Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is defined as highly flowable and non-segregating concrete that does not require mechanical vibration during application. Load testing of bridge girders was investigated on full scale T-beams of pre-tensioned high strength self-compacting concrete (PHSSCC). The girders were monitored by fixing different types of sensors at different locations.
The results of ultimate moment are compared to evaluate if such girders can be designed using AASHTO Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Specifications; AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges (STD) and the PCI Bridge Design Manual are intended for structures constructed using conventional (non-vibrated) concrete. It is concluded that good agreement in results exists for the two methods.
Investigations (theoretical and experimental) are needed on the issue of ductility in structural prestressed elements constructed in seismic zones or even, the issue of high strength in SCC. These have also been studied here, with the conclusion that suitable ductility for this type of structure, as would be needed in seismic regions, can be achieved.

The present paper summarizes the findings of an experimental programme to investigate a strengthening/repair technique through the introduction of a new RC layer to an existing slab. Six RC slabs, composed of twelve cantilever and six interior spans, were tested under monotonic transverse loading. The behaviour of statically determinate cantilever spans and indeterminate interior spans was examined by comparing the test results of these specimens to the results of reference slabs, in which the existing and additional layers were cast monolithically. The influences of recovering the permanent slab deformation before repair and the spacing of the shear connectors between the existing and additional layers were investigated. The tests indicated that recovering the permanent deformations of a slab before repair substantially reduces its rigidity while having little influence on the ultimate load. Furthermore, debonding of the reinforcement was observed to considerably decrease the load capacities and rigidities of the slabs.

At present, prescriptive regulations with regard to concrete cover and composition are applied to provide sufficient durability of reinforced concrete members under exposure conditions with different degrees of severity. In view of current knowledge on deterioration mechanisms and their modelling, it is planned to change from these deemed-to-satisfy specifications to a performance-based design approach in future standards. In such specifications, concrete durability design is based on the statistically characterized performance of concrete, determined in standardized tests with respect to defined classes of concretes with similar performance.
This paper presents the results of a study in which concrete mixes were tested and analysed with respect to their carbonation resistance. Compositions with similar performance are grouped into carbonation resistance classes. These classes are described statistically and requirements for performance testing are given. In addition, composition requirements are introduced in order to determine concrete performance depending on mix composition prescriptively. Finally, an example is given for the assessment of concrete performance with regard to carbonation.
This work was carried out at the request of JWG under CEN TC 250/SC2 and CEN TC 104/SC1 as an input and starting point for the ongoing committee work to implement the methodology from the fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 in the next generation (2021) of European concrete standards.

The corrosion of reinforcement in concrete is the most common degradation phenomenon of reinforced concrete structures. Reinforced concrete elements subjected to corrosion generally crack due to the expansive nature of oxides. One very important task is estimating the corrosion level using a non-destructive method in order to establish both the actual safety of the structure and a priority intervention plan.
Many researchers have studied the relationship between the corrosion phenomenon and the corresponding crack openings and their evolution; several statistical analyses, based on test data from experimental campaigns under a wide range of test conditions, are available.
The present work attempts to contribute to finding a relationship between the crack opening and the amount of corrosion induced in the reinforcing bars. The result of the analysis is that only a reduced number of tests can be used to establish an empirical model based on a reliable set of test data. A simple relationship between crack opening and corrosion penetration is not recommended, due to the different parameters that are able to influence this correlation. Therefore, two fundamental parameters, the ratio of the concrete cover to the rebar diameter and the concrete strength, have also been considered. The considerations made regarding these parameter test results have been rearranged and the result is a formulation that shows reduced scatter.

An analytical model is proposed for bond stresses at the corroded steel-concrete interface in reinforced concrete. The concrete around the corroded bar is modelled as a thick-walled cylinder - consisting of an inner cylinder of an anisotropic material and an outer cylinder made of an isotropic material - subjected to internal pressure exerted by the growth of corrosion products on the concrete wall at the interface. A frictional model is used to combine the action of confining pressure due to radial pressure produced by principal bar ribs and the pressure resulting from expansion of corrosion products. The analysis results using the proposed model show good agreement with the experimental results of several researchers.

The methods of crack control for liquid-retaining RC tank walls are analysed taking into account external load (EN 1992-1-1) and imposed strain occurring at the construction stage (EN 1992-3), i.e. during the concrete-hardening period. The convergence ranges of the simplified method of crack control included in EN 1992-3 and the detailed calculation methods included in EN 1992-1-1 and EN 1992-3 are defined. Apart from the compatibility areas, overestimation of the acceptable reinforcing bar diameter &phgr;s*, illustrated in Fig. 7.103N in EN 1992-3, was proved. Coefficients k&phgr;1 and k&phgr;2 are defined, which enable the calculation of the acceptable reinforcing bar diameter &phgr;s* in order to obtain the values complying with the direct calculations. For practical purposes, graphs have been plotted to facilitate the definition of coefficients k&phgr;1 and k&phgr;2 without performing direct calculations. On the basis of the analyses performed and the relations proposed, it can be concluded that there is a possibility or a necessity to increase or decrease the acceptable reinforcing bar diameter &phgr;s* depending on the concrete mechanical properties and geometrical properties of an RC tank wall.

This paper presents a review of recent research and development work involving natural fibre-reinforced concrete (NFRC). The recent developments in NFRC reinforced with different types of natural fibre, such as sisal fibre, bagasse fibre, coir fibre, banana fibre, eucalyptus fibre, flax fibre, jute fibre and pinus radiate fibre, are covered. Natural fibres and their modification methods are introduced first and the development history of natural fibre-reinforced concrete and the relevant research into the mechanical behaviour of NFRC in both the short- and long-term are reviewed. The applications of NFRC are also summarized.

Previous research with fibre-reinforced slab elements has shown that the surface roughness of formwork and the presence of rebars affect fibre orientation and fibre volume distribution. This paper discusses the orientation and volume distribution of steel fibres in wall elements cast from a single point. Aparticular focus of the work was the effect of formwork tie ba rs on fibre orientation and distribution. Numerical simulations and X-ray computed tomography were appliedto quantify the fibre orientation and distribution, and the mechanical performance was determined using three-point bending tests on sawn beams. The Thorenfeldt model (applied in the Norwegian proposal for the new fibre-reinforced concrete guideline) was used to estimate the residual flexural tensile strength based on fibre orientation and distribution.
The simulation results show that the fibre orientation can be related to the flow pattern. The results indicate a large variation in fibre orientation, which was confirmedexperimentally. The fibre volume distribution was mostly uniform, except for an area with fewer fibres at the casting point. The large variation in fibre orientation was reflected in a large variation in residual flexural tensile strengths. Weak zones due to anisotropic fibre orientation, caused by formwork tie bars, were observed.

This paper focuses on the reliability of the design approach proposed in the fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 for estimating the ultimate capacity of fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) elevated slabs on the basis of different tests for material characterization. The fracture properties of the material are determined through three-point bending tests on notched beams and through double edge wedge splitting (DEWS) tests carried out on cylinders cored in the full-size test structure. As a case study, an FRC elevated flat slab 0.2 m thick is considered which consists of nine bays (panels) measuring 6 × 6 m (overall size 18.3 × 18.3 m) and is supported by 16 circular concrete columns. The ultimate bearing capacity of the slab determined experimentally is compared with the design value predicted by means of a procedure based on limit analysis following fib Model Code 2010. The results show that the method proposed in fib Model Code 2010 using the characteristic values and the classification is reliable. Even if the tests are affected by a significant standard deviation and the two experimental campaigns with three-point bending tests give a significant difference between class “5c” and class “3e”, the structural test results in a loadbearing capacity that is always larger than the predicted one, which considers a safety coefficient for the material &ggr;F = 1.5.

Punching shear is usually the governing failure criterion when selecting the depth of reinforced concrete footings. Despite the fact that large experimental programmes aimed at the punching strength of slender flat slabs have been performed in the past, only a few experimental campaigns on full-scale compact reinforced concrete footings can be found in the literature. This paper presents the results of an experimental programme including eight reinforced concrete footings with a nominal thickness of 550 mm. These experiments investigated the influence of column size, member slenderness and the presence of compression and shear reinforcement. The tests were performed using an innovative test setup to ensure a uniform soil pressure. The experimental results show that slenderness influences the punching shear strength as well as the effectiveness of the shear reinforcement. The experiments also show that an important interaction occurs between bending and shear for high levels of shear force near the column (the typical case of compact footings or members with large amounts of shear reinforcement). Different continuous measurements recorded during the experimental tests allow a complete description of the kinematics and strains at failure. On that basis, experimental evidence is obtained showing that crushing of the concrete struts near the column is the phenomenon that triggers the punching failure of compact footings.

A significant amount of research on self-consolidating concrete (SCC) technology has been devoted to evaluating the suitability of the material for its use in structural applications. However, more research is required to confirm the adequacy of SCC structural members for resisting gravity and seismic loads. This study focuses on the experimental investigation of the seismic performance of interior reinforced concrete beam-column connections with SCC. Four beam-column connection specimens, three with SCC and one with normally vibrated concrete (NC), were designed for this experimental study. Factors such as concrete type (SCC or NC) and axial load ratio (0, 7.5 and 15 % of column section capacity) were assumed to be the variables in designing the specimens. Beam-column connections made with NC and SCC were studied and compared under reversed cyclic loading. The performance of SCC specimens is comparable with NC specimens in terms of strength, displacement and ductility, but SCC specimens show lower energy dissipation capacity.

Damage processes in fatigue loaded concrete structures depend on the number and amplitude of the load cycles applied. Damage evolution is linked to a reduction in concrete stiffness, and it is thought that this reduction causes stress redistributions at component level which have a favourable impact on the service life of a structure. Until now, the stiffness reduction and stress redistribution have never been successfully measured in laboratory tests or in situ. It is only known that the real service life is longer than the calculated one and that indicators of stiffness reduction, such as component deflection, increase with the number of load cycles applied.
Ultrasonic measurement techniques are considered to be well suited to detecting degradation processes caused by cyclic loading. It is expected that the stiffness reduction in fatigue loaded concrete structures can be recorded reliably with ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements. In the light of this, fatigue tests were performed on small-scale concrete specimens. The aims of the tests were to understand the correlation between the observed stiffness degradation of the specimens and the results of ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements and to estimate the potential for using ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements in continuous structural health monitoring.

The fatigue behaviour of concrete is gaining new relevance against the backdrop of continuous developments in concrete construction. Modern types of concrete are achieving ever higher strengths; hence, concrete structures are becoming increasingly attractive for new fields of application such as onshore and offshore wind turbines. The fatigue of concrete has a special relevance for these cyclically loaded structures and knowledge of the number of cycles to failure is no longer sufficient for their design. There are further questions concerning strain and stiffness development and the combination of fatigue loading and maritime environmental conditions which have been investigated with new testing methods at Leibniz Universität Hannover within the scope of the “ProBeton” research project. The first results of this project, which is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, are presented here.

Today, the development of innovative shear connectors for steel-concrete composites is accompanied by a large number of experimental investigations, which are obligatory when proposing suitable design formula and carving out their limitations of use. Using the example of the so-called pin connector, the present paper illustrates to what extent validated finite element models of novel shear connectors can be used to replace expensive and time-consuming shear tests and how these finite element models can support the deduction of design concepts. The pin connector considered was developed for connecting steel sections to very slender high-strength concrete slabs in which conventional shear connectors such as headed studs cannot be used due to the limited embedment depth. In order to clarify the shear behaviour and load-carrying mechanisms of these novel connectors, non-linear finite element models were set up using the commercial FE software Abaqus. Subsequently, the FE models were used to perform systematic parametric studies. This paper describes the numerical results and also explains the stepwise development of an entire engineering model for determining the longitudinal shear capacity of small-scale pin connectors, including all the necessary limitations of use. The proposed modelling strategy and the methodology for the deduction of design rules can be transferred and assigned to other types of shear connectors.

The prediction of the seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete elements using numerical models has become a field of growing interest in recent years due to the importance of the effects induced by seismic loads applied to reinforced concrete structures. The simulation of the hysteretic behaviour of the plastic hinges generated in the structure when the seismic load acts requires the use of models that are able to describe the sectional behaviour of structural members. Thus, the main objective of the present paper is the adjustment of several empirical expressions that reduce the computational time needed to simulate the yield and ultimate behaviour of a given reinforced concrete rectangular section under either monotonic or cyclic loading. The expressions are calibrated with a selection of tests, taken from a published database of more than 1000 tests, according to the criterion that the selected specimens comply with the seismic construction requirements of the main international building codes (EC-2, EC-8 and ACI-318). Owing to their robustness and the acceptable computation time for low-dimensional problems, genetic algorithms are used for this calibration. The equations proposed can be employed by structural engineers for the design and analysis of actual structural elements used in ordinary reinforced concrete buildings located in seismic areas, and provide more accurate results than other expressions.

The load-carrying capacity and deformability of concrete columns can be substantially enhanced by confining with post-tensioned steel straps. As interest in high-strength concrete (HSC) grows among structural engineers and researchers due to its superior performance, this confining technique is being extended to HSC columns with the hope that it can eliminate the undesired properties of HSC, especially its brittleness. However, experimental studies involving confined HSC columns subjected to eccentric loads are comparatively limited. It can be seen from past research that most studies of external confinement were conducted on small-scale normal-strength concrete (NSC) cylinders subjected to concentric loads. Since most columns are subjected to eccentric loads in reality, the scarcity of test data has prevented the potential of this confining technique from being fully exploited. In this paper, this confining technique is called the steel-strapping tensioning technique (SSTT) for brevity. Nine HSC columns were tested under eccentric loads. The specimens were grouped into three groups with each group having an unconfined HSC column as a control specimen, a two-layer SSTT-confined HSC column and a four-layer confined HSC column. The experimental results show that the flexural capacities of HSC columns can be enhanced with SSTT. The deformability of confined HSC columns is significantly improved with such confinement.

A new modified mix proportioning method for producing normal-strength concrete using recycled concrete aggregate, called the equivalent coarse aggregate mass (ECAM) method, is proposed in this paper. The basic concepts of the proposed method with calculations for mix design are presented by designing 14 mixes and testing 99 concrete samples (57 cubes and 42 cylinders). Experimental work was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, an experimental programme was conducted to verify the proposed mix design method by studying a single parameter - uniaxial compressive strength. Five different mixes with initial 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 % replacement by mass were designed, cast and tested in this phase. It was concluded from the first phase that the proposed method can be adopted for designing the recycled concrete up to a nominal replacement ratio of 50 %. Accordingly, the second phase of experimental study was carried out to design three different grades of concrete strength using the proposed method to investigate the mechanical properties of the recycled concrete. Seven different mechanical properties - compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, Schmidt hammer test, ultrasonic pulse velocity test, fresh density and hardened density - were investigated and are presented and discussed here.

The paper reports on a benchmark of European deemed-to-satisfy rules for exposure class XC (carbonation exposed structural members). The benchmark of the descriptive rules was carried out following the probabilistic design approach for carbonation-induced corrosion developed in [1] and adopted in fib bulletin 34: Model Code for Service Life Design (2006) [2] and fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 [3], respectively. To perform a representative study, three groups of European countries were selected, representing different parts of Europe, south (Spain, Portugal), middle (Netherlands, Great Britain and Germany) and northern Europe (Denmark, Norway). Reliability ranges for carbonation-induced depassivation of rebar were calculated for “favourable” and “unfavourable” design situations in exposure classes XC2, XC3 and XC4 [4]. In each design situation the deemed-to-satisfy rules of selected countries were followed. The probabilistic calculations were mainly based on short-term carbonation data. However, some calculations were also based on long-term observation. The latter was implemented for independent validation purposes. The calculated reliability ranges are very broad and in some “unfavourable” situations, the deemed-to satisfy requirements do not guarantee the required limit state (LS) arget reliabilities for the particular exposure. In “favourable” situations less stringent demands would have been sufficient.

This paper presents the results of the corrosion fatigue behaviour of profiled reinforcing steel bars. Cyclically loaded rebar was simultaneously exposed to different corrosive environments - moderate to severe corrosive environments simulating XC or XD/XS exposure. Corrosion was configured naturally without any external polarization. Rebar was exposed to the corrosive solutions either directly or, when embedded in concrete, indirectly. In this latter case, corrosive agents penetrated towards the steel surface through an open crack. Low frequency was applied to enable extended corrosion periods. The potential drop method was utilized to detect and quantify the crack initiation and crack growth of the rebar. Using this method it was possible to determine the ratios between the number of cycles to crack initiation and the cycles to failure. Based on this method, the Nini/NF ratios were almost always between 0.8 and 0.9 - values that are similar to ratios determined for rebar tested in air (reference). This indicates that the fatigue life of rebar in carbonated concrete or concrete containing chloride is strongly dependent on crack initiation and less on crack growth. The S-N curves derived from the corrosion fatigue tests deviate significantly from the curve that was measured during the reference fatigue tests (tests in air). The S-N curves of rebar tested under corrosion fatigue load were linear, with a slope that was much steeper than the slope of the reference rebar tested in air.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) can be defined as the process of developing and implementing structural damage detection strategies. Ideally, this detection should be carried out in real-time before damage reaches a critical state and impairs structural performance and safety. Hence, it must be based on sensorial systems permanently installed on the target structures and on fully automatic detection methodologies.
The ability to detect damage in real-time is vital for controlling the safety of old structures or for post-retrofitting/post-accident situations, where it might even be mandatory for ensuring a safe service. Under these constraints, SHM systems and strategies must be capable of conducting baseline-free damage identification, i.e. they must not rely on comparing newly acquired data with baseline references in which structures must be assumed as undamaged.
The present paper describes an original strategy for baseline-free damage detection based on the application of artificial neural networks and clustering methods in a moving windows process. The proposed strategy was tested on and validated with numerical and experimental data obtained from a concrete cable-stayed bridge and proved effective for the automatic detection of small stiffness reductions in single stay cables as well as the detachment of neoprene pads in anchoring devices, requiring only a small number of inexpensive sensors.

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of pre- and post-jacketing corrosion and loading damage on concrete-jacketed reinforced concrete (RC) columns under uniaxial loading and to develop a methodology for predicting the corresponding compressive strength. The pre- and post-damage involved preloading up to 50 % of the peak load of the core column, an electrochemical process to accelerate the migration of chlorides from an external electrolyte into the test columns and a wetting-drying cycle process with a controlled current to speed up the corrosion of the steel reinforcing bars in the test columns. Uniaxial loading tests were performed to determine the structural performance of the concrete-jacketed columns with and without corrosion damage. The failure mode and load-displacement and load-strain responses of the test columns were recorded, and the related mechanisms are discussed. A model capable of evaluating the compressive strength of unjacketed or jacketed RC columns with and without corrosion damage was then developed. The analytical approach considered the effect of reinforcement corrosion on the effective loadbearing area of the concrete and the confinement effect of the stirrups. The analytical results agree well with the experimental results, indicating the reliability and effectiveness of the models developed.

The analysis of the mechanical behaviour of a reinforced concrete tie subjected to a monotonic loading in the stabilized cracking stage is performed here by way of a theoretical general model that considers the effect of the so-called Goto cracks (secondary cracks). It is shown, in particular, that the average bond stress along the transmission length depends not only on the concrete strength as assumed by the fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010, but also on reinforcement ratio and bar diameter. In this regard, tabulated theoretical values of the average bond stress are proposed as a function of the aforementioned parameters. Moreover, the secondary cracks reduce the effect of tension stiffening on the relative mean strain. On the basis of the main results obtained with the general model, some improvements are suggested for the calculation methods proposed by fib Model Code 2010 and Eurocode 2 concerning the average value of the bond stress and taking into account the influence of the secondary cracks on the mean deformation. An improved calculation method is therefore performed. Finally, the theoretical results of crack spacing and crack width obtained with the general and improved methods are compared with experimental data obtained from extensive research on RC ties.

When it comes to the efficient design of reinforced concrete beams and frames, moment redistribution is used to: reduce the absolute maximum magnitude of the moment in the critical region, equalize the critical moments on either side of interior columns and fully utilize the capacity of the non-critical regions of a member. Although important, historically, moment redistribution has proved to be difficult to quantify due to the complexity of quantifying hinge rotations. Although numerous empirical expressions exist for plastic hinge lengths, i.e. the length over which the ultimate curvature can be integrated in order to give hinge rotations, a comparison with a global dataset yields poor results. Using a recently developed mechanics-based moment-rotation approach, it is possible to quantify the moment-rotation characteristics of reinforced concrete hinges. In the tension region, the approach applies partial interaction theory directly to simulate the mechanisms associated with slip of the reinforcement relative to the surrounding concrete as cracks widen, whereas in the compression region, partial interaction shear-friction theory is used to describe the formation and failure of concrete softening wedges. It is shown how the moment-rotation approach explicitly allows for the size dependency. Furthermore, mechanics-based solutions for moment redistribution are then derived and it is shown how these can be simplified at the ultimate limit state for use in the design office.

Structures made of a material with a very high standard deviation, such as fibre-reinforced concrete, exhibit an exceptionally safe prediction of the maximum bearing capacity when this is derived from characteristic values identified by means of small specimens. This is emphasized when the structures are characterized by high redundancy. In this regard, two reference tests representing two extreme situations are considered: a) simply supported unnotched full-scale beams characterized by a statically determinate loading scheme and b) full-scale slabs on the ground characterized by a statically indeterminate loading scheme. The Italian standard and, more recently, the fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 have introduced a coefficient (structural redistribution factor) that is able to take into account the reduced variability of mechanical bearing capacity when associated with a large volume involved in the failure process and/or when the structure is able to redistribute stresses significantly, thus favouring the average rather than the minimum strength. A numerical procedure taking into account the expected heterogeneity of the mechanical characteristics in the structure is introduced for the first time to evaluate the redistribution factor.

An experimental programme was proposed and carried out to assess the effectiveness of the mineral-based composite (MBC) technique for the flexural strengthening of negative moment regions in continuous reinforced concrete slabs. In addition to the testing of the two reference specimens, the experimental programme included the testing of nine continuous RC slab specimens with different strengthening techniques, namely, using ordinary steel bars and MBC material. This experimental programme was conducted to study the failure modes, the load-deflection behaviour and the failure loads.
Furthermore, we present and describe a comparative study between the two strengthening techniques, namely, steel reinforcing bars with MBC or steel bars with epoxy mortar. Based on the experimental results presented, both strengthening techniques for continuous slabs are evidently efficient. In this study the measured results for the average crack spacing were compared with the limits stipulated in CEB-FIP code 1990 and the failure load calculations were extended with an analytical approach based on the ultimate theory for the failure load calculation. In conclusion, the results obtained from the analytical model are in agreement with the experimental results.