RCAAP Repository

This work presents an interactive graphics computational tool for the verification of prestressed concrete beams with post-tensioned bonded tendons to the serviceability limit state (SLS) stress check according to the Brazilian code NBR 6118:2014. The tool is an add-in for Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional(r), which serves as a structural modeling platform. With data supplied by the user through a graphics user interface, the program here developed calculates all relevant prestress losses that occur throughout the structure's life-cycle, along with the prestress' equivalent loads during this period. The traditional calculation methods, obtained in the NBR 6118, are presented along with the modifications which had to be implemented in order to allow for incremental loss calculations. Usage examples and results are presented, validating the adopted methodology. At the end of the software's calculation, the user receives two outputs: the prestress' equivalent loads in the Robot model and an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet contains the resultant stresses in the beam and warns whether these are greater than the permissible stresses in the SLS stress check. The loads may then be used in other calculations, such as shear reinforcement.

AbstractThis paper proposes a methodology for obtaining the interaction curve for composite steel-concrete sections subject to combined compression and bending based on the deformation domains of reinforced concrete structures defined by ABNT NBR 6118 [1]. For this, were developed expressions for the axial force, the moment and the strains of concrete, longitudinal reinforcement and the elements comprising the metal profile in each deformation domain.Based on these expressions a computer program called MDCOMP (2014) was created. In this study the same limit values of longitudinal reinforcement strain defined by ABNT NBR 6118 [1] were used for the steel profile strains. To verify the numerical implementations performed, the interaction curves and the plastic resistance of the section obtained by MDCOMP program were compared with those determined from the recommendations of Eurocode 4 [2], of ABNT NBR 8800 [3] or literature responses.

AbstractAn experimental and numerical investigation was conducted into the factors that interfere in the shear strength of the concrete-concrete interface in structures composed of double lattice panels subjected to direct shear stress. The experimental program consisted of testing 26 direct shear models with varying widths of concrete filling of 7 cm, 9 cm and 13 cm, with smooth and rough interfaces, as well as different concrete compressive strengths in the filled region. The numerical modeling, which was performed with ANSYS software, employed solid finite elements, bar elements and contact elements, taking into account the non-linearity of the materials involved. The analyses of the experimental results under direct shear indicated that the transfer of stresses at the interface occurred with loss of adhesion. The numerical simulations indicated that the higher the geometric ratio of reinforcement the higher the direct shear strength of the structural model. In general, the slip of the models with smooth interfaces was 2 or 3 times greater than the models with rough surfaces. Numerically, the models with smooth interfaces showed a 36.61% gain in shear strength when the compressive strength in the region filled with concrete increased from 20 MPa to 28.4 MPa.

AbstractThis work aims to study the mechanical effects of reinforcement's corrosion in hyperstatic reinforced concrete beams. The focus is the probabilistic determination of individual failure scenarios change as well as global failure change along time. The limit state functions assumed describe analytically bending and shear resistance of reinforced concrete rectangular cross sections as a function of steel and concrete resistance and section dimensions. It was incorporated empirical laws that penalize the steel yield stress and the reinforcement's area along time in addition to Fick's law, which models the chloride penetration into concrete pores. The reliability theory was applied based on Monte Carlo simulation method, which assesses each individual probability of failure. The probability of global structural failure was determined based in the concept of failure tree. The results of a hyperstatic reinforced concrete beam showed that reinforcements corrosion make change into the failure scenarios modes. Therefore, unimportant failure modes in design phase become important after corrosion start.

AbstractThe knowledge on the active moving load of a bridge is crucial for the achievement of the information on the behavior of the structure, and thus foresee maintenance, repairs and better definition of the logistics of its active vehicles. This paper presents the development of the algorithms for the application of the Bridge-Weigh In Motion (B-WIM) method created by Moses for the weighing of trains during motion and also for the characterization of the rail traffic, allowing the obtainment of information like passage's train velocity and number and spacing of axles, eliminating the dynamic effect. There were implemented algorithms for the determination of the data referring to the geometry of the train and its loads, which were evaluated using a theoretical example, in which it was simulated the passage of the train over a bridge and the loads of its axles were determined with one hundred percent of precision. In addition, it was made a numerical example in finite elements of a reinforced concrete viaduct from the Carajás' Railroad, in which the developed system reached great results on the characterization and weighing of the locomotive when the constitutive equation of the Brazilian Standards was substituted by the one proposed by Collins and Mitchell.

AbstractIn the search for sustainable construction, timber construction is gaining in popularity around the world. Sustainably harvested wood stores carbon dioxide, while reforestation absorbs yet more CO2. One technique involves the combination of a concrete slab and a timber beam, where the two materials are assembled by the use of flexible connectors. Composite structures provide reduced costs, environmental benefits, a better acoustic performance, when compared to timber structures, and maintain structural safety. Composite structures combine materials with different mechanical properties. Their mechanical performance depends on the efficiency of the connection, which is designed to transmit shear longitudinal forces between the two materials and to prevent vertical detachment. This study contributes with the implementation of a finite element formulation for stress and displacement determination of composite concrete-timber beams. The deduced stiffness matrix and load vector are presented along to numerical examples. Numerical examples are compared to the analytical equations available in Eurocode 5 and to experimental data found in the literature.

AbstractElectrochemical techniques are among the most commonly techniques used for the evaluation and study of corrosion in reinforced concrete, including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a powerful technique for characterizing a wide variety of electrochemical systems and for determining the contribution of electrode or electrolytic processes in these systems. The analysis of EIS results on samples of concrete is highly complex due to overlapping arcs from simultaneous phenomena and noise measurement, of course, associated with the heterogeneity of the samples and that complicate the analysis considerably. Thus, this paper proposes a new form of analysis based on the characteristic relaxation angular frequency, w, of each phenomenon and associating the typical capacitances and frequencies.

AbstractWith the issuing of the 2014 version of the Brazilian Standard ABNT NBR 6118 - Design of Concrete Structures, several procedures followed in the designoffices shall be altered. The purpose of this paper is to furnish data to the designers, in order to facilitate the transition to the new version of the Standard. A summary of some of the main modifications with direct impact in the design is presented, being shown, among others, the topics: characteristics of the concretes of class up to C90, including the new stress-strain diagrams and respective simplification criteria for these diagrams, the new deformation domains, the values of design tensile stresses in concrete and the new criteria for limiting the depth of the neutral axis; new design criteria for designing and detailing of special elements, including the application of strut-and-tie models; new design criteria, minimum dimensions and detailing criteria for columns, walls and slabs; new criteria for considering global imperfections; new criteria for considering creep and shrinkage; new values for minimum reinforcement in pure bending; new expressions for evaluating the elasticity modulus of concrete. A new table for the design of concrete sections under pure bending is furnished, and new diagrams for designing rectangular sections under bending with compression forces are presented.

AbstractLarge quantities of waste tires are released to the environment in an undesirable way. The potential use of this waste material in geotechnical applications can contribute to reducing the tire disposal problem and to improve strength and deformation characteristics of soils. This paper presents a laboratory study on the effect of granular rubber waste tire on the physical properties of a clayey soil. Compaction tests using standard effort and consolidated-drained triaxial tests were run on soil and mixtures. The results conveyed an improvement in the cohesion and the angle of internal friction the clayey soil-granular rubber mixture, depending on the level of confining stress. These mixtures can be used like backfill material in soil retaining walls replacing the clayey soil due to its better strength and shear behavior and low unit weight. A numerical simulation was conducted for geosynthetic reinforced soil wall using the clayey soil and mixture like backfill material to analyzing the influence in this structure.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this paper is to evaluate a method based on image analysis to obtain shape parameters in crushed sand grains. There is no consensus about standards and rules for testing aggregates, the lack of methodology to prepare and conduct tests may produce incorrect results, which do not satisfactorily represent the aggregate characteristics. One way to perform these analyzes is the use of images obtained with magnifying glasses or similar equipment. To contribute to this, three experiments were prepared with samples of crushed sand from the city of Passo Fundo. The fixed and evaluated parameters were: samples preparation, zoom used for image acquisition and number of grains representative of the shape parameters. The results were statistically analyzed and significant differences were obtained to the shape factor regarding the fixed parameters, except for the number of grains needed to characterize it, which differs from the currently literature used by academic studies. According to this work it is possible to realize that it is necessary to standardize the tests for shape analysis to eliminate errors generated by the interpretation of incorrect results, which may have been generated by changes in the methodology for conducting the tests.

ABSTRACTThe chemical reaction involving the alkalis of the cement and some minerals of the concrete aggregates, the Alkali-Aggregate Reaction or, simply, the AAR, promotes swelling and material damages. Despite the development stage of the researches on this pathology effects, its solution modeling still lacks refinement. The numerical simulation is an important resource for the structural damages evaluation due to AAR, and their repairs. The aim of this work is the numerical simulation of concrete thin-walled columns, affected by the AAR, from the finite element approximation on an orthotropic nonlinear framework, and a thermodynamic model designed to the assessment of the AAR swelling, with highlight on the compressive stress, the reinforcement and the temperature influences on the phenomenon. The obtained results revealed that the AAR induced the concrete strength decrease and the consequent reduction in preventive safety margin to the material failure, being more precocious at higher temperatures.

ABSTRACTIn inspections of buildings, it is common to find structures that, well before reaching its useful life longer require repairs and reinforcements. This study examined the bond strength between concrete of different ages and between steel and concrete, focusing on the recovery of reinforced concrete structures. To analyze the bond between concrete of different ages, trials with specimens receiving three different types of treatments at the interface between the concrete were performed: brushing; brushing and mortar equal to concrete of substrate and brushing and epoxy layer. Indirect tensile tests and oblique and vertical shear tests at the interface were made . The bond stress between steel and concrete was evaluated by pull out test under the conditions of the bar inserted in the still fresh concrete and when inserted in the hardened concrete with epoxy. Results showed increased bond strength by indirect tensile stress of 15% and 37%; 4% and 12% for the adherence test by oblique shear, and 108% and 178%, for the testing of vertical shear, respectively, for the specimens whose interfaces have received, in addition to brushing, layer of mortar and epoxy bridge, compared to those who received only brushing. Insignificant loss (about 0.52%) of bond stress was noticed for pull out test of steel bar when compared with test results of the specimens that had steel bar inserted in the concrete in the hardened state with epoxy adhesion bridge, with those who had inserted steel bar in fresh concrete.

ABSTRACTGiven that the durability of structures is directly related to the thickness of the cover to reinforcement, it is essential to ensure minimum cover is achieved when building a structure. However, studies show that this is not always the case. One of the reasons for the this problem is the lack of indication, in structural projects, of the positioning of spacers. This situation is compounded by the lack of standards and regulations on the use of spacers (i.e. minimum quantities and required layout). This study assesses three different spacer distances and two different tying distances in order to examine the influence of these factors in the cover to reinforcement. To achieve so, three slabs were prepared in situ using different arrangements. After demoulding, cover thickness was determined using a digital covermeter. It was observed that the factors investigated have a significant influence in the final cover.

ABSTRACTThe geometric characteristics of synthetic macrofibers are important because they affect the behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC). Because there is a lack of specific, relevant publications in Brazil, the European standard EN14889-2:2006 was adopted as a reference to perform the characterization. Thus, an experimental plan was developed to assess the adequacy of testing procedures for the qualification of synthetic macrofibers for use in FRC. Two types of macrofibers were evaluated. The length measurement was performed using two methods: the caliper method, which is a manual measurement, and the digital image analysis method using the ImageJ software for image processing. These aforementioned methods were used to determine the diameter together with the density method, which is an indirect method that uses the developed length obtained by one of the previous methods. The statistical analyses revealed that the length results are similar regardless of the method used. However, the macrofibers must be pre-stretched to maximize the accuracy of caliper measurements. The caliper method for diameter determination has the disadvantage of underestimating the macrofiber cross-section because of the pressure applied by the load claws. In contrast, the digital image analysis method obtains the projected diameter in a single plane, which overestimate the diameter because the macrofibers are oriented with the pressure of the scanner cover. Thus, these techniques may result in false projections of the diameters that will depend on the level of torsion in the macrofibers. It was concluded that both the caliper method using previously stretched macrofibers and the digital imaging method can be used to measure length. The density method presented the best results for the diameter determination because these results were not affected by the method chosen to determine the length.

ABSTRACTThe quasi-brittle, loading rate dependent behaviour of the concrete, characterized by a fracture process zone (FPZ) ahead of the crack front, can be described through a viscous-cohesive model. In this paper, a viscous cohesive model proposed in a former paper is evaluated for a group of high strength concrete beams loaded at rates from 10-5 mm/s to 10+1 mm/s. A software has been developed to enable the automatic determination of the viscous-cohesive model parameters through inverse analysis on load-versus loading-point displacement (P-d) from threepoint bend tests on notched prismatic specimens. The strategy allowed the sensitivity analysis of the parameters related to viscous behaviour. The analysis of results shows that the formerly proposed model can be improved for a better simulation of the loading rate dependence on the cohesive fracture process.

ABSTRACTThe effects of the inclusion of steel fibers in concrete have been widely studied in order to investigate possible changes in mechanical properties, such as the increase in tensile strength, ductility, stiffness, toughness (energy absorption capacity), and durability. An immediate consequence of this addition is the mitigation of concrete's brittle behavior, so that the material meets new quality requirements. In this context, it is important to study the spatial distribution of the entire internal structure of these materials. Three-dimensional computed microtomography is a non-destructive inspection technique used to characterize the internal structures of various materials based on X-ray interaction with the inspected object. Topological and morphological properties can be obtained directly in three dimensions by means of mathematical reconstruction of the radiographs, which allows analyzing, for example, porosity and distribution of objects. In this context, the aim of this study is to investigate the spatial distribution of steel fibers, as well as of porosity in reinforced concrete samples. To this end, we used a microtomography system calibrated to operate at a voltage of 80 kV, electric current of 100 μA and a pixel size equal to 24 µm. The results showed low porosity and that the steel fibers were not uniformly distributed throughout the sample.

ABSTRACTThis research presents an alternative way to perform a bridge inspection, which considers the dynamics parameters from the structure. It shows an experimental phase with use of a mobile phone to extract the accelerations answers from two concrete bridges, from those records is feasible to obtain natural frequencies using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).Numerical models with uses finite element model (FEM) allow to determine the natural frequencies from the two concrete bridges and compare with the experimental phase of each one. The final results shows it's possible to use mobiles phones to extract vibration answers from concrete bridges and define the structural behavior of bridges from natural frequencies, this procedure could be used to evaluate bridges with lower costs.

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