Three full-scale experimental tests were conducted to investigate the strength and stiffness of weak-axis moment end-plate connections. Each test consisted of two girders connected to a column web with four-bolt extended moment end-plates. Two tests were conducted with bare steel. One test included a composite concrete slab that confined the top extension of the end-plate. Finite element models of the tests were created with the commercial software SAP2000. A simplified modeling procedure was developed to overcome the contact problems between the end-plates and column web, and between the bolts and holes in the end-plates and web. The simplified modeling procedure accurately predicted the experimental elastic stiffness, in the form of column web rotations, of the connections. Yield line theory was used to investigate the plastic strength of the column web. Several yield line patterns were examined. Analytical plastic moment strengths were very conservative when compared to the observed behavior of the column web. The experimental stiffness of the test with the concrete slab confining the top extension of the end-plate was compared to the stiffness of a similar test without a slab. The slab increased the elastic stiffness of the connection; however, after the concrete began cracking and crushing around the connection, the stiffness was greatly decreased. / Master of Science

Concrete bridge rails are rated according to three performance levels. For classification at a given performance level, the rail must meet specific strength and geometric requirements. To meet the strength requirement, the rail must be able to satisfactorily withstand a transverse concentrated load applied at the top of the rail. This load is called F_t (kips) and is listed for each performance level in the Draft NCHRP Project 12-33 document entitled Development of a Comprehensive Bridge Specification and Commentary. Researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute have developed equations to determine R_w (kips), the total transverse resistance of a rail (which must be greater than or equal to F_t), and L_c (ft), the critical length of wall failure (Hirsch 1978). These equations (referred to as Hirsch equations is this study) were developed by yield line analysis for a constant thickness concrete parapet wall. The purpose of this study is to develop similar equations for R_w and L_c based on yield line analysis of a variable thickness New Jersey concrete parapet wall instead of a constant thickness wall. The results from this study indicate that the Hirsch equations significantly over estimate R_w for variable thickness concrete walls where M_c, the flexural resistance of the wall about the horizontal axis, varies substantially over the height of the wall. This study recommends that an average value for M_c, taken over the height of the wall, be used in the Hirsch equations when this situation arises. / Master of Science

abstract: The main objective of this study is to investigate the behaviour and applications of strain hardening cement composites (SHCC). Application of SHCC for use in slabs of common configurations was studied and design procedures are prepared by employing yield line theory and integrating it with simplified tri-linear model developed in Arizona State University by Dr. Barzin Mobasher and Dr. Chote Soranakom. Intrinsic material property of moment-curvature response for SHCC was used to derive the relationship between applied load and deflection in a two-step process involving the limit state analysis and kinematically admissible displacements. For application of SHCC in structures such as shear walls, tensile and shear properties are necessary for design. Lot of research has already been done to study the tensile properties and therefore shear property study was undertaken to prepare a design guide. Shear response of textile reinforced concrete was investigated based on picture frame shear test method. The effects of orientation, volume of cement paste per layer, planar cross-section and volume fraction of textiles were investigated. Pultrusion was used for the production of textile reinforced concrete. It is an automated set-up with low equipment cost which provides uniform production and smooth final surface of the TRC. A 3-D optical non-contacting deformation measurement technique of digital image correlation (DIC) was used to conduct the image analysis on the shear samples by means of tracking the displacement field through comparison between the reference image and deformed images. DIC successfully obtained full-field strain distribution, displacement and strain versus time responses, demonstrated the bonding mechanism from perspective of strain field, and gave a relation between shear angle and shear strain. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering 2014

Thesis (MScEng)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Concrete is used in most of the modern day infrastructure. It is a building material for which there exist various design codes and guidelines for its use and construction. It is strong in compression, but lacks tensile strength in its fresh and hardened states and, when unreinforced, fails in a brittle manner. The structural use of synthetic fibres in concrete is investigated in this study to determine its effect on enhancing the mechanical properties of concrete. Slabs on grade are used as the application for which the concrete is tested. The material behaviour is investigated in parallel with two floor design theories. These are the Westegaard theory and the Yield-Line theory. The Westegaard theory uses elastic theory to calculate floor thicknesses while the Yield-Line theory includes plastic behaviour. Conceptual designs are performed with the two theories and material parameters are determined from flexural tests conducted on synthetic fibre reinforced concrete (SynFRC) specimens. Large scale slab tests are performed to verify design values from the two theories. Higher loads till first-crack were measured during tests with concrete slabs reinforced with polypropylene fibres than for unreinforced concrete. It is found that the use of synthetic fibres in concrete increases the post-crack ductility of the material. The Westegaard theory is conservative in its design approach by over-estimating design thicknesses. This was concluded as unreinforced slabs reached higher failure loads than predicted by this theory. The Yield-Line theory predicts design thicknesses more accurately while still accounting for the requirements set by the ultimate- and serviceability limit states. By using SynFRC in combination with the Yield-Line theory as design method, thinner floor slabs can be obtained than with the Westegaard theory. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beton word gebruik as boumateriaal in meeste hedendaagse infrastruktuur. Daar bestaan verskeie ontwerp kodes en riglyne vir die gebruik en oprig van beton strukture. Alhoewel beton sterk in kompressie is, het beton ‘n swak treksterkte in beide die vars- en harde fases en faal dit in ‘n bros manier indien onbewapen. Die gebruik van sintetiese vesels in beton word in hierdie projek ondersoek om die invloed daarvan op die eienskappe van die meganiesegedrag van beton te bepaal. Grond geondersteunde vloere word as toepassing gebruik. Parallel met die materiaalgedrag wat ondersoek word, word twee ontwerpsteorieë ook ondersoek. Dit is die teorie van Westegaard en die Swig-Lyn teorie. Die teorie van Westegaard gebruik elastiese teorie in ontwerpsberekeninge terwyl die Swig-Lyn teorie ‘n plastiese analise gebruik. ‘n Konseptuele vloerontwerp is gedoen deur beide die ontwerpsmetodes te gebruik. Materiaalparameters is bepaal deur buig-toetse uit te voer op sintetiesevesel-bewapende beton. Grootskaalse betonblaaie is gegiet en getoets om die akkuraatheid van die twee metodes te verifieer. Die betonblaaie wat bewapen was met polipropileen vesels het groter laste gedra tot by faling as die blaaie wat nie bewapen was nie. Die vesels verbeter die gedrag van beton in die plastiese gebied van materiaalgedrag deurdat laste ondersteun word nadat die beton alreeds gekraak het. Die Westegaard teorie kan as konserwatief beskou word deurdat dit vloerdiktes oorskat. Hierdie stelling is gegrond op eksperimentele data wat bewys dat onbewapende betonblaaie groter laste kan dra as wat voorspel word deur die Westegaard teorie. Die Swig-Lyn teorie voorspel ontwerpsdiktes meer akkuraat terwyl daar steeds aan die vereistes van swigting en diensbaarheid voldoen word. Deur gebruik te maak van sintetiese vesels en die Swig-Lyn teorie kan dunner betonblaaie ontwerp word as met die Westegaard teorie.

Στόχος της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η διερεύνηση της αποτελεσματικότητας της ενίσχυσης στοιχείων τύπου πλάκας μέσω ενός νέου σύνθετου υλικού. Το νέο αυτό σύνθετο υλικό συντίθενται από ινοπλέγματα δύο διευθύνσεων σε ανόργανη μήτρα. Τα ινοπλέγματα αποτελούνται από ίνες άνθρακα ή ίνες υάλου, ενώ η ανόργανη μήτρα αποτελείται από κονίαμα. Ο όρος που έχει προταθεί από συγγραφείς για το νέο αυτό υλικό είναι Textile Reinforced Concrete, που στην Ελληνική γλώσσα θα μπορούσε να αποδοθεί ως Ινοπλέγματα Ανόργανης Μήτρας (ΙΑΜ). Για τον λόγο αυτό, παρασκευάσθηκαν δοκίμια τύπου πλάκας επί τεσσάρων περιμετρικών δοκών. Συνολικά κατασκευάσθηκαν τέσσερα δοκίμια τύπου πλάκας, εκ των οποίων τρία ενισχύθηκαν μέσω ΙΑΜ και ένα ήταν το δοκίμιο αναφοράς. Τα δύο δοκίμια ενισχύθηκαν με μία και δύο στρώσεις πλεγμάτων συνεχών ινών από άνθρακα, ενώ το τρίτο ενισχύθηκε μέσω εφαρμογής τριών στρώσεων πλεγμάτων συνεχών ινών υάλου. Τονίζεται πως τρεις στρώσεις πλέγματος συνεχών ινών υάλου έχουν ισοδύναμη δυστένεια με μία στρώση πλέγματος συνεχών ινών από άνθρακα. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζονται οι ιδιότητες των ινών και της ανόργανης μήτρας, καθώς επίσης και η μηχανική συμπεριφορά του σύνθετου υλικού. Τέλος, γίνεται μια ανασκόπηση της έρευνας που έχει διεξαχθεί στο Εργαστήριο Μηχανικής και Τεχνολογίας των Υλικών, γύρω από το πεδίο των ενισχύσεων μέσω ΙΑΜ στοιχείων από οπλισμένο σκυρόδεμα. Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο συνοψίζονται οι ήδη υπάρχουσες τεχνικές επισκευής και ενίσχυσης πλακών. Επίσης, αναφέρονται παραδείγματα ενισχύσεων στοιχείων τύπου πλάκας από την διεθνή βιβλιογραφία. Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο περιγράφονται οι εργασίες που πραγματοποιηθήκαν προκειμένου να κατασκευασθούν τα δοκίμια. Το κεφάλαιο αυτό χωρίζεται σε τέσσερις βασικές ενότητες. Στην πρώτη ενότητα παρουσιάζονται οι μηχανικές ιδιότητες των υλικών που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για την παρασκευή και ενίσχυση των δοκιμίων, καθώς και οι διαδικασίες μέσω των οποίων αυτές διακριβώθηκαν. Στην δεύτερη και τρίτη ενότητα, αναφέρονται οι εργασίες που διενεργήθηκαν κατά την φάση της σκυροδέτησης και της ενίσχυσης αντίστοιχα των δοκιμίων, ενώ στην τέταρτη ενότητα αναλύεται η πειραματική διαδικασία που ακολουθήθηκε. Στο τέταρτο κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζονται τα αποτελέσματα που προέκυψαν από την διεξαγωγή των πειραμάτων. Το κεφάλαιο αυτό χωρίζεται σε τρεις ενότητες. Στην πρώτη ενότητα περιγράφεται η συμπεριφορά κάθε δοκιμίου ξεχωριστά. Στην δεύτερη ενότητα γίνεται σύγκριση των αποτελεσμάτων που εξήχθησαν για όλα τα δοκίμια, ενώ στην τρίτη και τελευταία ενότητα παρουσιάζονται εν συντομία τα βασικότερα συμπεράσματα, που προέκυψαν από την πειραματική διαδικασία. Στο πέμπτο κεφάλαιο, παρουσιάζονται οι βασικές σχέσεις μέσω των οποίων μπορεί να εκτιμηθεί το φορτίο αστοχίας πλακών δύο διευθύνσεων ενισχυμένων μέσω ΙΑΜ. Για τον λόγο αυτό δίνονται προσομοιώματα και σχέσεις, ενώ στην συνέχεια συγκρίνεται το φορτίο αστοχίας εκ των προτεινόμενων σχέσεων με το καταγραφόμενο φορτίο αστοχίας. Το έκτο και τελευταίο κεφάλαιο, παραθέτει συνοπτικά τα βασικότερα αποτελέσματα της παρούσας Διατριβής Διπλώματος Ειδίκευσης. Γενικά η νέα τεχνική ενίσχυσης, είναι ιδιαίτερα αποτελεσματική, αφού αυξάνεται σημαντικά το φορτίο αστοχίας των ενισχυμένων δοκιμίων συγκριτικά με το δοκίμιο αναφοράς. Παράλληλα η συμπεριφορά του πλέγματος είναι άριστη, αφού μέχρι και την στιγμή της αστοχίας δεν παρατηρείται αποκόλλησή του από την επιφάνεια του σκυροδέματος. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί πως η αστοχία των δοκιμίων συνέβη λόγω διάτρησης. Στο τέλος του κεφαλαίου αναφέρονται προτάσεις για μελλοντική έρευνα. / The aim of the present thesis is to investigate the efficiency of a new composite material for the strengthening of two way slabs. This new material is called “Textile Reinforced Concrete - (TRC)”. It comprises textiles, that is fabric meshes made of long woven, knitted or even unwoven fiber rovings in at least two orthogonal directions, impregnated with inorganic binders such as cement based mortars. For the purposes of this study, four specimens of two way slabs were produced. Three of them were strengthened with TRC, and the remaining specimen was kept as control. Two specimens were strengthened with one and two layers of textile respectively, whose yarns consisted of carbon fibers. The third one was strengthened with three layers of textile whose yarns consisted of glass fibers. It is worth mentioning that three layers of textiles with glass fibers, are equivalent in terms of stiffness and strength with one layer of textile with carbon fiber. The first chapter analyses the properties of fibers, yarns, textiles, and those of the inorganic matrix. The principles of the bond behavior are also presented. Moreover, the work done in the area of strengthening of concrete members at the faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Patras is discussed. The second chapter summarizes the existing techniques of enhancement in strength of two way slabs. The purpose of the third chapter is to describe the course of action towards the construction of the specimens. The test procedure and measurements are also included in this chapter. The results as derived from the testing procedure are discussed in the fourth chapter of this dissertation. Comparisons of the results for each specimen are also drawn. In the fifth chapter, several experimentally and analytically based expressions have been used to evaluate the two-way capacity of slabs. The sixth chapter recapitulates the findings of the present research. It has been generally shown that the suggested technique appears to be effective. Noteworthy is the fact that all specimens experienced punching shear failure.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjami santvarinių konstrukcijų iš kvadratinių vamzdžių tiesioginio jungimo mazgų skaičiavimo ir konstravimo ypatumai. Analizuojama konstrukcinių elementų elgsena mazge ir jos sąlygojamas jungties irties pobūdis. Nagrinėjamos takumo linijos teorijos taikymo galimybės sudarant analitinius modelius. Pateikiami analitiniai modeliai, taikomi mazgų ašinės laikomosios galios skaičiavimo algoritmams sudaryti, pateikiamiems projektavimo norminiuose dokumentuose. Aprašomas mazgą sudarančių konstrukcinių elementų projektavimas pagal STR 2.05.08:2005 ir EN 1993-1-1 reikalavimus, bei mazgų ašinės laikomosios galios nustatymas pagal STR 2.05.08:2005 8-tą priedą, bei EN 1993-1-8. Darbe atlikta skaitinė projektavimo normose pateikiamų santvarinių konstrukcijų tiesioginio jungimo mazgų ašinės laikomosios galios nustatymo lyginamoji analizė. Suprojektuota santvarinė konstrukcija, kurios skaičiuojamoji schema parinkta tokia, kad būtų išanalizuoti visi projektavimo normose pateikiami tiesioginio jungimo mazgų tipai. Įrąžoms konstrukciniuose elementuose nustatyti pasinaudota kompiuterine skaičiavimo programa Staad.pro. Konstrukcinių elementų elgsenos mazge analizei pasinaudota kompiuterine programa CosmosWorks. Ištirta pagrindinių skaičiavimo algoritmuose pateikiamų rodiklių įtaka mazgo laikomąjai galiai. Norint parinkti santvaros konstrukcinius elementus ir nustatyti mazgų skaičiuotinę ašinę laikomąją galią bei atlikti skaitinę analizę buvo pasinaudota... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This master thesis considers design and estimation of truss joints between square hollow sections. Behaviuor of joints and its failure modes analyzed. The posibility to apply the yield line theory for analytical models considered. Analytical models used for determining the design capacity of the joint formulae in design guids presented. Truss members design following STR 2.05.08:2005 and EN 1993-1-1 and joint design capacity calculation following STR 2.05.08:2008 8-th annex and EN 1993-1-8 presented. It was made numerical convergence analysis between diferent design guidilines for estimating design capacity of the joint in this study. Truss structure designed, including all most commonly known joint types. Truss member loiding estimated using structural design and analysis software Staad.Pro. The behaviuor of the joint designed using finite element analysis software Cosmos.Works. Also the influence of governing joint parameters for the design capacity equations analysed. For truss structure design, capacity of the joint calculations and numerical analysis the calculation program was made using Microsoft Office Exel software.

Shotcrete (sprayed concrete) was used for the first time in 1914 and has become of  growing importance in stabilizing the excavated tunnel sections over the past century.  Even though the technology develops, there are some difficult tasks such as the design of a bolt anchored tunnel lining made of shotcrete. A proven and established design method does not exist today; instead the design of tunnel linings are based on trial and error or experience from similar projects. One method used today, to determine the actual structural behavior of fiber reinforced shotcrete, is the standard beam test method. Previous studies have shown that the beam method gives scattered results since the testing volume are relatively small and the fibers might be unevenly distributed.  In 1998, an alternative to determine the actual structural behavior of reinforced shotcrete was proposed, based on using round determinate panels. In 2004 this method became a part of the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM, standards. The method has the potential of becoming a major, reliable test procedure that better reproduce the behavior of reinforced shotcrete in situ, compared to test beams. An experimental test series was performed to compare the different testing methods in terms of data variability and validity, in the laboratory of Vattenfall in Älvkarleby. The experiment was performed on 30 specimens in total, with five different concrete recipes. The difference in the recipe was the fiber and cement content. The round panels are designed according to ASTM C-1550 and the beams according to SS-EN14488-3. The results from the experiment is here presented and evaluated, and also including the data variability and validity for the proposed method. The two basic testing methods of using beams and round panels are investigated, compared and evaluated, and their advantages and disadvantages discussed. / Sprutbetong användes första gången år 1914 och har under det gångna århundradet blivit allt viktigare för att stabilisera utsprängda tunnelsektioner. Trots att tekniken utvecklas finns det svårigheter med att exempelvis utforma bultförankrade tunnelbeklädnader av sprutbetong. En beprövad och etablerad metod att konstruera sprutbetongbeklädnad existerar inte idag. Istället används erfarenhetsåterföring från tidigare projekt och/eller experimentella försök. En testmetod som används idag för att återskapa beteendet hos sprutbetong är balkförsök. Tidigare studier har däremot visat att resultaten från försöken oftast har stor spridning vilket kan bero på att brottytorna är små areor där fibrerna kan vara ojämnt fördelade vilket påverkar resultaten. År 1998 föreslogs en alternativ metod för att fastställa de mekaniska egenskaperna hos sprutbetong, baserat på användning av runda plattor. År 2004 blev denna metod en del av the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM, standarder. Metoden har potential att bli en viktigt och tillförlitligt testmetod som mer realistiskt efterliknar beteendet hos fiberarmerad sprutbetong jämfört med balkprovning. En experimentell försöksserie har genomförts hos Vattenfall i Älvkarleby, för att jämföra de två metoderna med avseende på mätosäkerhet. Försöksserien är på totalt 30 prover, där fem olika betongrecept använts. Cementmängden och fiberhalten varierade mellan de olika recepten. De runda plattorna är utförda enligt ASTM C-1550 och balkarna enligt SS-EN14488-3. Resultaten från försöken har redovisats och utvärderats, och en mätosäkerhersanalys presenteras för metoden ASTM C-1550. Korrelationen mellan resultaten från de två metoderna är beräknad och varianskoefficienten presenteras. För- och nackdelar mellan båda testmetoderna diskuteras.