Study on Concrete Structures

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 13430

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Civil Engineering Department, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: intelligent operation and maintenance of urban infrastructure (smart sensing, resilience improvement, intelligent management)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Interests: long-term performance of bridge structures; performance and design method of bridge structure under extreme loading

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Guest Editor
National Key Laboratory of Green and Long-Life Road Engineering in Extreme Environment, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: dynamic analysis of concrete track structures; performance evaluation of bridges structure under extreme loading

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Guest Editor
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Durability for Marine Civil Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: durability and improvement of concrete materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of large-scale concrete infrastructures, such as buildings, bridges, tunnels, and tracks, the service performance, repairing, and strengthening strategies are becoming important issues in terms of advanced materials and resilience structures. This Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in the field of concrete materials and structures through experimental tests, numerical analyses, and applications in real case studies. This Special Issue is aimed at providing selected contributions on advances in the design, construction, maintenance, and strengthening of concrete structures. We would like to invite all experts in the field of Concrete Materials and Structures to send manuscripts containing scientific findings within the broad field of concrete structures to contribute to this Special Issue.

Topics include, but are not limited to, research results on

  • Green and advanced construction materials;
  • Novel repairing materials and technology;
  • Concrete material behavior;
  • Concrete mechanical behavior;
  • Advanced experimental techniques for concrete;
  • Advanced modeling techniques for concrete;
  • Advanced concrete structural system;
  • Concrete structural monitoring;
  • Concrete structure durability and improvement.

Prof. Dr. Haijun Zhou
Dr. Rujin Ma
Dr. Rui Zhou
Dr. Cong Ma
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • concrete material
  • concrete structure
  • mechanical behavior
  • experimental technique
  • modeling technique
  • concrete structural system
  • structural monitoring
  • durability and improvement

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 7144 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Derailment Containment Provisions under Quasi-Static Loads
by Huy Q. Nguyen, Hoi Jin Kim, Nam-Hyoung Lim, Yun-Suk Kang and Jung J. Kim
Buildings 2024, 14(10), 3252; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103252 - 14 Oct 2024
Viewed by 445
Abstract
Derailments pose a significant threat to high-speed rail safety. The development of effective derailment containment provisions (DCPs) that can be installed within a track gauge and withstand impact loads of derailed wheels while controlling the lateral movement of derailed trains is essential. This [...] Read more.
Derailments pose a significant threat to high-speed rail safety. The development of effective derailment containment provisions (DCPs) that can be installed within a track gauge and withstand impact loads of derailed wheels while controlling the lateral movement of derailed trains is essential. This paper presents an experimental study on the behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) DCP systems under quasi-static loading. Three steel anchors were assessed for their performance and load-bearing capacity in a single-anchor test. Four full-scale DCP system tests were carried out to examine the effects of scenarios of impact load positions at the anchor and mid-span of the DCPs. The crack pattern, failure mechanism, load–displacement relationship, initial stiffness, and absorber energy capacity of the DCP specimens were acquired. The findings reveal that the failure mode of the DCP specimens was predominantly affected by the tension failure of the steel anchors. The load-carrying capacity and performance equivalent of the DCP system under the applied load scenarios significantly exceeded the design load, ranging from 125% to 168%. Also, the initial stiffness of the DCP system remains largely unaffected by the applied load positions, whereas the absorption energy capacity exhibits a contrasting trend. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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44 pages, 54464 KiB  
Article
A Comparison Analysis of Buildings as per Norwegian and Ethiopia ES-EN1998-1 Seismic Code
by Mistreselasie Abate, Ana Catarina Jorge Evangelista and Vivian W. Y. Tam
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1841; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061841 - 17 Jun 2024
Viewed by 905
Abstract
An earthquake is one of the most significant and shocking natural disasters ever documented anywhere on the planet. Throughout history, it has claimed millions of lives and wreaked devastation on infrastructure. Because earthquake forces are spontaneous and unpredictable, engineering methods must be honed [...] Read more.
An earthquake is one of the most significant and shocking natural disasters ever documented anywhere on the planet. Throughout history, it has claimed millions of lives and wreaked devastation on infrastructure. Because earthquake forces are spontaneous and unpredictable, engineering methods must be honed to investigate buildings under the impact of these forces. The dynamic and static computations of four RC multistory structure prototypes with various elevations in a high seismic zone are compared in this paper. The project under review is modeled as a 3, 6, 12, and 18-story establishment, and it is analyzed employing ETABS vs. 2019. The Equivalent Lateral Force (ELF) Procedure is used for static experimentation, while the Response Spectrum (RS) Procedure is employed for dynamic investigation. Both calculations are performed as per the EUROCODE 8-2004 recommendation. The ELF seismic load practice utilized was for the country of Norway, which has similar parameters to the ES-EN 8-15 seismic regulation Type I target RS, with ag/g = 0.1, spectrum type = I, soil factor S = 1.3 ground type, spectrum period (Tb, Tc, and Td) 0.1 s, 0.25 s, and 1.5 s. For the RS investigation, the parameters employed are as per ESEN-2015, ag/g = 0.1, and the spectrum type = I and ground type = B parameters were involved in the same manner for the RS analysis. The soil factor was set to 1.35; the spectrum period was set to (Tb, Tc, and Td) 0.05 s, 0.25 s, and 1.2 s. The behavior factor = 3.8, the lower bound factor = 0.2, and the damping ratio = 0.05. The results are then compared by employing different components such as displacement, story drift, story stiffness, base story shear, and story moment. Ultimately, a comparison of static and dynamic investigations has been carried out. Compared to the RS approach, the ELF technique produces more additional displacement, total drift, and base shear. As per the findings of this paper, for high-rise and tall buildings, dynamic analysis such as RS should be used rather than static analysis (ELF). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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17 pages, 3361 KiB  
Article
Impact of Electronic Waste Glass on the Properties of Cementitious Materials
by Jurgita Malaiškienė and Karolina Bekerė
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1218; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051218 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 828
Abstract
The article analyses the impact of two different types of dispersive glass on cement hydration and compressive strength at 7 and 28 days. The study employed dispersive glass from various LCDs (TV sets, computer monitors, smart phones), characterised by a composition of approximately [...] Read more.
The article analyses the impact of two different types of dispersive glass on cement hydration and compressive strength at 7 and 28 days. The study employed dispersive glass from various LCDs (TV sets, computer monitors, smart phones), characterised by a composition of approximately 8% SrO, and dispersive glass from washing machines, which consists mainly of SiO2, Na2O, and CaO. The chemical composition and particle-size distribution of different types of dispersive glass were analysed. The study compares the effect of electronic waste glass on cement hydration by evaluating the amount and rate of heat released during the process. In addition, the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are provided. Different types of glass were determined to have a similar effect on the physical and mechanical properties as well as the mineral composition of cementitious samples: density and UPV decrease up to 6% and compressive strength decreases by about 30%, when 5–20% of cement was replaced by glass waste. However, more prominent differences were observed in the workability of the mixtures: the waste glass from home appliances increased the spread by up to 25%, while the waste glass from electronic devices decreased the spread compared to the reference sample by approximately 20%. The mixtures modified with the waste glass of electronic devices had a higher degree of early hydration (96%) due to the higher water absorption of the mixtures compared to the waste glass of home appliances (88%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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18 pages, 6266 KiB  
Article
Insight into the Mechanical Performance of the TRECC Repaired Cementitious Composite System after Exposure to Freezing and Thawing Cycle
by Fei Xu, Qi Li, Tongze Ma, Yao Zhang, Junwei Li and Tao Bai
Buildings 2023, 13(6), 1522; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061522 - 13 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1065
Abstract
Concrete structures are subjected to various forms of damage in cold regions. However, the interfacial bonding properties of traditional concrete (NC) reinforced with textile-reinforced cementitious composite (TRECC) under freeze–thaw cycle damage have not been fully studied. In this paper, different control groups were [...] Read more.
Concrete structures are subjected to various forms of damage in cold regions. However, the interfacial bonding properties of traditional concrete (NC) reinforced with textile-reinforced cementitious composite (TRECC) under freeze–thaw cycle damage have not been fully studied. In this paper, different control groups were obtained by adjusting the types and layers of Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) in TRECC and the interfacial roughness level between TRECC and NC. After experiencing 0–300 freeze–thaw cycles, each group underwent the uniaxial tensile test, three-point bending test, and scanning electron microscope observation. The results show that FRP type in TRECC can determine the strength of specimens. After 100 freeze–thaw cycles, the ultimate tensile strength of TRECC with two different FRP types increased by 38.4% and 55.3%, respectively, compared with TRECC. Furthermore, the bond strength and resistance to freeze–thaw damage of TRECC-NC interface increased with the increase of roughness under the action of freeze–thaw cycles. After 100 freeze–thaw cycles, the bonding strength of the repair system reached the highest. Compared with 0 freeze–thaw cycles, the ultimate tensile strength of the TRECC-NC reinforcement system under low roughness and high roughness increased by 50.05% and 61.25%, respectively. Meanwhile, the internal cracks of TRECC gradually developed and penetrated, reducing the cooperative working ability between TRECC-NC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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17 pages, 5409 KiB  
Article
Influence of Superstructure Pouring Concrete Volume Deviation on Bridge Performance: A Case Study
by Jintian Yu, Jinquan Zhang, Pengfei Li and Xu Han
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040887 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1409
Abstract
Due to factors such as casting, mold making, and construction errors, the actual size of the bridge structure will inevitably deviate from the designed size and dimension, and the amount of deviation between the two volumes is generally random and the location of [...] Read more.
Due to factors such as casting, mold making, and construction errors, the actual size of the bridge structure will inevitably deviate from the designed size and dimension, and the amount of deviation between the two volumes is generally random and the location of the deviation is not fixed. However, this phenomenon that occurs in the actual practice has not been paid enough attention within existing studies. From a theoretical point of view, the apparent size of concrete will directly affect the cross-sectional stiffness, especially for statically indeterminate structures. This effect will be further reflected in the internal force and stress distribution of the structure. In addition, the variation of the poured volume of the bridge superstructure can also influence the dead-load effect of the bridge structure. Therefore, the influence of pouring concrete volume deviation (PCVD) on the cross-sectional stiffness of large-span continuous reinforced concrete rigid-frame (CRCR) bridges was first stressed and investigated in this paper. Field data of PCVD were monitored by measuring demolished sections with tools that ensure accuracy, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to analyze the effect of PCVD on the cross-sectional stiffness at different locations. Statistical analysis of the measured data concluded that PCVD has a significant influence on the internal-force distribution and structural stiffness of the bridge, up to 30%. Finally, a theoretical method that considers the influence of PCVD was proposed based on the field monitoring data and the statistical analysis results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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20 pages, 5686 KiB  
Article
Performance Analysis of Short-Span Simply Supported Bridges for Heavy-Haul Railways with A Novel Prefabricated Strengthening Structure
by Kaize Xie, Bowen Liu, Weiwu Dai, Shuli Chen and Xinmin Wang
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13040876 - 27 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1763
Abstract
A novel prefabricated strengthening structure (NPSS) is proposed to improve the vertical stiffness and load-bearing capacity of existing short-span bridges for heavier axle-load trains passing through. The strengthening principle of the NPSS is revealed through theoretical derivation. A refined calculation model is prepared [...] Read more.
A novel prefabricated strengthening structure (NPSS) is proposed to improve the vertical stiffness and load-bearing capacity of existing short-span bridges for heavier axle-load trains passing through. The strengthening principle of the NPSS is revealed through theoretical derivation. A refined calculation model is prepared to investigate the effects of two important parameters on the structural behavior of the bridge, including the support stiffness and the installation location of the NPSS. The calculation model is also verified with four-point bending test of a bridge removed from a heavy-haul railway. With the calculation model and the response surface methodology (RSM), the functional relationships among the crucial mechanical indexes of the bridge and the two parameters of the NPSS are methodically established. Thus, the optimal values of the parameters are determined via a multi-objective optimization model and the analysis hierarchy process-fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Furthermore, the feasibility of the optimal parameters is appropriately verified based on simulations of the vehicle–track–bridge dynamics. The existence of the NPSS with optimal parameters could enhance the vertical stiffness of the bridge by 21.0% and bearing capacity by 19.5%. In addition, it could reduce the midspan dynamic deflection amplitude by 23.4% and vertical vibration acceleration amplitude of the bridge by 25.2%. The results of the study are expected to contribute to the capacity development and rehabilitation of existing heavy-haul railways with low cost and convenient construction without railway outage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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19 pages, 9765 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Columns under Lateral Impact Loading
by Airong Chen, Yanjie Liu, Rujin Ma and Xiaoyu Zhou
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030708 - 8 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2648
Abstract
Reinforced concrete bridge columns (RCCs) are vulnerable to collisions with vehicles or vessels. To assess the performance of RCCs under lateral impact loading and to guide the impact-resistant design of RCCs, scaled model tests and numerical simulations were carried out in this study. [...] Read more.
Reinforced concrete bridge columns (RCCs) are vulnerable to collisions with vehicles or vessels. To assess the performance of RCCs under lateral impact loading and to guide the impact-resistant design of RCCs, scaled model tests and numerical simulations were carried out in this study. An experimental facility was designed, and three sets of RCC specimens were tested. The specimens were available in three sizes: 60 cm × 14 cm × 14 cm, 80 cm × 14 cm × 14 cm, and 80 cm × 20 cm × 20 cm. Finite element models of RCCs were created in LS-DYNA, and parametric studies were carried out to investigate the variables influencing the impact resistance of RCCs. According to the findings, the impact mass and velocity had a positive correlation with the extreme value of dynamic strain. When the mass of a model car increased by 22.8% and 45.6% during the impact test, the extreme concrete strain at the same position increased by 22.5% and 42.3%, respectively. In addition, as the longitudinal reinforcement ratio increased, RCCs exhibited significantly less plastic deformation and damage. The findings of this study aided in the formulation of several recommendations for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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17 pages, 6424 KiB  
Article
Asymmetric Cantilever Construction Control of a U-Shaped Box Concrete Continuous Bridge in Complex Environment
by Haijun Zhou, Xuan Qi, Zhidong Liu, Wuqiang Xue, Jiuchun Sun, Jian Liu, Songbai Gui and Xia Yang
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030591 - 23 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1942
Abstract
The bridge of Shanghai Metro Line 10 over Metro Line 6 is a U-shaped concrete single-box double-cell concrete box beam continuous bridge. A novel method is applied to construct the asymmetric cantilever prefabricated and assembled continuous bridge due to the limited construction space [...] Read more.
The bridge of Shanghai Metro Line 10 over Metro Line 6 is a U-shaped concrete single-box double-cell concrete box beam continuous bridge. A novel method is applied to construct the asymmetric cantilever prefabricated and assembled continuous bridge due to the limited construction space and the complex environment. Four mechanical state control methods are applied during the T-shape structure construction process: tensioning pre-stressed steel strand, jacking by the axial force servo system, adjusting the leg reaction force, and setting the auxiliary leg. Auxiliary measures such as the compressive column, side-span counterweight, and temporary pre-stressing are also taken into consideration. The finite element method simulations are performed to measure effects of the four control methods during the construction process. The front leg force of the bridge erection machine and the deflection of the bridge are then monitored. It was deduced that the simulated and measured values of the cantilever T-shape structure are controlled within the limit range during the construction process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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Review

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20 pages, 1286 KiB  
Review
Review of Mesoscale Geometric Models of Concrete Materials
by Jiajun Zhang, Rujin Ma, Zichao Pan and Haijun Zhou
Buildings 2023, 13(10), 2428; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13102428 - 23 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1360
Abstract
Concrete can be regarded as a composite material comprising aggregates, cement mortar, and an interfacial transition zone (ITZ) at the mesoscale. The mechanical properties and durability of concrete are influenced by the properties of these three phases. The establishment of a mesoscale model [...] Read more.
Concrete can be regarded as a composite material comprising aggregates, cement mortar, and an interfacial transition zone (ITZ) at the mesoscale. The mechanical properties and durability of concrete are influenced by the properties of these three phases. The establishment of a mesoscale model of concrete and the execution of numerical simulations constitute an efficacious research method. It is an efficacious method to research concrete by establishing the mesoscale model of concrete and executing numerical simulations. By this method, the influence of an aggregate shape on concrete performance can be studied. This paper presents a systematic review of mesoscale modeling methods for concrete, with a focus on three aspects: the aggregate modeling method, the collision detection algorithm, and the particle-packing algorithm. The principal processes, advantages, and disadvantages of various methods are discussed for each aspect. The paper concludes by highlighting current challenges in the mesoscale modeling of concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Concrete Structures)
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