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Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced 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 (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 20475

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chang-Geun Cho

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Guest Editor

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
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that submissions for a new Special Issue of Materials with the title of “Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials” are now open. This Special Issue is focused on new technologies about methodologies, applications, innovations, and manufactures of high-tech concrete composites by applying recent products of metal or synthetic fibers for future building and infrastructures by way of fiber-reinforced composites, fiber cementitious composites, and precast or modular unit fiber concrete composites.

Topics included in this Special Issue, with an emphasis on fibers as the main innovative material, are the results of developments of high-performance concrete composite materials, crack and damage controls of concrete, structural and seismic retrofits of concrete structures, minimizing of reinforcing steel bars, corrosion resistance of concrete, nonlinear modeling and analysis of fiber concrete composite structures, applications and methodologies of precast or modular unit building structural and nonstructural elements, as well as manufacture using 3D printing technologies and applications as smart materials for fiber concrete composites.

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

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

Prof. 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

High-tech concrete structures
Fiber-reinforced composites
Fiber cementitious materials
Metal and synthetic fibers in concrete
Nonlinear model and analysis of fiber composite concrete structures
Seismic performance innovations of concrete structures
Crack control of concrete
Modular/precast fiber concrete in building structures
Fiber composite concrete beams and columns
High-ductile characteristics of fiber concrete and mortar

Related Special Issue

Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials (2nd Edition) in Materials (1 article)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3885 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Effect of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Replacement Ratio on Structural Performance of Precast Concrete Beams

by Yong-Jun Lee, Hyeong-Gook Kim and Kil-Hee Kim

Materials 2021, 14(23), 7159; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14237159 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1490

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of ground granulated blast furnace slag on the structural performance of precast concrete beams, evaluating the flexural, shear and bonding performance by using the replacement ratio of the ground granulated blast furnace slag as a variable. The design strength of the concrete was set at 45 MPa in consideration of the characteristics of precast concrete products, and the replacement ratio of the ground granulated blast furnace slag to replace cement was 30 to 70%. The experimental results showed that all specimens had similar behavioral characteristics regardless of the replacement ratio of the ground granulated blast furnace slag. Comparison of the prediction results obtained by ACI 318-19 and EC 2 showed that the mean flexural strength and shear strength were higher than 1.19 and 1.43, respectively, and the mean bond strength was 1.57, satisfying the required performance. Therefore, the experimental results showed that in using the ground granulated blast furnace slag as an admixture for precast concrete, the cement replacement ratio may be increased up to 70% without causing any problems in securing the structural performance. Summarizing the results of the present study, a ground granulated blast furnace slag replacement ratio of 50% or lower may be reasonably applied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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13 pages, 3351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prediction of Deflection of Reinforced Concrete Beams Considering Shear Effect

by Sang-Woo Kim and Kil-Hee Kim

Materials 2021, 14(21), 6684; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14216684 - 05 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2534

Abstract

This paper proposes a method to evaluate the effect of shear on the deflection of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The deflection of RC beams due to the effects of flexural and shear cracks shows different results from those obtained from the elastic theory. The effect of shear on deflection was compared and analyzed in this study, on the basis of experimental results and elastic theory using the virtual work method. The shear effect on the deflection of RC beams by elastic theory was extremely small. However, experimental results showed a difference of over 40% from the results predicted by elasticity theory. In this study, a new method was developed to reasonably predict the deflection of flexure-critical RC beams using the deflection incremental coefficient due to shear. The proposed method was compared with the existing experimental results obtained from the literature for verification. As a result of the comparison, the deflection obtained using ACI 318-19 underestimated the actual deflection by approximately 33%, whereas the deflection obtained by the proposed method predicted the experimental results relatively accurately. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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21 pages, 7212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Ductility of Compression-Controlled Flexural Members Using CFRP Grid to Confine Concrete

by Antonis Michael and H. R. Hamilton

Materials 2021, 14(18), 5163; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14185163 - 08 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1445

Abstract

Concrete members are typically designed so that flexural failure initiates with steel yielding and ends with concrete crushing in compression in order to take advantage of the yielding property of steel that allows for large deformations prior to any fracture of the material. On the other hand, if a large percentage of steel or linear elastic non-yielding reinforcement (i.e., FRP composite) is used, the member flexural failure typically initiates and ends with concrete crushing in compression. These members are known as compression-controlled members and typically exhibit brittle behavior. This study proposes a new approach in improving the flexural behavior of over-reinforced members through concrete confinement using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid tubes in the compression zone. The concept was experimentally tested using rectangular beams. Beam 1 (control beam) had no grid reinforcement and beam 2 (tube beam) had two 152 mm grid tubes embedded in its compression zone. Experimental results indicate improvement in the ductility of the tube beam compared to the control beam of approximately 20–30% depending on the criteria used. Considering the low amount and mechanical properties of the CFRP grid, the improvement is significant, which shows that the proposed approach is valid and improves the ductility of compression-controlled members. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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13 pages, 1794 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Development of 3D Printable Cementitious Composites with the Incorporation of Polypropylene Fibers

by Jolien Van Der Putten, Attupurathu Vijayan Rahul, Geert De Schutter and Kim Van Tittelboom

Materials 2021, 14(16), 4474; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14164474 - 10 Aug 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2009

Abstract

Similar to conventional cast concrete, printable materials require reinforcement to counteract their low tensile strength. However, as traditional reinforcement strategies are not commonly used in 3D print applications, fiber reinforcement can serve as an alternative. This study aims to assess the influence of different polypropylene fiber lengths (3 and 6 mm, denoted as M3 and M6, respectively) and dosages (0.1 and 0.3% volume fraction) on the workability, pore structure, mechanical and shrinkage behavior of 3D printable cementitious materials. Fresh state observations revealed that the addition of a higher fiber volume decreased the workability of the material, irrespective of the fiber length as a result of the lower water film thickness (WFT). In hardened state, a marginal increase in total porosity could be observed when adding fibers to the mix composition. In addition, the flexural strength was found to increase with the addition of fibers, while no significant difference was observed in compressive strength. The increase in flexural strength was more pronounced in the case of longer-sized M6 fibers. Finally, the total drying shrinkage behavior was evaluated using mold-cast prisms. The addition of M6 fibers showed no beneficial effect in reducing total free shrinkage, while a reduction in total free shrinkage was observed when using M3 fibers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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15 pages, 5457 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Development of Controlled Orientation of Fibres in SFRC

by Marek Ďubek, Peter Makýš, Marek Petro, Helena Ellingerová and Naďa Antošová

Materials 2021, 14(16), 4432; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14164432 - 07 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1575

Abstract

The article is focused on finding the possibility of the controlled orientation of fibres in fibre reinforced concrete constructions. This is because the controlled orientation of the fibres can contribute to the improvement of some properties of fibre reinforced concrete. The research is based on the experimental investigation of orientation control–rotation of fibres in a transparent matrix representing concrete replacement. From the conceptual model, the article continues with experimentation, data analysis and comparison of conclusions. During the experiment, a mechanical tool was developed and monitored to guide the fibres. The main monitored parameters of the levelling tool were the tips dimensions and the distance between them. The experiment results show the possibility of achieving a higher orientation of the fibres around one axis and suitable parameters of a mechanical tool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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16 pages, 5892 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strain Transfer of Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Externally Bonded to FRP Strip for Structural Monitoring after Reinforcement

by Soo-Yeon Seo, Jeong-Hun Park, Hyun-Do Yun, Kang-Su Kim, Gun-Cheol Lee and Seongwon Hong

Materials 2021, 14(16), 4382; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14164382 - 05 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1481

Abstract

To date, a method of attaching a FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) to concrete members with epoxy has been widely applied to increase the strength of the member. However, there are cases in which the adhesion of the epoxy deteriorates over time and the reinforcing effect of the FRP is gradually lost. Therefore, monitoring whether or not the reinforcing effect is properly maintained is needed in order to prevent a decrease in the structural performance of the member improved by FRP reinforcement. In this regard, this study examines FRP with OF (optical fiber) sensors to monitor the reinforcing effect of FRP in concrete structural members. In particular, this paper seeks to determine an appropriate adhesion length when FBG (fiber Bragg grating) based OF sensors are externally bonded to FRP strips with epoxy resin. To this end, a tensile test was carried out to evaluate the sensing performance according to the adhesion length. In addition, an analytical approach was performed and the result were compared with test result. The results of the experimental and analytical studies showed that the strain generated in the FRP is sufficiently transferred to the OF if the total adhesion length of it is 40 mm or more in consideration of the error in the epoxy thickness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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15 pages, 2918 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deflection Estimation Based on the Thermal Characteristics of Composite Deck Slabs Containing Macro-Synthetic Fibers

by Dong-Hee Son, Hyo-Jun Ahn, Joo-Hong Chung, Baek-Il Bae and Chang-Sik Choi

Materials 2021, 14(14), 4052; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14144052 - 20 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1656

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structural performance of composite deck slabs containing macro-synthetic fibers. after a fire by proposing a deflection estimation method for non-fireproof structural decks. Therefore, this study evaluated the fire resistance performance and deflection of deck slabs mixed with macro-synthetic fibers. Afterward, the deflection estimation method considering the thermal characteristics of concrete and deck plates was proposed. A material test was first conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties of concrete mixed with macro-synthetic fibers. This test found that the compressive strength and elasticity modulus of concrete mixed with macro-synthetic fibers was greater than that of general concrete. A flexural tensile test confirmed that residual strength was maintained after the maximum strength was achieved. The fire resistance of the deck slab was adequate even when a fire-resistant coating was not applied. The internal temperature was lowest for the specimen with macro-synthetic fibers. Deflection was evaluated using previously published equations and standards. The deflection evaluation confirmed that the temperature distribution should be applied differently in the estimation method that uses the thermal load of the deck slab. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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36 pages, 5713 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrical Resistivity of Steel Fibre-Reinforced Concrete—Influencing Parameters

by Simon Cleven, Michael Raupach and Thomas Matschei

Materials 2021, 14(12), 3408; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14123408 - 20 Jun 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2127

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic study of the electrical resistivity of different steel fibre-reinforced concretes with fibre contents from 0 kg/m³ to 80 kg/m³ in order to identify possible effects of interactions among concrete composition and fibre type and content regarding electrical resistivity. Based on a literature review, four parameters, w/c ratio, binder content, ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and fineness of cement, which show a significant influence on the electrical resistivity of plain concrete, were identified, and their influence on the electrical resistivity as well as interaction effects were investigated. The results of the experiments highlight that the addition of fibres leads to a significant decrease in electrical resistivity, independent of all additional parameters of the concrete composition. Additionally, it was shown that a higher porosity of the concrete, e.g., due to a higher w/c ratio, also results in a lower electrical resistivity. These results are in agreement with the literature review on plain concrete, while the influence of the concrete composition on the electrical resistivity is weaker with the increase in fibre content. The influence of fibre reinforcement is thus not affected by changes in the concrete composition. In general, a higher fibre dosage leads to a decrease in electrical resistivity, but the impact on the electrical resistivity varies slightly with different types of steel fibres. Based on this study, the potential of determining the fibre content using electrical resistivity measurements could be clearly presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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17 pages, 3564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Surface Roughness Characteristics on Structural Performance of Hollow Core Slabs

by Yong-Jun Lee, Hyeong-Gook Kim, Chan-Yu Jeong, Dong-Hwan Kim, Sang-Pil Han and Kil-Hee Kim

Materials 2021, 14(10), 2610; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14102610 - 17 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1468

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the flexural performance of hollow core slabs (HCS) incorporating the effect of surface roughness. The HCSs are suitable for long span structures due to reduced self-weight. The specimens were HCS with topping concrete and the variables were cross sectional height and surface roughness. The tests were conducted on simply supported beams under four-point loads. The results showed that specimens with interface roughness applied in the lengthwise direction of members exhibited ductile flexural behavior up to peak load than those with interface roughness applied in the member width direction. Their flexural strength was also higher by 1–7% on average, indicating that they are advantageous in improving structural performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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14 pages, 4719 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Inelastic Responses and Finite Element Predictions of Fiber Cementitious Composite and Concrete Columns

by Chang-Geun Cho and Sun-Ju Lee

Materials 2021, 14(9), 2180; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14092180 - 24 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1343

Abstract

In this research, reinforced concrete (RC) and strain-hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) columns subjected to lateral loads combined with a constant load were investigated, both by experiments and predictions, with two distributed inelastic finite element models established by the stiffness and flexibility formulations. SHCC applied in the column plastic hinge region could not only enhance the lateral load and displacement capacities of columns but also offer effective advantages in the control of bending and shear cracks induced by multiple microcracks, the prevention of the spalling of cover concrete, and the resistance to buckling of steel bars. With the layered cross-sectional approach using constitutive laws of SHCC considering a proposed model of the post-cracked high-ductile tensile characteristics, as well as concrete and reinforcing steel bars, an inelastic beam-column finite element model was presented with a distributed flexibility formulation. In comparison with experiments concerning the RC and reinforced strain-hardening cementitious composite (R-SHCC) columns, the current flexibility method showed relatively accurate estimations in the lateral load and displacement responses of column systems as well as in localized nonlinear responses of cross-section as estimated in axial strains of longitudinal reinforcing steel bars. In comparison with the stiffness method, the current flexibility method gave more accurate solutions at both element and structural levels, as manifested in the experiments and analysis solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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16 pages, 6920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shear Performance of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Small Circular Openings Strengthened Using Rectangular and Octagonal-Shaped Reinforcement

by Hyeong-Gook Kim, Jung-Yoon Lee and Kil-Hee Kim

Materials 2020, 13(24), 5804; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma13245804 - 18 Dec 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1961

Abstract

An experimental case study was carried out to investigate the shear performance of reinforced concrete beams with small circular openings under a cyclic anti-symmetric bending moment. The openings were strengthened by using a newly developed reinforcement continuously bent into rectangular and octagonal shapes, which was convenient for installation and effective for crack control. The presence of web opening reinforcement, the reinforcing method, and the web opening spacing were employed as main variables in the design of five specimens. The cyclic performance of all specimens was evaluated in terms of failure mode, crack pattern, strength and stiffness degradation, and strain distribution. Experimental results were discussed to assess the suitability of the proposed web opening reinforcement in RC web opening beams. It was confirmed that the proposed web opening reinforcement exhibited outstanding crack control and served as a shear resistance component in place of the concrete cross-section lost due to web openings. Finally, the shear strength of all specimens, obtained from the cyclic loading tests, were compared with those obtained from the equation proposed by Mansur (1998) and the Architectural Institute of Japan standard 2010. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Concrete Structures with Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious and Composite Materials)

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