Sharif Digital Repository

In this paper, compressive strength of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) confined concrete cylinders is formulated using a hybrid method coupling genetic programming (GP) and simulated annealing (SA), called GP/SA, and a robust variant of GP, namely multi expression programming (MEP). Straightforward GP/SA and MEP-based prediction equations are derived for the compressive strength of CFRP-wrapped concrete cylinders. The models are constructed using two sets of predictor variables. The first set comprises diameter of concrete cylinder, unconfined concrete strength, tensile strength of CFRP laminate, and total thickness of CFRP layer. The most widely used parameters of unconfined concrete... 

This research investigates the flexural behavior of a polymer concrete beam/pile encased with carbon fiber sleeve. The mechanical properties of carbon fiber sleeves in tension and cement and polymer concrete in compression were determined. Polymer concrete beams were tested in flexure to determine the bending moment capacity. Then, the test results were compared to the theoretical model results. Finally, a parametric study was conducted to determine the influence of beam/pile parameters on the capacity of the element. Based on the investigation, carbon fiber sleeve filled with polymer concrete exhibits outstanding structural performance including ductility and bending capacity. © 2017 Taylor... 

This research investigates the flexural behavior of a polymer concrete beam/pile encased with carbon fiber sleeve. The mechanical properties of carbon fiber sleeves in tension and cement and polymer concrete in compression were determined. Polymer concrete beams were tested in flexure to determine the bending moment capacity. Then, the test results were compared to the theoretical model results. Finally, a parametric study was conducted to determine the influence of beam/pile parameters on the capacity of the element. Based on the investigation, carbon fiber sleeve filled with polymer concrete exhibits outstanding structural performance including ductility and bending capacity  

Reinforced concrete columns with insufficient transverse steel reinforcement are not capable to dissipate seismic energy due to lack of necessary ductility. In this research, six RC columns with poor transverse reinforcements are tested under cyclic and axial loads as control columns and retrofitted ones. Prestressed and non-pre-stressed CFRP strips used as external transverse reinforcement to evaluate the benefits of active and passive confinement. Results indicate that additional confinement due to the use of CFRP strips enhances the strength, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of columns. The advantages of active confinement versus passive confinement are demonstrated too. © 2006... 

Timber is widely used as a construction material; however, the environmental deterioration of timber is a crucial problem for the construction industry. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has been considered appropriate and beneficial for the repair and rehabilitation of timber. This study proposes three empirical models using a supervised machine learning method called gene expression programming (GEP) to predict the bond strength between timber and FRP under various environmental conditions. The first empirical model is used to predict bond strength under standard conditions. The two other models are proposed to predict the strength reduction in acidic and alkali solutions. The formulation... 

Recently, to improve the dynamic behavior of Reinforced Concrete (RC) slabs under impact load, the methods of externally bonding Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) sheets to slab and internally reinforcing concrete by steel fibers have been proposed. Nevertheless, it is required to investigate the comparison between these two methods on response of RC slabs under impact loads. In this study, the influence of volume fraction of steel fibers, the number of GFRP sheet layers (one or two) and the arrangement of GFRP sheets (covering the whole or parts of surface), are examined. Performance of fourteen 1000 × 1000 × 75 mm concrete slabs including one plain slab, one steel RC slab, three steel... 

Reinforced concrete slabs are common structural elements that could be exposed to impact loading. Although use of reinforced concrete slabs and utilization of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) as alternative to traditional steel reinforcement slabs are growing, but the influence of various parameters on their response under impact loads is not properly evaluated. This study investigated the effect of rebar's material, amount and arrangement of reinforcements, concrete strength and slab thickness on dynamic behavior of reinforced concrete slabs using both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Performance of fifteen 1000 × 1000 mm concrete slabs, including two 75 mm thick plain slabs,... 

This research studies the effect of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars as compressive reinforcement in reinforced concrete (RC) beam members. Three singly and six doubly reinforced GFRP-RC beams were tested under a four-point loading configuration. The effect of compressive reinforcement on the load-bearing capacity, ductility, stiffness, and failure mode is determined. Also, the compressive performance of GFRP bars is evaluated by testing GFRP-RC cylinders. According to the results, GFRP bars in compression had a limited contribution to enhancing flexural strength, and the maximum increment in the flexural capacity of doubly reinforced beams compared to singly reinforced specimens... 

This paper presents the results of diagonal compression tests conducted on a series of un-reinforced and reinforced masonry specimens. Reinforced specimens were strengthened by using three types of mortar coating (with and without inner reinforcement), mesh reinforcement, and PP-band reinforcement. In particular, four different reinforcement methods with mortar coating (bare mortar coating, coating with steel mesh, coating with polymer reinforcement, and coating with GFRP mesh reinforcement), three different mesh-only reinforcement (steel mesh, polymer mesh with larger grids, and polymer mesh with smaller grids), and 2 different arrangements of PP-bands (4 × 4 and 6 × 6) were tested. Also,... 

This study was aimed at gaining an improved understanding of the behavior of glass fiber-reinforced polymer laminates at elevated temperatures by means of testing laminate specimens with unidirectional, woven, and randomly distributed (chopped strand mat) fibers. The testing parameters were temperature, the type of fiber, and the thickness of the laminates. The failure modes of the specimens and their elasticity moduli at ambient temperature were investigated, and analysis of variance was conducted to determine the contribution of each parameter to the behavioral test results. The findings showed that among the parameters, an increase in temperature exerted the strongest effect on the... 

This paper studies the results of compression diagonal tests conducted on a series of retrofitted and non-retrofitted small-scale masonry walls (which are also known as wallettes). Wallettes with the same characteristics and mechanical properties of large masonry walls were retrofitted by using two arrays of glass fiber reinforcement polymer (GFRP) sheets (grid and diagonal), two arrays of carbon fiber reinforcement polymer (CFRP) sheets (grid and diagonal), and near surface mounted bars (steel and GFRP). FRP sheets were applied to both surfaces of the wallettes, and rebar was mounted onto one of the surfaces in two horizontal and two vertical arrangements. All of the methods significantly... 

This study investigates the effect of Thermal cycles on the mechanical properties of GFRP pultruded profiles with different geometries. Bending specimens consisted of I-shaped and U-channel profiles that were tested in three-point bending along their both principal weak and strong axes, whereas box profiles and laminates were used in compression and tension tests, respectively. Each specimen was exposed to a range of thermal cycles, between −20 °C and 20 °C. The failure modes of the profiles were closely investigated at both major and minor scales. Results were analyzed using ANOVA to determine the influence of each factor and a model was developed to predict the strength retention of... 

An experimental study of the. flexural behavior of Reinforced-Concrete (RC) arches strengthened with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) layers was performed. A total of 36 specimens including 3 un-strengthenod (control) and 33 strengthened RC arches were tested under centrally concentrated point load. The variables of this study were steel reinforcement ratio, number of GFRP layers, and location and arrangement of GFRP layers. Failure mode, load-displacement response of specimens, crack propagation patterns, and GFRP debonding were examined. The extrados strengthening method was shown to Ix1 more effective than the intrados strengthening one in improving the failure load and rigidity of... 

An experimental study of the. flexural behavior of Reinforced-Concrete (RC) arches strengthened with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) layers was performed. A total of 36 specimens including 3 un-strengthenod (control) and 33 strengthened RC arches were tested under centrally concentrated point load. The variables of this study were steel reinforcement ratio, number of GFRP layers, and location and arrangement of GFRP layers. Failure mode, load-displacement response of specimens, crack propagation patterns, and GFRP debonding were examined. The extrados strengthening method was shown to Ix1 more effective than the intrados strengthening one in improving the failure load and rigidity of... 

The bond of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement is expected to be more sensitive to the strength and geometry of the ribs than conventional steel reinforcement. In this study, the effect of carbon fiber mat anchorage on the pullout behavior of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars embedded in normal concrete is studied. The studied parameters were the compressive strength of the concrete (16 MPa, 24 MPa, and 37 MPa), and, the length and diameter of the anchorage. In total, 15 variables were studied. Ribbed GFRP bars with 10 mm nominal diameter and 80 mm embedment length, ld, (which is 8 times the bar diameter) were considered. Based on the results for concretes with the... 

The advantages of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP), such as high specific strength, resistance against corrosion and formability, have made it a more acceptable alternative to conventional materials regarding repairing and retrofitting of structures. Although investigations in recent years have proved the concern of civil engineers about the environmental effects on the bond between FRP and concrete or masonry (especially moisture and temperature), only few researches have been reported on FRP-wood interfaces. This research investigated the effect of five different environments on the bond at the interface between FRP and wood. A series of pull-out tests were performed on 375 wood specimens... 

This study examined the bond at the interface of masonry bricks and fiber-reinforced polymer when exposed to five environments. Three fabrics (aramid, carbon, and glass) and one type of epoxy resin were used. A total of 375 brick-fiber-reinforced polymer specimens were made using wet lay-up technic and exposed to chemical solutions at four pH values (2.5, 7, 10, and 12.5) and substitute seawater. The effect of dry heat on the bond at the interface was also investigated. Single-lap shear tests were then carried out on the samples after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 13 weeks of exposure. The experimental results indicated that freshwater and seawater had a considerable effect on the bond strength of... 

This research investigated the long-term environmental effects on the bond at the interface between fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and a masonry brick. Seven types of FRP fabrics were used and placed on the masonry brick using the wet lay-up technique. Unidirectional and bidirectional fibers made of aramid, carbon, and glass and also combination of these fabrics were used. A total of 525 specimens were exposed to five chemical solutions with pH values of 2.5, 7, 10, 12.5 and substitution sea water for 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. A chamber was also used to simulate the ultraviolent (UV) radiation on the specimens. A series of single-lap shear tests were performed on these specimens to determine... 

This study investigates the durability of confined geopolymer concrete with fiber-reinforced polymer and compares the results with ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPCC). Two hundred and seventy geopolymer concrete (GPC) specimens with different mix designs (fly ash- and granulated blast furnace slag(GBFS)-based GPC) were prepared and then wrapped with two different fiber-reinforced polymers (carbon and glass FRPs). For 12,960 hrs (eighteen months), the specimens were exposed to four different pHs (2.5, 7 (water), 7.25 (saltwater), 12.5). The reliability analysis was performed after modeling the compressive strength over time. Based on the results, the ductility of all specimens decreased... 

Seven half-scale reinforced concrete (RC) columns with supporting beam were experimentally studied under combined axial and lateral cyclic loading. The specimens were categorized in two groups based on reinforcement ratios. Three specimens were strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets. Other specimens were strengthened using a high strength mortar reinforced with textile mesh (textile reinforced concrete (TRC)). Strengthening of specimens were carried out using a vertical layer and a horizontal layer of FRP sheet or two vertical and two horizontal layers of textile meshes for TRC specimens. Since the weight of each layer of...