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Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2023) | Viewed by 14338

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Dr. Chang-Geun Cho

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Department of Architectural Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
Interests: reinforced concrete; fiber cementitious composites; fiber composites; ultra-high-strength concrete; aesthetic design of concrete elements
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that submissions for a new Special Issue of Materials with the title of “Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials” are now open. This Special Issue is focused on new technologies reagarding methodologies, innovations, and designs in buildings and civil infrastructures, as well as aesthetic architectural planning and design by applying high-tech concrete, steel, woven, and fiber cementitious and composite materials for future buildings, membranes, and infrastructures by way of fiber-reinforced composites, fiber cementitious composites, precast uniform or curved non-uniform concrete composites, and any other hi-tech building materials.

Topics included in this Special Issue, with an emphasis on concrete, metal, woven, and fibers as the main innovative materials, are the following: the developments of high-performance concrete and composite materials, aesthetic architectural design of building structures and structural members, curved façades of concrete, aesthetic and structural design of membrane and space structures, structural and seismic innovations of concrete and steel structures, minimizing the reinforcement of steel bars, responses and resistances of buildings to fires, corrosion resistance of concrete, nonlinear analysis of uniform and curved non-uniform concrete composite structures, applications and methodologies of precast structural and nonstructural elements of modular unit buildings, and the manufacture of smart materials for fiber concrete composites using 3D printing technologies and applications.

Research topics and academic areas of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, building and civil engineering, architectural design, material engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering, as well as smart and sensor engineering, information technology, aesthetical design, etc.

If you need any further information about this Special Issue, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Chang-Geun Cho
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

buildings
architectural design
concrete
fiber composites
steel

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 9180 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of SMA Fiber Content on the Bending and Self-Recovery Performance of ECC Beams

by Zhao Yang, Yun Ren and Qing Wu

Materials 2023, 16(15), 5319; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16155319 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 704

Abstract

The addition of superelastic shape memory alloy fibers (SMAF) into engineering cementitious composites (ECC) can create a new type of SMAF-ECC composite material with good self-recovery and energy dissipation performance, which is very suitable for seismic structures. In this study, 10 groups of beam specimens with different volume contents of SMAF were fabricated, and the bending performance, deflection recovery and energy dissipation ability of these beams were studied through three-point bending cyclic loading tests. The failure mode, peak load, load–deflection curve, crack width and other indicators of the specimens were analyzed, and the relationship expression between fiber content and bending strength was established by fitting analysis. The results show that adding SMA fibers can significantly improve the peak load of ECC beams, with a maximum increase of 48.31%. The knotted SMA fibers can fully exert their superelasticity, providing the beam specimens with crack self-closing and deflection recovery ability. When the volume content of SMA fibers is 0–0.6%, the bending strength, energy dissipation ability and deflection recovery ability of the composite material beams increase with the increase in fiber content. When the volume content of SMA fibers is 0.6–1.0%, the above indicators decrease with the increase in fiber content. The suggested equations can well reflect the relationship between fiber content and beam bending strength. The research results of this paper provide theoretical support for the engineering application of SMAF-ECC composite materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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17 pages, 3619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on the Performance of Steel-Fiber-Reinforced Concrete for Remote-Pumping Construction

by Minglei Zhao, Changyong Li, Jie Li and Lixian Yue

Materials 2023, 16(10), 3666; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103666 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1164

Abstract

Remote-pumped concrete for infrastructure construction is a key innovation of the mechanized and intelligent construction technology. This has brought steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) into undergoing various developments, from conventional flowability to high pumpability with low-carbon features. In this regard, an experimental study on the mixing proportion design and the pumpability and mechanical properties of SFRC was conducted for remote pumping. Using the absolute volume method based on the steel-fiber-aggregate skeleton packing test, the water dosage and the sand ratio were adjusted with an experimental study on reference concrete with the premise of varying the volume fraction of steel fiber from 0.4% to 1.2%. The test results of the pumpability of fresh SFRC indicated that the pressure bleeding rate and the static segregation rate were not the controlling indices due to the fact that they were far below the limits of the specifications, and the slump flowability fitted for remote-pumping construction was verified by a lab pumping test. Although the rheological properties of the SFRC charactered by the yield stress and the plastic viscosity increased with the volume fraction of steel fiber, those of mortar used as a lubricating layer during the pumping was almost constant. The cubic compressive strength of the SFRC had a tendency to increase with the volume fraction of steel fiber. The reinforcement effect of steel fiber on the splitting tensile strength of the SFRC was similar to the specifications, while its effect on the flexural strength was higher than the specifications due to the special feature of steel fibers distributed along the longitudinal direction of the beam specimens. The SFRC had excellent impact resistance with an increased volume fraction of steel fiber and presented acceptable water impermeability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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23 pages, 8007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vibration Serviceability of the Aberfeldy Footbridge under Various Human-Induced Loadings

by Izabela Joanna Drygala, Joanna Maria Dulińska and Nicola Nisticò

Materials 2023, 16(7), 2890; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072890 - 05 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1237

Abstract

Developing new structural materials, such as composite materials, has provided many opportunities in bridge engineering. Among these materials, glass-fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRPs), in particular, have found applications in footbridges. However, some of the commonly recognized advantages of GFRPs, such as the high values of the strength/weight ratio, can also be considered disadvantageous for certain realizations, particularly when the composite material used in a footbridge is, for example, subjected to dynamic actions such as those that are induced by wind and walking and/or running users. The induced accelerations can reach high values in comparison to recommended thresholds. Further, the natural frequency decays during the service life, reducing the capacity of the frequencies to move toward the frequency content of the pedestrian step. In this framework, the presented research is devoted to the dynamic comfort assessment of a pioneering cable-stayed GFRP pedestrian bridge, Aberfeldy, which was assembled in 1992 in the eponymous small town, which is located in Scotland (UK). The assessment was numerically performed through a finite element (FE) model, which was tuned based on the literature data concerning geometry, structural details, and in situ-acquired frequencies. The analyses carried out in this study include the evaluation of the accelerations’ time histories, which were induced when simulating a set of pedestrian path scenarios, and the dynamic actions that occur during pedestrian traveling. Specifically, different values of velocity and step frequency were considered as well as the inclusion of walking and running movements. Then, based on the acceleration values, the assessments of comfort criteria for the current standards were elaborated while also recognizing that the peak accelerations—usually attained for short periods—cannot be the only parameters considered in evaluating the pedestrian bridge capacity. This investigation allowed a dynamic comfort rating to be established for the Aberfeldy footbridge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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15 pages, 4800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bonding Mechanical Properties between SMA Fiber and ECC Matrix under Direct Pullout Loads

by Zhao Yang, Xiaojun Gong, Qing Wu and Lin Fan

Materials 2023, 16(7), 2672; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072672 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1296

Abstract

SMAF-ECC material composed of shape memory alloy fiber (SMAF) and engineered cementitious composite (ECC) has good bending and tensile properties, as well as good crack self-healing ability, energy consumption, and self-centering ability. The bond behavior between fiber and matrix is crucial to the effective utilization of the superelasticity of SMAF. The experimental study considered three variables: SMA fiber diameter, fiber end shape, and bond length. The pullout stress–strain curve of SMAF was obtained, and the maximum pullout stress, maximum bond stress, and fiber utilization rate were analyzed. Compared with the straight end and the hook end, the maximum pullout stress of the specimen using the knotted end SMAF is above 900 MPa, the fiber undergoes martensitic transformation, and the fiber utilization rate is above 80%, indicating that the setting of the knotted end can give full play to the superelasticity of the SMAF. Within the effective bond length range, increasing the bond length can increase the maximum anchorage force of the knotted end SMAF. Increasing the fiber diameter can increase the maximum pullout stress and maximum anchoring force of the knotted end SMAF but reduce the utilization rate of SMA fiber. This study provides a reliable theoretical basis for the bonding properties between SMAF and ECC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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13 pages, 4698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Properties of Alkali-Activated Slag Fiber Composites Varying with Fiber Volume Fractions

by Hyeon-Jin Lim, Chang-Geun Cho, Jang-Yeol You and Jong-Jin Jeong

Materials 2022, 15(18), 6444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15186444 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 977

Abstract

The mechanical properties of alkali-activated slag fiber composites (ASFC) were investigated with varying volume fractions of PVA (Polyvinyl alcohol) fibers. Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and alkali-activators were used as the main binders instead of cement, which emits a large amount of carbon dioxide during the manufacturing process. The measured slump flow of ASFC showed a high fluidity at a fiber content of 1.5 vol.% or less. The tensile, flexural, and shear strength of ASFC showed higher values as the amount of fiber increased. Compared to the existing high ductility fiber composites showing strain hardening behaviors with a fiber content of 2.0 vol.%, ASFC proved that it could exhibit high ductility characteristics due to multi-microcracks even at low fiber mixing rates of 1.0% and 1.25%. ASFC could be expected to lower the manufacturing cost with a low fiber content and provide improved workability with high fluidity. In addition, when manufacturing structural components using the developed ASFC, it is expected that the amount of fiber could be selected and used according to the required performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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14 pages, 4887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Iterative Optimal Design Method Based on LM Index for Steel Double-Beam Floor Systems Reinforced with Concrete Panels

by Insub Choi, Dongwon Kim and JunHee Kim

Materials 2022, 15(13), 4538; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15134538 - 28 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1529

Abstract

Steel double-beam floor systems reinforced with concrete panels can improve the structural and environmental performance of buildings by reducing moment demands and embodied CO₂ emissions. However, for steel double-beam floor systems, a time-consuming iterative analysis is required to derive an optimal design proposal owing to the rotational constraints in the composite joints between the concrete panel and steel beams. In this study, a non-iterative optimal design method using the LM index is proposed to minimize the embodied CO₂ emissions of steel double-beam floor systems. The LM index is a measure that can be used to select the optimal cross-section of the steel beams considering the decreased moment capacity according to the unbraced length. The structural feasibility of the proposed design method was verified by investigating whether safety-related constraints were satisfied by the LM index with respect to the design variables under various gravity loads. The applicability of the proposed optimal design method is verified by comparing the embodied CO₂ emissions derived from the proposed and code-based design methods. Applicable design conditions were presented based on the LM index to aid engineers. The proposed design method can provide environmentally-optimized design proposals to ensure structural safety by directly selecting the LM index of steel beams. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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9 pages, 3635 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fire Properties of Bed Mattresses Focusing on the Fire Growth Rate and Flame Height

by Jong-Jin Jeong, Masayuki Mizuno, Kye-Won Park, Hyeon-Jin Lim and Chang-Geun Cho

Materials 2022, 15(11), 3757; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15113757 - 24 May 2022

Viewed by 1245

Abstract

Bed mattresses are rated as products to cause a fire hazard because of their very high heat release rate among indoor combustibles. In this study, fire growth rate and flame height were measured through a series of combustion experiments on a full scale in order to provide information regarding mattress fire characteristics. The experiments were conducted in an open space, and bed mattresses as the test samples were installed at different installation heights (0~515 mm). The experiment results revealed that the higher the bed mattress was installed, the higher the fire growth rate, the heat release rate, and the flame height. Additionally, the time of the mattress to reach 1 MW was evaluated as the category “medium” in the NFPA 72 standards. The flame heights showed a good coincidence compared to the existing flame height model equations, proving the applicability of the model to the mattress combustion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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12 pages, 1756 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Strength Properties for Concrete Containing Fine-Rubber Particles Using UPV

by Yeol Choi, Il-Hyun Kim, Hyeon-Jin Lim and Chang-Geun Cho

Materials 2022, 15(10), 3452; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15103452 - 11 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1377

Abstract

Since the early 1990s, many studies were conducted to utilize waste tires as a replacement for natural coarse and fine aggregates in concrete, known as rubberized concrete or rubber-concrete. In this paper, an experimental study was performed on the strength properties of concrete containing fine-rubber particles as a replacement of fine aggregate, using destructive and non-destructive tests. Ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests were used to evaluate the strength property of rubber-concrete as a non-destructive test. Compressive and splitting tensile strengths were determined for four different volume contents of fine-rubber particles and exponential equations were proposed for the relationship between compressive, splitting tensile strength and the UPV of rubber-concrete, respectively. With the limited conditions in this paper, it found that UPV tests could also be used to estimate the compressive and tensile strengths of rubber-concrete, that are used in other types of concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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15 pages, 6418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on the Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Various Integrated Shear Reinforcements

by Mooyoung Yoo

Materials 2022, 15(9), 3091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15093091 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1911

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shear performance of concrete beams with integrated shear reinforcements made of steel plates and rebar bent in an N shape (N-type rebar), and to evaluate the applicability of the current relevant design standards. For this purpose, four concrete beam specimens were manufactured. Four-point loading tests were performed with all the specimens. The experiments confirmed that both types of shear reinforcements had a shear-reinforcing effect (an about 60% increase in shear strength), but the N-type rebar did not exceed the nominal shear strength, probably because the rebar did not yield sufficiently. A sufficient number of steel-plate-type shear reinforcements yielded in the shear crack. When evaluating the shear performance of a new shear reinforcement, it is necessary to calculate the design strength by actually reflecting whether the shear reinforcements’ yields are due to the angle of the diagonal crack. Calculating the shear contribution based on the strain of the shear reinforcements and comparing this shear strength with those five design standards, the shear strength of the shear reinforcements were evaluated conservatively. It is considered that there will be no problem in structural safety even if the shear design is carried out according to the current design standards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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17 pages, 6890 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Seismic Behavior of Existing Reinforced Concrete Columns with Non-Seismic Details under Low Axial Loads

by Myeong-Ho Choi and Chang-Hwan Lee

Materials 2022, 15(3), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15031239 - 07 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1993

Abstract

Reinforced concrete (RC) columns of old existing buildings are vulnerable to earthquakes because the hoops comprising their transverse reinforcement are widely spaced and anchored using 90° hooks. This study extensively evaluated the seismic behavior of RC columns with such non-seismic details. Experiments were conducted by applying lateral cyclic loads to five full-scale column specimens with various transverse reinforcement details subjected to low axial loads. The experimental results demonstrated that the internal transverse crosstie had a significant confinement effect in the non-seismic detailed columns with 90° hoop anchor hooks. In addition, the lateral load–drift relationships, ductilities, and energy dissipation capabilities of the columns were not significantly affected by the hoop spacing or anchor hook angle when a low axial load was applied up to a drift ratio of 3.5% before failure. The evaluation model based on ASCE/SEI 41-17 was then shown to approximate the initial stiffness, maximum strength, and post-peak strength reduction behavior of the non-seismically reinforced column. This study was based on the experimental behavior of single column members, and it needs to be extended to research on frame structures in which columns are connected to beams and slabs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structural Methods and Architectural Designs with Recent Technologies on Concrete, Steel, Woven, Fiber Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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