No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this paper is to present the development and use of a computer program to perform an automated structural design of two dimensional static concrete structural systems. The structural systems considered herein are composed of reinforced concrete beams and columns connected by rigid joints. Structural systems composed of large numbers of joints and members may be analyzed by using the developed program. The paper presents the development of the structural analysis using the displacement method and matrix techniques and the development of the concrete axial-moment interaction criteria. This criteria is based on the ultimate strength design using the 1971 ACI Building Code requirements. A detailed sample problem of a four story concrete building structure is presented. The sample problem gives the details of computer program input and output. The presented computer program is written FORTRAN language.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry infrastructure has shown a decline in condition from 2006 to 2011, according to the Infrastructure Report Card. With the increase in population, the additional demand placed on the already ageing infrastructure together with inadequate maintenance exacerbates the deterioration of these structures. Much has been done to improve the provision of basic water services to South Africans, however to ensure that basic water services remain intact, maintenance of the existing structures is of paramount importance. The storage of potable water in a hygienic manner is essential to the water provision network, thus focus is placed on water reservoirs (in particular reinforced concrete water reservoirs). It has been identified that there is a lack of appropriate policies, practices, procedures and guidelines related to the maintenance of municipal water reservoirs. The solution that this study proposes is to develop a maintenance prioritization method for reinforced concrete water reservoirs. This method specifically provides the user (i.e facility manager) with a systematic approach to assessing and allocating a condition value to the reservoir, which is used to prioritize maintenance activities. This method follows the approach used by the TRH/TMH manuals and bridge management systems that are implemented throughout South Africa. This method includes, the breakdown of essential reservoir components thus facilitating the development of future asset registers, the deterioration mechanisms that affect these reservoirs along with the appropriate identification methodologies and the percentage contributions of each component to the overall condition of the facility. The research for the prioritization method is conducted by combining literature with feedback from industry professionals. The literature featured investigation of the components of concrete reservoirs and deterioration mechanisms that affect these components. The results of the feedback from the industry professionals indicated that some of the components contribute more to the overall condition of the facility than others. This contribution is based on the importance of the component with regard to the provision of service and safety. Thus, in the case of a concrete reservoir, the walls are more essential to the provision of service and safety than the access components, thus its contribution percentage is higher. The research suggests that if the prioritization method could successfully be implemented, it will provide the users additional information that can be used to prioritise maintenance activities at both component and network level. Further, it may allow for the development of a comprehensive asset register of concrete reservoirs and may also aid in the financial planning related to the maintenance of these structures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Departement van Waterwese en Bosbou se infrastruktuur het n afname in kondisie gradering getoon van 2006 tot 2011 volgens die Infrastruktuur Verslag Kaart. Die toename in die bevolking veroorsaak bykomende druk op die reeds verouderende infrastruktuur wat tesame met swak instandhouding die agteruitgang van hierdie strukture vererger. Baie is gedoen om die voorsiening van basiese waterdienste aan Suid-Afrikaners te verbeter, maar dit is uiters noodsaaklik dat bestaande strukture in stand gehou word om te verseker dat basiese waterdienste beskikbaar bly. Die berging van drinkwater op ’n higiëniese wyse is noodsaaklik vir die watervoorsieningsnetwerk met die gevolg dat daar op waterreservoirs, spesifiek gewapende beton waterreservoirs, gefokus word. Daar is vasgestel dat daar nie toepaslike praktyke, prosedures en riglyne met betrekking tot die instandhouding van van munisipale waterreservoirs bestaan nie. Die oplossing wat deur hierdie studie voorgestel word, is om ’n onderhoud prioritisering metode vir gewapende beton waterreservoirs te ontwikkel. Hierdie metode bied spesifiek aan die gebruiker (reservoir bestuurder) ’n sistematiese benadering om ’n toestandwaarde ten opsigte van die reservoir te bepaal en toe te wys, wat gebruik word om instandhoudingsaktiwiteite te prioritiseer. Hierdie metode volg die benadering van die TRH/TMH en brug bestuur sisteme, wat geimplimenteer word reg deur Suid Afrika. Hierdie metode sluit in die klassifiseering van hoof komponente van ’n gewapende beton reservoir wat die ontwikkeling van toekomstige bateregisters, die degenerasiemeganismes wat hierdie reservoirs beïnvloed tesame met die gepaste identifiseringsmeganismes en die bydrae volgens persentasie van elke komponent tot die algehele toestand van die fasiliteit, fasiliteer. Die navorsing ten opsigte van die prioritiserings metode is uitgevoer deur literatuur met terugvoer van bedryfskundiges te kombineer. Die literatuur wat geraadpleeg is handel oor die ondersoek na die komponente van gewapende beton reservoirs en degenerasiemeganismes wat hierdie komponente beïnvloed. Die studie dui aan dat, aan die hand van die bedryfskundiges se terugvoer, sommige komponente meer as ander tot die algehele toestand van die fasiliteit bydra. Hierdie bydrae is gebaseer op die belangrikheid van die komponent in terme van die voorsiening van dien ek veiligheid. Dus, is die geval van n beton reservoir, is die mure meer van beland as die toegans komponente in terme van voorsiening van diens en veiligheid. Die navorsing gee te kenne dat indien die prioritiserings metode suksesvol geïmplementeer kan word, dit die gebruiker bykomende inligting kan gee wat gebruik kan word om die instandhoudingsaktiviteite te prioritiseer op beide netwerk en komponente vlak. Verder, mag daar ’n omvattende bateregister van gewapende beton reservoirs ontwikkel kan word wat dus sal help met die finansiële beplanning rondom die instandhouding van hierdie strukture.

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the durability, toughness, and strength of Synthetic Fiber Reinforced Concrete after being immersed in five separate environments for one year at FAU SeaTech. The specimens were molded and reinforced with two-inch Polypropylene/Polyethylene Fibers in a concrete aggregate matrix and were cut into identical sizes. Some of these environments had accelerated parameters meant to increase degradation to simulate longevity and imitate harsh environments or seawater conditions. The environments consisted of: a high humidity locker (ideal conditions), submerged in the Intracoastal Waterway (FAU barge), seawater immersion, a wet and dry seawater immersion simulating a splash/tidal zone, and another in low pH seawater. The latter three were in an elevated temperature room (87-95°F) which produced more degradative properties. The specimens were monitored and the environments were controlled. The specimens were then evaluated using the IDT test method using force to initiate first-cracking and post-cracking behaviors. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

An experimental study was conducted on the strength and toughness characteristics of concrete made from recycled aggregate, cement and fly ash reinforced with reclaimed high density polyethylene plastic (HDPE) fibers. The objectives of the investigation were: (1) to evaluate the performance of a sustainable concrete containing up to 90% recycled materials; (2) to determine the variation of strength and toughness with a Fiber Factor incorporating length, width and amount of HDPE fibers; (3) to identify the best performing mix design based on tensile strength and toughness and (4) to provide some guidelines for the use of this sustainable composite in Civil Engineering construction. The results showed that the HDPE fiber reinforcements did not improve the compressive strength of the mixture. However, HDPE fibers improved the ductility and toughness which may be beneficial for structural and pavement applications. / by Roody Numa. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

In the United States design for fire safety follows a prescriptive code-based approach. Building codes detail the types of construction materials, assemblies, and fire suppression systems that are required for various building types. This prescriptive method has prevented structural engineers from exposure to performance-based design approaches for fire safety. The motivation for this thesis was to increase the awareness of the structural engineering field to the concepts behind structural design for fire safety. Extensive research has been published on the performance of structural steel in fire conditions, and simplified design tools already exist to describe its behavior. Such tools do not exist for reinforced concrete structures. Research on concrete has been more focused on material properties rather than structural performance. This thesis presents a simplified design tool which assesses the fire performance of reinforced concrete. An Excel-based spreadsheet application was developed for thermal analysis of concrete slabs. It accounts for different aggregate types, slab thicknesses, and fire exposures. Several analyses were performed with the spreadsheet application to examine the affect slab thickness and aggregate types have on the fire performance of concrete slabs in standard and natural fires. The results were compared with published test data and finite element software simulations to benchmark the accuracy of the proposed tool. Furthermore, methods for the design of reinforced concrete slabs in fire conditions are presented.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-133). Also available in electronic version.