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Study on Mechanical Properties of Concrete Structures and RC Beams

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1328

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
Interests: durability of RC; fracture mechanics; computer vision; condition assessment; digital twin; composite materials; structural rehabilitation

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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Bridge and Structural Design Engineering, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
Interests: RC structures; fracture mechanics; micromechanics; composite material; composite structure; maintenance engineering and AI-based structural damage detection

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Concrete structures and RC beams play pivotal roles in infrastructure development. The combination of strength, durability, cost effectiveness, and sustainability make them preferred choices for a wide range of construction projects. However, due to the cumulative impact of both load and environmental factors, the aging and durability challenges have become increasingly pronounced.

To ensure the long-term safe operation, it is essential to detect and assess the mechanical properties of existing concrete structures and RC beams. This typically involves structural health detection techniques, such as visual inspection, non-destructive testing, load testing, and monitoring. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques has also significantly advanced structural condition detection by harnessing sophisticated data analytics, predictive modeling, and real-time monitoring. The recent adoption of the digital twin concept offers a promising solution for structural assessment. By mapping measured data from physical infrastructures into numerical models and conducting analyses based on computation methods, it becomes possible to quantitatively evaluate mechanical properties and structural performance of concrete and RC beams with greater precision and insight for wiser maintenance planning and decision-making.

To further the investigation into the long-term mechanical properties of concrete structures and RC beams, this Special Issue delves into various topics, including but not limited to durability experiments, multi-scale modeling, advanced non-destructive testing, integration of AI, and the implementation of the digital twin concept. We welcome experimental, numerical, and theoretical work exploring any aspect within the scope of this research area. Your valuable contributions are eagerly anticipated.

Prof. Pengru Deng
Prof. Dr. Takashi Matsumoto
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • mechanical properties
  • durability
  • condition assessment
  • non-destructive test
  • computational modeling
  • artificial intelligence
  • digital twin

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 14840 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fibers and Fabric for Flexural Reinforcement in Ultra-High-Performance Concrete
by Zengrui Pan, Faning Dang, Rabin Tuladhar, Shi Yin, Feng Shi, Peter To and Zisheng Tang
Materials 2025, 18(9), 2002; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18092002 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 85
Abstract
This study investigates the use of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers and fabric to enhance the flexural performance of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC). A total of 45 specimens were tested to examine the effects of fiber type, fabric material, adhesive, and various combined [...] Read more.
This study investigates the use of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers and fabric to enhance the flexural performance of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC). A total of 45 specimens were tested to examine the effects of fiber type, fabric material, adhesive, and various combined strengthening techniques. The main findings are that incorporating UHMWPE fiber into the ultra-high-strength mortar (HSM) matrix provides superior performance compared to steel fiber, particularly in enhancing crack resistance and energy absorption. UHMWPE fiber-reinforced UHPC achieved a flexural toughness of 307 KJ/m3, over three times higher than that of steel fiber-reinforced UHPC (98 KJ/m3). The use of UHMWPE fabrics was more effective in improving the ductility and toughness of the composites than the use of glass fabrics. The bonding effect of using epoxy resin with UHMWPE fabric is better than using magnesium phosphate cement (MPC). Increasing the number of fabric layers improved the flexural properties of externally bonded fabric but had no impact on internal reinforcement techniques. The best strengthening method in this study was a combination of incorporating UHMWPE fiber internally and externally bonded fabric on a concrete surface, yielding the highest toughness of 580 KJ/m3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Mechanical Properties of Concrete Structures and RC Beams)
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15 pages, 3693 KiB  
Article
Analytical Solution for Dynamic Response of a Reinforced Concrete Beam with Viscoelastic Bearings Subjected to Moving Loads
by Liangming Sun, Shuguang Liu, Fan Kong and Hanbing Zhao
Materials 2024, 17(18), 4491; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17184491 - 13 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 861
Abstract
To provide a theoretical basis for eliminating resonance and optimizing the design of viscoelastically supported bridges, this paper investigates the analytical solutions of train-induced vibrations in railway bridges with low-stiffness and high-damping rubber bearings. First, the shape function of the viscoelastic bearing reinforced [...] Read more.
To provide a theoretical basis for eliminating resonance and optimizing the design of viscoelastically supported bridges, this paper investigates the analytical solutions of train-induced vibrations in railway bridges with low-stiffness and high-damping rubber bearings. First, the shape function of the viscoelastic bearing reinforced concrete (RC) beam is derived for the dynamic response of the viscoelastic bearing RC beam subjected to a single moving load. Furthermore, based on the simplified shape function, the dynamic response of the viscoelastic bearing RC beam under equidistant moving loads is studied. The results show that the stiffness and damping effect on the dynamic response of the supports cannot be neglected. The support stiffness might adversely increase the dynamic response. Further, due to the effect of support damping, the free vibration response of RC beams in resonance may be significantly suppressed. Finally, when the moving loads leave the bridge, the displacement amplitude of the viscoelastic support beam in free vibration is significantly larger than that of the rigid support beam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Study on Mechanical Properties of Concrete Structures and RC Beams)
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