Danièle Chauvel

CEOS.fr experimental programme and reference specimen tests results

CEOS.fr research project aims to improve the tools for designing the reinforced and prestressed thick concrete structures. Specific test were performed on various test bodies at full scale and 1/3 scale. This document is an overview of the experimental results obtained from the testing of large reinforced concrete specimen proposed for the benchmark ConCrack, including shear wall at scale 1/3 and tests on full scale prismatic blocks with free shrinkage (RL1 and RL6 beams) tested on bending loading. All the test bodies were fully instrumented in order to follow and locate crack initiation and propagation. A particular attention was paid to the measurement of crack widths and crack spacing, during service limit stage and until the end of loading. A summary of experimental results is provided herein: for reference RL1 and RL6 beams and reference shear wall 3.

Studies of column supported towers

Abstract As a result of a research and development programme into the civil engineering of cooling towers launched in 1978 by Electricite de France, very high cooling towers were built at Golfech and Chooz, in France, using column supports. This paper discusses the evolution of this new type of support from classical diagonal supports, presents some of the results of design calculations and survey measurements taken during construction of the shell and analyses the behaviour of the structure.