Search results for "1105"
showing 10 items of 459 documents
Increasing the shear capacity of reinforced concrete beams using pretensioned stainless steel ribbons
2017
In this work, the second part of an experimental campaign investigating the efficiency of an alternative retrofitting method for increasing the flexural and/or shear capacity in reinforced concrete beams, based on the use of prestressed stainless steel ribbons and steel angles, is presented and analytically reproduced. This group of tests focuses on the ability of the adopted retrofitting method to improve the shear strength and ultimate deformation of reinforced concrete structural elements. As described in a companion paper, the adopted retrofitting method is alternative to traditional techniques of reinforced concrete retrofitting, being easy to install and usually reversible, and charac…
Advanced Strategies and Materials for Reinforcing Normal and Disturbed Regions in Brick Masonry Columns
2016
This work presents the results of an experimental investigation on the behavior of 42 solid clay brick masonry columns internally strengthened by fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) fabrics or stainless steel grids placed in horizontal mortar joints. In some cases, every course, and in other cases, alternate courses were reinforced with steel grids, carbon, and basalt FRP fabrics. Monotonic compressive loading tests were carried out under concentric and eccentric loads. Eccentric tests were carried out by loading the specimens on a reduced area with respect to the entire cross section, producing a disturbed region (D-region). A detailed characterization of the constituent materials was made expe…
Ultrasonic inspection for the detection of debonding in CFRP-reinforced concrete
2017
Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are extensively used to retrofit civil structures. However, the quality and the characteristics of the bond between the FRP and the structure are critical to ensure the efficacy of the retrofit. For this reason, effective non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are often necessary to assess the bonding conditions. This article presents an ultrasonic technique for detecting defects at the FRP-substrate interface. The technique uses the Akaike Information Criterion, to detect automatically the onset of the ultrasonic signals, and the novel Equivalent Time Lenght (ETL) parameter, to quantify the energy of the propagating ultrasonic signals along the i…
Mathematical modelling and experimental study of straw co-firing with gas
2019
The main goal of the present study is to promote a more effective use of agriculture residues (straw) as an alternative renewable fuel for cleaner energy production with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. With the aim to improve the main combustion characteristics at thermo-chemical conversion of wheat straw, complex experimental study and mathematical modelling of the processes developing when co-firing wheat straw pellets with a gaseous fuel were carried out. The effect of co-firing on the main gasification and combustion characteristics was studied experimentally by varying the propane supply and additional heat input into the pilot device, along with the estimation of the effect of co-firing on…
Experimental investigation on the effect of mortar grade on the compressive behaviour of FRCM confined masonry columns
2018
Abstract The use of Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Mortar (FRCM) systems for structural retrofitting of masonry structures has become increasingly popular in the last years, due to the capability of this technique in overcoming some of the drawbacks related to the adoption of resin-based composites. Recent studies investigated on the effect of FRCM wraps on the compressive behaviour of concrete members and demonstrated as the application of mortar-based composites allows increasing the strength and, above all, the ductility of the column. The main difference with FRP confined columns is related to the different post-peak behaviour, characterized by a softening branch. Differently, few studie…
Comparative experimental analysis on the compressive behaviour of masonry columns strengthened by FRP, BFRCM or steel wires
2017
Abstract In the last decade, several studies have investigated the application of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) wraps to masonry piers in order to provide a confinement effect and enhance compressive strength and ductility. Although this technique has proved to be quite effective, various drawbacks arise when organic resins are used to bind fibres. To solve these problems, different techniques have been developed to be used as alternative methods for enhancing the structural performances of weak masonry columns. Among these, the use of Basalt Fibre Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (BFRCM) wrapping, or the application of steel wires at mortar joints. This paper presents the results of an expe…
Fatigue and Healing Properties of Low Environmental Impact Rubberized Bitumen for Asphalt Pavement
2017
The addition of recycled tyre rubber as a modifier to enhance the mechanical properties of bitumen has proven to provide asphalt mixtures with better mechanical performance. However the rubberised bitumen presents the limitation of requiring higher manufacturing and compaction temperatures. This could be solved by subjecting the tyre rubber to sort of pre-treatments such as: Adding warm-mix additives and/or using partial devulcanisation. These solutions have the potential of lowering the overall environmental impact of the asphalt pavement, however it is still not clear whether these can be detrimental for the rubberized asphalt binder mechanical properties. This paper investigates the effe…
The CRATI project: New insights on the consolidation of saltweathered stone and the case study of San Domenico Church in Cosenza (South Calabria, Ita…
2019
This paper presents the results of a laboratory experimentation carried out on stone materials in the framework of the CRATI project (Knowledge and Restoration through Advanced Integrated Technologies) aimed at testing new products with consolidating properties by means of an integrated methodological approach. After the preliminary characterization of stone materials collected in the pilot site, the second stage of the activities within the project were focused on the formulation and testing of products for the conservation of the same materials against decay, especially salt crystallization, one of the most aggressive and common degrading processes. The San Domenico Church, located in the…
Stress transfer and failure mechanisms in steel-concrete trussed beams: Experimental investigation on slab-thick and full-thick beams
2018
Abstract This study presents the results of an experimental investigation on semi-precast Hybrid Steel Trussed-Concrete Beams (HSTCBs) for analyzing the failure modes and the stress transfer mechanism between concrete and embedded steel elements (plate and truss). The available literature presents previous studies carried out by the authors mainly focused on the understanding of the local transfer mechanism by means of push-out tests. Conversely, in this paper original the results of laboratory tests conducted on six specimens of full-size HSTCBs subjected to four-point bending, with variation in the shear span, are reported on. From these results, the authors are able to assess the failure…
Brick Masonry Columns Externally Wrapped with Steel Wires under Concentric and Eccentric Loads
2017
This paper discusses an experimental investigation of clay brick columns that are externally strengthened by steel wire collars wrapping the horizontal mortar joints. The study aims to prove the effectiveness of the proposed strengthening technique and detect the efficiency of different numbers of steel collars. Additionally, the effect of eccentric loading is investigated. This paper proves that an analytical expression available in the previous literature can be modified to provide the strength of the equivalent homogeneous cross section in simple compression. To this aim, the biaxial strength domain of the bricks is modified to account for the lateral pressure exerted by the steel collar…