The structural behavior of steel plate girders with web opening is investigated in this study. An experimental and theoretical investigation of plate girders with different types of openings in the web was conducted. Two types of web opening is investigated (square & circular) opening. The experimental work included testing of seven plate girder specimens under two point loads. Three specimens were tested to observe the influence of the circular web opening. The influence of the presence of square web openings was studied by testing other three specimens. While the last one was tested without opening as a reference (control) specimen. These specimens had the same dimensions. From experimental results the ultimate load of girders decreases with increasing opening size, and the position of plastic hinge depends on the size of hole A nonlinear 3D finite element model was deveioped using FE program ANSYS to validate the experimental results Four- nodes shell element (SHELL 181) was used to represent the steel plate. The proposed finite element model was used to study the effect of web slenderness on shear resistance of plate girder with web opening. Equation was suggested to predict the shear resistance. The analysis study give good agreement with experimental work.
In this paper, AlMg3-plates are studied through experimental and numerical using finite element representation under concentrated load at the center point. The plates of (300- × 200 mm) are clamped at the shorter ends and strengthened longitudinally by one rib at the centerline and two at different spans. the stiffened plates were modeled using a 3-D 10-node tetrahedral element with a non dimensional analysis. The models were validated using the results of tests on full-size stiffened plate specimens and were subsequently used to perform the study of the parameters presented in this paper. The parameters investigated are: the maximum stress, deflection of the plate and the position of ribs. Effect of the investigated parameters on the concentrated load strength were studied within elastic range. FEA give closer results with those of experimental and these results show that the use of two parallel ribs with a 40-mm span improves the strength of the plate. Due to these results, further investigation is presented to show the optimum thickness of the ribs at the best span.
In this study an investigation of castellated beam are presented. The experimental and analytical results of seven simple castellated beams and other one has webbed section are summarized in this study. The target of the search was to study the structural behavior and mode of failure of castellated beams which have different geometric shape of hole and varies lengths span of beams, and attempt to find out the possibility of Biodgett equation and Halleux equation to determine ultimate and limit load respectively. Four angle off cutting were used to achieve the change in the geometry of hole (45, 50, 60 and 90 degree). The specimens were made from IB 203x133x25 and were expanded to 1.5 times the standard depth. Ultimate and limit load, load-deflection relation shapes and mode of failure were presented and discussed. The experimental results showed that the ultimate and limit load of castellated beams decreases with increasing the angle of cutting and Biodgett equation gives acceptable results for estimating ultimate load when the angle of cutting 50° or less. Also it is found that the limit load of castellated beam by Haleux equation is incorrect when the angle of cutting greater than 50°. As well as ANSYS-12 was used to analysis these beams by nonlinear finite element method. Four- nodes shell element (SHELL 181) was used to represent the castellated and webbed beams. This model was validated by comparison of the experimental and numerical results of ultimate load and their corresponding modes of failure.
Composite columns are frequently used in constructing high-rise structures because they can minimize the size of the building's columns while increasing the floor plan's usable space. This study aims to create a nonlinear 3D finite element model for square composite columns designed for solid and hollow columns with various multi-skin tubes subjected to loads at eccentricities of (30 and 60) mm, compressive strength, and mesh size using the ABAQUS software. The comparison was based on the experimental data of six references of composite columns. While the compressive strength of concrete increases, the stiffness of the composite column rise. The ratio of concrete compressive strength values for composite column increased by (0, 12.3, 17.8, and 26.7 percent) for (fc'=25, 31.96, 35, and 40) MPa, respectively. The results of the different mesh sizes (20, 40, and 60) mm are showing; The experimental results and the finite element solution developed using the (20 X20) mm element correspond well. The nonlinear finite element analysis method was used, and the finite element outputs results were confirmed to be in favorable agreement with the experimental data
The principal objective of this paper is to investigation the experimental of the flexural behavior of strengthened and repaired reinforced concrete slabs with ferrocement tension zone. The result of tests on 10 simply supported one way slabs were presented, at which include 1control slab, 5strengthened slabs and 4repaired one way slabs. In the strengthened slabs, the cover of the control slab replacing with ferrocement cover, cold joint between ferrocement layer and the slab, connection type between the ferrocement layer and the slab, on the ultimate load, first crack load, the mid span-deflection, crack width and spacing were examined. In the repaired part the slabs were loaded to (55 %) of measured ultimate load of control slab, the effect of the thickness and number of wire mesh layers on crack pattern, mid span deflection and ultimate load was examined. In the repaired part the slabs were loaded to (55 %) of measured ultimate load of control slab, effect of the number of wire mesh layers of ferrocement on the mid span deflection, ultimate load and crack pattern was examined. The experimental results of strengthened and repaired slabs indicate that; the ultimate loads and mid span deflection were more effected by using ferrocement mortar at tension zone. The increase in ultimate load (8.2-18%) for strengthen slab and (9.1-17.3%) for repaired slab respect to the control slab.
This study was determined specified characteristics of Iraqi silica sand , touse it in the drinking water treatment rapid gravity filters. These properties includes grain size ,uniformity coefficient , grain shape , porosity , density , durability, chemical content and capability of solubility in the acid ..this study explained that the Iraqi silica sand has high degree at mechanical and chemical stabilities .The e filter column was operate for many cycles , the average results of raw water and treatedwater for variable values (turbidity , total suspended solids and total bacterial count) was taken . The study showed that possibility of use the Iraqi silica sand in the westernIraqi desert in the rapid gravity drinking water treatment plant filters . when the raw water has initial turbidity (5.24 NTU) ,the study and the experimental tests showedthat the average removal efficiency of turbidity , T.S.S ,and T.B.C of (82.9%,82.8%and 79.5%) respectively . when the raw water has initial turbidity (9.58 NTU) ,the study and the experimental tests showed that the average removal efficiency of turbidity , T.S.S ,and T.B.C of (79.4%,78.7% and 74.1%) respectively . when the rawwater has initial turbidity (28.35 NTU) ,the study and the experimental tests showedthat the average removal efficiency of turbidity , T.S.S ,and T.B.C of (72.6%,72.7%and 60.9%) respectively
A series of experimental tests were carried out to investigate the behavior of high strength concrete filled double skin steel tubular (HSCFDST) columns. Fourteen column specimens were tested in the present study, taking into account the effects of the shape of column cross section (circular or square), the hollowness ratio, and the slenderness ratio. For comparison, two of the tested specimens were filled with normal strength concrete. It was seen that the ultimate axial strength of the square HSCFDST columns is greater than that for circular ones, in spite of that the sectional properties were approximately equal. Also, it was found that for both circular and square column specimens, the ultimate axial strength of HSCFDST columns was inversely proportional to their hollowness and slenderness ratios. CFDST column specimens filled with high strength concrete compared with those filled with normal strength concrete increased stiffness and ultimate axial strength, but give unexpected results for the ultimate axial strength, therefore the suitable choice for the section properties of the inner steel tube is required. The experimental results and analytical approach that developed by other researchers shown good agreement.
One of the most popular non- destructive techniques is ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) which used in assessment of concrete properties. A statistical experimental program was carried out in the present study to establish an accurate relation between the UPV and the concrete compressive strength. The program involved testing of concrete cubes cast with specified test variables. The variables are the age and density of concrete. In this research, all the samples were tested by direct ultrasonic pulse velocity (DUPV) and surface ultrasonic pulse velocity (SUPV) to measure the wave velocity in concrete and the compressive strength for each sample. An experimental study was conducted to compare between the velocities of ultrasonic waves that transmitted along the two paths; direct and indirect. A total of more than 150 cubes having dimensions of 150 mm side were prepared to conduct both non-destructive and the compressive strength (destructive testing). The results from experimental program were used as input data in a statistical program (SPSS) to predict the best equation, which can represent the relation between the UPV (direct, indirect), and compressive strength, a linear equation is proposed for this purpose. The UPV measurement and compressive strength tests were carried out at the concrete age of 7, 28, 56 days. A relationship curves were drawn between DUPV, SUPV, compressive strength and density. The mixes composition in this study consists of ordinary Portland cement, fine sand, gravel, super-plasticizer, and water. All the specimens were under (20) Cº. The statistical analysis revealed that the possibility in evaluating the properties of the concrete by using direct and indirect wave velocities
Increasing the bearing capacity of shallow foundations is a significant challenge in the urban environment due to increased population growth. This paper presents the bearing capacity of circular foundations encircled by a diaphragm wall. In this study, the effects of diaphragm wall depth (0.5 D, D, 2 D) (D is the foundation diameter) of the foundation on the bearing capacity of the foundation are investigated. Varying relative densities of sand soil (loose, medium, and dense) are utilized. The results of the experimental tests show that the diaphragm wall possesses an influence upon the settlement and the foundation bearing capacity. Where, the capacity of bearing increased as the diaphragm wall depth increased. On the other side, increasing the depth leads to a decrease in the settlement ratio of about 57%. The results of experimental work also demonstrated that the best depth is between D and 2D for all types of relative densities
Concrete is by far the most widely used construction material now today. Foamed concrete is light building material with good strength as well as low thermal conductivity and easy workability; it is produced by either Mix Foam Method or Preformed Foam Method. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity(UPV) is a non destructive technique involve measuring the speed of sound through concrete in order to predict concrete strength and to detect the presence of cracking, voids, decay and other damages. This research includes three main experimental stages:- The first stage includes the production of foamed concrete and it was divided into two parts, the first part, mixing design(determination the proportions of the raw materials) was presented in the second part, the mixing procedure has been illustrated. The second stage includes preparation of samples,(i.e. molding, finishing surface, removal from molds, and curing). The third stage includes several teste to estimate properties the final product and factors influencing them, these properties include density, compressive strength, and the ultrasonic pulse velocity. From the experimental work and at the same test's age, the compressive strength and the ultrasonic pulse velocity for foamed concrete with 800 kg/m3 density were respectively (2.38 MPa,1.56 km/s)and the compressive strength and the ultrasonic pulse velocity for foamed concrete with 1200 kg/m3 density were respectively (3.7 MPa,1.96 km/s) while it were (7.8 MPa and 2.12 km/s) for foamed concrete with 1600 kg/m3 density
In this study, eight rectangular reinforced concrete beams strengthened by bottom steel plates firmly interconnected to them by headed-stud shear connectors are manufactured using self compacting concrete and tested up to failure under two point loads to demonstrate the effect of steel-plate thicknesses, lengths, and the shear-connector distributions on the behavior, ductility and strength of this type of beams. A trial mix conforming to the EFNARC Constraints had been successfully carried out to satisfy the three fresh tests of SCC, these tests are flowability, passing ability and segregation resistance. The results show that there is a substantial improvement in the flexural resistance, increasing the flexural stiffness and decreasing the ductility ratio due to thickening steel plate, On contrary, increasing the spacing between shear connectors to 50% had slight effect on the flexural resistance, but subsequent increase of their spacing to 100% had seriously lowered that resistance, The spacing between shear connectors has a primary effect on the average flexural stiffness and ductility ratio. In regard to the steel plate length, its shortening has reduced the flexural resistance significantly, decreased the average flexural stiffness and had increased the ductility ratio. The experimentally determined ultimate flexural strength had been compared with its corresponding one computed by the "Strength Method" using ACI requirements where high agreement gained between them due to the nearly perfect interaction provided by SCC. The eight composite beams had also been analyzed by the non-linear three dimensional Finite Element Analysis employing ANSYS program (release 12.1),where high agreement is achieved compared with experimental results.
ABSTRACTStudies in geotechnical engineering have the nonlinear behavior of soils. An experimental study was carried out on models of piled rafts, and four piles with a diameter of 25 mm and a length of (300, 400, and 500) mm were taken, with a raft of (180x180) mm, and compared with the piled-raft system of 180 × 180 raft and nine piles of 19 mm and 500 mm in diameter and length respectively. They were tested for raft resistance, number of piles, length, and diameter while maintaining the spacing between piles. Test results showed the raft performance improved by 76% when adding piles. The increase in the (L/D) ratio for variable (L) length leads to an increase in pile share of 87% for the groups (2×2). Also, pile share was increased by 10% with a decrease in the diameter of piles and an increase in the number of piles in the group. Therefore, the increment in each pile’s skin friction results in an increase in the bearing capacity of each pile.
ABSTRACT: In this study an attempt is made to develop a method of analysis dealing with a multi-layer composite beam, for linear material and shear connector behavior in which the slip (horizontal displacement) and uplift force (vertical displacement) are taken into consideration. The analysis is based on a approach presented by Roberts[1], which takes into consideration horizontal and vertical displacement in interfaces. The analysis led to a set of eight differential equations contains derivatives of the fourth and third order. A program based on the present analysis is built. Series of three push-out tests were carried out to investigate the capacity of shear stiffness for connectors. From these tests, load-slip curves were obtained. Also, series of multi-layer composite simply supported beams were tested. Each one consists of three layers in different material properties and dimensions. A comparison between the experimental values and numerical analysis is carried out. Close agreement is obtained with experimental values for different materials, layers thickness and shear stiffness.
Activated sludge process is considered one of the most common and highly effective methods used in aerobically biological treatment systems. The design of such systems is usually based on the biological kinetic approach considerations. The present study is concerned in determining the biological kinetic of the last part of Diyala River at AL-Rustimiyah WWTP's, Baghdad, Iraq. A completely mixed continuous flow lab-scale reactor without recycling was used for this purpose. Various detention times were adopted during the experimental work ranging from 0.723 to 3.809 days. Influent and effluent BOD5, MLVSS and MLSS for the aeration tank, among other tests were performed at different detention times, after reaching the steady state conditions, in order to generate the required data for bio-kinetic coefficients. The biological kinetics k, Y, Kd, and Ks for the last part of Diyala River at AL-Rustimiyah WWTP's were found to be 5.68 d-1, 0.75, 0.06 d-1, and 70 mg/l, respectively. These values were compared with the bio-kinetics of different types of wastes and were found to be within the typical ranges of bio-kinetic parameters for activated sludge process treating domestic wastewater, which indicates that the water at the river reach of interest is rather wastewater than pure river water.
This paper presents the testing results and numerical results of nine reinforced concrete thick slabs with and without openings. All slab specimens have the same planar dimensions (1000mm×1000mm) with three different thicknesses of (120mm,100mm,and 80mm).The slabs resting on 4 corner steel columns and tested under concentrated static loading up to failure. These slabs were also analyzed using nonlinear finite element method assuming nonlinear material properties. From the experiments, it was found that, The presence of openings in slabs supported on their four corners decreases the strength and rigidity of slabs to about (12-23) % depending on the slab thicknesses and the shape of these openings. The slabs with (circular opening) recorded a reduction in ultimate strength to about(20) % from those with square openings having an equivalent opening areas. The yielding of main steel reinforcement occurred at load about 85% of the slab ultimate load. The ultimate loads predicted by ANSYS model have showed a good agreement with the experimental results.
In this paper an experimental study of the effect of grooves on initial peak load and work done by plastic deformation of material is presented. A series of tests were conducted on polyvinylchloride PVC circular tubes with grooves and without grooves loaded statically and axially. The specimens with grooves were tested with constant depth of groove and constant axial length of groove. Load-deflection characteristics for the PVC circular tubes specimens and the influence of collapsing load were illustrated in this work. The experimental results were compared with proposed mathematical model giving a good agreement. Also in this work, it was showed that the value of plastic work decreases with increasing the number of grooves.
AbstractA full three dimensional finite element computational model is constructed for nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete curved beams. This model was presented utilizing computer program ANSYS (Version 11), which is capable of an efficient analysis of the response at different load levels including ultimate loads.This work deals with the structural analysis of concrete curved beams behaviour subjected to two concentrated loads. Concrete curved beams are widely used in building and bridge constructions. Some of the available experimental tests on reinforced concrete curved beams are theoretically analyzed. This covers load-deflection relationships, crack pattern and propagation of crack at different stages of load and ultimate load capacity. The reliability of the model is demonstrated by comparison with available experimental results and alternative numerical analyses which shows 4 – 8 % difference.
Composite beams, made up of a concrete slab and steel in the IPE steel section, are commonly used in bridges and buildings. Their main function is to enhance structural efficiency by merging the compressive strength of concrete with the tensile resistance of steel, thereby improving overall stiffness, ductility, and load-bearing capacity. This study offers an extensive review of the flexural behavior of steel-concrete composite beams, focusing on the interplay of concrete strength, shear connector types, and interaction levels in determining structural performance. It integrates experimental and numerical research to analyze critical parameters, including load-deflection behavior, shear transfer efficiency, and crack propagation at the steel-concrete interface. The study emphasizes the effect of concrete compressive strength, particularly in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) and lightweight concrete, on stiffness, ductility, and load-bearing capacity while reducing self-weight and enhancing sustainability. The study revealed that fully bonded shear connectors, using CFRP sheets and welded plates, enhance flexural capacity and stiffness. In contrast, partial bonding or pre-debonding reduces performance due to crack propagation. Indented and hot-rolled U-section connectors enhance interaction and minimize slip, while uniform distribution of shear connectors optimizes load capacity and stiffness. Lightweight concrete decreases slab weight without compromising performance, and high-performance materials such as ECC, SFRC, and UHPFRC improve strength and ductility. Numerical modeling, particularly finite element methods, and higher-order beam theories validate experimental results, providing accurate tools for predicting structural behavior under various loading and environmental conditions.
This study presents an experimental investigation performed to investigate the using of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) as an alternative to negative reinforcement in continuous RC thin slab panels. More rational way has been used by replacing negative reinforcement near interior supports by steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC). Tests were carried out on four slab panels, simply supported under single point loading. One of which were made fully with NSC, and the others were made partially with SFRC in negative moment zone. Experimental results show that the ultimate load capacity are increased (23% -58%) and the cracking loads are increased (25% -62.5%) for tested specimens strengthened with SFRC, in comparison with the reference specimens. Crack arrest mechanism of steel fibers limits crack propagation, improves the ultimate and tensile strength. So, more practical technique can be concluded from this study and employed in manufacturing of thin slabs.
One of the most important hydraulic structures which are used in irrigation systems are the broad crested weirs, which can be defined as a vertical barrier in a canal or tank side in which the water may flow freely. This weir can be used to measure the discharge and to raise the water level in the upstream. In this study the effect of longitudinal section on streamlined flow over broad crested weir has been investigated. Loss in energy, working efficiency and the coefficient of discharge have been considered. Experimental study carried out using (25) samples with six different hydraulic heads. The analysis of results indicate that the coefficient of discharge (Cd) increases with increasing Froud Number (Fr) and the most effective slope of upstream and downstream faces of the weir wear (45°) and (60°) respectively, at which the coefficient of discharge demonstrated was (0.644
This study presents an experimental research of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) properties containing waste plastic fibers (WPF). Adding waste plastics which resulting from cutting PET bottles as fibers to SCC with aspect ratio (l/d) equal to (28). To illustrate the effects of WPFs on the SCC, the current study was divided into two parts, the first part shows the effect of adding plastic fibers on the properties of fresh SCC, which include the ability flow, spread, passing and resistance to segregation, and the second part to evaluate the properties of hardened (mechanical) destructive and non-destructive, which include compression strength, flexural strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity test. One reference concrete mix was conducted and eight mixes contain WPF has been producing self-compacting concrete mixers containing a different volumetric ratio of plastic fibers (Vf) % percentages (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2) %. Three cubes samples were prepared for testing the compressive strength, three prisms were prepared for the test modules of rupture, one cylinder were prepared testing the modulus of elasticity. The experiments show that adding plastic fibers to SCC leads to an increase in the compression strength and modulus of rupture at 28-day as follows (42.30)% and (73.12)% respectively for mix ratio (1.5)% in comparison with the reference mix, which represent the best ratio of fibers, as such the results of testing the fresh concrete containing waste fibers showed that adding these fibers led a reduction in workability for SCC.
AbstractIn this paper a nonlinear finite element analysis is presented to simulate the fire resistance of reinforced concrete slabs at elevated temperatures. An eight node layered degenerated shell element utilizing Mindlin/Reissner thick plate theory with initial stiffness technique is employed. The proposed model considered cracking, crushing, and yielding of concrete and steel at high temperatures. More complicated phenomena like concrete transient thermal strain and concrete spalling are excluded in the present analysis. The validation of the proposed model is examined against experimental data of previous researches and shows good agreement.Keywords: Fire resistance, Material nonlinearity, Reinforced Concrete Slabs
A voided slab is an innovative type of reinforced concrete slab system developed recently, that has proven its excellence in terms of its structural, environmental, and economic benefits. The self-weight of a slab can be considerably reduced using different shapes of void formers like spherical, cubical, and donut. All researchers confirm that the self-weight of the slab decreases by up to 40%. Various researchers have carried out experimental and numerical studies for studying one-way flexural strength and punching shear strength of voided reinforced concrete slabs. However, the one-way or two-way flexural strength of the voided slab still needs to be acutely investigated. This paper deals with the survey on many titles of selected high impacted journals to illustrated almost criteria of investigations of these types of slabs. The main outcomes of this paper are the term environmental protection, sustainable and plastic waste reduction had a role not a little in this research, as 16% of the research on this topic were studied. Also, the plastic material governs the subject of the raw materials used to make the voids;43% of researches used this material.
Secondary clarifiers form a crucial component in gravity separation processes mainly in solid-liquid separation. They perform the crucial process of separating the activated sludge from the clarified effluent and also to concentrate the settled sludge. As treatment plants receive increasingly high wastewater flow, conventional sedimentation tanks suffer from overloading problems which result in poor performance. Inlet baffle modification by using an energy dissipating inlet (EDI) was proposed to enhance the performance in the circular clarifiers in Al-Dewanyia wastewater treatment plant. A 3-Dimensional fully mass conservative clarifier model was applied to evaluate proposed tank modification and to estimate the maximum capacity of the existing and modified clarifiers. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was formulated to describe tank performance and design parameters were obtained based on the experimental results. The study revealed that velocity and SS are better parameters than TS, BOD5, and COD to evaluate the performance of sedimentation tanks. Removal efficiencies of suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand were higher in the EDI (Baffle).
This paper presents the numerical study to simulate the flexural behavior of normal strength, high strength and hybrid reinforced concrete beams, under two points load with two different reinforcement ratio. The hybrid beam consists of two layers: the compressive layer is made of high strength concrete, and the tension layer is made of normal strength concrete. The simulation was done with a finite element model using the commercial finite element code, ANSYS (v.9.0). The concrete component material is modeled, the internal steel reinforcement modeled using ''LINK'' elements. The modeled behavior shown a good agreement with the experimental data. The maximum percentage difference in ultimate load-carrying capacity is 8% at the ultimate load level.Analytical study also included the effect of increasing the depth of the normal strength concrete for the hybrid reinforced concrete beam and the effect of increasing the compressive strength for high strength concrete and normal strength concrete respectively on the behavior and the load carrying capacity of the hybrid reinforced concrete beams.
Research in Iraq has expanded in the field of material technology involving the properties of the light-weight concrete using natural aggregate. Research work on porcelinite concrete has been carried out in several Iraqi Universities. However , despite the great practical importance of such concrete in construction fields ,very limited amount of work has been carried out to investigate the (shear strength) of structural light-weight aggregate concrete , therefore it is important to study the properties and their structural behavior. In this work an attempt is made to study shear strength of porcelinite reinforced concrete beams without (stirrups). The results have been compared with the results predicted by the equations of International codes, such as ACI 318M-02, BS-8110 codes and with some authors' equations as for, Hanson. The experimental results also have been compared with results obtained from normal weight concrete specimens that had been prepared for this purpose. The study mainly deals with the structural behavior of porcelinite reinforced concrete beams without stirrups, especially the shear strength, besides, the short-term deflection, strain and cracks. The variables are, compressive strength ranging between (23.0-29.8) MPa and reinforcement percentages ranging between (0.0174-0.0307). A total of 12 beams are tested; (9) are light weight concrete beams without stirrups and (3) are normal weight concrete beams, also without stirrups. The dimensions of all those beams are 135 * 260 * 1800 mm. The structural results more often, give values 2.9 times more than that of (ACI-02)
The present study, concern about an experimental work to study the stress-strain relationship of steel-fiber reinforced polymer modified concrete under compression. Four different mixes with weight proportions of (1:2:4) were used as; normal weight concrete (NC), polymer modified concrete (PMC) with (10%) of cement weight and two mixes of steel-fiber polymer modified concrete with (1%) and (2%) volume fraction of steel fiber, (SMPC). The influences of polymer and fiber addition on peak stress, strain at peak stress and the stress-strain curve were investigated for concrete mixes used. For all selected mixes, cubes (150×150×150mm) were made for compressive strength test at (28) days while stress-strain test was caried out on cylinders (150 mm 300 mm) at the same age. Results showed an improvement in compressive strength of polymer modified concrete (PMC) over reference mix, the maximum increase of it was (13.2 %) at age of (28) days. There is also an increase in compressive strength with increasing of steel fibers content with comparison to normal concrete, the maximum increases of it were (19.6% and 25.2%) of mixes with 1% and 2% fiber content by volume respectively. In terms of modulus of elasticity, the addition of polymer and the presence of fibers cause a significant increase in it. The peak of stress- strain curve for normal strength concrete (Mix No.1) was linear whereas it was more sharp for the other mixes. The behaviour of normal strength concrete (Mix No.1) was linear up to 20 % of ultimate strength, while for the mixes with the higher strength i.e. polymer modified concrete and fibers reinforced concrete (Mixes No.2, 3 and 4) the linear portion increases up to about 50 % of ultimate strength
The main objective of this study is to get more information about the flexural behavior of composite reinforced concrete slabs using two layer of concrete, first layer is light weight concrete (LWC), and second layer is normal weight concrete (NWC), through an experimental tests carried out on five samples different in their details and the position of the concrete type layer within the slabs. In this study, simply supported slabs subjected to one point load were adopted. The effect of concrete grade for the (LWC) was also studied. The light weight coarse aggregate which that used in this study is the expanded light clay aggregate (LECA). Using this type of light aggregate in concrete leads to reducing the weight of composite concrete slabs about (11.4%-17.5%). In this study, one grade of NWC was used of (25 MPa), while three of grade types were adopted for LWC (25 MPa, 18 MPa, 15 MPa).
In this paper, a practical method of analysis of the pile displacements is proposed on the basis of the theory of load-transfer curves widely used in pile design and analysis. The parameters of the load-transfer curves for piles under axial load (called t-z, q-z curves) or lateral load (called P-Y curves) were correlated with the number of blows Nspt measured during the standard penetration test (SPT). Well documented case histories of full-scale axial or lateral loading tests on single piles in sand were collected, and the analysis of the experimental results led to define the parameters of the load-transfer curves. Two practical methods of computation of a single pile under an axial load or a lateral load were proposed to be used within the scope of a pile foundation project. At last, a validation process of the load-transfer curves was undertaken by direct comparison of the predicted pile displacements to those measured during other pile loading tests, which showed a good predictive capability of the two proposed methods
An experimental investigation was conducted to study the strength, behaviour and deflection characteristics of two way slabs made with both self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and conventional concrete (CC). Six concrete slabs were tested to failure under simply supported uniform by distributed loading conditions. The variables were concrete type and macro synthetic fibres ratio (0%, 0.07% and 0.14%). The performance was evaluated based on crack pattern, ultimate load, load-deflection response and failure mode. The results showed that the ultimate strength of SCC slabs was larger than that of their CC counterparts. The results also showed an improvement of the behaviour and strength of slabs by adding the synthetic fibres.
This paper presents the experimental results of eight slabs made of Ferrocement. All specimens were )700mm (long, )300mm (wide and )50mm (thick. These specimens were divided into two groups (The first group has four specimens coursed of normal sand gradient and in the other four specimens, the sand that passing from sieve No. 8 was neglected), to investigate behavior of slabs under bending effect and studying the cracks that generated after bending then, comparing the results between these two groups. A thin square welded wire mesh was used as reinforcement. The number of wire mesh layers was varied between 0 to 3 layers. Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Test was used to detect the cracks. The results showed that there was a slight rise in bending for first group slabs compared with second group slabs. Maximum bending strength was achieved for both slab groups with 3 layers of wire mesh. it was shown that there was a significant convergence in the load values required to cause appearing of the first crack and final failure for the two groups. The percentage of ultimate load between slab reinforced with 3 layers and without reinforcement was (25.27%) for the first group, while the increase in ultimate load for a specimen that reinforced with 3 layers was (24.16%) compared to specimen without reinforcement for the same group. On the other hand, the results showed an improvement in the performance of the second group slabs due to its resistance to appearing of cracks resulted from bending. The percentage of increasing cracks after bending for the unreinforced specimen in group 1 was (9%) compared with the unreinforced slab in group 2. Whereas the numbers of cracks number in slab reinforced with 1 and 2 layers in the second group were less than slabs with 1 and 2 layers in the first group about (8.86 %) and (7.77%), respectively. While this percentage for a specimen with 3 layers in group 2 was about (8.62%) less compared to the specimen with 3 layers in group 1..
The current research’s purpose is to examine how Ultra-High Performance Fiber Concrete (UHPFC) holds up in terms of strength and durability for strengthening purposes. For this reason, the experimental and the theoretical studies in this research attempted to assess different fresh and hardened properties of a variety of ultra-high performance combinations. Steel fibers were utilized to differentiate all of the program's combinations at percentages of 0.25 %, 0.5 %, 0.75 %, 1%, and 1.25 % by volume. Mini flow slump, compressive and flexural strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, water absorption, and porosity tests were all used to examine the performance of the strength and durability of the material. The findings of this study's trials showed that steel fibers increased the strength of UHPFC. The steel fiber ratio of 1% gave the maximum compressive strength, whereas 1.25 percent yielded the highest flexural strength. Because the fibers function as a bridge, preventing internal breaking, the tensile test results were improved as the proportion of steel fiber rises. Through the use of the multi-objective optimization approach, the optimal ratio of fibers was chosen at the end of the laboratory work since it has the best durability and strength characteristics. Statistical software (Minitab 2018) was used to find the optimal combination of UHPFC that meets all of the requirements. The theoretical selected optimum ratio of 0.77% of fibers obtained from the optimization was evaluated and validated experimentally. The optimized mix provided 90.28 MPa, 14.6 MPa, and 20.2 MPa for compressive, splitting tensile and flexural tests respectively with better durability performance compared to other mixes prepared in this investigation.
Abstract In this study the hydraulic performance of single step broad-crested weir was improved. Through analyzing the parameters that have effect on the shape of the step and its influence on the flow characteristics, and energy dissipation percent (E%) downstream (D/S) of the weir. The differential equation of gradually varied flow for the water surface profile over the weir was solved analytically .Furthermore, empirical relations for E% and discharge coefficient (Cd) due to the affecting factors were derived .The results showed that the weir model when the ratio of the length of D/S step to the length of the weir L2/L1=0.5 gives a higher E% in comparison with other weir models. Three types of flow regimes were observed, nappe flow below 350 cm3 /s/cm, transition flow 350-700 cm3/s/cm and skimming flow upper than 700 cm3/s/cm . The comparison between calculated values by the differential equation of gradually varied flow and experimental values gives a good agreement, the maximum difference is about 7%.Two empirical relations were obtained, the first to estimate Cd in terms of the ratio for upstream U/S water head to U/S weir height H/P1 and L2/L1. While the second relation to estimate E% in terms of the ratio for D/S water head to U/S weir height h/P1, L2/L1 and the Froude number Fr2 with a high correlation coefficient . Key words: Hydraulics; weirs ; performance ; dissipation energy.
This study program has been arranged to test the behavior of punching shear for concrete slabs reinforced by an embedded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcements. However, the shear resistance of concrete members in general and especially punching shear of two-way RC slabs, reinforced by GFRP bars has not yet been fully investigated. Seven decades ago, many researches have been carried out on punching shear resistance of slabs reinforced by conventional steel and several design methods were created. However, these methods can be not easily applied to FRP-reinforced concrete slabs due to the difference in mechanical properties between (FRP) and steel reinforcement. sixteen specimens are to be cast in lab within two categories of reinforcements such as GFRP and equivalent steel reinforcements. In addition, based on experimental data obtained from the author’s study and ACI model, the paper performed an evaluation of accuracy of proposed model. The results from the evaluation show that the ACI-formula gave inaccurate results with a large scatter in comparison with the test results of this study. A new design formula can be proposed for more accurate estimation of punching shear resistance of (GFRP) specimens.
This paper presents a new and improved design procedure in shear for reinforced concrete normal members without shear reinforcement (stirrups) using the techniques of dimensional analysis and multiple regression analysis. A total of 334 data sets have been obtained from existing sources of reinforced concrete shear test results covering a wide range of beam properties and test methods. The proposed equation is applied to existing test data for these reinforced concrete normal beams (shear span to depth ratio (a/d) greater than or equals to 2.0) and the results are compared with those predicated by ACI and BS codes. It can be also noted that the test results are in better agreement with the proposed cracking shear strength equation because of the excellent correlation between experimental results and theoretical values.
The concept of sustainability was developed in the last years and included the construction industry to solve the issues that pertaining by high consumption of natural sources, environmental pollution and high amount production of solid wastes. On the other hand, the plastics generation is growing exponentially every year, especially, types of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) that are used to produce soft drinks bottles, this study attempts to apply the concept of sustainability and reduce the environmental pollution by cutting the plastic bottles (PET) as small fibers added to the ordinary concrete to improve the shear and tensile strength of reinforced concrete beams. For this purpose, the experimental work was carried out to study the effect of waste plastic fibers (PET) on the shear behavior of seven reinforced concrete beams with dimensions of (100×150×1200) mm that were designed to fail in shear, the fibers percentages that were used in this study are (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25 and 1.5%). Also, the influence of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) fibers on the mechanical properties of concrete was studied such as: workability, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, static modulus of elasticity and ultrasonic pulse velocity.
The objective of this paper is reduced the electrical energy which used in air-condition system by replaced the common roofing system by the another which more suitable for hot climate area. The researcher was build (1x1x3)m sample room at 3rd floor in building at Baghdad city (33.2 °N) for 200mm polystiran thermal insulation for other room surfaces and air-conditioner of 0.5 Ton of refrigeration capacity is used to maintain the standard thermal comfort, the roof thermal behavior study for 15 hr/day, at day 21 from five each months (Jan, March, June, July & September). It was found the suggested roofing system reduced the dead load by 300kg/m2 and the electrical energy which used in air-conditioning system reduced by 37% when used open air gap was used, and become 30% when has used closed air gap has used and became 27% relation to ordinary system.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber is a green-friendly fiber that is capable of enhancing the mechanical properties of wet-mixing shotcrete. The main purpose of this study is to see how varied volumes of waste plastic fibers (WPF) affect the flowability and mechanical properties of wet-mix shotcrete. For this aim, a variety of experimental tests based on WPF content were chosen. Fresh and mechanical tests included slump, T500, density, compressive strength, and splitting strength were applied. The results shown a improved in shotcrete performance as the WPF content increased. Among all fitting correlations, density and compressive strength revealed the strongest linear ship association. Due to greater interlocking between WPF and concrete matrix, WPF was a major use in enhancing splitting tensile strength. WPF had the most influence on splitting strength, with 23–31 percent, 7–23 percent, and 6–38 percent for 7, 14, and 28-day, respectively.
AbstractSemi-empirical equation for water flow through packed bed of sphere particles of mono size packing system has been estimated depending on Buckingham theorem. Different parameters affecting the pressure drop of fluid flow through packed bed have been studied. These parameters are fluid velocity, bed porosity, bed diameter, sphericity, particle diameter, packing height and wall effect. Several types and kinds of packing materials have been used in this study such as (Pea Gravel, Marbles, Glass Marbles, Black Marbles, Clear Marbles, Acrylic balls and Glass spheres). The diameters of the packing materials used in this model are from the range of (0.2-8.89) cm, the porosity is from the range of (0.3-0.47), the bed diameters is from the range of (7.62 - 15.24) cm and the height of packing is from the range of (26.03 - 55.88) cm. πThe results of all calculations for the estimated equations have been compared with many documented experimental literatures. This comparison gave a very good agreement, and has been represented in curves. The results from Ergun equation using similar conditions have been represented in the curves for the sake of comparison.
This study presents an investigation of the mechanical properties of normal concrete reinforced with discarded steel fibers (DSFs) resulting from tire manufacturing. DSFs were added to concrete in two different volume fractions of (0.25 %, and 0.5 %), and these fibers have dimensions of (40 mm length×0.92 mm diameter). The results showed that the compressive strength of the concrete was enhanced by (8.8%, and 3.3%) by adding of DSFs. However, the workability of concrete decreased at all added ratios. While the density is slightly changed. Also, the results indicate that the modulus of elasticity shows slight increases by (3.06%, and 2.25%). Additionally, the incorporation of DSFs improves the splitting tensile strength and modulus of rupture significantly. For concrete mixes having volume fractions of 0.25% and 0.5%, the splitting tensile increased by (7.89%, and 23.68%), and the modulus of rupture increased by (6.67% and 25.58%), respectively. It was concluded that using this type of discarded fibers can improve the mechanical properties of concrete as an alternative type for other types of industrial fibers.
The object of this paper was reduced the heat transferred quantities from or to internal building space by covering it's external walls with many materials, therefore, the researcher build the (1x1x2) m room sample at 3rd floor for building in Baghdad city (L = 33.2 N°), and (1x2)m wall has East orientation , while the other surfaces were insulated by 200 mm styropor sheets, and using Air – Conditioner 0.5 Ton of refrigeration to afford the standard thermal comfort. The researcher found that, the metal sheet painted with thermal plastic paint with 10 mm thermal insulation used as a cover layer for ordinary wall saved 57% from electrical energy consumption in Air-Conditioner, while used that material without insulation layer gives 46.2% , hollow plastic board (for decorative used) gives 42.5% , hollow faced brick with thermal insulation gives 40.22%, solid flooring brick with thermal insulation gives 39.5% , colour metal sheets with air – gap gives 36.4%, asbestos – cement board coated by reflective aluminum paint gives 34%, the ceramic with thermal insulation gives 31.9%, while all the material – marble , porcelene , hallan stone , fiberglass sheets with 10 mm thermal insulation will gives the electrical energy reduction percentage less than 30% .
SUMMARY This research work includes three main experimental stages. The first stage includes the production of foamed concrete. It is divided into two parts; in the first, mixing design (determination of the proportions of the raw materials) according to the required density was presented and in the second part, the mixing procedure has been illustrated. The second stage includes preparation of samples,(i.e. molding, finishing surface, removal from molds and curing). The third stage includes several tests to estimate properties of the final product and factors influencing them . These properties include density , compressive strength , splitting tensile strength and flexural strength. For foamed concrete with 800 kg/m3 density, the 28-day compressive strength is from (1.334 MPa) to (2.323 MPa), while with 1600 kg/m3 density, the strength is from (7.015 MPa) to (9.591 MPa). For 1600 kg/m3 density foamed concrete, the 28-day flexural strength range is from (1.08 MPa) to (2.205 MPa).
Nonlinear numerical analysis of nine reinforced concrete beams with dimensions (150 x 200 x 1200) width, height and length, respectively, was carried out through the finite element theory using the ANSYS software (version 15) to know the effect of different properties of layers in the one beam on the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams. The beams are consisting from two layers for the one cross-section. three beams are similar properties layers and the other six are with different properties layers. The beams differ among them depending on the percentage of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers added, the location of the fibrous concrete layer as well as the thickness of the layer. PET fibers were added in proportions (0%,0.5%, and 1%) from volume of the one layer, with dimension (50 x 4 x 0.3) mm length, width, and thickness respectively. All beams are reinforced with steel reinforcement (6 mm diameter at the top, 10 mm diameter for reinforcement against shear and 12 mm diameter in the tension area). The mechanical properties of each type of mixture have been studied. It was found that the different properties of the layers significantly affected the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams. Also the results of the numerical modeling were very close to the laboratory results obtained from the practical study, where the largest difference between the two studies was 8% and 11% for the load and deflection respectively at the ultimate point
AbstractDeflection of partially prestressed concrete beams is investigated using the finite element method taking in to account the plasticity of steel, nonlinearity of concrete in compression and tension softening of concrete. Embedded bar approach is used to represent the steel reinforcement and prestressing tendon in concrete layer. Elastic perfectly-plastic approach has been employed to model the compressive behaviour of the concrete.The yield condition is formulated in terms of the first two-stress invariants. The movement of the subsequent loading surfaces is controlled by the hardening rule, which is extrapolated from the uniaxial stress-strain relationship defined by a parabolic function. Concrete crushing is a strain controlled phenomenon, and can be monitored by a fracture surface similar to the yield surface. A smeared fixed crack approach is used to model the behaviour of the cracked concrete, with a tensile strength criterion to predict crack initiation. The steel is considered as an elastic perfectly plastic material with linear strain hardening, steel reinforcement is assumed to have similar tensile and compressive stress-strain relationship. The calculated and the observed effects have shown a satisfactory agreement compared with experimental results.
In recent years, a number of researchers have adopted the wet packing (WP) approach to design different types of concrete mixes. Particle grading is a key to the optimization of the wet compactness density; for that reason, all empty spaces that exist in between large-size particles need to be completely filled with particles of smaller size. Previously-conducted studies in this field have been focused on measuring the particle size distribution’s packing density (PD) of the of granular matrices is the purpose of investigating how to increase the PD of cementitious materials. Thus, literature lacks models capable of predicting the optimal PD value. The current study collected and analyzed 216 datasets in order to construct a model for accurate prediction of PD. The main datasets were organized into two categories: modeling datasets and validation datasets. To configure the model in the best way, a hybrid gravitational search algorithm-artificial neural network (GSA-ANN) was also developed in this study. The findings confirmed ANN as an effective alternative for measuring the ultimate PD of cementitious pastes. ANN provided high levels of accuracy, practicality, and effectiveness in the process of predicting the PD value. Based on the final results, the implementation of the hybrid GSA-ANN technique causes a significant decrease in the number of tests conducted on experimental samples, which results in not only saving time and money, but also reducing the CO2 emission volume.
The use of externally bonded composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) sheets is a modern and convenient way for strengthening and repairing reinforced concrete (RC) beams. This study presents experimental investigations on the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened by unsymmetrical CFRP sheets with various configurations. Effects of number of which strengthened faces of strengthening and fiber direction on the flexural strength of RC beams are examined. Six RC beams with dimensions of 100 mm * 220 mm were casted and tested under two points loading. One beam considered as a reference (unstrengthened) beam. Five residual beams were strengthened using CFRP sheets with various configurations. From the results, it was observed that all strengthened beams showed higher ultimate load capacity than that of the control beam. On the other hand, it was found that a progressive reduction in flexural ductility and toughness of beams with strengthening in one face and two faces with horizontal fiber direction. The highest decrease in flexural ductility and toughness for strengthened beams with horizontal fiber direction in comparison to control beam were 63% and 54%, respectively. On the contrary, the flexural ductility and toughness of strengthened beams increased with strengthening by vertical fiber direction. Additionally, the maximum percentage of increase in flexural ductility and toughness were 41% and 54%, respectively in comparison with control beam.
In this study practical tests for thermal conductivity are done on twenty one specimens for seven types of cement mortar contains different types of cement available in local markets for Kirkuk city in the same standard conditions. Heat flow amounts within the specimens are calculated using Fourier law for conduction. Comparison between practical results and theoretical values depended in references for calculating thermal loads in concrete walls gave good agreement. Test results for specimen No. (7) for cement of Al-Sulaimanya company gave minimum value for thermal conductivity, which was (1.162 W/m.oC), and maximum value was for specimen No. (4) for Iranian cement, which was (1.55 W/m.oC) and for specimen No. (3) for cement of Bazian company, which was (1.52 W/m.oC). Results of thermal conductivity for all the other specimens were within the depended theoretical value. Minimum heat flow within the material was for specimen No. (7) for cement of Al-Sulaimanya company, while maximum value was for specimen No. (4) for Iranian cement. Key words: thermal conductivity test, cement, mortar, heat flow, Fourier law for conduction.
This study concern with a new technology to modified the compressive strength of the thermo brick which have a main role in construction field. This research using a new local cheap additives called (tar) which is available in Iraq (Kirkuk area). The experimental program have include three type of thermo brick available in local market (Iraqi, KSA, and Kuwaiti) and these type are common used in south area of Iraq especially Basrah City. The sample has exposed to the steam of tar in different temperature. Four affecting factor are studied carefully on compressive strength of brick including, tar , brick manufacture type, number of exposing faces of brick, and the age of brick after finishing expose of brick to the tar steam. The result shows maximum compressive strength conducted are 4.4 MPa when two faces expose to tar and two hours’ time of exposing ( one hour for each face) and the modified percentage was 62% compared with reference sample (KSA type). The improvement in compressive strength of Iraqi type and Kuwaiti were 27% and 45% respectively. Furthermore the improvement of compressive strength with same condition aforementioned but for one hour exposing time (half hour on each face) are 37.5%. The chemical properties also has conducted in this study.
The design of reinforced concrete structures has traditionally relied on empirical techniques based on experience or experimental research on actual structural members. Although this approach produces a high level of precision, it is usually exceedingly costly and time-consuming. This paper studied the convergence between theoretical analysis (ACI 318-19 Equations) and numerical analysis (FEM) of eleven one way reinforced concrete slab specimens casted by shotcrete contains three types of plastic fibers including waste plastic (PET), polypropylene (PP), and hybrid (PET+PP) fibers with three addition ratios (0.35%, 0.7%, and 1%) for each type. The results concluded that the numerical analysis (ANSYS FE model) showed a good agreement with the theoretical (ACI 318-19) of one-way slab in terms of ultimate load, with a variance, and standard deviation equal to 0.00076, and 0.027 respectively. Hence, ANSYS v15 software can be used for the analysis of reinforced concrete slabs casted by shotcrete contain waste plastic fibers and polypropylene fibers.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) and the compressive strength and the flexural strength of hardened concrete when subjected to different concentrations of sulfate attacks. The specimens used in the studies were made of concrete with different water-cement ratios (w/c). The UPV measurement and compressive and flexural strengths tests were carried out for concrete specimens of ages (4-40) days. The experimental results show that the relationship between UPV and the compressive and the flexural strengths of concrete is significantly influenced by age and the concentration of sulfate attack. The UPV and the compressive strength of concrete grow with age, but the growth rate varies with w/c ratio. It is found that with the same concentration of sulfate attack, a clear relationship curve can be drawn to describe the UPV and compressive and flexural strengths of hardened concrete. This paper presents the UPV-strength relationship curves for concrete having different (w/c) ratios subjected to different concentrations of sulfate attack. These curves are thought to be suitable for prediction of hardened concrete strength with a measured UPV value when sulfate attack is considered. It is concluded that the UPV increases with the increase of the compressive and flexural strength. The observed range for UPV was (3.5 to 4.75 km/sec) corresponds to (24 to 28.5 N/mm2) for compressive strength and to (4.6 to 6.5 N/mm2) for flexural strength. The UPV decreases with the increase of the concentration of sulfate exposure. The obtained maximum reduction in UPV was 31.6% with respect to the control spacemen at age of 40 days.