Plastic shrinkage cracks, although not inherently structurally debilitating, expose the reinforcement in low-volume reinforced concrete roads to deleterious substances, which may reduce its effectiveness leading ultimately to structural failure. In un-reinforced low-volume concrete road these cracks appear unsightly and cause the road user an unpleasant riding experience. Many researchers believe that plastic shrinkage crack development remains a concern to the concrete industry, occurring in particularly large–area pours such as low-volume concrete roads, and therefore requires further research to understand their formation and minimization. This study reports findings on the effectiveness of oxyfluorinated polypropylene fibres to control plastic shrinkage cracks, and the effect the addition of ultra-fine material has on the formation and/or propagation of these cracks. Findings indicate that low volume dosages (2 kg/m³), of oxyfluorinated polypropylene fibre significantly reduced the formation of plastic shrinkage cracks under test conditions. Furthermore, that the addition of ultra-fine material in excess of 63 kg/m³ increased the formation and/or development of plastic shrinkage cracks.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T17:57:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 larissa_marques_cunha_cabral.pdf: 1240575 bytes, checksum: 527cd5d555a68768c684554d8e1cccd1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-06-09 / The work involved studying the behavior and adjustment of dosage diagram of concrete with respect to static and dynamic elastic modulus. Furthermore, it compares the models of the static elastic modulus based on the compressive strength, German, European, American and Brazilian ABNT NBR 6118 (2014) prediction - Design of Concrete Structures: procedure. Two concrete were produced with different consistency; plastic and other fluid (selfcompacting). Three traits were developed for each consistency, totaling six traits. These dosages were as varying the water / cement and cement consumption; the rebate was kept constant. A comparative analysis of the experimental results with those predicted by some standards was carried out to evaluate the level of accuracy of the same. ACI 318 (2014) was the standard that had their closest results compared to NBR 6118 (2014). Have the Eurocode and DIN 1045 standards -2 showed similar results. And the standard fib CEB - 2010, showed overestimated values in relation to other standards. Thus, we can say that the determination of elasticity of the concrete module proved consistent with the materials and dosages used. However, it is very sensitive to the composition of the trace variable, even when kept the materials. The compressive strength is one of the variables that affect the results. However, it also has great influence to change the nature of the coarse aggregate and the relative folder / coarse aggregate, for example. The dynamic ultrasonic waves through the module was also measured and compared with the static module, showing a rapid and non-destructive option to evaluate the modulus of elasticity of the concrete. / O trabalho em questão estuda o comportamento e adequação do diagrama de dosagem do concreto com relação ao módulo de elasticidade estático e dinâmico. Além disso, compara os modelos de previsão do módulo de elasticidade estático baseados na resistência à compressão das normas americana, alemã, européia, fib e a brasileira ABNT NBR 6118 (2014) - Projeto de Estruturas de Concreto: procedimento. Foram produzidos dois concretos com consistências distintas; uma plástica e outra flúida (auto adensável). Foram desenvolvidos três traços para cada consistência, totalizando assim seis traços. Essas dosagens tiveram como variáveis a relação água/cimento e o consumo de cimento; o abatimento foi mantido constante. Uma análise comparativa entre os resultados experimentais com os valores previstos por algumas normas foi realizada, avaliando o nível de precisão das mesmas. A ACI 318 (2014) foi a norma que teve seus resultados mais próximos em relação a NBR 6118 (2014). Já as normas EUROCODE 2 (2004) e DIN 1045 apresentaram resultados semelhantes. E a norma fib CEB 2010, apresentou valores superestimados em relação às demais normas. Assim, é possível afirmar que a determinação do módulo de elasticidade do concreto se mostrou coerente com os materiais e dosagens utilizadas. Contudo, é uma variável muito sensível à composição do traço, mesmo quando mantidos os materiais. A resistência à compressão é uma das variáveis que interfere nos resultados. Entretanto, tem também grande influência a variação da natureza dos agregados graúdos e a relação pasta/agregado graúdo, por exemplo. O módulo dinâmico através de ondas ultrassônicas, também foi medido e comparado com o módulo estático, mostrando-se uma opção rápida e não destrutiva de avaliar o módulo de elasticidade do concreto.

High performance concrete (HPC) provides a long lasting, durable concrete that is typically used in bridge decks due to its low permeability, high abrasion resistance, freeze-thaw resistance and strength. However, this type of concrete is highly susceptible to the deleterious effects of both autogenous and drying shrinkage. Both types of shrinkage occur when water leaves small pores , (< 50 nm) in the paste matrix to aid in hydration or is lost to the surrounding environment. Autogenous deformation (self-desiccation) occurs as the internal relative humidity decreases due to hydration of the cementitious material. Drying (and subsequent shrinkage) occurs when water is lost to the environment and continues until the internal relative humidity is equivalent to the ambient relative humidity. Typically, the magnitude of autogenous shrinkage is less than that of drying shrinkage. These two types of shrinkage do not act independently, and the total shrinkage is the aggregation of the two shrinkage mechanisms. It is imperative to minimize the amount of shrinkage in restrained members, such as bridge decks, to reduce the cracking potential. Various methods have been researched to minimize both types of shrinkage. Two methods to that have been reported to reduce shrinkage were selected for further research; internal curing using pre-soaked lightweight fine aggregate (LWFA) and shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRAs). The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term drying shrinkage performance of these two methods while reducing the external curing duration of 14 days for new bridge deck construction as specified by the Oregon Department of Transportation. In addition to monitoring drying shrinkage, durability testing was performed on concrete specimens to ensure these shrinkage mitigation methods performed at levels similar to concrete with the current mixture design. Freeze-thaw testing, permeability testing and restrained drying shrinkage testing were conducted. It was concluded that the combination of SRAs and pre-soaked LWFA was the most effective method to reduce longterm drying shrinkage for all curing durations (1, 7, and 14 day). Additionally, for durability testing, it was found that the use of SRAs performed the best in freeze-thaw testing, chloride permeability and restrained shrinkage. / Graduation date: 2012

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is relatively a new generation of concretes optimized at the nano and micro-scales to provide superior mechanical and durability properties compared to conventional and high performance concretes. Improvements in UHPC are achieved through: limiting the water-to-cementitious materials ratio (i.e., w/cm < 0.20), optimizing particle packing, eliminating coarse aggregate, using specialized materials, and implementing high temperature and high pressure curing regimes. In addition, and randomly dispersed and short fibers are typically added to enhance the material¡¦s tensile and flexural strength, ductility, and toughness. There is a specific interest in using UHPC for precast prestressed bridge girders because it has the potential to reduce maintenance costs associated with steel and conventional concrete girders, replace functionally obsolete or structurally deficient steel girders without increasing the weight or the depth of the girder, and increase bridge durability to between 75 and 100 years. UHPC girder construction differs from that of conventional reinforced concrete in that UHPC may not need transverse reinforcement due to the high tensile and shear strengths of the material. Before bridge designers specify such girders without using shear reinforcement, the long-term tensile performance of the material must be characterized. This multi-scale study provided new data and understanding of the long-term tensile performance of UHPC by assessing the effect of thermal treatment, fiber content, and stress level on the tensile creep in a large-scale study, and by characterizing the fiber-cementitious matrix interface at different curing regimes through nanoindentation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in a nano/micro-scale study. Tensile creep of UHPC was more sensitive to investigated parameters than tensile strength. Thermal treatment decreased tensile creep by about 60% after 1 year. Results suggested the possibility of achieving satisfactory microstructural refinement at the same temperature input despite the maximum temperature applied. For the first time, the presence of a 10 Ým (394 micro inch) wide porous fiber-cementitious matrix interface was demonstrated by nanoindentation and SEM for non-thermally treated UHPC only. Tensile creep at 90 days increased by 64% and 46% upon eliminating fibers for thermally and non-thermally treated UHPC, respectively. Increases in creep upon reducing the fiber content suggested that fibers carry part of the sustained load and thus reduce creep. Tensile creep strain was proportional to the stress applied up to 60% of the ultimate strength. No tensile creep failure occurred for a period of 1 year for pre-cracked UHPC under stress level of 40%. Also, no tensile creep failure occurred for a period of 90 days under stress level of 60%. Tensile creep failure occurred at stress levels of 70% and 80%. This study showed that fibers cannot be accounted for as shear reinforcement in lieu of stirrups unless micro-defect-free fiber-matrix interface is achieved.

A retirada das fôrmas e do escoramento de estruturas de concreto armado só pode ser realizada quando o concreto estiver suficientemente endurecido para resistir às ações que sobre ele atuarem e não conduzir a deformações inaceitáveis. Estes são dois condicionantes importantes impostos pela norma brasileira NBR 14931 de 2004. Para o atendimento dessas condições, o responsável pelo projeto da estrutura deve informar ao responsável pela execução da obra os valores mínimos de resistência à compressão e módulo de elasticidade que devem ser obedecidos, concomitantemente, para a retirada das fôrmas e do escoramento em determinada idade. Para se determinar a resistência à compressão in loco dos concretos em elementos estruturais é comum o recurso a ensaios destrutivos realizados em corpos de provas padronizados confeccionados do mesmo concreto que será utilizado neste elemento. Esta situação, entretanto, não configura um estrito atendimento às demandas da norma brasileira, já que são diferentes as condições dos ensaios daquelas encontradas no elemento. A presente pesquisa discute possibilidades de atendimento a estas exigências através da utilização de ensaios não destrutivos com ondas ultrassônicas associado com ferramentas de inteligência artificial. Embora o teste de ultrassom seja relativamente simples de se executar, a interpretação dos seus resultados encerra importantes dificuldades, uma vez que são influenciados por vários fatores. A pesquisa, então, explorou a possibilidade de agregar as potencialidades das simulações com Redes Neurais Artificiais com ensaios não destrutivos de ultrassom para a estimativa da resistência à compressão do concreto. Duas linhas de ação distintas foram seguidas: uma linha experimental e outra linha computacional. No programa experimental, foram confeccionados nove diferentes traços de concreto, moldados 162 corpos de prova de 10x20 cm e confeccionados 27 prismas com dimensão de 25x25x50 cm. Os corpos de prova foram rompidos em compressão em três idades diferentes 7, 28 e 60 dias e foram realizadas leituras de ultrassom nos prismas nestas mesmas idades. De posse dos resultados do programa experimental, foram realizadas simulações computacionais com Redes Neurais Artificiais com vistas à obtenção de um mapeamento entre as variáveis de entrada do problema - comprimento dos prismas, teor de metacaulim, diâmetro dos agregados, idade dos corpos de prova e velocidade ultra-sônica e a variável de saída de interesse a resistência à compressão. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a simulação com redes neurais associada a ensaios de ultrassom se constituem em importantes ferramentas para se avaliar a resistência à compressão de concretos / Stripping of formworks in reinforced concrete structures can only be done when concrete is hardened enough to carry the loads without generating unacceptable deformations. These are two important demands from Brazilian Code NBR 14931-2004. To get those conditions the structural design engineer should inform the building engineer the minimum values of compressive strength and elasticity modulus that must be obtained, simultaneously, to strip of the formworks on the specified age. To determine the in situ compressive strength of concrete in an specific structural elements is usual to perform destructive tests using test standard samples made with the same concrete that will be used in the element. This situation, however, does not configure a strict attendance to the demands of the Brazilian Code since the conditions of the tests in standard samples are quite different from the concrete in the structural element. The research discusses the possibilities to adopt and follow those requirements using non destructive ultrasonic waves tests associated with artificial intelligence tools. Although the ultrasound test is relatively simple to perform, the interpretation of its results brings important difficulties, since it is influenced by several factors. The research, then, explored the possibility to use potentialities of Artificial Neural Nets simulations associated with ultrasonic wave tests to estimate compressive strength of the concretes. Two distinct ways to investigate the subject were used: experimental and numerical computational simulation. In the experimental program, nine different concrete mixtures, 162 standard test samples 10x20 cm and 27 prisms with dimension of 25x25x50 cm were made. The test samples were tested in direct compression on three different ages - 7, 28 and 60 days - and ultrasonic wave tests were made in the prisms on the same ages. With the results from experimental tests, computational simulations using Artificial Neural Networks to obtain a mapping among the problem variables length of the prisms, metacaulim content, aggregate diameter, age of the test samples and ultrasonic speed - and the output properties which was the compressive strength of the concrete. Obtained results showed that the simulations with Artificial Neural Networks together with ultrasonic wave tests are import tools that can help engineers to evaluate the compressive strength of in situ concrete

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Nos últimos anos, a indústria da construção civil experimentou um forte crescimento na demanda por edifícios de múltiplos pavimentos de concreto armado. Este comportamento do mercado impulsionou construtores a acelerar todas as etapas do processo de construção, a fim de entregar a edificação em um tempo cada vez mais curto. Como decorrência deste fato, as estruturas são carregadas mais precocemente, ocasião em que as suas propriedades de resistência e deformação ainda não se encontram suficientemente maduras para suportar o carregamento construtivo que a solicita. Com a finalidade de compreender quais consequências são provocadas por esse carregamento prematuro da estrutura e analisar a importância dos efeitos construtivos no projeto de edificações de concreto armado, o trabalho traz o resultado de análises não-lineares realizadas com o Método dos Elementos Finitos adotando uma abordagem usualmente referida como staged construction construção em estágios aplicada a uma edificação real, situada na Cidade do Recife, Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Nestas análises foram levados em consideração os efeitos da retração, fluência e envelhecimento do concreto. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que os deslocamentos verticais nos pilares, decorrentes dos efeitos construtivos, são fortemente alterados quando comparados com os deslocamentos verticais resultantes da análise sem a consideração dos estágios de construção. A não consideração desses efeitos construtivos podem, em alguns casos, conduzir a manifestações patológicas importantes na edificação. / The building industry has experienced in recent years a strong growth in demand in general and in the case of reinforced concrete buildings this increase has been more marked. This fact has also contributed to accelerate all stages of the production process of these constructions with more pronounced effects on the methodologies used in the constructive steps that influence directly the structural design of the building. Structures loaded at ever earlier ages, in which the strength and deformation properties of materials are not yet sufficiently mature, it is a variable that needs to be taken into account already in the design phase so that the concrete structure behaves within acceptable level of reliability taking into account design code recommendations for service life. To understand the importance of constructive effects and to assess its magnitude in the execution of reinforced concrete buildings, this paper present result from nonlinear analyses using Finite Element Method adopting an approach commonly referred as staged construction applied to a typical building found in the practice. The effects of creep and shrinkage were considered and the results obtained demonstrate that the strains due to constructive effects can, in certain cases, assume representative values which, if ignored, can lead to important pathologies in the building.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T17:57:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_rosely.pdf: 8656278 bytes, checksum: df7ba267702f306c1aff9abdbcb4d7f2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-10 / Stripping of formworks in reinforced concrete structures can only be done when concrete is hardened enough to carry the loads without generating unacceptable deformations. These are two important demands from Brazilian Code NBR 14931-2004. To get those conditions the structural design engineer should inform the building engineer the minimum values of compressive strength and elasticity modulus that must be obtained, simultaneously, to strip of the formworks on the specified age. To determine the in situ compressive strength of concrete in an specific structural elements is usual to perform destructive tests using test standard samples made with the same concrete that will be used in the element. This situation, however, does not configure a strict attendance to the demands of the Brazilian Code since the conditions of the tests in standard samples are quite different from the concrete in the structural element. The research discusses the possibilities to adopt and follow those requirements using non destructive ultrasonic waves tests associated with artificial intelligence tools. Although the ultrasound test is relatively simple to perform, the interpretation of its results brings important difficulties, since it is influenced by several factors. The research, then, explored the possibility to use potentialities of Artificial Neural Nets simulations associated with ultrasonic wave tests to estimate compressive strength of the concretes. Two distinct ways to investigate the subject were used: experimental and numerical computational simulation. In the experimental program, nine different concrete mixtures, 162 standard test samples 10x20 cm and 27 prisms with dimension of 25x25x50 cm were made. The test samples were tested in direct compression on three different ages - 7, 28 and 60 days - and ultrasonic wave tests were made in the prisms on the same ages. With the results from experimental tests, computational simulations using Artificial Neural Networks to obtain a mapping among the problem variables length of the prisms, metacaulim content, aggregate diameter, age of the test samples and ultrasonic speed - and the output properties which was the compressive strength of the concrete. Obtained results showed that the simulations with Artificial Neural Networks together with ultrasonic wave tests are import tools that can help engineers to evaluate the compressive strength of in situ concrete / A retirada das fôrmas e do escoramento de estruturas de concreto armado só pode ser realizada quando o concreto estiver suficientemente endurecido para resistir às ações que sobre ele atuarem e não conduzir a deformações inaceitáveis. Estes são dois condicionantes importantes impostos pela norma brasileira NBR 14931 de 2004. Para o atendimento dessas condições, o responsável pelo projeto da estrutura deve informar ao responsável pela execução da obra os valores mínimos de resistência à compressão e módulo de elasticidade que devem ser obedecidos, concomitantemente, para a retirada das fôrmas e do escoramento em determinada idade. Para se determinar a resistência à compressão in loco dos concretos em elementos estruturais é comum o recurso a ensaios destrutivos realizados em corpos de provas padronizados confeccionados do mesmo concreto que será utilizado neste elemento. Esta situação, entretanto, não configura um estrito atendimento às demandas da norma brasileira, já que são diferentes as condições dos ensaios daquelas encontradas no elemento. A presente pesquisa discute possibilidades de atendimento a estas exigências através da utilização de ensaios não destrutivos com ondas ultrassônicas associado com ferramentas de inteligência artificial. Embora o teste de ultrassom seja relativamente simples de se executar, a interpretação dos seus resultados encerra importantes dificuldades, uma vez que são influenciados por vários fatores. A pesquisa, então, explorou a possibilidade de agregar as potencialidades das simulações com Redes Neurais Artificiais com ensaios não destrutivos de ultrassom para a estimativa da resistência à compressão do concreto. Duas linhas de ação distintas foram seguidas: uma linha experimental e outra linha computacional. No programa experimental, foram confeccionados nove diferentes traços de concreto, moldados 162 corpos de prova de 10x20 cm e confeccionados 27 prismas com dimensão de 25x25x50 cm. Os corpos de prova foram rompidos em compressão em três idades diferentes 7, 28 e 60 dias e foram realizadas leituras de ultrassom nos prismas nestas mesmas idades. De posse dos resultados do programa experimental, foram realizadas simulações computacionais com Redes Neurais Artificiais com vistas à obtenção de um mapeamento entre as variáveis de entrada do problema - comprimento dos prismas, teor de metacaulim, diâmetro dos agregados, idade dos corpos de prova e velocidade ultra-sônica e a variável de saída de interesse a resistência à compressão. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a simulação com redes neurais associada a ensaios de ultrassom se constituem em importantes ferramentas para se avaliar a resistência à compressão de concretos

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T17:57:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ana_cecilia_ferreira_leite.pdf: 2039908 bytes, checksum: 6d86ed0d28b48ab3130af3cf03bae779 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The building industry has experienced in recent years a strong growth in demand in general and in the case of reinforced concrete buildings this increase has been more marked. This fact has also contributed to accelerate all stages of the production process of these constructions with more pronounced effects on the methodologies used in the constructive steps that influence directly the structural design of the building. Structures loaded at ever earlier ages, in which the strength and deformation properties of materials are not yet sufficiently mature, it is a variable that needs to be taken into account already in the design phase so that the concrete structure behaves within acceptable level of reliability taking into account design code recommendations for service life. To understand the importance of constructive effects and to assess its magnitude in the execution of reinforced concrete buildings, this paper present result from nonlinear analyses using Finite Element Method adopting an approach commonly referred as staged construction applied to a typical building found in the practice. The effects of creep and shrinkage were considered and the results obtained demonstrate that the strains due to constructive effects can, in certain cases, assume representative values which, if ignored, can lead to important pathologies in the building. / Nos últimos anos, a indústria da construção civil experimentou um forte crescimento na demanda por edifícios de múltiplos pavimentos de concreto armado. Este comportamento do mercado impulsionou construtores a acelerar todas as etapas do processo de construção, a fim de entregar a edificação em um tempo cada vez mais curto. Como decorrência deste fato, as estruturas são carregadas mais precocemente, ocasião em que as suas propriedades de resistência e deformação ainda não se encontram suficientemente maduras para suportar o carregamento construtivo que a solicita. Com a finalidade de compreender quais consequências são provocadas por esse carregamento prematuro da estrutura e analisar a importância dos efeitos construtivos no projeto de edificações de concreto armado, o trabalho traz o resultado de análises não-lineares realizadas com o Método dos Elementos Finitos adotando uma abordagem usualmente referida como staged construction construção em estágios aplicada a uma edificação real, situada na Cidade do Recife, Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. Nestas análises foram levados em consideração os efeitos da retração, fluência e envelhecimento do concreto. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que os deslocamentos verticais nos pilares, decorrentes dos efeitos construtivos, são fortemente alterados quando comparados com os deslocamentos verticais resultantes da análise sem a consideração dos estágios de construção. A não consideração desses efeitos construtivos podem, em alguns casos, conduzir a manifestações patológicas importantes na edificação.

It has been observed that mortar joints, where precast concrete trim and limestone building blocks are used in conjunction, tend to crack in the course of one or two years to such an extent as to admit water. It seemed possible that a difference in the thermal coefficients of the two materials might cause unequal changes in length along the joint, thereby setting up shearing stresses in the mortar, sufficient in time to destroy the bond. This investigation was undertaken in order to determine the relative rates of expansion of the local materials in question and to consider the validity or the theory that such differences might affect the mortar. The investigation and the conclusions drawn therefrom form the first part of this thesis. Part two consists of an investigation into the effects of different mixes on the thermal coefficient of such a concrete as might be suitable for the manufacture of precast trim. / M.S.