Most concrete structures are reinforced with steel bars to enhance their performance. However, engineers face two major challenges: the high cost of steel compared to concrete and congestion of reinforcement, especially in beams and beam-column joints. These issues can largely be mitigated by using high-strength (HS) steel instead of normal-strength (NS) steel. This study investigates twelve concrete beams (150 × 250 mm), divided into three groups of four specimens. The first group was reinforced with NS steel bars, the second with HS steel, and the third with a combination of both. All beams were tested under four-point bending over a clear span of 2000 mm. Grade 1860 steel (G-270) was used for the HS steel reinforcement. Results showed that achieving the same flexural strength required nearly three times more NS steel than HS steel, leading to reduced reinforcement congestion, lower material usage, and decreased labor costs. Beam specimens were reinforced with steel contents of 1.80 kg/m (NS steel), 1.76 kg/m (HS steel), and 1.66 kg/m (combined reinforcement). Beams with HS steel showed significantly higher ultimate load capacity and improved stiffness (load-deflection behavior) compared to beams with NS steel or combined reinforcement. The analysis confirmed that the applied design method offers conservative and reliable predictions.
This study examined the efficacy of Fly Ash Type F-based geopolymer binders in enhancing the impermeability of clayey soils. A clayey soil of the CL type was stabilized using geopolymer mixtures composed of fly ash activated by two different alkaline systems: (1) sodium silicate combined with lime and (2) sodium bicarbonate combined with lime. The FA binders were added at dosages of 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight of dry soil, and FA/AA was 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6. Standard falling head permeability tests were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the therapies. The experimen results indicated a marked improvement in reducing soil permeability with both alkaline activator systems. The greatest reduction was observed at a 30% replacement ratio when the sodium silicate–lime mixture was used. Beyond this level, a slight increase in permeability was recorded, which can be attributed to the excessive alkalinity of the mixture and the potential formation of microcracks. On the other hand, the sodium bicarbonate–lime system showed a consistent trend, where higher replacement levels continued to lower permeability. Overall, the study highlights that fly ash–based geopolymers, when properly optimized in terms of activator type and dosage, provide an effective and sustainable approach for improving the impermeability of clayey soils, particularly in hydraulic and geotechnical engineering applications