Effect of superficial insulation on roller-compacted concrete dams in cold regions

Superficial insulation is often used to prevent cracking of concrete dams located in cold regions. In this study, surface temperatures with and without heat insulation during the overwintering period are calculated. Using the material properties of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) as bases, we simulate and analyse the temperature field and thermal stress of certain RCC gravity dams in cold regions. The simulation and analysis are performed by three-dimensional finite element relocating mesh method under the following conditions: under the absence of heat insulation, and with the application of a 5 or 8 cm polystyrene slab for heat conservation. Moreover, the effects of superficial insulation and different thicknesses on the temperature field and thermal stress are analysed. Results show that superficial insulation can considerably increase the superficial temperature of RCC dams in cold regions, thereby decreasing superficial temperature difference and maximal tensile stress. These conditions prevent surface cracks from forming.     

Nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete structures

For the prediction of yield and failure of concrete under combined stress, a generalization of the Mohr-Coulomb behavior is made in terms of the principal stress invariants. The generalized yield and failure criteria are developed to account for the two major sources of nonlinearity: the progressive cracking of concrete in tension, and the nonlinear response of concrete under multiaxial compression. Using these criteria, incremental stress-strain relationships are established in suitable form for the nonlinear finite element analysis.For the analysis of reinforced concrete members by finite elements, a method is introduced by which the effect of reinforcement is directly included. With this approach, the stress-strain laws for the constituent materials of reinforced concrete are uncoupled permitting efficient and convenient implementation of a finite element program. The applicability of the method is shown on sample reinforced concrete analysis problems.     

A plastic damage approach for confined concrete

There are many situations in which it is necessary to increase the capacity of structures in use. This need maybe either for a change of use or because the structures have suffered some damage or have shown little resistance in case of extreme loads such as earthquakes. The most common methods for repair and retrofit of reinforced concrete columns are concrete jacketing, steel jacketing and fiber wrapping. This last type of reinforcement has many advantages as it offers a high-strength, low-weight and corrosion-resistant jacket with easy and rapid installation. The reinforcement with composite materials improves shear and compression strength and ductility as a result of concrete core confinement. The present analytical and numerical ability to quantify the efficiency of fiber confinement is rather limited, especially with respect to ductility.A constitutive model that approximately reproduces the behavior of structural concrete elements under confinement is developed in this paper. The model allows the assessment of concrete columns and bridge piles repaired and/or reinforced with fiber reinforced composites (FRP). The model presented is a modification of an existing coupled plastic damage model. A new definition for the plastic hardening variable and a new yielding surface with curved meridians are proposed. Both improvements enable the adequate reproduction of concrete behavior in high confinement conditions.The comparison of numerical and experimental results shows the model capacity to simulate concrete behavior under triaxial compression conditions like the ones present in concrete columns confined with fiber reinforced composites.     

An approach for modelling concrete spalling in finite strains

A new approach for modelling concrete spalling process is here proposed, taking into account a fully nonlinear-displacement/strain theory able to catch complex interactions between pressure, thermal and mechanical fields. The micro-structural modelling of concrete under fire conditions is derived from a mechanical and thermodynamic consistent theory and it is strictly related to a self-consistent, carefully extracted set of experimental data, in order to make a correct validation and calibration of the numerical F.E. procedures and codes. Even if appearing as a first but successful example, it is shown that a procedure accounting for coupled material and geometric nonlinearities is able to attain valuable and realistic numerical results concerning spalling process in concrete.     

红外连续变焦镜头的结构设计与热分析

随着红外技术的不断发展,红外连续变焦镜头的应用越来越广泛。为了避免环境温度变化影响红外连续变焦镜头的成像质量,对改变过凸轮的红外镜头进行了光机热分析。建立连续变焦红外镜头的有限元模型,通过热分析对其模型进行处理,完成对有限元模型的热分析,并求解出不同情况下凸轮槽时镜头的位移云图、不同情况下镜片的位移云图、不同角度时凸轮的位移云图和不同角度下镜片的位移云图。结果表明,热光分析方法可以模拟红外光学系统的实际使用情况,并可以预测实际使用条件下的工作条件,对光学系统的设计具有重要的指导意义。     

Development of finite element computer code for thermal analysis of roller compacted concrete dams

Thermal analysis of roller compacted concrete (RCC) dams plays an important role in their design and construction. This paper deals with the development of a finite element based computer code for the determination of temperatures within the dam body. The finite element code is then applied to the real full-scale problem to determine the impact of the placement schedule on the thermal response of roller compacted concrete dam. Based on the results obtained, it could be concluded that for a given roller compacted concrete dam, changing the placing schedule can optimize the locations of maximum temperature zones.     

Probabilistic analysis of reinforced concrete columns

The subject of this work is the probabilistic finite element analysis of reinforced concrete columns. Concrete properties are represented as homogeneous Gaussian random fields. The yield stress and position of steel reinforcement, dimensions of the column cross-section and axial load are considered as random variables. The Monte Carlo method is employed to obtain expected values and standard deviations of the rupture load. The partial safety factors method is used for columns design and structural safety is evaluated by means of the reliability index, which is obtained through simulations. The effects of main parameters on the reliability index are investigated. It is shown that the correlation length of random fields for concrete properties may have a significant effect on reliability. Therefore, simplified procedures, which do not consider spatial variations of concrete properties are inappropriate for safety analysis.     

Numerical study of confinement effectiveness in solid and hollow reinforced concrete bridge piers: Analysis results and discussion

This paper presents the outcome of a large parametric numerical analysis of solid and hollow reinforced concrete piers taken from actually constructed bridges, based on a consistent three-dimensional nonlinear finite element methodology that was presented in a companion paper. Various transverse reinforcement arrangements and spacings were examined, as well as the effect of high-strength concrete on confinement effectiveness. The interpretation of numerical results mainly focuses on identifying the most convenient confinement configurations in terms of enhanced strength and ductility, as well as ease of construction and cost effectiveness. Furthermore, issues regarding confinement arrangements (often used in practice) that result in reduced section ductility are investigated and possible remedies are suggested. Finally, the broad applicability of the proposed methodology is established by application to a particularly complex (in terms of geometry and reinforcement detailing) hollow pylon section.     

Nonlinear finite element analysis of reinforced concrete plates and shells under monotonic loading

Plane stress constitutive models are proposed for the nonlinear finite element analysis of reinforced concrete structures under monotonic loading. An elastic strain hardening plastic stress-strain relationship with a nonassociated flow rule is used to model concrete in the compression dominating region and an elastic brittle fracture behavior is assumed for concrete in the tension dominating area. After cracking takes place, the smeared cracked approach together with the rotating crack concept is employed. The steel is modeled by an idealized bilinear curve identical in tension and compressions. Via a layered approach, these material models are further extended to model the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete plates and shells. These material models have been tested against experimental data and good agreement has been obtained.     

混凝土浇筑过程中温度场和应力场仿真分析

在混凝土浇筑过程中,其弹性模量随时间变化.这一独特现象给混凝土结构的残余热应力应变的理论求解带来极大困难.即使使用有限元法对混凝土进行热力耦合分析,也必须解决材料弹性模量徐变的问题.采用分时间段方法对弹性模量的时变特性进行等效近似处理,在一个时间段内近似认为弹性模量为一个稳定值,并在各个时间段对混凝土进行热力耦合计算.每一时间段仿真分析时读取上个时间段的结果作为初始条件.最后提取整个龄期各测试点处的仿真温度数据,并与实测温度数据进行对比,验证温度场仿真方法的正确性.     

Time-dependent modelling of RC structures using the cracked membrane model and solidification theory

A non-linear finite element model is presented for the time-dependent analysis of reinforced concrete structures under service loads. For the analysis of members in plane stress, the model is based on the cracked membrane model using a rotating crack approach combined with solidification theory for modelling creep. The numerical results are compared with a variety of long-term laboratory measurements, including development of deflections and cracking with time in a reinforced concrete beam, time-dependent change in support reactions of a continuous beam subject to support settlement and creep buckling of columns. The numerical results are in good agreement with the test data.     

Nonlinear analysis of reinforced concrete cylindrical shells

In this paper, analysis of reinforced concrete cylindrical shells is performed using a strain-based finite element. The shell element employed is bidimensional, cylindrical circular and has four-nodes and five nodal degrees of freedom. The nonlinearities due to concrete cracking and yielding of the steel are taken into account. The constitutive models for the materials employ the smeared cracking concept and a finite element layered approach. Concrete is modeled by a strain-induced orthotropic-elastic model under plane state of stress. A bilinear steel model is used and the stress/reversal with Baushinger effect is included. Examples show the good accuracy provided by this analysis.     

Analysis of cyclic loading of plane RC structures

A numerical procedure for cyclic loading response of planar reinforced concrete structures is presented. A nonlinear orthotropic stress strain law for biaxially loaded plain concrete is developed and compared with experimental results for monotonic biaxial loading and uniaxial cyclic loading. The stress-strain law recognizes strength and ductility changes due to biaxial stress, and strength and stiffness degradation with cycles of loading. The stress strain law is incorporated into a finite element computer program which utilizes isoparametric quadrilaterals with extra non-conforming deformation modes. Numerical and experimental results are presented for a monotonically loaded shear wall-frame system and a cyclically loaded shear wall.     

Dynamic response simulation for reinforced concrete slabs

Present investigation comprises development of a new finite element numerical formulation for nonlinear transient dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete slab structures. Depending on many experimental data, new material constitutive relationships for concrete material have been formulated. A regression analysis of available experimental data in the SPSS-statistical program has been employed for formulating the proposed material finite element models, and the appropriateness of the models are confirmed through the histograms and measured indices of determination. Concrete slab structures were analyzed using eight-node serendipity degenerated plate elements. The constitutive models of the nonlinear materials are introduced to take into account the nonlinear stress–strain relationships of concrete. For studying the stress profile of the concrete slab through its thickness, a layered approach is adopted. Elastic perfectly plastic and strain hardening plasticity approaches have been employed to model the compressive behavior of concrete. Assumptions for strain rate effect were included in dynamic analysis by supposing the dynamic yield function as a function of the strain rate, in addition to be the total plastic strain. The yield condition is formulated in terms of the first two stress invariants. Geometrical nonlinearity was considered in analysis as a mathematical model based on the total lagrangian approach taking into account Von Karman assumptions. Implicit Newmark with corrector–predictor algorithm was used for time integration solution of the equation of the motion for slab structures. An incremental and iterative procedure is adopted to trace the entire response of the structure; a displacement convergence criterion is adopted in the present study. A computer program coded in FORTRAN has been developed and used for the dynamic analysis of reinforced concrete slabs. The numerical results show good agreement with other published studies’ results which include deflections.     

Weight optimization for flexural reinforced concrete beams with static nonlinear response

The weight optimization of reinforced concrete (RC) beams with material nonlinear response is formulated as a general nonlinear optimization problem. Incremental finite element procedures are used to integrate the structural response analysis and design sensitivity analysis in a consistent manner. In the finite element discretization, the concrete is modelled by plane stress elements and steel reinforcement is modelled by discrete truss elements. The cross-sectional areas of the steel and the thickness of the concrete are chosen as design variables, and design constraints can include the displacement, stress and sizing constraints. The objective function is the weight of the RC beams. The optimal design is performed by using the sequential linear programming algorithm for the changing process of design variables, and the gradient projection method for the calculations of the search direction. Three example problems are considered. The first two are demonstrated to show the stability and accuracy of the approaches by comparing previous results for truss and plane stress elements, separately. The last one is an example of an RC beam. Comparative cost objective functions are presented to prove the validity of the approach.     

Simulation analysis of thermal stress of RCC dams using 3-D finite element relocating mesh method

The 3-D finite element relocating mesh method is developed for simulation analysis of temperature and thermal stress distribution in a roller compacted concrete dam during the construction period. According to the relation between specific properties and age of concrete, some meshes are merged into a larger mesh or a few larger meshes when the age of the concrete is appropriate. Using this method, the total number of elements and nodes were remarkably reduced when the dam height was increased. When the change in elastic modulus, creeps and hydration heat is within the limits permitted by design criteria, the relocating of mesh will start. Using this method, a 3 D simulation analysis of thermal stress in a roller compacted concrete (RCC) high dam can be realized by microcomputer and appeared at the construction site. On the basis of real factors during the construction period, an engineer can predict the distribution of temperature and thermal stress in the RCC dam. Therefore, engineers can take appropriate measures to control the concrete temperature to reduce the thermal stress and avoid crack development within the dam.     

Safety evaluation of slender high-strength concrete columns under sustained loads

A realistic analysis of the reliability of slender high-strength concrete (HSC) columns must include the long-term effects of sustained loads. In this paper, the long-term reliability of eccentrically loaded slender HSC columns under sustained loads is evaluated. The reliability of slender reinforced concrete columns representing normal-strength concrete and HSC is investigated. Since most of the variables involved in column design (material properties, geometric characteristics, loads, etc.) are random, probabilistic methods are used in the analysis. The effects of the concrete compressive strength, amount of longitudinal steel, load eccentricity, and slenderness ratio on the column reliability are investigated. It was found that all these factors have a considerable impact on the resulting column reliability.     

Rapid entropy-based detection and properties measurement of concrete spalling with machine vision for post-earthquake safety assessments

The current procedures in post-earthquake safety and structural assessment are performed manually by a skilled triage team of structural engineers/certified inspectors. These procedures, and particularly the physical measurement of the damage properties, are time-consuming and qualitative in nature. This paper proposes a novel method that automatically detects spalled regions on the surface of reinforced concrete columns and measures their properties in image data. Spalling has been accepted as an important indicator of significant damage to structural elements during an earthquake. According to this method, the region of spalling is first isolated by way of a local entropy-based thresholding algorithm. Following this, the exposure of longitudinal reinforcement (depth of spalling into the column) and length of spalling along the column are measured using a novel global adaptive thresholding algorithm in conjunction with image processing methods in template matching and morphological operations. The method was tested on a database of damaged RC column images collected after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and comparison of the results with manual measurements indicate the validity of the method.