user feedback to improve the device and accompanying software. The second part of the project aimed to validate the new technology using a set of three large reinforced concrete slabs containing artificial defects. The studied points of interest were sound concrete, effect of boundaries and steel reinforcements, vertical cracks, presence of a hollow conduit, artificial voids and delamination. The IE results were also compared with those from commercial GPR and UPE devices. GPR was found to be the quickest method by far, although the results gathered seemed to be limited by the presence of steel reinforcement and also failed to locate certain defects. UPE was a bit slower than GPR, but was generally able to locate more accurately the artificial flaws created in the test specimens. The results showed poor definition of the flaws making it difficult sometimes to properly locate them. The UPE results also seemed to be negatively affected by the presence of reinforcement which were causing frequent abnormal values. Lastly, the IE method was used. This method was greatly improved during the first phase, but it is still a time-consuming method. The value of the data, however, has great potential when compared to the other options. It accurately located most of the flaws generated and was practically unaffected by the presence of steel reinforcing bars. Also, with further analysis of the data, it was possible to determine the depth of some of the flaws accurately. Due to the time-consuming testing phase and the longer analysis of the data required to obtain the higher quality of results, this study suggests that IE is not likely to be the best choice for a general inspection of a large area (depending on the nature of the information needed). Rather, it is suggested to first conduct a general review of the structure using a quicker method like GPR to locate the problematic areas. After that, refining the grid at key locations to test with IE should provide the best quality of data in a reasonable amount of time.

The Swedish Transport Administration has been giving the task to set up a new standard for concrete slabs for the new high-speed railway in Sweden. They are demanding that the concrete slabs must be dimensioned according to the German Beton Kalender 2000. This report will explore the results when dimensioning a slab track, according to the German Beton Kalender 2000. Moment capacity, deformation, and crack width are calculated according to two structural theories, namely slab and beam theory, and a comparison between the two methods is presented.

Neste trabalho utiliza-se uma formulação do método dos elementos de contorno (MEC) para a análise de pavimentos de edifícios, dando-se particular ênfase à análise de lajes cogumelo feita com a incorporação da não-linearidade física. Nesta formulação são consideradas as tensões normais e cisalhantes possibilitando, assim, a determinação da resistência última da estrutura. A formulação é inicialmente desenvolvida para a análise de flexão de placas utilizando-se a teoria de Reissner. A seguir, a formulação é estendida de modo a considerar a interação da placa com outros elementos, como vigas e pilares. Na interação placa-viga, o enrijecimento produzido é computado através de uma combinação com o método dos elementos finitos. Este modelo permite uma avaliação precisa dos momentos e forças cortantes nas interfaces da placa com os elementos lineares. Admite-se a ocorrência de um campo de momentos iniciais, viabilizando, dentre outros, o estudo de pavimentos com não-linearidade física. Para a análise do comportamento não-linear, implementa-se um algoritmo incremental-iterativo baseado no método da rigidez inicial. Visando-se obter uma melhor representação do comportamento do concreto armado, a integração das tensões ao longo da espessura é feita por um esquema numérico tipo gaussiano; a contribuição da armadura é feita de modo discreto considerada concentrada em seu centro geométrico. Pode-se, assim, avaliar separadamente o processo de danificação do concreto e o escoamento das armaduras. Para o concreto adota-se o modelo de dano de Mazars e para as armaduras longitudinais, um modelo elastoplástico uniaxial com endurecimento isotrópico. Quanto à absorção dos esforços oriundos das tensões cisalhantes, adota-se um modelo semelhante à idealização da treliça clássica de Ritter e Mörsch para vigas de concreto armado. Admite-se ainda que, após o início da fissuração, as tensões cisalhantes sejam absorvidas apenas pelas armaduras transversais. Para estas, adotase comportamento elástico linear. Objetivando-se a comprovação da eficiência da formulação proposta, são analisados alguns exemplos cujos resultados são comparados com resultados experimentais ou resultados de outros métodos de análise / This work deals with a formulation of the boundary element method applied to slab floor analysis with special emphasis concrete flat slabs exhibiting physical non-linearities. In this formulation normal and shear components of the stress tensor are taken into account to capture more accurately the ultimate strength of the structural element. The boundary element formulation in the context of Reissner’s plate bending theory is initially studied. Then, the formulation is extended to deal with combinations of plate elements with other elements such as beams and columns and also to incorporate internal support effects, for which full contact is assumed over small areas. The plate-beam and plate-column interaction model is based on a combination with the finite element method. Thus, this model allows an accurate evaluation of the internal forces along the plate-linear element interfaces and also over its vicinity. The presence of possible initial moment fields is also taken into account, which enables us to consider physical non-linear behaviours. The solution of the nonlinear system of algebraic equations is based on an iterative algorithm with constant matrix. In order to obtain a better modelling of the reinforced concrete slabs, the stress integrals along the thickness are performed with an appropriate gauss scheme; the reinforcement contribution is computed by considering concentrated effects at its geometric centre. Thus, the concrete degradation and the steel yielding can be independently evaluated. To represent the concrete behaviour the Mazars’ damage model has been adopted, while the steel material is governed by a uniaxial elastoplastic criterion with isotropic hardening. After the initial cracking of the concrete the shear stresses are properly transferred to the shear reinforcement using the Mörsch truss concept. The accuracy of the proposed formulation is illustrated by the analysing some practical examples. The results obtained are compared with experimental results and other numerical technique solutions

Husgrunder stödjer hela hus och ska vara stadiga nog för att ta upp husets vikt och bära byggnaden i många år utan att drabbas av problem orsakade av bland annat fukt och tjäle. Det finns tre grundkonstruktionstyper som tas upp i detta arbete. Dessa är: platta på mark, krypgrund och plintgrund. Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka konstruktion och funktion för de tre grundkonstruktionerna. Arbetet redovisar också vilka grunder som är förekommande vid nybyggnation av småhus i Örebro län, samt hur olika aktörer inom byggbranschen motiverar sina val med avseende på risken för fuktrelaterade problem. Inom detta examensarbete redovisas resultat från intervjuer med ett antal olika byggnadsaktörer som bygger med olika typer av grundkonstruktioner. Information har samlats in genom intervjuer med sakkunniga samt egen teorifördjupning i litteratur för grundkonstruktioner. Utifrån syftet med arbetet har teorin och resultaten från intervjuerna sammanställts. Platta på mark med underliggande isolering är den grundkonstruktion som framförallt väljs vid val av grundkonstruktion för nybyggnationer av småhus i Örebro län. Aktörerna upplever att denna konstruktion har många fördelar i jämförelse med de andra konstruktionerna: krypgrund och plintgrund. / Foundations support entire houses and are required to be adequately well-built to carry a building’s mass for many years without facing problems due to environmental impacts such as moisture and frost. This work covers three basic types of foundations; concrete slab, crawl space and block foundation. The aim of this work is to investigate the construction methods of the foundations mentioned above, which are used within the construction of single-family homes in the city of Örebro, Sweden. Additionally, the basis of selection of these foundations by various construction companies in respect to risk of moisture-related problems is examined. Information about the foundations is collected from scholarly literature as well as qualitative interviews with seven construction companies’ experts. Ultimately, this study found that concrete slab with underlying insulation is more commonly used within the construction of single-family homes in Örebro than the other alternatives. Operators find that this foundation has many advantages in comparison with the other foundation techniques.

Šiame darbe projektuojamas viešbutis numatomas statyti, Radviliškio r., Baisogalos miestelyje, R. Žebenkos gatvėje, su konferencijų sale ketvirtame aukšte, restoranu pirmame aukšte, gyvenamaisiais kambariais, apželdintu stogu - terasa virš trečio aukšto denginio, liftu ir pagalbinėmis patalpomis. Aprašomas sklypo planas, pastato patalpų išplanavimas, konstrukciniai sprendimai, bei inžineriniai tinklai. Suprojektuota 14,7 m metalinė santvara SN-147, suprojektuota 12 m ilgio, 2 m pločio monolitinė gelžbetoninė perdangos plokštė, ir suprojektuota kiaurymėta nepertraukto formavimo gelžbetoninė perdanga PK640-120-26,5. Sudaryta eksploatuojamo apželdinto stogo įrengimo technologinė kortelė, perdangų, santvarų montavimui ir kitų medžiagų tiekimui parinktas ratinis kranas DEMAG AG 155. Nuo pamatų iki dalinės vidaus apdailos sudaryti darbų kiekių žiniaraščiai ir pagal juos sudaryta lokalinė sąmata. / The hotel designed in this thesis is projected to be built in Radviliškis district, Baisiogala town, R. Žebenkos Street; it includes a conference hall in the fourth floor, a restaurant in the ground floor, guest rooms, a terraced roof over the third floor roofing, an elevator and the utility rooms. It describes the plan of the plot, the layout of the premises, the structural solutions, and the engineering networks. Designed a steel truss SN-147 of 14.7 m, designed a monolithic reinforced concrete floor slab of 12 metres long and 2 metres width, designed a reinforced concrete slab of a hollow core continuous formation PK640-120-26.5. Made a technological card for setting the terraced roof, a truck crane DEMAG AG 155 was chosen for assembling slabs and trusses and providing other materials. The sheets for the amount of work from the base to the partial interior finishing were formed and according to them, the local estimate was given.