Budownictwo i Architektura

5-20

Authors: Marcin Burdziński, Maciej Niedostatkiewicz, Patryk Ziółkowski

This article deals with the issue of the bond between concrete and reinforcement. The bond is crucial for reinforced concrete elements because it is possible to transfer forces (stresses) from concrete to the reinforcement. Basic information related to the cooperation of concrete and rebars was recalled in the article. Selected issues concerning theoretical and numerical analysis as well as experiments of the bond phenomenon were presented. The article also proposes its own concept of experimental studies on the bond on two types of specimens: so-called short specimen and large specimen that will be subjected to pull-out tests. The described concept is ultimately to form the basis for creating a numerical model, enabling the simulation of bond in various reinforced concrete elements, calibrated based on the results of experimental studies.

31-40

Authors: Marcin Giedrowicz

This paper is a summary of the research on parametric design methods and digital fabrication in architecture and industrial design. Through the author’s projects, he presents how effective parametric designing process can be in contemporary architecture. This publication is a testimony of a long and full production process of a set of concrete fencings – from design part, through prototyping, digital fabrication, post-production, concreate fabrication and selling process. The design part of this research pertains to algorithmic design methods in Grasshopper software as well as presents a broad range of various technological aspects involved in the fabrication process. In the conclusion part of this paper, the author discloses his expectations towards the future of concrete fencing in Poland and describes a set of appropriate rules that foster a further development of this technology.

53-62

Authors: Jakub Gontarz, Jerzy Podgórski

This article presents the results of the computer simulations of a four-point bending test of a concrete single-edge notched beam. In this publication, the authors compared the X-FEM method of simulating the crack in the Abaqus FEA system. The paper also contains the results obtained with the Abaqus subroutine recently developed by the authors, used for defining the direction of the crack and the failure criterion. The publication explains the way of working of this algorithm. The described calculations show that computer analysis gives unrealistic results in terms of the destructive force. SEN-beam is an interesting laboratory test in which a lot of factors influence the results. It is especially important to study what phenomena occur in the final phase of the study, when the crack tip is near the opposite side.

77-88

Authors: Ewelina Kołodziejczyk, Tomasz Waśniewski

The paper presents a numerical analysis of deformability and load-bearing capacity of lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) elements subjected to bending with axial force. The nonlinear material model of LWAC presented in Eurocode 2 (EC2) was assumed. Several different densities and compressive strengths of concrete were taken into account. The investigations included the comparison of the sectional capacity and the behaviour of slender elements made with normal and lightweight aggregate concrete. It was observed that density-dependent mechanical properties of concrete affect the obtained values of the maximum axial force and the bending moment despite the same mean compressive strength. In every case, the capacity of the RLWAC section was lower than the one of normal weight, which was caused by a linear characteristic of the LWAC. Other important factors were the modulus of elasticity and the ultimate strain of concrete. LWAC with the higher density and the lower ultimate strain gave greater stiffness to slender columns but reduced the cross-sectional capacity. It was concluded that the elastic modulus and the peak strain of LWAC which are applied in columns calculations should be verified experimentally.

101-112

Authors: Andrzej S. Nowak, Olga Iatsko

There has been a considerable progress in the reliability-based code development procedures. The load and resistance factors in the AASHTO bridge design code were determined using the statistical parameters from the 1970's and early 1980’s. Load and resistance factors were determined by first fixing the load factors and then calculating resistance factors. Load factors were selected so that the factored load corresponds to two standard deviations from the mean value and the resistance factors were calculated so that the reliability index is close to the target value. However, from the theoretical point of view, the load and resistance factors are to be determined as coordinates of the so-called “design point” that corresponds to less than two standard deviations from the mean. Therefore, the optimum load and resistance factors are about 10% lower than what is in the AASHTO LRFD Code. The objective of this paper is to revisit the original calibration and recalculate the load and resistance factors as coordinates of the “design point” for prestressed concrete girder bridges. The recommended new load and resistance factors provide a consistent reliability and a rational safety margin.

123-134

Authors: Adam Piekarczyk

The paper presents selected results of tests of full-scale masonry walls linearly supported on a deflecting beam. The walls with thin bed joints and unfilled head joints were 4.55 m long and 2.45 m high, and were made of group 1 calcium silicate masonry units. The tests included walls with and without openings. The tests were carried out in a specially designated and constructed test stand, which allowed simultaneous vertical load on the upper edge of the wall and vertical deflection of the beam supporting this wall. During the test, measurements of mutual displacements of six points on the wall surface were carried out. On both faces of masonry specimens, the changes of the length of the measuring bases connecting these six points were recorded. Walls without openings were detached from the central part of the supporting beam at a deflection not exceeding 2 mm. Walls with one door opening also cracked at an early stage of tests. In this case, a detachment from the supporting beam and cracking at the ends of the lintel occurred because of the rotation of the pillars connected by the lintel above the opening. In walls with two door openings, first cracks were formed at the ends of lintels due to the rotation of pillars with a small deflection of the supporting beam, less than 3 mm. Whereas, in walls with door and window openings, first cracks occurred under the window and at the end of the lintel in the outer pillar of the wall.