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14 pages, 6780 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical and Experimental Study on Loading Behavior of Facade Sandwich Panels

by Gorjana Stanisavljević, Darinka Golubović Matić, Milorad Komnenović, Ivana Vasović Maksimović and Željko Flajs

Buildings 2023, 13(6), 1554; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061554 - 18 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1259

Abstract

This paper focuses on the study of the strength of facade sandwich panels used in building construction. The paper describes the results of experimental and numerical research on the behavior of sandwich panels made of polyisocyanurate core (PIR) and their structural connections when [...] Read more.

This paper focuses on the study of the strength of facade sandwich panels used in building construction. The paper describes the results of experimental and numerical research on the behavior of sandwich panels made of polyisocyanurate core (PIR) and their structural connections when exposed to tensile and compressive loads. In the initial phase of this study, laboratory tests were performed to determine the physical and mechanical characteristics of the material from which the sandwich panels are made. Laboratory tensile and compression tests were performed on small samples of sandwich facade panels. In order to verify the obtained results, they were compared with the numerical analysis performed in the ANSYS software. The numerical model was found to accurately predict the results of the laboratory tests, suggesting that the model can be used to predict the behavior of these panels under different loads in service. The study showed that the foam core sandwich panel exhibits excellent mechanical properties. The results indicate the suitability of foam-based composite structures in the construction industry for various applications, such as roof and wall structures. The findings of this study may help in the development of lightweight and durable construction materials for the industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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16 pages, 5425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Laced Built-Up Lightweight Concrete Encased Columns Subjected to Cyclic Axial Load

by Nagarajan Divyah, Ramaiah Prakash, Sundaresan Srividhya, Siva Avudaiappan, Pablo Guindos, Nelson Maureira Carsalade, Krishna Prakash Arunachalam, Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi and Ángel Roco-Videla

Buildings 2023, 13(6), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061444 - 31 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1177

Abstract

The steel-concrete composite column comprises a steel core and surrounding concrete. The purpose of the system is to provide analysis and design techniques for a newly invented class of laced steel-concrete composite short columns for cyclic axial loads. To minimize the increasing density [...] Read more.

The steel-concrete composite column comprises a steel core and surrounding concrete. The purpose of the system is to provide analysis and design techniques for a newly invented class of laced steel-concrete composite short columns for cyclic axial loads. To minimize the increasing density issues associated with nominal strength concrete and in consideration of the depletion of natural resources required to produce concrete, factory-obtained lightweight sintered fly ash aggregates with and without basalt fiber are employed. The normal-weight concrete containing basalt fiber is shown to be more ductile than any other column. The axial deformation of columns LNA and LSA at failure was found to be 3.5 mm, whereas columns LNAF and LSAF reached an axial shortening of 4.5 mm at failure. The column LSAF was found to have 5.3% more energy absorption than the LSA and 11.5% less than the column LNAF. It was observed that the rigidity of these fabricated components had been enhanced. It was found that the section configuration with a lacing system had improved confinement effects and ductility. Comparing the finite element analysis to the experimental data revealed a strong connection with numerical modeling, with a variance of around 8.77%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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16 pages, 4873 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reliability-Based Proof Load Factors for Assessment of Bridges

by Christian Overgaard Christensen, Kenneth Dahl Schiøttz Damsgaard, John Dalsgaard Sørensen, Svend Engelund, Per Goltermann and Jacob Wittrup Schmidt

Buildings 2023, 13(4), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13041060 - 18 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1699

Abstract

Advanced reliability assessment can be required when evaluating existing bridge structures through proof load testing. The target load of a proof load test typically requires input from resistance models; however, bridges with a low documentation level are often the most relevant for proof [...] Read more.

Advanced reliability assessment can be required when evaluating existing bridge structures through proof load testing. The target load of a proof load test typically requires input from resistance models; however, bridges with a low documentation level are often the most relevant for proof load testing, and resistance models thus involve significant uncertainties. This paper presents a different approach to proof loading and target proof load, in which the resistance model is not included in the determination of this load. Instead, the target proof load is determined based on load models coupled to the desired target failure probability, thus ensuring sufficient safety of the existing bridge. The method is in line with the proposal for a new Eurocode on assessment of existing structures and is deemed to be superior to existing approaches. An essential assumption of the method is that monitoring systems can identify stop criteria before irreversible damage occurs. The approach was applied in a case study, where an OT-slab bridge with a span of 6.5 m was proof-load-tested and reclassified for capacity upgrading of a road stretch in Denmark. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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16 pages, 7859 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Loading of Staircase Made from Cement Fiber Boards with Cellulose Fibers Using Full-Scale Model

by Ondřej Nespěšný, David Bečkovský, Jan Vystrčil, Vojtěch Vaněk, Miloslav Novotný and Jan Pěnčík

Buildings 2023, 13(3), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030704 - 07 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2491

Abstract

The study presents a possible innovative use of cement fiber boards (CFBs) reinforced with cellulose fibers for construction of an interior prefabricated staircase. Regarding the unusual use of traditional material that was used in all bearing elements of the staircase, a numerical simulation [...] Read more.

The study presents a possible innovative use of cement fiber boards (CFBs) reinforced with cellulose fibers for construction of an interior prefabricated staircase. Regarding the unusual use of traditional material that was used in all bearing elements of the staircase, a numerical simulation with the use of a material model SBETA was carried out and, subsequently, multiple experimental static loading was applied. In order to carry out experimental testing of static load capacity, a full-scale experiment method was chosen and performed on a real staircase structure for family houses. The full-scale experiment is considered the most precise method to test structures or material behavior. The obtained results show that the designed and tested staircase structure of CFBs is able to meet the requirements of technical standards related to static loading of staircases. The load test confirmed the potential use of cement fiber boards produced by the Hatschek process for real bearing structures under static loading. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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12 pages, 3726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Damage Detection in Nonlinear Elastic Structures Using Individual Sensors

by Said Quqa and Luca Landi

Buildings 2023, 13(3), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030639 - 28 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1084

Abstract

Natural frequencies have always been one of the most intuitive and widely used features for damage identification in civil structures. Even with the recent rapid technological and theoretical developments, frequency-based identification methods are of great interest for applications through low-cost sensing systems. Although [...] Read more.

Natural frequencies have always been one of the most intuitive and widely used features for damage identification in civil structures. Even with the recent rapid technological and theoretical developments, frequency-based identification methods are of great interest for applications through low-cost sensing systems. Although most techniques for frequency identification assume a linear structural behavior, in real applications, variations in the amplitude of input excitation can lead to short-term frequency fluctuations due to the inherent nonlinearities of civil structures. This paper proposes a procedure for damage detection in nonlinear systems based on instantaneous resonant frequency and amplitude estimates. A statistical model was fitted to identified data, and a synthetic indicator was proposed to obtain robust damage detection, even when frequency shifts due to variations in the input excitation are comparable to those due to actual damage. The proposed method was applied to a dataset recorded from a reinforced concrete building with strongly nonlinear behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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17 pages, 5600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stiffness and Deformation Analysis of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Panels Made of Nordic Spruce Based on Experimental Testing, Analytical Calculation and Numerical Modeling

by Pavel Dobeš, Antonín Lokaj and Kristýna Vavrušová

Buildings 2023, 13(1), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13010200 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2677

Abstract

Timber structures are currently more important for solving tasks in construction practice. For this reason, there is an opportunity for research in the area of physical tests and numerical models. This paper deals with the determination and comparison of the deformation properties of [...] Read more.

Timber structures are currently more important for solving tasks in construction practice. For this reason, there is an opportunity for research in the area of physical tests and numerical models. This paper deals with the determination and comparison of the deformation properties of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels based on laboratory tests, analytical calculation and numerical modeling. CLT panels are structural building components consisting of cross-oriented solid timber layers. Three types of panels with different geometry and number of layers (three, five and seven) were experimentally tested using a four-point bending test, where load–deformation curves were recorded. The results of the experimental testing of the three-layer panels were subsequently compared with a numerical model in SCIA Engineer, a numerical model in ANSYS Workbench and an analytical calculation. The research shows a good agreement in bending behavior between the laboratory tests, the analytical calculation according to the standard and two different approaches in numerical analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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20 pages, 5680 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Construction Errors in Cable Forces of Single-Story Orthogonal Cable Network Structures Based on GA-BPNN

by Zeqiang Wang, Guoliang Shi, Zhansheng Liu, Yanchi Mo, Bo Si, Yang Hu and Yongliang Wang

Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2253; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12122253 - 17 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1471

Abstract

The construction process of cable net structure is complicated, which leads to the strong randomness of construction errors. The safety state of the cable net structure is very sensitive to construction errors. Obtaining the coupling relationship between construction errors and cable force response [...] Read more.

The construction process of cable net structure is complicated, which leads to the strong randomness of construction errors. The safety state of the cable net structure is very sensitive to construction errors. Obtaining the coupling relationship between construction errors and cable force response efficiently and accurately is critical to developing the construction technique of cable structures. This paper proposed an analysis method based on a genetic algorithm optimized back propagation neural network (GA-BPNN) to judge the influence of construction error on the cable force of single-layer orthogonal cable network structures. Taking the speed skating stadium of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games as the research object, this paper analyzed the structure form of the venue. According to the characteristics of cable network structure and GA-BPNN calculation, the principle of construction error analysis was put forward. The influence of construction errors of load-bearing cables and stable cables on cable force response was analyzed. The influence degree of different component errors on structural cable forces was obtained, and the most unfavorable key components were obtained. For the key components, the influence trend of different construction errors on cable force was analyzed, and the fitting formula was given. Driven by GA-BPNN, it can realize the analysis of structural and mechanical responses under the action of multi-type, multi-component, and multi-combination construction errors. The results show that the research method efficiently and accurately obtains the performance law of structural cable force under the influence of construction error, effectively predicts the influencing factors of the structural safety risk, and effectively avoids structural safety accidents caused by construction error. The construction errors analysis method based on GA-BPNN proposed in this paper can provide a reference for similar structural analysis and application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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Review

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15 pages, 2081 KiB

Open AccessReview

Methodology for Determining the Correct Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity in Concrete

by Uldis Lencis, Aigars Udris, Patricia Kara De Maeijer and Aleksandrs Korjakins

Buildings 2024, 14(3), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030720 - 07 Mar 2024

Viewed by 495

Abstract

Quite often, concrete strength parameters must be determined in the shortest possible time. Due to the strong correlation between concrete’s mechanical and acoustic properties, ultrasonic devices can be used for this purpose. However, the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) is influenced by a variety [...] Read more.

Quite often, concrete strength parameters must be determined in the shortest possible time. Due to the strong correlation between concrete’s mechanical and acoustic properties, ultrasonic devices can be used for this purpose. However, the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) is influenced by a variety of factors, including the curing and exploitation conditions of the concrete, the presence of reinforcement, and other various physical factors. Ignoring these factors may contribute to the misinterpretation of the measurement data when determining the strength of the concrete. Typically, all these factors are analyzed independently. This publication consolidates the findings obtained from our research efforts and field expertise over the past two decades. It outlines the elaborated UPV measurement methodology based on the integration of a four-argument function: the hydration process phase of the hardened cement paste (or concrete aged three days and older), hardening (curing) condition, concrete moisture level, and ambient temperature. To understand the interactions of the key factors, different ultrasonic devices were used to measure the velocities of longitudinal and surface waves in concrete by applying direct and indirect transmission methods when concrete specimens were tested under different moisture and temperature conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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34 pages, 10758 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Phenomenon of Cracking in Cement Concretes and Reinforced Concrete Structures: The Mechanism of Cracks Formation, Causes of Their Initiation, Types and Places of Occurrence, and Methods of Detection—A Review

by Grzegorz Ludwik Golewski

Buildings 2023, 13(3), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030765 - 14 Mar 2023

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 9265

Abstract

Cracks and cavities belong to two basic forms of damage to the concrete structure, which may reduce the load-bearing capacity and tightness of the structure and lead to failures and catastrophes in construction structures. Excessive and uncontrolled cracking of the structural element may [...] Read more.

Cracks and cavities belong to two basic forms of damage to the concrete structure, which may reduce the load-bearing capacity and tightness of the structure and lead to failures and catastrophes in construction structures. Excessive and uncontrolled cracking of the structural element may cause both corrosion and weakening of the adhesion of the reinforcement present in it. Moreover, cracking in the structure negatively affects its aesthetics and in extreme cases may cause discomfort to people staying in such a building. Therefore, the following article provides an in-depth review of issues related to the formation and development of damage and cracking in the structure of concrete composites. It focuses on the causes of crack initiation and characterizes their basic types. An overview of the most commonly used methods for detecting and analyzing the shape of microcracks and diagnosing the trajectory of their propagation is also presented. The types of cracks occurring in concrete composites can be divided according to eight specific criteria. In reinforced concrete elements, macrocracks depend on the type of prevailing loads, whereas microcracks are correlated with their specific case. The analyses conducted show that microcracks are usually rectilinear in shape in tensioned elements; in shear elements there are wing microcracks with straight wings; and torsional stresses cause changes in wing microcrack morphology in that the tips of the wings are twisted. It should be noted that the subject matter of microcracks and cracks in concrete and structures made of this material is important in many respects as it concerns, in a holistic approach, the durability of buildings, the safety of people staying in the buildings, and costs related to possible repairs to damaged structural elements. Therefore, this problem should be further investigated in the field of evaluation of the cracking and fracture processes, both in concrete composites and reinforced concrete structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Experiment and Analysis of Building Structures)

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