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CONTENTS
Volume 40, Number 2, October 25 2011
 


Abstract
In this paper, the effects of both pozzolans and (steel and poly-propylene) fibers on the mechanical properties of roller compacted concrete are studied. Specimens for the experiments were made using a soil-based approach; thus, the Kango\'s vibration hammer was used for compaction. The tests in the first stage were carried out to determine the optimal moisture requirements for mix designs using cubic 150 x 150 x 150 mm specimens. In the tests of the second stage, the mechanical behaviors of the main specimens made using the optimal moisture obtained in the previous stage were evaluated using 28, 90, and 210 day cubic specimens. The mechanical properties of RCC pavements were evaluated using a soil-based compaction method and the optimum moisture content obtained from the pertaining experiments, and by adding different percentages of Iranian pozzolans as well as different amounts of steel fibers, each one accompanied by 0.1% of poly-propylene fibers. Using pozzolans, maximum increase in compressive strength was observed to occur between 28 and 90 days of age, rupture modulus was found to decrease, but toughness indices did not change considerably. The influence of steel fibers on compressive strength was often more significant than that of PP fibers, but neither steel nor PP fibers did contribute to increase in the rupture modulus independently. Also, the toughness indices increased when steel fibers were used.

Key Words
roller compacted concrete (RCC) pavement; steel/polypropylene fibers; pozzolans; compressive/flexural strength; toughness

Address
Morteza Madhkhan, Rasool Azizkhani: Department of Civil Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology (IUT), Islamic Republic of Iran
Mohammad E. Torki: Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (SUT), Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract
In order to upgrade the seismic resistibility of structures and enhance the functionality of an isolator, a new base isolator called the multiple trench friction pendulum system (MTFPS) is proposed in this study. The proposed MTFPS isolator is composed of a trench concave surface and several intermediate sliding plates in two orthogonal directions. Mathematical formulations have been derived to examine the characteristics of the proposed MTFPS isolator possessing numerous intermediate sliding plates. By means of mathematical formulations which have been validated by experimental results of bidirectional ground shaking, it can be inferred that the natural period and damping effect of the MTFPS isolator with several intermediate sliding plates can be altered continually and controllably during earthquakes. Furthermore, results obtained from the component and shaking table tests demonstrate that the proposed isolator provides good protection to structures for prevention of damage from strong earthquakes.

Key Words
friction pendulum system; multiple friction pendulum system; base isolation; earthquake engineering; base isolator; trench friction pendulum system; sliding system

Address
C.S. Tsai and Yung-Chang Lin: Department of Civil Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan

Abstract
This paper presents an improved 8-node shell element for the analysis of plates and shells. The finite element, based on a refined first-order shear deformation theory, is further improved by the combined use of assumed natural strain method. We analyze the influence of the shell element with the different patterns of sampling points for interpolating different components of strains. Using the assumed natural strain method with proper interpolation functions, the present shell element generates neither membrane nor shear locking behavior even when full integration is used in the formulation. Further, a refined first-order shear deformation theory, which results in parabolic through-thickness distribution of the transverse shear strains from the formulation based on the third-order shear deformation theory, is proposed. This formulation eliminates the need for shear correction factors in the first-order theory. Numerical examples demonstrate that the present element perform better in comparison with other shell elements.

Key Words
enhanced membrane and shear interpolation; locking behavior; full integration; refined firstorder shear deformation theory; plates and shells

Address
Sung-Cheon Han: Department of Civil and Railroad Engineering, Daewon University College, Jecheon 390-702, Korea
Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai: 2School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Klongluang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand
Won-Hong Lee: Department of Civil Engineering, Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, Jinju 660-758, Korea

Abstract
The axial compressive strength of unidirectional FRP is generally quite lower than its axial tensile strength. This fact decreases the advantages of FRP as main load bearing member in engineering structure. In order to restrain the lateral expansion and splitting of GFRP, and accordingly heighten its axial compressive bearing capacity, a project that to confine GFRP pole with surrounding CFRP sheet is suggested in the present study. The Experiment on the CFRP sheet confined GFRP poles showed that a combined structure of high bearing capacity was attained. Basing on the experiment research a theoretical iterative calculation approach is suggested to predict the ultimate axial compressive stress of the combined structure, and the predicted results agree well with the experimental results. Then the influences of geometrical parameters on the ultimate axial compressive stress of the combined structure are also analyzed basing on this approach.

Key Words
CFRP; GFRP pole; confinement; compressive strength; experiment; iteration

Address
Li Chen, Qilin Zhao and Kebin Jiang: Engineering Institute of Engineer Corps, PLA University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China

Abstract
This paper presents a theoretical study of a model predictive control (MPC) strategy employed in semi-active control system with magnetorheological (MR) dampers to reduce the responses of seismically excited structures. The MPC scheme is based on a prediction model of the system response to obtain the control actions by minimizing an objective function, which can compensate for the effect of time delay that occurred in real application. As an example, a 5-story building frame equipped with two 20 kN MR dampers is presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed MPC scheme for addressing time delay and reducing the structural responses under different earthquakes, in which the predictive length l = 5 and the delayed time step d = 10, 20, 40, 60, 100 are considered. Comparison with passive-off, passive-on, and linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control strategy indicates that MPC scheme exhibits good control performance similar to the LQG control strategy, both have better control ffectiveness than two passive control methods for most cases, and the MPC scheme used in semi-active control system show more effectiveness and robustness for addressing time delay and protecting structures during earthquakes.

Key Words
predictive control; semi-active control; magnetorheological dampers; earthquakes; time delay

Address
Long-He Xu: School of Civil Engineering, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
Zhong-Xian Li: School of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Abstract
In this paper, the use of universal serendipity elements (USE) to eliminate node mapping distortions for dynamic problem is presented. Rectangular shaped elements for USE are being introduced by using a flexible master element with an adjustable edge node location. The shape functions of the universal serendipity formulation are used to derive the mass and damping matrices for the dynamic analyses. These matrices eliminate the node mapping distortion errors that occurs incase of the standard shape function formulations. The verification of new formulation will be tested and the errors encountered in the standard formulation will be studied for a dynamically loaded deep cantilever.

Key Words
finite element method; universal serendipity element (USE); node mapping distortion; dynamic analysis

Address
Semih Kucukarslan: 1Department of Civil Engineering, stanbul Technical University, Maslak, stanbul, Turkey
Ali Demir: Department of Civil Engineering, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey

Abstract
In this paper the geometrically nonlinear continuum plate finite element model, hitherto not reported in the literature, is developed using the total Lagrange formulation. With the layerwise displacement field of Reddy, nonlinear Green-Lagrange small strain large displacements relations (in the von Karman sense) and linear elastic orthotropic material properties for each lamina, the 3D elasticity equations are reduced to 2D problem and the nonlinear equilibrium integral form is obtained. By performing the linearization on nonlinear integral form and then the discretization on linearized integral form, tangent stiffness matrix is obtained with less manipulation and in more consistent form, compared to the one obtained using laminated element approach. Symmetric tangent stiffness matrixes, together with internal force vector are then utilized in Newton Raphson\'s method for the numerical solution of nonlinear incremental finite element equilibrium equations. Despite of its complex layer dependent numerical nature, the present model has no shear locking problems, compared to ESL (Equivalent Single Layer) models, or aspect ratio problems, as the 3D finite element may have when analyzing thin plate behavior. The originally coded MATLAB computer program for the finite element solution is used to verify the accuracy of the numerical model, by calculating nonlinear response of plates with different mechanical properties, which are isotropic, orthotropic and anisotropic (cross ply and angle ply), different plate thickness, different boundary conditions and different load direction(unloading/loading). The obtained results are compared with available results from the literature and the linear solutions from the author\'s previous papers.

Key Words
geometrically nonlinear analysis; composite plates; continuum finite element

Address
M. Cetkovic and Dj. Vuksanovic: Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade, Bul. Kralja Aleksandra 73, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract
A solution of space curved bars with generalized Winkler soil found by means of Transfer Matrix Method is presented. Distributed, concentrated loads and imposed strains are applied to the beam as well as rigid or elastic boundaries are considered at the ends. The proposed approach gives the analytical and numerical exact solution for circular beams and rings, loaded in the plane or perpendicular to it. A well-approximated solution can be found for general space curved bars with complex geometry. Elastic foundation is characterized by six parameters of stiffness in different directions: three for rectilinear springs and three for rotational springs. The beam has axial, shear, bending and torsional stiffness. Numerical examples are given in order to solve practical cases of straight and curved foundations. The presented method can be applied to a wide range of problems, including the study of tanks, shells and complex foundation systems. The particular case of box girder distortion can also be studied through the beam on elastic foundation (BEF) analogy.

Key Words
elastic foundation; curved beam; transfer matrix; generalized Winkler soil

Address
Marcello Arici and Michele Fabio Granata: Universita di Palermo, DICA, Palermo, Italy


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