Acc 1105001
Acc 1105001
Acc 1105001
5 (2021) 357-365
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/acc.2021.11.5.357 357
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, New Sahand Town, Tabriz, P.B. 51335/1996, Iran
(Received September 16, 2019, Revised October 26, 2020, Accepted January 21, 2021)
Abstract. High deformable concrete (HDC) elements have compressive strength rates equal to conventional concrete and
have got a high compressive strain at about 20% to 50%. These types of concrete elements as prefabricated parts have an
abundance of applications in the construction industry which is the most used in the construction of tunnels in squeezing
grounds, tunnel passwords from fault zones or swelling soils as soft supports. HDC elements after reaching to compressive yield
stress, in nonlinear behavior have hardening combined with increasing strain and compressive strength. The main aim of this
laboratory and numerical research is to construct concrete elements with the above properties so the compressive stress-strain
behavior of different concrete elements with four categories of mix designs have been discussed and finally one of them has
been defined as HDC element mix design. Furthermore, two columns with and without implementing of HDC elements have
been made and stress-strain curves of them have been investigated experimentally. An analysis model is presented for columns
using finite element method adopted by ABAQUS. The results obtained from the ABAQUS finite element method are compared
with experimental data. The main comparison is made for stress-strain curve. The stress-strain curves from the finite element
method agree well with experimental results. The results show that the dimension of the HDC samples is significant in the
stress-strain behavior. The use of the element greatly increases energy absorption and ductility.
Keywords: high deformable concrete element; stress-strain behavior; finite element modeling
2017). Flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams demonstrated that using steel fiber affects strain hardening.
strengthened by highly ductile fiber reinforced concrete and The study of the basis properties of fiber reinforced
reactive powder concrete (RPC) in the tension and concrete showed that fiber’s shape and geometry are the
compressive zones is studied. The experimental results most important factors (Cengis et al. 2004, Beddar et al.
showed that the flexural capacity of specimens strengthened 2008, Song et al. 2004). Resins as a binder is a better-suited
by an HDC layer in the tension zone was notably increased procedure deformation unlike cement concrete. It was
and that the specimens strengthened by an RPC layer in the observed that damping characteristics might increase
compressive zone exhibit much higher ductility than the significantly by using polymeric resin. Previously
control concrete beams (Deng et al. 2018). performed investigation have indicated that increasing of
In some researches flexural performance of reinforced fly ash and silica fume lead to improvements in tensile
concrete beams strengthened with high strength-high properties and reduction in crack width (Shigang et al.
ductility engineered cementitious composites (HSHD- Haurie et al. 2013, Imam et al. 2018). The objective of this
ECC). The test results showed that HSHD-ECC could be an research is to experimentally produce high deformable
ideal construction material for improving the flexural concrete (HDC) element because there is a knowledge gap
performance of reinforced concrete beams. For the failure concerning the development of HDC in the scientific
mode, localized cracking was not observed in the beams literature. Another distinguishing feature of HDC is that it
with the ECC layer even when the ultimate loading was has strain hardening after 50 percent plastic strain so that its
reached; instead of that, multiple micro-cracks appeared in compressive strength increases (Kovari 2007). The mix
the tensile zone of beams due to the high ductility of ECC design selected were intended for use in precast elements
(Qin et al. 2020). A new type of textile-reinforced high which have gained increasing energy absorption. This paper
ductile concrete composite (TRHDC) for use in the deal with aspects of energy absorption, modulus of
confinement of masonry columns has been made. In this elasticity and stress-strain behavior of concretes. Stress-
research, by doing experimental and analytical studies, it strain behaviors of samples are taken as the main part of
was found that TRHDC confinement can improve both the research. Achieving suitable concrete mix design for HDC
load-carrying capacity and the deformability of masonry element has been followed by their performance
columns relative to the unconfined condition. Besides, the investigations and applicability in structural elements. For
analytical values are in agreement with test results but this purpose, some column specimens used in order to
should need further experimental investigations in the investigate the effect of using HDC elements on stress-
future to verify the reliability of expressions rather than strain behaviors of columns. Furthermore, numerical
those used in this study (Li et al. 2020). Deng has presented modeling of column tests constructed employing ABAQUS
the results of an experimental investigation on the software and the results compared to the laboratory ones.
compressive behavior of clay brick masonry columns
confined with HDC. Also, analytical models were adopted
to predict the compressive strength of HDC systems. The 2. Experimental
calculation model gives a better approximation to predict
the compressive strength of confined masonry columns 2.1 Materials and mix proportions
(Deng et al. 2020). Nonlinear behavior of ductile reinforced
concrete (RC) shear walls having different parameters has In this part materials and mix designs of four kinds of
been investigated. In this analytically research, the effects deformable concretes and the normal concrete (NC) are
of the analyzed parameters on the nonlinear behavior of the presented. These deformable concrete are: Epoxy modified
RC shear walls were evaluated in terms of curvature concrete (EC), fiber reinforced concrete (FC), steel and
ductility, moment capacity, peak displacement, the angular polyethylene meshed concrete (MC) and fiber reinforced
displacement and displacement ductility values (Foroughi et concrete with polymeric tube (PC).
al. 2020). Yuan investigated the synergy effect in tensile ACI method of concrete mix design is based on the
properties of no-slump high-strength high-ductility concrete estimated weight of the concrete per unit volume. This
(NSHSDC) based on polyethylene (PE) and steel fibers method takes into consideration the requirement for
(SF). In this study, the compressive, flexural, and tensile consistency, workability, strength and durability. For NC
strength of NSHSDC with three different W/B ratios and MC mix designs ACI method has been implemented.
reinforced by different values of PE fiber were evaluated This project is focused on finding the ideal mix design
(Yuan et al. 2020). for EC. To achieve this objective there were three minor
In addition, a research to evaluate the shear behavior of objectives created, which is used as the three studies for the
the steel reinforced continuous deep beam (SRD-CDB) has project. The first of these was to find the ideal resin to filler
been done. In this study, its failure pattern, load-deflection ratio that provides the best distribution of the aggregate for
curve, stirrup strain, steel web strain and shear capacity the least amount of air voids. Then, using the resin to filler
were investigated (Deng et al. 2020). The experimental ratio from Study One, Study Two varies the amount of filler
investigations show that steel mesh and fiber evaluated to investigate the mechanical properties of the specimens.
performance characteristics such as toughness, flexural Study shows that the ideal resin to filler ratio is
ductility behavior, energy absorption and load capacity approximately 20% resin to 80% filler. Using this ratio in
(Senthil et al. 2016, Pahdi et al. 2016, Kumar et al. 2017, Study was found that the mix design with no aggregate in
Murthy et al. 2019). From the test results it was the mix was the strongest for all strength tests. It was
High Deformable Concrete (HDC) element: An experimental and numerical study 359
Table 1 Chemical and physical properties of cement and Table 4 Mixture proportion of steel and polyethylene
micro-silica meshed concretes (MC)
Material Cement type II Micro-silica* Component Sand Micro- Super
Cement Water
Sio2 (%) 20.7 94-96 (MC) 0-2.4* silica plasticizer
Mass (%) 70.3 17 1.8 0.2 10.7
Cao (%) 65.0 0.2-0.7
Al2O3 (%) 5.2 0.4-0.9
Table 5 Mixture proportions of fiber concretes with
Fe2O3 (%) 4.6 0.8-2
polymeric tube (PC)
Other (%) 4.5 2-4
Component Quartz Cement Micro- Super Hollow PP
Density (g/cm3) 3.12 0.57-0.64 Quartzpowder Water
(PC) sand silica plasticizer glass Fiber
Blaine (cm2/g) 3200 20000 Mass % 55.5 21.1 10.1 1.1 0.2 11.3 0.5 0.2
*The admixture namely micro-silica was supplied by Azna
Lorestan. Table 6 Mixture proportion of normal concrete (NC)
Component Gravel Sand Super
Table 2 Mixture proportions of epoxy modified concretes Cement Water
(NC) (4.7-19 mm) (0-4.74 mm) plasticizer
(EC) Mass (%) 37.6 42.2 12.0 0.1 8.1
EC1 EC2 EC3
Component (EC)
Mass (%)
Sand
- 43 68
(0-2.4 mm)
Quartz
52 25 -
(0.3-0.7 mm)
Quartz
29 14 11
(0.0-0.3 mm)
Resin epoxy 19 18 21
Fig. 1 UTM standard compression loading machine
Table 3 Mixture proportions of fiber concretes (FC)
FC1 FC2 FC3 FC4
Component (FC) thickness of 1 mm) and epoxy resin has been used. The
(%)
physical, chemical and mechanical properties of cement,
Gravel
36.5 36.3 - - micro-silica, are listed in Table 1. In each Table 2 to 6
(4.7-10 mm)
mixture proportions of deformable concretes and normal
Sand (0-4.74mm) 41.5 40.3 71.5 -
concrete (NC) have been summarized.
Sand (0-2.4 mm) - - - 68.2
Cement 12.5 11.8 14.3 17.0 2.2 Specimen preparation
Micro-silica 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.9
Super plasticizer 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 For each types of the proposed cementitious mix
Steel fiber - 2.0 2.0 1.9 designs, firstly dry ingredients (i.e., gravel, sand, quartz
Water 8.1 8.2 10.5 10.9 sand, quartz powder, cement and micro-silica) were put into
the blender for about 2 minutes. Then mixture of water and
plasticizer were added and were stirred for about 5 minutes.
determined that this is due to the addition of aggregate to Finally, fibers were added and additional mixing was
the mix causing air voids, therefore reducing the strength. applied for about 2 minutes. The samples were demolded
However, for all tests, it was observed that the maximum for 24-h and stored in a curing box at about 22°c with 100%
strength varied little between the four mix designs relative humidity. In the other hand for preparing of epoxy
confirming that the addition of aggregate and how much is modified concrete, all used materials were put into the
added does not have a large impact on the strength of the mixer for about 10 minutes. HDC elements implemented in
sample. tunnels are prefabricated so that the curing of the elements
The deformable concrete considered here is prepared by is done as mentioned above in accordance with latest
the following ingredients. Portland cement type II (ASTM standards.
C150-17), gravel (4.7-10 mm), sand (0-4.7 mm with a
specific gravity of 2.65), micro-silica, polycarboxylate- 2.3 Compression test
based superplasticizer (SP) in conformity with ASTM
C494-81 type F. Steel (length of 12 mm with the diameter The samples before testing were capped with sulfur
of 0.28 mm) and polypropylene fibers (length of 10 mm blinder on their two opposite faces. The UTM standard
with the diameter of 0.14 mm) produced by Zanjan Wire loading machine manufactured by Zweick Roel, Germany,
Technology Co., ltd were investigated. Quartz sand (0.3-0.7 was used to calculate the load-displacement curves, and the
mm) quartz powder (0-0.3 mm) and hollow glass added as stress-strain behaviors were also extracted from. It should
fillers. Polyethylene meshes (5 and 10 mm opening and be noted that this device has very high accuracy compared
thickness of 1 mm), steel meshes (10 mm opening and to the conventional compression device used to obtain the
360 Yasser Alilou Kesejini, Amir Bahramifar, Hassan Afshin and Mehrdad Emami Tabrizi
2.4.3 Fiber reinforced concrete (FC) Four types of meshed concretes have been investigated
As shown in Fig. 4 the volume content of fibers blended here. Three cylindrical samples of 100 mm in diameter and
increases, the loading carrying capacity, deflection capacity 200 mm in length have been tested for each mix designs. A
and energy absorption capacity are improved. Steel fibers Plain concrete (P), steel meshed concrete (MS), square
are used to enhance the concrete's ductility. The dimensions polyethylene meshed concrete (MO) and honeycomb
and experimental results of FC specimens are shown in polyethylene meshed concrete (MG) in 13 layers. Testing
Table 8. The strain-stress behavior of the fiber specimens is sample is shown in Fig. 5. Stress-strain behavior of these
plotted in Fig. 4. Replacement of coarse aggregate with fine samples are shown in Fig. 6 and mechanical properties and
aggregates has been resulted in more ductility. By using dimensions are listed in Table 9. Plain concrete has brittle
fibers although stress- strain behavior of samples converges behavior under compressive loading but with using polymer
to a constant value after bearing 5% strain but starting of and steel meshes ductility of these samples have increased.
maximum yielding stress and plastic strain was delayed. It According to table 9. It is obvious that meshes positively
means that less crack was caused during loading. affected the performance of them. This can be explained by
the increasing of bond strength of meshes into concrete.
2.4.2 Steel and polyethylene meshed concrete (MC) Fig. 6 studies on factors involving the ductility of the
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