Sharif Digital Repository

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... 

Ultra-rapid annealing (URA) of deformed low-carbon steel can provide refined microstructure. In this research, severely deformed low-carbon steel is ultra-rapidly annealed to subcritical and intercritical temperature ranges at the heating rates of 75-1800°C/s and then rapidly cooled. Also, conventional annealing by the heating rate of 0.3°C/s is performed at the same temperature ranges. The results show that conventional and subcritical ultra-rapid annealing cannot lead to a fully refined microstructure. High heating rate causes the interaction between recrystallization and transformation as the temperature exceed Ac1 (intercritical temperature range). High kinetics of transformation during... 

In the present work, friction stir welding technique was applied on 2 mm thick ferrite-martensite DP700 steel sheets at rotational speeds of 600, 800 and 1000 rpm. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the welds were evaluated. It was found that Zener-Hollomon parameter decreased with increasing rotational speed that leads to grain coarsening in the stir zone. It was also found that increment of rotational speed increased softening phenomenon in sub-critical heat affected zone. The results also showed that the presence of WC particles in the stir zone, which was due to the tool wear, as well as formation of a soft ferrite band degrade the tensile properties at rotational speed of... 

The application of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) as an alternative to conventional/normal concrete (NC) has grown rapidly in recent years. However, there is limited knowledge on its shear behavior, which is essential for developing design guidelines for structural applications. A detailed parametric study was conducted on 38 beam specimens, half of which were made of UHPC and the other half made of NC. To ensure applicability of findings, two types of UHPC mixes were used, a proprietary and a generic mix. Eighteen of the beams were prepared and tested in Tabriz, Iran, while the other 20 were made and tested in Miami, FL. Test parameters included type of concrete (UHPC and NC), shear... 

This paper aims at understanding the role of liquation and solidification phenomena on the tensile properties of arc welded cast AZ91 magnesium alloy. Owing to its refined microstructure, the fusion zone exhibited improved ductility/strength compared to the base metal. It is demonstrated that the partially melted zone (PMZ) which is characterised by constitutional liquation of eutectic β-Mg17Al12 phase is the weakest link in the weldment. The reduced strength and ductility associated with the liquation phenomena are due to the increased volume fraction and thickness of the eutectic β-Mg17Al12 in the PMZ as well as the formation of liquation micro-cracks in a network of brittle intermetallic... 

This paper presents the results of experimental and analytical study on a new technique of seismic retrofitting of concrete columns. In this technique, standard strapping devices, which are used in the packaging industry, are used to post-tension metal strips around concrete columns. The two ends of the strip are tightened in sealed clamps to maintain the pre-stress force in the strip. Experimental program included axial compressive tests on 30 cylindrical as well as 30 prismatic small-scale columns which were actively confined by pre-stressed metal strips. Longitudinal and lateral strain of concrete and strain in the strips were monitored. Test Results showed significant increase in... 

In this work, similar butt joints of AA6061-T6 alloy prepared by underwater friction stir welding (UWFSW) and friction stir vibration welding (FSVW) processes were examined. The characteristics of joints were compared with the joints obtained by conventional friction stir welding (CFSW). The different kinds of microstructural modifications that occurred during CFSW, FSVW, and UWFSW processes were analyzed. The results are employed to analyze the different behaviors in strength, ductility, weldability, and hardness of the joints in different processes at different traverse speeds, rotational speeds, and vibration frequency. It was found that mechanical vibration decreases the grain size in... 

In this work, similar butt joints of AA6061-T6 alloy prepared by underwater friction stir welding (UWFSW) and friction stir vibration welding (FSVW) processes were examined. The characteristics of joints were compared with the joints obtained by conventional friction stir welding (CFSW). The different kinds of microstructural modifications that occurred during CFSW, FSVW, and UWFSW processes were analyzed. The results are employed to analyze the different behaviors in strength, ductility, weldability, and hardness of the joints in different processes at different traverse speeds, rotational speeds, and vibration frequency. It was found that mechanical vibration decreases the grain size in... 

The unique properties of NiTi alloy, such as its shape memory effect, super-elasticity and biocompatibility, make it ideal material for various applications such as aerospace, micro-electronics and medical device. In order to meet the requirement of increasing applications, great attention has been given to joining of this material to itself and to other materials during past few years. Laser welding has been known as a suitable joining technique for NiTi shape memory alloy. Hence, in this work, a comparative study on laser welding of NiTi wire to itself and to AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel wire has been made. Microstructures, mechanical properties and fracture morphologies of the... 

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... 

This study is aimed to realize evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum 6061 alloy tube subjected to Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) and subsequent annealing. For this purpose, the tube is initially processed by different passes of an SPD process called Tube Channel Pressing (TCP) and then subjected to a subsequent annealing at 473. °K for 2. h. Afterwards, tension test is used for the evaluation of mechanical properties while Electron Back-Scattered Diffraction (EBSD) equipped Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) are utilized for the microstructural characterizations. Results show that the Continuous Static Recrystallization... 

In this research, low-carbon steel sheets with two different microstructures containing carbides (as-received steel) and pearlites (austenitized steel) are subjected to severe plastic deformation (SPD), and ultra-rapid annealing (URA) is applied with the heating rate of 200 °C s−1 up to the intercritical temperature near Ac1. Microstructure of SPDed as-received steel after URA is consisted of fully refined ferrite grains surrounded by fine pearlites; but for SPDed austenitized steel, grain refinement is not observed, and microstructure is consisted of martensite and high fraction of coarse non-recrystallized ferrite. Presence of carbides for SPDed as-received steel leads to strong... 

Conventional lateral resisting systems can provide sufficient strength and ductility for design based earthquakes, although the considerable residual deformation remaining in the plasticized regions undermines the resiliency of the structures. In order to resolve this problem, various self-centering systems have been proposed and tested in recent years, most of which are specified for new buildings and are not simply suitable for retrofitting applications. Moreover, the available self-centering systems are costly and complex to assemble, which can be considered as a serious barrier for practical application. To address these drawbacks, an innovative Core-Less Self-Centering (CLSC) brace is... 

Previous studies have shown that a small variation in the chemical composition of metallic glasses (MGs) can drastically alter their strength and ductility. However, the underlying structural origin and atomistic mechanisms remain unclear. Using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we studied the effect of chemical composition and affinity on the microstructure and deformation behaviour of Zr50Ni50 − xAlx MG by varying the value of x in the range of 5 ≤ x ≤ 25 (at.%). We show that an increase in x is able to strengthen and embrittle the material. In particular, a ductile (homogeneous deformation) to brittle (shear banding) transition occurs at x ~ 15. To reveal the structural origin,... 

In this research, four types of concrete moment frame were designed with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars according to ACI 440.1R-15 and the seismic behavior was assessed using pushover analysis. The frames were three and five stories with two and three bays. A computer code was developed to calculate the amount of fiber reinforced polymer bars in beams of the frames. In order to evaluate nonlinear behavior in plastic hinge regions, sections of beams and columns were analyzed on the basis of moment-curvature diagram and also P-M interaction curve for columns. Performance levels of frames were determined considering ATC-40 criteria. Behavior of concrete moment frames reinforced with... 

The eccentric bracing system equipped with vertical links is capable of providing high levels of stiffness, strength and ductility, and therefore, can be efficiently used for seismic retrofit of existing structures. This study aims to investigate the seismic reliability of steel moment-resisting frames retrofitted by this system using a novel combined series–parallel system approach. The seismic response of 4, 8 and 12-storey steel moment-resisting frames (MRFs) are evaluated under a set of design basis earthquakes (DBE) before and after retrofitting intervention. Adopting an engineering demand parameter approach (EDP-Based) for reliability assessment and development of analytical models for... 

In this study, butt welds of an advanced high strength dual phase steel were fabricated using friction stir welding at a constant rotational speed of 800 rpm and different transverse speeds of 100, 150 and 200 mm/min. It was observed that sound welds can be obtained at transverse speeds of 100 and 150 mm/min. At transverse speed of 100 mm/min, the entire stir zone processed at temperatures higher than Ac3. By increasing transverse speed to 150 mm/min, temperature in the bottom region of the stir zone lied between Ac1 and Ac3, while the middle and the top regions experienced temperatures higher than Ac3. The lower peak temperature in the bottom region of the stir zone resulted in finer and... 

In architecture, design of doors and windows for functional requirements, circulation, natural light and ventilation, aesthetics and view is inevitable. Parameters such as size, location and aspect ratio of the openings change the seismic behaviour of infilled frames. Ignoring these parameters in structural analysis may lead to substantial inaccuracy in predicting the lateral stiffness, strength and ductility of the frame. Despite numerous experimental and numerical studies on perforated infill walls in recent decades, the related provisions are rare in seismic codes and engineers tend not to use their results in analysis and design due to their complexity. The main purpose of this work was... 

The diagrid structural systems are mainly used for their structural capabilities and architectural aesthetic possibilities which are provided by the unique geometric configurations of these systems. However, the seismic performance factors of these structural systems are not yet explicitly recommended in the existing building codes. In this study, the seismic performance factors (SPFs) of 6- to 24-story steel diagrid structures are determined considering the post-buckling behavior of diagonal members in compression. Also, the effect of change in span length and the diagonal angles on the SPFs of diagrid structures is studied. The ATC-19 coefficient method is used for calculating the SPFs... 

The eccentric bracing system equipped with vertical links is capable of providing high levels of stiffness, strength and ductility, and therefore, can be efficiently used for seismic retrofit of existing structures. This study aims to investigate the seismic reliability of steel moment-resisting frames retrofitted by this system using a novel combined series–parallel system approach. The seismic response of 4, 8 and 12-storey steel moment-resisting frames (MRFs) are evaluated under a set of design basis earthquakes (DBE) before and after retrofitting intervention. Adopting an engineering demand parameter approach (EDP-Based) for reliability assessment and development of analytical models for...