Brittle Behaviour of High-Performance Concrete Structures

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Structures".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2025 | Viewed by 4744

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
Interests: fracture mechanics; scale effects; fiber-reinforced concrete; high-performance prestressed concrete; FRP-bar reinforced concrete; instability phenomena and hysteresis; masonry arches; membranes and shells; structural monitoring

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering (DISEG), Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy
2. College of Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou, China
Interests: fracture mechanics; fatigue crack growth; thermo-elasticity; seismic structures; reinforced concrete; structural monitoring; contact mechanics; fragmentation and comminution; drilling and wear; multi-layered and functionally-graded materials; nano-structured and hierarchical materials; acoustic; electromagnetic; and neutron emissions from fracture and earthquakes; buckling and snap-through in shallow roofing structures; tall buildings; seismic precursors; dynamics of macromolecular and protein structures

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the Special Issue entitled “Brittle Behaviour of High-Performance Concrete Structures” will be published in Buildings, a MDPI Open Access Journal indexed in Scopus and Web of Science with an Impact Factor of 3.8.

This Special Issue aims to publish papers on recent advances on high-performance concrete structures, with a particular focus on the complex phenomena characterising the failure mechanisms of fibre-reinforced, hybrid-reinforced, FRP-bar reinforced, and prestressed concrete structures.

We will be very pleased if you would consider submitting a research paper or a review article on any topic related to this theme. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Dr. Federico Accornero
Prof. Dr. Alberto Carpinteri
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • high-performance concrete structures
  • fibre-reinforced concrete
  • frp-bar reinforced concrete
  • prestressed concrete
  • ductility
  • brittleness
  • cracking
  • crushing

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 9837 KiB  
Article
Tensile-to-Shear Crack Transition in the Compression Failure of Steel-Fibre-Reinforced Concrete: Insights from Acoustic Emission Monitoring
by Zihan Jiang, Zhiwen Zhu and Federico Accornero
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2039; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072039 - 4 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 646
Abstract
Steel-fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) has been increasingly used in the field of engineering structures in recent years. Hence, the accurate monitoring of the fracturing process of in-service SFRC has considerable significance in terms of structural safety. This paper investigates the acoustic emission (AE) and [...] Read more.
Steel-fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) has been increasingly used in the field of engineering structures in recent years. Hence, the accurate monitoring of the fracturing process of in-service SFRC has considerable significance in terms of structural safety. This paper investigates the acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) features characterising the damage behaviour of SFRC samples in compression. For all the tests, cumulated AE, b-value, βt coefficient, average frequency, and rise angle are considered to describe the actual SFRC failure mechanisms. The results show that SFRC exhibits enhanced toughness compared to normal concrete (NC), with an indicated transition from a brittle to a ductile structural behaviour. This improved behaviour can be attributed to the bridging effect of steel fibres, which also drives the progressive tensile-to-shear crack transition, thus being the main cause of the final SFRC failure. As the loading rate increases, there is a corresponding increase in the number of shear cracks, leading to a decrease in the overall ductility and toughness of SFRC. Moreover, since the number of shear cracks notably increases right before SFRC fracture, this can serve as a safety warning of the impending failure. Furthermore, the cumulated AE curve displays a strong discontinuity in the occurrence of an unstable fracturing process in SFRC, which can also be forecasted by the AE time-scaling coefficient βt. The AE and DIC features can be used as failure precursors in the field of structural surveying, offering an accurate technical support for engineering failure warnings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Brittle Behaviour of High-Performance Concrete Structures)
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14 pages, 6575 KiB  
Article
Investigation on the Impacts of Three Sea Salt Ions on the Performance of CSA-OPC Binary System
by Chuanlin Wang, Shupeng Zhou, Qingyou Ou and Yuxuan Zhang
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1481; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051481 - 20 May 2024
Viewed by 659
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the impact of three corrosive ions—SO42−, Cl, and Mg2+—on the hydration property of calcium sulphoaluminate (CSA) cement. Cement paste was prepared using three types of sea salt ion solutions with varying [...] Read more.
This study aimed to explore the impact of three corrosive ions—SO42−, Cl, and Mg2+—on the hydration property of calcium sulphoaluminate (CSA) cement. Cement paste was prepared using three types of sea salt ion solutions with varying concentrations as mixing water. The experimental program encompassed assessments of porosity, compressive/flexural strength, heat of hydration, pH of pore solution, XRD, and SEM analysis. To modulate the hydration environment, Ordinary Portland cement (10%) was incorporated to elevate the pH and enhance the stability of ettringite, thereby facilitating the formation of additional C-S-H gel for the observation of M-S-H and other compounds. Findings revealed that the Cl accelerated the hydration of CSA, resulting in heightened heat release. However, it also decreased the length-to-diameter ratio of ettringite, leading to cracking in CSA test blocks. The addition of SO42− resulted in elevated internal alkalinity, prompting alterations in hydration product types and subsequent reduction in CSA strength. Conversely, Mg2+ was observed to ameliorate the microstructure of CSA test blocks, diminishing porosity and augmenting strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Brittle Behaviour of High-Performance Concrete Structures)
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20 pages, 6796 KiB  
Article
Global Resistance Methods for the Design of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (FRC) Beams with Material Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis
by Kamyar B. Shahrbijari, Joaquim A. O. Barros and Isabel B. Valente
Buildings 2023, 13(11), 2848; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13112848 - 14 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1165
Abstract
This article explores the application of the global resistance methods (GRMs) on the design of hybrid glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) and steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams. Addressing challenges posed by GFRP-reinforced beams, this study aims to assess the impact of material uncertainties on [...] Read more.
This article explores the application of the global resistance methods (GRMs) on the design of hybrid glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) and steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams. Addressing challenges posed by GFRP-reinforced beams, this study aims to assess the impact of material uncertainties on the behavior of such hybrid beams. The investigation involves the experimental testing of I-shaped SFRC beams, which are used to develop and validate nonlinear finite element analysis (NLFEA) models. These models incorporate material non-linearities while minimizing uncertainties related to modeling assumptions. Through the application of GRM, the study evaluates the global resistance safety factor, offering insights into the structural performance of hybrid reinforcement SFRC beams. Ultimately, this research seeks to facilitate a transition from traditional localized approaches to more accurate and comprehensive analyses for the design of hybrid reinforcement SFRC beams, contributing to the advancement of structural engineering by promoting safer, more resilient, and sustainable construction systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Brittle Behaviour of High-Performance Concrete Structures)
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Review

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24 pages, 2829 KiB  
Review
A Review on Behavior and Fatigue Performance of Orthotropic Steel–UHPC Composite Deck
by Zhiwen Zhu, Ruixu Zhu and Ze Xiang
Buildings 2023, 13(8), 1906; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13081906 - 26 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1604
Abstract
Although orthotropic steel decks (OSDs) have been widely used in the construction of long-span bridges, there are frequently reported fatigue cracks after years of operation, and the bridge deck overlay also presents severe damage due to OSD crack-induced stiffness reduction. Ultra-high performance concrete [...] Read more.
Although orthotropic steel decks (OSDs) have been widely used in the construction of long-span bridges, there are frequently reported fatigue cracks after years of operation, and the bridge deck overlay also presents severe damage due to OSD crack-induced stiffness reduction. Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), recognized as the most innovative cementitious composites and the next generation of high-performance materials, shows high strength, ductility, toughness, and good performance on durability. After its first application to the OSD bridge in the early 2000s, the orthotropic steel–UHPC composite deck has been comprehensively studied worldwide. This review will summarize some important studies and findings on the behavior and fatigue performance of the orthotropic steel–UHPC composite deck. The existing studies and engineering applications indicate that such a deck system presents good bending behavior and high fatigue performance. The failure mode of shear studs in the UHPC layer is dominated by shear fractures. The cracking of the UHPC layer shall consider the superposition effect of stress from both the whole bridge structure and local decks. While some reasonable structural details in the traditional OSD may not work for the orthotropic steel–UHPC composite deck, this paper has shown that the steel–UHPC composite deck has excellent performance in bearing capacity, stiffness, and fatigue resistance. However, the fatigue performance of the steel–UHPC composite deck and its evaluation method still need validation from engineering applications. It is recommended to evaluate the stress behavior and structural parameters, as well as fatigue life by conducting the field test under in-service traffic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Brittle Behaviour of High-Performance Concrete Structures)
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