Gregor Fischer

Investigating the Alkali-Silica Reaction of Recycled Glass Aggregates in Concrete Materials

Application of crushed recycled glass in concrete materials can offer significant economical and environmental benefits provided that the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) of glass in concrete is properly controlled. Previous work on the use of glass sand in mortars shows that the reactivity of glass is influenced by its particle size as mortars containing finer glass sand show reduced ASR expansions. This may be counterintuitive since ASR is considered to be a surface reaction and should accelerate by increasing the surface area (i.e., reducing the size) of reactive aggregates. This paper presents a more in-depth investigation of the size-effect phenomena using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive spectroscopy imaging of mortars containing different size glass particles. The SEM micrographs reveal that ASR does not occur at the glass-paste interface; rather, it occurs inside microcracks that exist inside glass particles which were generated during the glass bottle crushing operations. Larger size glass particles show larger and more active microcracks which render their high alkali-silica reactivity. At its interface with cement paste, glass shows evidence of pozzolanic reaction which leads to the formation of nonexpansive CSH. For particles smaller than #30 sieve (0.6 mm), the intraparticle ASR is minimal and only the interfacial pozzolanic reaction proceeds. This agrees well with the results of ASTM C1260 tests showing that mixed color glass aggregate smaller than #30 sieve does not produce deleterious ASR expansions in mortars even when no ASR suppressant (e.g., fly ash) is used.

Crack Propagation in Concrete with Silica Particles

The propagation of cracking in concrete is a mechanism governing many physical and mechanical properties of the material. The aim of this study was to experimentally investigate the crack propagation of new concrete compositions using image analysis. Several concrete mixes containing microsilica and nanosilica were made. For each composition, Compact Tension (CT) specimens were prepared with dimensions 150x150x12mm. Specimens were subjected to a tensile load. The formation and propagation of the tensile cracks was traced on the surface of the specimens using a high resolution digital camera with 60 mm focal length. Images were captured during testing with a time interval of one second. The compression strength and modulus of elasticity were also determined for reference. The results obtained with this method have shown that it is possible to monitor relatively small displacements on the specimen surface regardless of the scale of the representative area of interest and to evaluate the influence of filler on the cracking properties of concrete.

Measurement of Local Deformations in Steel Monostrands Using Digital Image Correlation

The local deformation mechanisms in steel monostrands have a significant influence on their fatigue life and failure mode. However, the observation and quantification of deformations in monostrands experiencing axial and transverse deformations is challenging because of their complex geometry, difficulties with the placement of strain gauges in the vicinity of the anchorage, and, most importantly, the relatively small magnitude of deformation occurring in the monostrand. This paper focuses on the measurement of localized deformations in high-strength steel monostrands using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The presented technique enables the measurement of individual wire strains along the length of the monostrand and also provides quantitative information on the relative movement between individual wires, leading to a more in-depth understanding of the underlying fatigue mechanisms. To validate the proposed image-based measurement method, two different tests were performed, with the one correlation method showing good agreement. Data collected from the DIC technique creates a basis for the analysis of the fretting and localized bending behavior of the monostrand and provides relevant information on the internal state of displacement of the monostrand under bending load.

Hybrid Fiber Reinforcement and Crack Formation in Cementitious Composite Materials

The use of different types of fibers simultaneously for reinforcing cementitious matrices is motivated by the concept of a multi-scale nature of the crack propagation process. Fibers with different geometrical and mechanical properties are used to bridge cracks of different sizes from the micro- to the macro- scale. In this study, the performance of different fiber reinforced cementitious composites is assessed in terms of their tensile stress-crack opening behavior. The results obtained from this investigation allow a direct quantitative comparison of the behavior obtained from the different fiber reinforcement systems. The research described in this paper shows that the multi-scale conception of cracking and the use of hybrid fiber reinforcements do not necessarily result in an improved tensile behavior of the composite. Particular material design requirements may nevertheless justify the use of hybrid fiber reinforcements.

Mechanical interaction between concrete and structural reinforcement in the tension stiffening process

The interaction between structural reinforcement and the surrounding concrete matrix in tension is a governing mechanism in the structural response of reinforced concrete members. The tension stiffening process, defined as the concrete´s contribution to tensile response of the composite, has been investigated using an image-based deformation measurement and analysis system. This allowed for detailed view of surface deformations and the implications on the resulting response of the member in tension. In this study, conventional concrete and a ductile, strain hardening cement composite, known as Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC), have been combined with steel and glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement to contrast the effects of brittle and ductile cement matrices as well as elastic/plastic and elastic reinforcement on the tension stiffening process. Particular focus was on the deformation process and transverse crack formation in the cementitious matrix at increasing tensile strain.

Shear Crack Formation and Propagation in Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites (FRCC)

Knowledge of the mechanisms controlling crack formation, propagation and failure of FRCC under shear loading is currently limited. This paper presents a study that utilized photogrammetry to monitor the shear deformations of two FRCC materials and ordinary concrete (OC). Multiple shear cracks and strain hardening of both FRCC materials was observed under shear loading. The influence of fibers, fiber type, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polypropylene (PP) fibers, and shear crack angle were investigated. Based upon photogrammetric results, fundamental descriptions of shear crack opening/sliding and subsequent failure are presented.

A Comparison Between the Accuracy of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Strain Measurements

Measurements DTU Orbit (28/10/2019) A Comparison Between the Accuracy of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Strain Measurements This investigation determined the effect of specimen out-of-plane movement on the accuracy of strain measurement made applying two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) measurement approaches using the representative, state-ofthe-art digital image correlation (DIC)-based tool ARAMIS. DIC techniques can be used in structural health monitoring (SHM) by measuring structural strains and correlating them to structural damage. This study was motivated by initially undetected damage at low strains in connections of a real-world bridge, whose detection would have prevented its propagation, resulting in lower repair costs. This study builds upon an initial investigation that concluded that out-of-plane specimen movement results in noise in DIC-based strain measurements. The effect of specimen out-of-plane displacement on the accuracy of strain measurements using the 2D and 3D measurement techniques was determined over a range of strain values and specimen out-of-plane displacements. Based upon the results of this study, the 2D system could measure strains as camera focus was being lost, and the effect of the loss of focus became apparent at 1.0 mm beam out-of-plane displacement while measuring strain of the order of magnitude of approximately 0.12%. The corresponding results for the 3D system demonstrate that the beam out-of-plane displacement begins to affect the accuracy of the strain measurements at approximately 0.025% strain for all magnitudes of out-of-plane displacement, and the 3D ARAMIS system can make accurate strain measurements at up to 2.5 mm amplitude at this strain. Finally, based upon the magnitudes of strain and out-of-plane displacement amplitudes that typically occur in real steel bridges, it is advisable to use the 3D system for SHM of stiff structures instead of the 2D system.