Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

Fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are extensively used to retrofit civil structures. However, the quality and the characteristics of the bond between the FRP and the structure are critical to ensure the efficacy of the retrofit. For this reason, effective non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods are often necessary to assess the bonding conditions. This article presents an ultrasonic technique for detecting defects at the FRP-substrate interface. The technique uses the Akaike Information Criterion, to detect automatically the onset of the ultrasonic signals, and the novel Equivalent Time Lenght (ETL) parameter, to quantify the energy of the propagating ultrasonic signals along the interface between FRP and concrete. The uniqueness of the ETL is that it is not affected by the coupling conditions between the ultrasonic probes and the structure. The proposed NDE technique has been tested numerically by performing 2D Finite-Element analysis and experimentally on reinforced concrete samples. The results show that the method is robust and cost-effective.

CFRP, fibre-reinforced materials, concrete, bonding, non-destructive testing, ultrasonic methods, equivalent time length

The seismic nonlinear response of reinforced concrete structures permits to identify critical zones of an existing structure and to better plan its rehabilitation process. It is obtained by performing finite element analysis using numerical models classifiable into two categories: lumped plasticity models and distributed plasticity models. The present work is devoted to the implementation, in a finite element environment, of an elastoplastic Euler–Bernoulli beam element showing possible slope discontinuities at any position along the beam span, in the framework of a modified lumped plasticity. The differential equation of an Euler–Bernoulli beam element under static loads in presence of multiple discontinuities in the slope function was already solved by Biondi and Caddemi (Int J Solids Struct 42(9):3027–3044, 2005, Eur J Mech A Solids 26(5):789–809, 2007), who also found solutions in closed form. These solutions are now implemented in the new beam element respecting a thermodynamical approach, from which the state equations and flow rules are derived. State equations and flow rules are rewritten in a discrete manner to match up with the Newton–Raphson iterative solutions of the discretized loading process. A classic elastic predictor phase is followed by a plastic corrector phase in the case of activation of the inelastic phenomenon. The corrector phase is based on the evaluation of return bending moments by employing the closest point projection method under the hypothesis of associated plasticity in the bending moment planes of a Bresler’s type activation domain. Shape functions and stiffness matrix for the new element are derived. Numerical examples are furnished to validate the proposed beam element.

Slope discontinuity, Nonlinear pushover analysis, Lumped plasticity, Plastic hinge

A beam/column element allowing the formation of multiple plastic hinges in columns or beams of a reinforced concrete (RC) framed structure is used in this work to show, through an application, its advantages with respect to conventional lumped plasticity models. Slope discontinuities can be located at any position of an Euler-Bernoulli beam span and not at the two extremes only. The model is in fact written in the framework of a modified lumped plasticity theory, and respectful of a thermodynamic approach. Flow rules and state equations are derived invoking the Theorem of maximum dissipation and using a Bresler’s type activation domain. The beam element has already been implemented in a researchoriented code to run nonlinear analyses on 2-D frames. The discretized loading process is separated, at each step, in two phases: a predictor and a corrector phase. Numerical examples highlight how the new finite element permits to run nonlinear analyses avoiding a mesh refinement.

beam element, plastic hinge, lumped plasticity, slope discontinuity, nonlinear FEM analysis