Abstract This paper presents the influence of ceramic waste powder (CWP) inclusion on the physico-mechanical properties and microstructure analysis of alkali-activated pastes prior and after exposure to elevated temperatures. Such geopolymer specimens were designed upon replacing ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) with CWP at ratios of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, by mass. The water absorption

Abstract The use of waste materials in concrete design draws the attention of researchers. Studies on the use of these materials both as binders and aggregates accelerate. In this study, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) based geopolymer concrete was produced. 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) was used instead of river aggregate in the mixtures. These samples were

Abstract This paper presented trilinear load transfer models for both pile shaft-–soil system and pile tip-soil system to analyze the load–settlement relationship of bored pile in loess area. Based on the differential equation of load transfer, the load transfer functions in different stages were deduced. Furthermore, combined with the trilinear model of pile tip-soil system, the load-settlement functions

Abstract This paper evaluates the effects of Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) on the seismic response of multi-story concrete frames subjected to earthquake ground motions. To calculate the structural response, an iterative Wave-Propagation (WP) based method has been used. The exact solution of SSI problems, in addition to high computational costs, due to general complexity of finite element analysis

Abstract The study proposes a new method to assess the bending stiffness distribution in plate- and slab- like reinforced concrete (RC) structures based on spatially distributed strain data. Specifically, the study aims to provide an adequate structural interpretation of the readings, which infers the structural health. It is especially relevant for RC structures, that are designed to be cracked during

Abstract Plastic has become one of the most consumed materials in daily use worldwide, and its consumption is growing increasingly because of its low density, strength, low cost, formability and slow decomposition. However; the usage of plastic bottles is severe threat to environment in the form of plastic wastes. The rapid growth of PW is inviting attention for recycling and reusing in construction

Abstract Using seesaw structural system in buildings is a way for creating earthquake-resilient buildings, namely buildings which can be easily and quickly repaired with little cost, even after major earthquakes. To create such a system, all internal columns at the lowest story are removed and instead, a central mega support is used, combined with a grid of orthogonal strong girders as the first floor

Abstract Uncertain climatic factors like rainfall can induce the complex hydro-chemo mechanical processes within the rock mass, and thus substantially increase the failure probability of rock slope. This paper presents a numerical investigation into the rainfall-induced instability mechanism of jointed rock slope with two joint inclinations of dipping 45° and 60° and the corresponded safety factor

Abstract Experimentation by producing three-dimensional samples for understanding the seismic behaviour of a structure takes a significant amount of time and these experiments may be highly complicated. Based on literature, the seismic behaviour of structures with slab openings usually was represented by analytical assessments instead of three-dimensional experimental studies. Moreover, the limiting

Abstract The cemented soil–pipe pile is an expanded pile that is composed of a high-strength, precast, prestressed pipe pile core and an expanded zone of cemented soil. To investigate the shear behaviours of the cemented soil–pipe pile interface, a series of large-scale direct shear tests on the cemented soil–concrete interface under various cemented soil strengths and different normal stresses were

Abstract Cement intake is a key factor that must be precisely controlled during the curtain grouting construction process. However, in traditional grouting construction, the amount of cement intake depends on the personnel experience, and thus, it is desirable to formulate a scientific control criterion and control method. To this end, in this study, a method to predict and control the cement intake

Abstract In this paper, an experimental study aiming at understanding the seismic behaviour of dry stone retaining walls is presented. Harmonic shaking table tests have been carried out on scaled-down dry-joint retaining walls involving parallelepiped bricks. It is found that a thicker wall is more resistant and that a given retaining wall is less sensitive to higher frequencies. For those higher frequencies

Abstract Due to the continuous scarcity of sand and gravel under environmental protection policies, a new geo-backfill material with the good liquefaction resistance is urgently needed. Steel slag is a kind of industrial solid waste. The aged eight-month steel slag usually could be used as backfill material. It is important to investigate the liquefaction resistance behaviours of steel slag. According

Abstract Concrete buildings reinforced by plain bars are one of the special types of old structures generally built before the 1970s. According to the experiences of earthquakes and experimental tests, the dominant damage mode in these structures includes a deep crack at the intersection of the beam with the joint panel zone. In this study, seismic fragility curves of existing concrete buildings reinforced

Abstract This paper presents rigorous analytical solutions for cavity contraction analysis of a thick-walled cylinder/sphere after an arbitrary magnitude of expansion. Closed-form solutions are given for the distribution of stress and displacement within the cylinder/sphere of soil that is subjected to constant external pressure and monotonically decreasing internal pressure. The soil is modelled as

Abstract The response of laterally loaded piles installed near the crest of clay slopes is analysed. Three-dimensional finite element analyses are presented for piles at various distances from a slope crest and for different pile shape. The results of these analyses are used to study the variation of the pile displacement, the bending moment of the pile and the soil resistance in relation to pile to

Abstract Shear failure is the major factor involved in the failure of structures and may occur in short columns. In this article, six reinforced concrete short columns are prepared and experimentally and numerically investigated using finite element analysis under cyclic lateral displacement. Since the failure occurred in short columns under earthquake is in the form of shear and brittle failures,

Abstract For the constantly evolving alkali-activated materials (AAMs), expanding and optimising the raw materials base in accordance with increasing ecological and technical requirements is one of the determining factors for a promising future. Because of developments in inorganic material chemistry, the range of potentially suitable aluminosilicates has changed and expanded continuously throughout

Abstract In the present study, the elevated concrete water tower is used as the research object. In order to investigate the ground motion response law of the elevated concrete water tower with the near-field Chichi wave, the near-field no-pulse Tehachapi Pump wave and the far-field long-period Tianjin waves when the liquid–solid–soil interaction (LSSI) is considered. And the finite element calculation

Abstract A nonlinear analysis approach is newly proposed to obtain the configurations of suspension bridges in both construction and completed status, and the effects of the pylon saddles are considered in this algorithm. With the expression determining the position of the cable’s attachment point on the saddle, the approach can automatically take the saddle into account in the analysis process. In

Abstract The present manuscript is a state-of-the-art review, which examines the most recent stages in the developments of the class of eco-efficient green geopolymer concrete technology in the light of its history of research, more specifically, focusing on its unsettled durability criterion. The objective of this article is not merely to review it’s on hand literature but also to focus on durability

Abstract The new damage phenomenon of the Zipingpu concrete-faced rock-fill dam (CFRD) in the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake has introduced new topics to the study of seismic failure mechanisms and numerical simulation methods of high CFRDs. With respect to the large-scale contact separation between the face slabs and the cushion layer after the earthquake, the conventional method of directly assigning constant

Abstract Design of piles in chalk is considered as an important issue for a number of geotechnical applications in Northern Europe. Few methods exist for predicting the ultimate axial pile capacity in chalk, but little guidance can be found regarding the design of driven piles in this complex material as experience is rather limited. This paper aims to study the short and long-term predictive performance

Abstract Debris-flow disaster has caused large casualties and tremendous economic loss. Check dams, flexible barriers, silt dams and baffle arrays are most used disaster prevention countermeasures. For a better design strategy, we made a thorough review and discussion about the achievements and challenges in four important aspects, including impact force estimation, run-up height prediction, failure

Abstract The conventional crumb test (CCT) is a simple and rapid test, originally used for assessing the dispersive tendency of clayey soils through visual observation of a small-scale soil specimen placed in a large volume of water. In this study, the disaggregation process occurring in soil in contact with water was followed in place of the soil dispersion in CCT. In order to describe quantitatively

Abstract Evaluation of scour depth is essential but challenging for the design and surveillance of bridges. The current engineering practice is primarily based on empirical equations. However, without considering geomechanics concepts, these methods are not always reliable, especially when utilised under different geological conditions. This paper introduces a new approach based on the geomechanical

Abstract Studies on grout consolidation after synchronous grouting around shield tunnels have ignored the expansion of the grout–groundwater interface and the difference in the permeabilities of the grout and water in the stratum. The process of grout pressure dissipation and diffusion in the stratum was solved with a two-dimensional two-phase seepage model, with which the head losses caused by grout

Abstract The crack formation, propagation and failure mechanism of concrete are very complex. Incorporation of fibers complicates it further, alters the damage characteristics of concrete. There is a consistent effort to impart the strain hardening properties, for which the special type of chemical fibers (Polyvinyl alcohol, PVA) is found to be very promising. Presently, an attempt has been made to

Abstract The objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of various geometrical uncertainties of analytical modelling affecting the evaluation of building deflections induced by tunnelling or mining subsidence. Based on Winkler model coupled with an elastic Euler-Bernoulli beam, an analytical approach is applied to evaluate the influence of major sources of uncertainties related to the

Abstract Many researchers worldwide have extensively used fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening materials to enhance the shear and flexural strengths of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. However, Studies on strengthening of RC beam subjected to combined torsion and bending moment using both spiral and vertical strip configuration of CFRP that explored in this study is rare. This study aims to

Abstract The mechanical behavior of soils can be modeled using a non-linear elastic part showing an incremental response depending on current stress state, while the plastic part can be described appropriately by a smoothed Drücker-Prager based plastic criterion. In order to reproduce the behavior of such media under prescribed loading, a new constitutive model is proposed as a combination of a hyperelastic

ABSTRACT: The indirect tensile strength (ITS) of portland cement concrete (PCC) is commonly predicted using several existing empirical equations that relate this property to the compressive strength. Based on the compressible packing model (CPM), a new approach for predicting ITS of PCC was developed. The proposed approach is based on knowing the ITS of the cementitious paste and other parameters related

Abstract Most existing thermal–hydromechanical (THM) models used to describe the process of frost heave assumed the freezing soil to be elastic. However, an inelastic constitutive model capable of reflecting the viscous constitutive behaviour of freezing soils should be considered. Based on the existing mathematical model, this study presented an improved mathematical model of coupled water, heat,

Abstract This study aims to advance the understanding of particle shape effects on the mechanical behaviours of granular materials by using 3D printed soil. A holistic particle geometry parameter (Sh), which integrated the 3D information of a particle (i.e. volume, surface area, and size) was developed to describe the particle shape and correlate with the granule’s shear behaviours. Test results revealed

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to discuss the application of kenaf straw as a building material for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil. The kenaf straw core (KSC) content, kenaf fibre content and KSC particle size were used as factors to study the effects of a slightly cadmium-enriched kenaf straw on the mechanical and thermal properties of cement mortar. XRD, thermogravimetry

Abstract To investigate the plastic yielding behaviour of soil, a new plasticity framework using stress Hausdorff derivative was developed in this study. Two hypotheses concerning the effect of scale transform on physical behaviours of soil were proposed, based on which the stress–strain relations in the scaled stress space were provided, and then mapped back to the ordinary stress space for describing

Abstract This study investigates the protective effect of various hydroxy acid-based rust converters such as malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, hydroxy acid mixture and glycolic acid in controlling the corrosion of steel reinforcement embedded in cement mortar. The steel rebars pre-treated with hydroxy acids were embedded in cement mortar samples. Afterward, the reinforced samples were exposed

Abstract In this work, the performance of reinforced concrete containing different percentages of marble filler as a partial substitution of ordinary Portland cement is investigated. The cement is replaced by marble accordingly in the range of 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.% for concrete. The measurements of flexural and compressive strengths are conducted on the concrete with marble dust. The corrosion behaviour

Abstract The paper develops an analytical method to design the plane arrangement of stabilising piles under spatial lateral load of 3D colluvial landslides with multilayer sliding masses. Firstly, an approach based on the geological map and binary Lagrange Interpolation method was presented to establish 3D landslide calculation models. The improved 3D limit equilibrium method was then proposed to calculate

Abstract This study investigates a complex slope failure that occurred in Chongqing Xi railway station. The studied slope belongs to a under-dip shale slope. Onsite surveys and UDEC numerical modelling were conducted to describe the deformation characteristics and potential failure mechanism of this slope. The simulated results suggest that sliding, buckling and toppling can occur in the deformation

Abstract The existence of joints is the key factor for the instability of underground caverns. In this paper, the instability failure behaviours, acoustic emission (AE) characteristics and damage evolution rules of green sandstone caverns with different joint angles were investigated. First, the influences of joint angles on the strength and failure behaviour of the caverns were analysed. Then, the

Abstract Over the years, it has become obvious that simultaneous backfill grouting is of great significance to the design of the tunnel lining and process control of shield construction. It is essential to know the grout pressure distribution around the tunnel lining. The purpose of this study is to seek an alternative method to simulate the grout diffusion process and obtain pressure distribution

Abstract The present paper evaluates the seismic bearing capacity of a strip footing lying near the edge of a rock slope. Resorting to the framework of the limit analysis kinematic approach formulated in the context of pseudo-static method, the analysis assesses the reduction in ultimate bearing capacity (UBC) provoked by the combined effects of the proximity of rock slope and seismic loading. The

Abstract Argillaceous rocks are candidate host and/or cap formations for the geological disposal of nuclear wastes in many countries, including Canada, France and Switzerland. The understanding of the long term mechanical behaviour of such rocks is an essential requirement for the assessment of their performance as a barrier against radionuclide migration. Due to the existence of bedding, argillaceous

Abstract Seven specimens of high-performance polypropylene fiber-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete (HPPLWC) columns and three specimens of lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) columns were tested under low cycle reciprocating loading to study the seismic behavior of HPPLWC columns. The effects of axial compression ratio, stirrup ratio and high-performance polypropylene fiber (HPPF) content

Abstract This study presents dynamic responses of submerged highly elastic structures, strengthened with cable elements and the fluid interacting with the structure. For this purpose, fluid and structure are modelled with smoothed particle hydrodynamics and finite element methods, respectively. The interaction is satisfied with contact mechanics. In order to simulate the cable, a finite element model

Abstract Pre-existing faults cross-cutting caprock formations constitute potential leakage pathways during geological CO2 sequestration. When the fault filling material is calcite-rich, dissolution of the fault minerals is expected to occur causing the mechanical weakening of the fault or, even worse, its reactivation. In turn, these chemical-mechanical processes influence the distribution of pore

Abstract Tunnel excavation in Boom Clay formation, Belgium, highlighted an anisotropic behaviour related to its bedding planes. Hollow cylinder tests mimicking tunnel excavation under laboratory conditions confirmed the isotropic convergence of samples cored perpendicular to the bedding and the anisotropic behaviour of samples cored parallel to the bedding. This article investigates the possibility

Abstract While the application of nanoindentation technology has made great progress in cemented materials, the nanoindentation data show great discreteness. This study proposes an efficient procedure for concrete with coarse aggregate grinding and polishing to provide low surface roughness through a lot of polishing experiments. An integrated investigation, using SEM-EDS and nanoindentation, is performed

Abstract The reliability analysis is one of the main methods for the quantitative analysis of the safety in the geotechnical engineering. This method can provide the failure probability with a clear physical meaning. Due to the complex structure of high earth-rock dams and the non-linear characteristics of the material properties, it is very difficult to perform the reliability analysis on such large

Abstract Studying the characteristics of tensile and shear cracks in a rockburst event is crucial for understanding the rockburst mechanism. In this study, several specimens were tested under biaxial compression, and the released acoustic emissions (AEs) of the resulting tunnel rockburst event were recorded. Based on the AE energy and dominant frequency parameters, the different AE characteristics

Abstract Many construction projects such as bridges, barriers, road construction, etc. use rigid or flexible retaining walls. Seismic behaviour analysis of such structures is difficult and complex due to the complexity of the relationships governing wall behaviour. Three methods of field observation, laboratory simulation and numerical modelling can be used for this purpose. In this study, dynamic

Abstract Due to the negative environmental impact of cement production, partial replacement of cement with by-products and wastes has been drawn much attention. However, the reduction in binder fraction can affect the fresh and mechanical properties of cement-based materials. In this study, the effects of nano and micro Fe3O4 on the fresh and mechanical properties of plain mortar as well as mortar

Abstract Poor adhesion of synthetic macro fibers to a cementitious matrix limits their reinforcing capacity when used in fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (FRCCs). As a remedy to this problem, high concentrations of fibers must be incorporated into such mixtures, which makes their dispersion in fresh mixtures difficult to achieve. Several strategies have been adopted to improve bonding between

Abstract An overview of the effect of mineral additives on hydration reactions in ternary cement systems is of high importance for concrete design and durability. In this paper, the combination effect of limestone filler and slag on hydration reactions in ternary cements was investigated. Tests were carried out on cement pastes with various replacement levels of cement by limestone filler and slag

Abstract In the Eurocodes, the notion of reliability is presented and expressed in terms of the target failure probability. The three reliability classes (RC1, RC2 and RC3) are based on assumed consequences of failure and exposure of construction works to potential hazards, their levels of safety and probability of failure are represented by the reliability index β. The normal (most current) situation

Abstract Recycled construction and demolition (C&D) materials are widely used in engineering fills to reduce the pressure on the environment. This study intended to investigate the effect of particle sizes and sand contents on mechanical behavior of recycled C&D materials using triaxial tests. The results demonstrated that the water absorption rate of crushed bricks (CB) was much higher than that of

This paper investigates the seismic capacity and collapse mechanism of dry-joint masonry towers built with different ancient construction techniques at the Caria and Pamphylia regions in Turkey. A discontinuum type of analysis is performed, where masonry towers are represented as a system of individual rigid blocks based on the discrete element method (DEM). The dimensions and the morphology of the

Following the assumptions proposed by Davis and Raymond, an analytical solution for one-dimensional nonlinear consolidation of double-layered soil under constant loading is derived by introducing an improved continuous drainage boundary condition. The effectiveness of the present solution is assessed by comparing against other existing analytical solutions and laboratory consolidation test results

This study had a triple environmental objective. First, to reuse various industrial wastes (i.e., bottom ash, slag, and construction and demolition waste) as coarse aggregates in porous concretes. Second, to develop a material capable of eliminating noise, another environmental pollutant, in acoustic barriers. The third objective was to produce construction materials composed primarily of wastes with