Sharif Digital Repository

This paper investigates the static and dynamic characteristics of composite thin-walled beams that are constructed from a single-cell box. The structural model considered herein incorporates a number of nonclassical effects, such as material anisotropy, transverse shear, warping inhibition, nonuniform torsional model and rotary inertia. The governing equations were derived using extended Hamilton's principle and solved using extended Galerkin's method. The effects of fiber orientation on static deflection and natural frequencies are considered and a number of important conclusions are outlined. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved  

This paper presents results of an experimental study to evaluate a new retrofit technique for strengthening shear deficient short concrete beams and columns. In this technique a mortar jacket reinforced with expanded steel meshes is used for retrofitting. Twelve short reinforced concrete specimens, including eight retrofitted ones, were tested. Six specimens were tested under a constant compressive axial force of 15% of column axial load capacity based on original concrete gross section, Ag, and the concrete compressive strength, fc′. Main variables were the spacing of ties in original specimens and the volume fraction of expanded metal in jackets. Original specimens failed before reaching... 

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on retrofitting RC beams using FRP strengthening and RC jacketing. Three-point loadings are applied to twelve strengthened beams and three reference specimens to put the two techniques into perspective. Formation of first cracks, FRP debonding, and onset of concrete crushing are compared and discussed. Load-deflection behavior, failure modes, and crack propagation patterns are studied extensively. The experiments demonstrate that the RC jacketed beams exhibit a flexural failure identical to the reference beams. However, the FRP strengthened beams fail in a relatively small deflection due to the premature FRP debonding. Furthermore, the... 

Influence of length and volumetric percentage of steel fibres on energy absorption of concrete slabs with various concrete strengths is investigated by testing 28 small steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) slabs under flexure. Variables included; fibre length, volumetric percentage of fibres and concrete strength. Test results indicate that generally longer fibres and higher fibre content provide higher energy absorption. The results are compared with a theoretical prediction based on random distribution of fibres. The theoretical method resulted in higher energy absorption than that obtained in experiment. A design method according to allowable deflection is proposed for SFRC slabs within... 

This paper presents results of an experimental study to evaluate a retrofit technique for strengthening shear deficient short concrete columns. In this technique a ferrocement jacket reinforced with expanded steel meshes is used for retrofitting. Six short concrete columns, including four strengthened specimens, were tested. Specimens were under a constant compressive axial force of 15% of column axial load capacity based on original concrete gross, A g, and the concrete compressive strength, fc′. Main variables were the spacing of ties in original specimens and the volume fraction of expanded metal in jackets. Original specimens failed before reaching their nominal calculated flexural... 

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a highly-workable concrete that without any vibration or impact and under its own weight fills the formwork, and it also passes easily through small spaces between rebars. In this paper, the effect of steel fibers on rheological properties, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural toughness of SCC specimens, using four different steel fiber volume fractions (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%), were investigated. Two mix designs with strengths of 40 MPa (medium strength) and 60 MPa (high strength) were considered. Rheological properties were determined through slump flow time and diameter, L-box, and V-funnel flow time tests.... 

In this work, cristobalite crystallization and its effects on mechanical and chemical behaviour of injection moulded silica-based ceramic cores were investigated. In order to simulate casting process condition, the sintered samples at 1220 °C were also heated up to 1430 °C. Flexural strength test was carried out on both sintered and heat treated samples. Chemical resistance of the cores was evaluated by leaching the samples inside 43. wt% KOH solution at its boiling point. Phase evolution and microstructure were investigated by thermal analyses (DTA and DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM). Results showed that cristobalite was... 

Addition of fine zirconia particles in the alumina matrix in order to produce ZTA composite is a well-known method for improving the mechanical properties of alumina ceramics such as flexural strength and fracture toughness. Increasing homogeneity and reducing alumina grain size are two key factors for achieving proper mechanical properties in this ceramic matrix composite. In this work two batches of ZTA powder precursor were prepared through mixing of alumina and zirconia by ball milling and in situ synthesis of ZTA composite via solution combustion method. The bending strength testing samples were fabricated through gel-casting process. The effects of different powder processing methods... 

Semisolid stir joining has been under deliberation as a possible method for joining of copper alloys. In this study, the effect of temperature and rotational speed of stirrer on macrostructure evaluation and mechanical properties of samples were investigated. Optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction were performed for macro and microstructural analysis. A uniform micro-hardness profile was attained by semisolid stir joining method. The ultimate shear strength and bending strength of welded samples were improved in comparison with the cast sample. There is also lower area porosity in welded samples than the cast metal. The mechanical properties were improved by increasing temperature and... 

The high hydration potential of CaO and MgO phases restricted the application of Mag-Dol refractory composites. In this study, the impact of nano-silica (SiO2) addition on the physical, mechanical, thermo-mechanical as well as microstructure of Mag-Dol refractory composites is investigated. Mag-Dol compositions were prepared by using calcined dolomite and magnesite particles (micron, 0–1, 1–3, 3–5, and 5–8 mm), liquid resin, and 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 wt% nano SiO2 as additives. Specimens were heated up to 1650 °C for the 3 h soaking period. Fired specimens were characterized by physical (apparent porosity, bulk density, and hydration resistance), mechanical (cold crushing strength), and... 

The initial and subsequent yield surfaces for architected pyramidal lattice materials are investigated analytically. Considering lattice struts as elastic-perfectly plastic thin beams subjected to both axial force and bending moment, a set of nonlinear elastic-plastic constitutive relations for a strut is proposed. Moreover, we phenomenologically present anisotropic pressure-dependent yield functions for pyramidal lattices. Comparison of planar yield surfaces of pyramidal lattices predicted by analytical approach to the ones obtained from phenomenological models shows a good agreement for the type of external loads and range of strains investigated in this study. Investigating the normality... 

In the present paper, a mixed, shear-flexural (VM) hinge element, with zero or nonzero length, for using in frames, has been introduced, where shear-flexural interaction has been considered. The element has the capability of modeling flexural yielding, shear yielding and their interaction in frames, subjected to all kinds of monotonic or cyclic loadings. The inelastic shear and flexural deformations and tangential stiffnesses are considered by using the multi-surfaces approach with dissimilar yield surfaces and by a stiffness matrix with nonzero off-diagonal components. A new kinematics hardening rule and, also, a new non-associated flow rule are introduced. The mixed hinge element can be... 

Considering the remarkable characteristics of nanomaterials, previous research studies investigated the effects of incorporating different types of these materials on improving the concrete properties. However, further studies are required to evaluate the complementary hybridization and synergistic influence of nanomaterials. In this research, the combined effect of adding nano silica particles (NS) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) on enhancing both the compressive and flexural strengths of the cement paste was investigated. Moreover, the morphology of the interface between cement paste and aggregates was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mixtures were prepared... 

The environmental impact of asbestos fibers on human health and their consequent safety-related problems indicate that there is a significant need to replace this material in all asbestos-containing products. Many different types of fibers have been introduced to replace asbestos fibers. In this study, the performance of silica nano-particles combined with waste paper pulp fibers (sulfite fibers) has been investigated. Different mechanical (compressive and flexural strengths and bending performance), durability (water absorption), physical (bulk density and flowability), and microstructural (scanning electron microscopy) tests were conducted to examine the properties of manufactured green... 

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the flexural behavior of ten 10 × 15 × 120 (cm) steel reinforced high strength concrete beams under deflection control loading conditions. Test variable includes volumetric percentage of steel fibers (0%, 1.5%, 3%, 4%, 5%). The plain concrete strength was 30MPa. The monotonic concentrated load was applied at the center of the beam, the relative deflection was measured, and demec points were used to determine curvature of the beam. Load-deflection and moment-curvature diagrams have been obtained and plotted for each beam individually. Test results indicate that higher fiber content considerably improves flexural behavior and provides... 

This article is intended to highlight the effectiveness of longitudinal Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) bars in combination with GFRP sheets on the flexural capacity of Reinforced Concrete (RC) columns. Seven half-scale RC columns including five strengthened and two control unstrengthened specimens were experimentally tested under axial and cyclic lateral loads. The strengthened columns with two different longitudinal GFRP bar ratios were tested under three different axial load levels. The flexural strength and ductility parameters of the specimens were calculated by obtaining their deformations and measuring the loads from load cells. The experimental results indicate significant...