Sustainable development of concrete through treated and untreated plastic waste aggregates.

This study focused on sustainable and novel development of concrete through treated and untreated plastic waste aggregates. In this study, the surface of Elec-waste coarse aggregates was treated with sulfuric acid, marble dust coating, silica fume coating, and alkaline bleach. Elec-waste aggregates were used in concrete by replacing natural coarse aggregates in amounts of 10%, 20%, and 30%. The 10%, 20%, and 30% Elec-waste replacement ratios resulted in the compressive strength reduction of 8.97%, 27.99%, and 42.01%, respectively. The same percentage of Elec-waste aggregates reduced the splitting tensile strength by 21.77%, 35.89%, and 47.89%, respectively. However, the slump was observed to increase by 41.4%, 52.1%, and 68.8%, respectively. All the considered treatments enhanced the performance of Elec-waste aggregate concrete (E-WAC). Overall, the best improvement in the performance of E-WAC was imparted by silica fume coating, irrespective of the quantity of Elec-waste aggregates. The present study proposed an expression to estimate the reduction of the compressive strength of E-WAC. It was demonstrated that the equation by JCI-08 predicted splitting tensile strength of E-WAC close to experimental results.

Hemp Fiber-Reinforced Polymers Composite Jacketing Technique for Sustainable and Environment-Friendly Concrete.

This research suggested natural hemp fiber-reinforced ropes (FRR) polymer usage to reinforce recycled aggregate square concrete columns that contain fired-clay solid brick aggregates in order to reduce the high costs associated with synthetic fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs). A total of 24 square columns of concrete were fabricated to conduct this study. The samples were tested under a monotonic axial compression load. The variables of interest were the strength of unconfined concrete and the number of FRR layers. According to the results, the strengthened specimens demonstrated an increased compressive strength and ductility. Notably, the specimens with the smallest unconfined strength demonstrated the largest improvement in compressive strength and ductility. Particularly, the compressive strength and strain were enhanced by up to 181% and 564%, respectively. In order to predict the ultimate confined compressive stress and strain, this study investigated a number of analytical stress-strain models. A comparison of experimental and theoretical findings deduced that only a limited number of strength models resulted in close predictions, whereas an even larger scatter was observed for strain prediction. Machine learning was employed by using neural networks to predict the compressive strength. A dataset comprising 142 specimens strengthened with hemp FRP was extracted from the literature. The neural network was trained on the extracted dataset, and its performance was evaluated for the experimental results of this study, which demonstrated a close agreement.

Stress and strain relations of RC circular, square and rectangular columns externally wrapped with fiber ropes.

This study explores the potential use of low-cost natural fiber reinforced rope polymers (FRRP) to improve the compressive behavior of circular, square, and rectangular reinforced concrete (RC) specimens. A total of 42 specimens were tested under monotonic axial compression in three groups. Groups were formed to differentiate specimens with different cross-sectional shapes such as circular, square, and rectangular. The findings demonstrate that FRRP can effectively boost the compressive behavior of RC columns. Circular specimens with three-layer hemp FRRP exhibited a 200% increase in compressive strength and a 270% improvement in corresponding strain. Cotton FRRP provided a 117% boost in compressive strength and a 233% enhancement in strain. In square specimens, three-layer hemp FRRP resulted in a 110% rise in compressive strength and a 186% increase in strain, while cotton confinement yielded improvements of 95% and 144%, respectively. For the square and rectangular specimens, the improvement in the compressive behavior was reduced compared to the circular specimens because of stress concentrations near corners. Moreover, the study showed that the hemp FRRP confinement outperformed the cotton confinement. The investigation also revealed that the existing analytical models were inadequate in predicting the mechanical properties of RC confined with natural FRRP. Therefore, the study introduces novel equations to predict the compressive strength and corresponding strain for both hemp and cotton confined concrete in various cross-sectional types. These proposed equations exhibit a good level of accuracy in predicting the compressive strength and corresponding strain.

Axial stress versus strain responses of CFRP confined concrete containing electronic waste aggregates.

This research work investigates the axial stress versus strain responses of un-strengthened and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites strengthened concrete specimens made with electronic waste coarse aggregates. For this purpose, 36 circular and non-circular 300 mm high concrete specimens constrained with CFRP sheets and partially replaced with E-waste coarse aggregates were prepared. The effect of cross-sectional geometry, 20% partial substitution of natural coarse aggregates with E-waste aggregates, corner effect of non-circular concrete specimens, confinement of specimens with CFRP sheets, and effect of the number of confinement sheets were also studied. In control concrete specimens, the coarse aggregates were 848 kg/m3 and E-waste aggregates were 212 kg/m3. The cement was 475 kg/m3 and fine aggregates were 655 kg/m3. Test results indicated that compressive strength is reduced by substituting natural coarse aggregates with E-waste aggregates. At the same time, compressive strength increased to 71%, 33%, and 25% for circular, square, and rectangular concrete specimens, respectively, by CFRP confinement. Whereas the axial strain increased to 1100%, 250%, and 133%, for circular, square, and rectangular concrete specimens, respectively, by CFRP confinement. CFRP sheets also enhanced the Poisson's ratio. Because of the greater confinement given by a double CFRP layer, it is more effective than a single layer. Furthermore, results also indicated that strength reduction in non-circular concrete specimens was greater than in circular concrete specimens for all studied cases. In the end, for theoretical calculations, strength and strain models for confined concrete suggested by different researchers were applied and compared with experimental results. In comparison to the experimental findings, theoretical data showed that most of the models were either on the higher or on the lower side, while only some model results matched well with the experimental data.

Experimental and Analytical Studies on Low-Cost Glass-Fiber-Reinforced-Polymer-Composite-Strengthened Reinforced Concrete Beams: A Comparison with Carbon/Sisal Fiber-Reinforced Polymers.

This study presents an experimental framework with seventeen beams to investigate the impact of loading type, configuration, and through-bolt anchorage on LC-GFRP (Low-Cost Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer) confinement performance. Beams underwent three-point and four-point bending, with LC-GFRP applied in various ways, including U-shaped, side-bonded, and fully wrapped, with and without anchors. The performance of LC-GFRP was compared to CFRP (Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer) and sisal wraps. LC-GFRP in side-bonded and U-shaped configurations without anchors under three-point bending showed no shear failure, while those under four-point bending without anchors experienced shear failure. With anchors, U-shaped configurations successfully prevented shear failure. The side-bonded, U-shaped, and U-shaped configurations along the full span with anchors demonstrated peak capacity enhancements of 72.11%, 43.66%, and 68.39% higher improvements than the corresponding configurations without anchors, respectively. Wrapping all sides of the beam with LC-GFRP or CFRP prevented shear failure without additional anchors, with complete wrapping being the most efficient method. When anchors were used, significant capacity enhancements were observed. Existing shear strength prediction models were evaluated, highlighting the need for more tailored expressions for LC-GFRP confinement, especially for non-U-shaped configurations.

Behavior of non-prismatic RC beams with conventional steel and green GFRP rebars for sustainable infrastructure.

This study presents an experimental and finite element analysis of reinforced concrete beams with solid, hollow, prismatic, or non-prismatic sections. In the first part, a total of six beams were tested under four-point monotonic bending. The test matrix was designed to provide a comparison of structural behavior between prismatic solid and hollow section beams, prismatic solid and non-prismatic solid section beams, and prismatic hollow and non-prismatic hollow section beams. The intensity of shear was maximum in the case of prismatic section beams. The inclusion of a tapered section lowered the demand for shear. In the second part, Nonlinear Finite Element Modeling was performed by using ATENA. The adopted modeling strategy resulted in close agreement with experimental crack patterns at ultimate failure. However, the ultimate failure loads predicted by nonlinear modeling were generally higher than their corresponding experimental results. Whereas in the last part, the developed models were further extended to investigate the effect of the strength of concrete and ratio of longitudinal steel bars on the ultimate load-carrying capacity and cracking behavior of the reinforced concrete beams with solid, hollow, prismatic, or non-prismatic sections. The ultimate loads for each beam predicted by the model were found to be in close agreement with experimental results. Nonlinear modeling was further extended to assess the effects of concrete strength and longitudinal reinforcement ratio on failure patterns and ultimate loads. The parametric study involved beams reinforced with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars against shear and flexural failure. In terms of ultimate load capacities, diagonal cracking, and flexural cracking, beams strengthened with GFRP bars demonstrated comparable performance to the beams strengthened with steel bars.

Load-Bearing Performance of Non-Prismatic RC Beams Wrapped with Carbon FRP Composites.

This study investigated the influence of CFRP composite wrapping techniques on the load-deflection and strain relationships of non-prismatic RC beams. A total of twelve non-prismatic beams with and without openings were tested in the present study. The length of the non-prismatic section was also varied to assess the effect on the behavior and load capacity of non-prismatic beams. The strengthening of beams was performed by using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites in the form of individual strips or full wraps. The linear variable differential transducers and strain gauges were installed at the steel bars to observe the load-deflection and strain responses of non-prismatic RC beams, respectively. The cracking behavior of unstrengthened beams was accompanied by excessive flexural and shear cracks. The influence of CFRP strips and full wraps was primarily observed in solid section beams without shear cracks, resulting in enhanced performance. In contrast, hollow section strengthened beams exhibited minor shear cracks alongside the primary flexural cracks within the constant moment region. The absence of shear cracks was reflected in the load-deflection curves of strengthened beams, which demonstrated a ductile behavior. The strengthened beams demonstrated 40% to 70% higher peak loads than control beams, whereas the ultimate deflection was increased up to 524.87% compared to that of the control beams. The improvement in the peak load was more prominent as the length of the non-prismatic section increased. A better improvement in ductility was achieved for the case of CFRP strips in the case of short non-prismatic lengths, whereas the efficiency of CFRP strips was reduced as the length of the non-prismatic section increased. Moreover, the load-strain capacity of CFRP-strengthened non-prismatic RC beams was higher than the control beams.

Prediction of Stress-Strain Curves for HFRP Composite Confined Brick Aggregate Concrete under Axial Load.

Recently, hemp-fiber-reinforced polymer (HFRP) composites have been developed to enhance the strength and ductility of normal and lightweight aggregate concrete along with recycled brick aggregate concrete. In addition, both experimental and analytical investigations have been performed to assess the suitability of the existing strength and strain models. However, the theoretical and analytical expressions to predict the stress-strain curves of HFRP-confined concrete were not developed. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to develop analytical expressions to predict the stress-strain curves of HFRP-confined waste brick aggregate concrete. For this purpose, a new experimental framework was conducted to examine the effectiveness of HFRP in improving the mechanical properties of concrete constructed with recycled brick aggregates. Depending on the strength of the concrete, two groups were formed, i.e., Type-1 concrete and Type-2 concrete. A total of sixteen samples were tested. The ultimate compressive strength and strain significantly increased due to HFRP confinement. Improvements of up to 272% and 457% in the ultimate compressive strength and strain were observed due to hemp confinement, respectively. To predict the ultimate compressive strength and strain of HFRP-confined concrete, this study investigated several existing analytical stress-strain models. Some of the strength models resulted in close agreement with experimental results, but none of the models could accurately predict the ultimate confined strain. Nonlinear regression analysis was conducted to propose expressions to predict the ultimate compressive strength and strain of HFRP-confined concrete. The proposed expressions resulted in good agreement with experimental results. An analytical procedure was proposed to predict the stress-strain curves of hemp-confined concrete constructed by partial replacement of natural coarse aggregates by recycled fired-clay brick aggregates. A close agreement was found between the experimental and analytically predicted stress-strain curves.

Low-Cost Fiber Chopped Strand Mat Composites for Compressive Stress and Strain Enhancement of Concrete Made with Brick Waste Aggregates.

Given the excessive demolition of structures each year, the issues related to the generated structural waste are striking. Bricks being a major constituent in the construction industry, also hold a significant proportion of the construction waste generated annually. The reuse of this brick waste in new constructions is an optimal solution considering cost-effectiveness and sustainability. However, the problems related to the substandard peak stress and ultimate strain of concrete constructed with recycled brick aggregates (CRAs) limit its use in non-structural applications. The present study intends to improve the unsatisfactory mechanical characteristics of CRAs by utilizing low-cost glass fiber chopped strand mat (FCSM) sheets. The efficacy of FCSM sheets was assessed by wrapping them around CRA specimens constructed with different concrete strengths. A remarkable increase in the peak compressive stress and the ultimate strain of the CRA specimens were observed. For low, medium, and high strength CRAs, the ultimate strain improved by up to 320%, 308%, and 294%, respectively, as compared to the respective control specimens. Several existing analytical models were utilized to predict the peak compressive stress and ultimate strain of the CRAs strengthened using FCSM sheets. None of the considered models reproduced experimental results accurately. Therefore, equations were formulated using regression predicting the peak stress and ultimate strain of the CRAs confined with FCSM sheets. The predicted values were found to correlate well with the experimental values.

Mechanical Experiments on Concrete with Hybrid Fiber Reinforcement for Structural Rehabilitation.

Reinforced concrete is used in the construction of bridges, buildings, retaining walls, roads, and other engineered structures. Due to seismic activities, a lot of structures develop seismic cracks. The rehabilitation of such structures is necessary for public safety. The overall aim of this research study was to produce a high-performance hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete (HPHFRC) with enhanced properties as compared to plain high-performance concrete and high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (HPFRC) for the rehabilitation of bridges and buildings. Kevlar fibers (KF) and glass fibers (GF) with lengths of 35 mm and 25 mm, respectively, were added and hybridized to 1.5% by mass of cement to create hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete mixes. Eight mixes were cast in total. The compressive strength (f'c), flexural strength (fr), splitting tensile strength (fs), and other mechanical properties, i.e., energy absorption and toughness index values, were enhanced in HPHFRC as compared to CM and HPFRC. It was found that the concrete hybridized with 0.75% KF and 0.75% GF (HF-G 0.75 K 0.75) had the most enhanced overall mechanical properties, illustrating its potential to be utilized in the rehabilitation of bridges and structures.

Use of Natural and Synthetic Fiber-Reinforced Composites for Punching Shear of Flat Slabs: A Comparative Study.

Over the last two decades, considerable attention has been devoted to the strengthening of sub-standard flat-slab constructions. With the evolution of composite materials and an increasing emphasis on the economical and sustainable use of natural fibers, many researchers have utilized them in the strengthening of flat flabs mitigating punching failures. This study aims at investigating and comparing the behavior of flat slabs strengthened with post-installed composite and natural reinforcements. An experimental program was devised consisting of eight flat-slab specimens. One specimen was tested in as-built condition to provide a reference. The remaining specimens were strengthened with Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), Aramid Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (AFRP), and sisal rods. The pattern of post-installed rods was varied as single line, double line, and star shapes around the column. The results indicated that the single-line pattern could only enhance the maximum sustained load by up to 6% compared to that of the reference specimen. On the contrary, double line and star shape configurations resulted in a substantial increase in the maximum sustained load. An analytical assessment of ACI 318-19 provisions resulted in an over-estimation of the shear strengths of CFRP- and AFRP-strengthened slabs. Furthermore, the same provisions led to lower yields than experimental shear strengths for sisal-strengthened slabs.

Finite Element Analysis of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-(GFRP) Reinforced Continuous Concrete Beams.

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is a competitive solution for the durability of reinforced structures. This paper aims to observe the moment redistribution behavior occurring due to flexural and shear loading in Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer- (GFRP) reinforced continuous concrete beams. A rectangular cross-section was adopted in this study with dimensions of 200 mm in width and 300 mm in depth with a constant shear span-to-depth ratio of 3. The reinforcement ratio for the top and bottom were equal at sagging and hogging moment regions. A finite element model was created using Analysis System (ANSYS) and validated with the existing experimental results in the literature review. Based on the literature review, the parametric study was conducted on twelve beam specimens to evaluate the influence of concrete compressive strength, transversal GFRP stirrups ratio, and longitudinal reinforcement ratio on the redistribution of the moment in beams. Several codes and guidelines adopted different analytical models. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) S806 adopted the modified compression field theory in predicting the shear capacity of the simply supported beams. Recently, various researchers encountered several factors and modifications to account for concrete contribution, longitudinal, and transverse reinforcement. A comparison between the predicting shear capacity of the generated finite element model, the analytical model, and the existing data from the literature was performed. The generated finite element model showed a good agreement with the experimental results, while the beam specimens failed in shear after undergoing significant moment redistribution from hogging to sagging moment region. The moment distribution observed about 21.5% from FEM of beam specimen GN-1.2-0.48-d, while the experimental results achieved 24% at failure load. For high strength concrete presented in beam specimen GH-1.2-0.63-d, the result showed about 20.2% moment distribution, compared to that achieved experimentally of 23% at failure load.

Flexural Behavior of Natural Hybrid FRP-Strengthened RC Beams and Strain Measurements Using BOTDA.

Experimental and finite element analysis results of reinforced concrete beams under monotonic loading were presented in this study. In the experimental program, one beam was tested in an as-built condition. The other two beams were strengthened using natural hybrid FRP layers in different configurations. The natural hybrid FRP composite was developed by using natural jute FRP and basalt FRP. One of the most appealing advantages of natural fiber is its beneficial impact on the environment, which is necessary for the sustainability recognition as an alternative to synthetic FRP. The hybrid FRP was applied to the bottom concrete surface in one beam, while a U-shaped strengthening pattern was adopted for the other beam. The flexural behavior of each beam was assessed through strain measurements. Each beam was incorporated with conventional strain gages, as well as the Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA) technique. BOTDA has its exclusive advantages due to its simple system architecture, easy implementation, measurement speed, and cross-sensitivity. The experimental results revealed that the beam strengthened with the U-shaped hybrid FRP composite pattern had a better flexural response than the other counterpart beams did both in terms of peak loads and maximum bottom longitudinal steel bar strains. Beams B-01 and B-02 exhibited 20.5% and 28.4% higher energy dissipation capacities than the control beam did, respectively. The ultimate failure of the control beam was mainly due to the flexural cracks at very low loads, whereas the ultimate failure mode of FRP composite-strengthened beams was due to the rupture of the hybrid FRP composite. Further, strain measurements using BOTDA exhibited similar patterns as conventional strain gage measurements did. However, it was concluded that BOTDA measurements were substantially influenced by the bottom flexural cracks, ultimately resulting in shorter strain records than those of conventional strain gages. Nonlinear structural analysis of the beams was performed using the computer program ATENA. The analytical results for the control beam specimen showed a close match with the corresponding experimental results mainly in terms of maximum deflection. However, the analytical peak load was slightly higher than the corresponding experimental value.

Remediation of Punching Shear Failure Using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Rods.

The results of an experimental program on shear-strengthening of flat slabs using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rods are presented. A total of seven specimens were tested under an upward concentric monotonic loading until failure. One specimen served as a control and was tested without any modification. The remaining six specimens were strengthened with post-installed GFRP rods in single (SG), double (DB), and radial (RD) patterns within shear critical parameters around the centric column. The results of this experimental study suggest that GFRP rods are capable of enhancing both the peak load and deformation capacity. Furthermore, brittle failure associated with punching shear failure was successfully avoided by all strengthening patterns. Of all of the patterns, the RD pattern resulted in maximum peak load increase and corresponding deformation capacity while the lowest bound was created by the SG pattern. The results suggested that SG, DB and RD patterns enhanced ultimate loads up to 9.1, 11.3 and 15.7% while corresponding deflections increased up to 109, 136 and 154%. Strain measurement on flexural reinforcement suggested that all strengthened specimens were able to withstand higher longitudinal strains than yield. It was further shown that reducing the spacing between the GFRP rods efficiently enhanced peak loads, nevertheless, neither this change was proportional, nor did it result in an enhanced energy dissipation capacity. In the end, recommendations of American Concrete Institute (ACI) for the shear strength of two-way systems were modified to incorporate the contributions from GFRP rods. The results indicate that the proposed analytical approach provides an excellent match with the experimental results.

Structural Behavior of Large-Scale Hollow Section RC Beams and Strength Enhancement Using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Composites.

An experimental program was conducted to ascertain the efficiency of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) in enhancing the flexural response of hollow section reinforced concrete (RC) beams. Nine beams were tested under four-point bending in three groups. Beams were categorized to reflect the presence or configuration of the CFRP sheet. Each group consisted of three beams: one with a solid section, one with a square 50×50  mm × mm opening and 1 with 100×100  mm × mm opening. Beams in 1st group were tested in as-built conditions. Beams in the 2nd group were strengthened with a single CFRP sheet bonded to their bottom sides. Configuration of CFRP sheet was altered to U-shape applied to the tension side of 3rd group beams. The inclusion of openings, regardless of their size, did not result in degradation of ultimate load and corresponding deflections. However, cracking loads were found to decline as the opening size increased. Regardless of the opening size and CFRP configuration, ultimate loads of beams increased with the application of CFRP. However, this improvement was limited to the debonding and rupture of CFRP in group 2 and 3 beams, respectively. A comparison in the behavior of group 2 and 3 beams revealed that the application of the U-shape CFRP sheet yielded better flexural performance in comparison with the flat-CFRP sheet bonded to the bottom of beams. In the end, In order to further evaluate the economic and performance benefits of these beams, the cost-benefit analysis was also performed. The analysis showed that the feasibility of the hollow section RC beams is more than the solid section RC beams.