FRP Retrofitted RC Slabs Using Finite Difference Model

Current guidelines recommend using single-degree-of-freedom(SDOF) method for dynamic analysis of reinforced concretec (RC) structures against blast loads, which is not suitable for retrofitted members. Thus, a finite difference procedure developed in another study was used to accurately and efficiently analyze the dynamic response of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) plated members under blast loads. It can accommodate changes in the mechanical properties of a member's cross section along its length and through its depth in each time step, making it possible to directly incorporate both strain rate effects (which will vary along the length and depth of a member) and non-uniform member loading to solve the partial differential equation of motion. The accuracy of the proposed method was validated in part using data from field blast testing. The finite difference procedure is implemented easily and enables accurate predictions of FRP-plated-member response.     

Sequential assessment of engineering design projects at university level

Seven years of industrial experience followed by 30 years of academic research and teaching in structural engineering have led the author to believe that the prime objective of a university design course is not the design project itself but to train students to solve problems, as this will last them throughout their careers. It is shown how design projects can be formulated for the purpose of encouraging students to develop their problem-solving abilities. More importantly, a sequential assessment technique has been developed to quantify the students’ ability to both think and learn as well as the students’ grasp of the fundamental principles, all of which are required in problem-solving.     

Retrofitting of RC Slabs Against Explosive Loads

With the increase of terrorist bomb attacks on buildings, there is a need to develop advanced retrofitting techniques to strengthen structures against blast loads. Currently, several guidelines including an Australian version for retrofitting reinforced concrete (RC) structures are available for the design of retrofitting systems against seismic and monotonic loads using steel or fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) plates that can be either adhesively bonded to the surface or near surface mounted to the concrete cover. However, none of these guidelines provide advice suitable for retrofitting structures subjected to blast loads. In this paper, numerical models are used to simulate the performance of retrofitted RC slabs subjected to blast loads. Airblast pressure distributions on the surface of the slabs estimated in a previous study are used as input in the analysis. A material damage model developed previously for concrete and an elastoplastic model for steel bars are employed in this research for modelling reinforced concrete behaviour due to explosive loads. The material models and blast loading are coded into a finite element computer program LS-DYNA3D to do the analysis. With the numerical model, parametric studies are conducted to investigate RC slabs retrofitted by either externally bonded or near-surface mounted plates or GFRP sheets subjected to blast loads. Discussion is made on the effectiveness of the retrofitting system for RC slabs against blast loads.