• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.1069-1084
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• 2014

The long-term performance of plates resting on viscoelastic foundations is a major concern in the analysis of soil-structure interaction. As a powerful mathematical tool, fractional calculus may address these plate-on-foundation problems. In this paper, a fractionalized Zener model is proposed to study the time-dependent behavior of a uniformly loaded rectangular thin foundation plate. By use of the viscoelastic-elastic correspondence principle and the Laplace transforms, the analytical solutions were obtained in terms of the Mittag-Leffler function. Through the analysis of a numerical example, the calculated plate deflection, bending moment and foundation reaction were compared to those from ideal elastic and standard viscoelastic models. It is found that the upper and lower bound solutions of the plate response estimated by the proposed model can be determined using the elastic model. Based on a parametric study, the impacts of model parameters on the long-term performance of a foundation plate were systematically investigated. The results show that the two spring stiffnesses govern the upper and lower bound solutions of the plate response. By varying the values of the fractional differential order and the coefficient of viscosity, the time-dependent behavior of a foundation plate can be accurately captured. The fractional differential order seems to be dependent on the mechanical properties of the ground soil. A sandy foundation will have a small fractional differential order while in order to simulate the creeping of clay foundation, a larger fractional differential order value is needed. The fractionalized Zener model is capable of accounting for the primary and secondary consolidation processes of the foundation soil and can be used to predict the plate performance over many decades of time.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.5
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• pp.617-631
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• 2022

In this paper the viscoelastic responses of four experimental steel-concrete composite beams subjected to highly variable environmental conditions are investigated by means of a finite element (FE) model. Concrete specimens submitted to stepped stress changes are also evaluated to validate the current formulations. Here, two well-known approaches commonly used to solve the viscoelastic constitutive relationship for concrete are employed. The first approach directly solves the integral-type form of the constitutive equation at the macroscopic level, in which aging is included by updating material properties. The second approach is postulated from a rate-type law based on an age-independent Generalized Kelvin rheological model together with Solidification Theory, using a micromechanical based approach. Thus, conceptually both approaches include concrete hardening in two different manners. The aim of this work is to compare and analyze the numerical prediction in terms of long-term deflections of the studied specimens according to both approaches. To accomplish this goal, the performance of several well-known model codes for concrete creep and shrinkage such as ACI 209, CEB-MC90, CEB-MC99, B3, GL 2000 and FIB-2010 are evaluated by means of statistical bias indicators. It is shown that both approaches with minor differences acceptably match the long-term experimental deflection and are able to capture complex oscillatory responses due to variable temperature and relative humidity. Nevertheless, the use of an age-independent scheme as proposed by Solidification Theory may be computationally more advantageous.

• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.382-387
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• 2019

A single frequency strain mode test, a stress relaxation mode test, and a creep test using RH-DMA were performed to investigate the effects of relative humidity and temperature on the viscous properties of PET film. The relative humidity was 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90%. The temperature was considered to be 30~95℃ for single frequency strain mode tests, 30℃ and 70℃ for stress relaxation mode test, and 5~95℃ for creep test. According to the results, higher relative humidity results in lower storage modulus and loss modulus, but the maximum value of the loss modulus is not significantly affected by changes in relative humidity and is almost constant. Relaxation modulus decreases rapidly at the beginning and becomes constant, and as the temperature increases, it is susceptible to changes in relative humidity. Strain recovery also increases rapidly at the beginning and is susceptible to changes in relative humidity as the temperature increases. In addition, as the temperature increases, the degree of increase in creep compliance increases, and as the temperature rises above the glass transfer temperature, the degree of increase becomes very large. The master curve determined by the time-temperature superposition provides the information to predict the long-term performance under operating conditions such as relative humidity and temperature.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.129-144
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• 2000

This paper presents the characteristics of viscoelastic properties and fatigue performance of SBS modified asphalt mixtures depending on the aggregate gradation. Dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and uniaxial tensile creep tests are performed to analyze the thermomechanical behavior of asphalt binders and mixtures, respectively. Uniaxial tensile fatigue tests for seven different asphalt mixtures are conducted to evaluate the effects of aggregate gradations and SBS modifier on the fatigue performance of the mixtures. DSR and uniaxial tensile creep tests results show that the SBS modified asphalt mixtures have better rutting resistance than the unmodified mixtures at high temperatures regardless of the aggregate gradations used. Fatigue factor $G^*sin\delta$ in Superpave binder specification may not be adequate for evaluating the fatigue Performance of asphalt mixtures. It is observed from uniaxial tensile fatigue tests that SBS modified asphalt mixtures compared to unmodified mixtures have ten times longer fatigue lives regardless of the aggregate gradations(dense, SMA, and Superpave gradations) used in the mixtures. The better fatigue performance of the SBS modified mixtures is observed even after long-term aging process. The effect of aggregate gradations on the fatigue performance is not as significant as the SBS modifier. The cellulose fiber added in the SMA mixture has negligible effects on the viscoelastic Properties and fatigue performance of the mixture, but is effective in reducing draindown. Although the SBS modified asphalt binder is used, it may be necessary to add the cellulose fiber into the SMA mixture to prevent the draindown.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.117-125
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• 2013

PURPOSES : The purpose of this study is to evaluate of field application and laboratory performance of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) according to the dosage rate of organic-based WMA additive. METHODS: Three asphalt mixtures, i.e., hot mix asphalt (HMA), WMA with the dosage rate of 1.5%, WMA with the dosage rate of 1.0%, were sampled from the asphalt plant when the field trial project were constructed. With these mixtures, the laboratory testings were performed to evaluate the linear viscoelastic characteristics and the resistance to moisture, rutting and fatigue damage. RESULTS : From the laboratory test results, it was found that the WMA with the reduced dosage rate of additive would be comparable to HMA and WMA with the original dosage rate in terms of the dynamic modulus, tensile strength ratio, rutting resistance. However, the fatigue reisistance of WMA with the reduced dosage rate was slightly worse but it should be noted that the fatigue performance is necessarily predicted by combining the material properties and pavement structure. CONCLUSIONS: Through the field construction and laboratory testings, the dosage rate of organic-based WMA additive could be reduced from 1.5% to 1.0% without the significant decrease of compactability and laboratory performance. The long-term performance of the constructed pavement will be periodically monitored to support the findings from this study.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.379-397
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• 2019

Steel-concrete composite beams are widely employed in constructions and their performance at the serviceability stage is of concern among practitioners and design regulations. In this context, an accurate evaluation of long-term deflections via various rheological concrete models is needed. In this work, the performance and predict capability of some concrete creep and shrinkage models ACI, CEB, B3, FIB and GL2000 are ascertained, and compared by using statistical bias indicators. Ten steel-concrete composite beams with existing experimental and numerical results are then modeled for this purpose. The proposed modeling technique uses the finite element method, where the concrete slab and steel beam are modeled with shell finite elements. Concrete is considered as an aging viscoelastic material and cracking is treated with the common smeared approach. The results show that when the experimental ultimate shrinkage strain is used for calibration, all studied rheological models predict nearly similar deflections, which agree with the experimental data. In contrast, significance differences are encountered for some models, when none calibration is made prior to. A value between twenty and thirty times the cracking strain is recommended for the ultimate tensile strain in the tension stiffening model. Also, increasing the relative humidity and decreasing the ambient temperature can lead to a substantial reduction of slab cracking for beams under negative flexure. Finally, there is not a unique rheological model that clearly excels in all scenarios.