Abstract
This study was conducted to enhance the impact resistance of wave-dissipating concrete blocks by recycled-Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) fibers. The aim of this study is to address the structural vulnerabilities of maritime structures and contribute to environmental issue. Traditionally, the stability of marine structures has been largely dependent on self-weight, a characteristic that can be undermined by damage from sea waves. Wave-dissipating concrete blocks are engineered to reduce the power of waves, but they remain susceptible to fractures caused by hoisting and rocking motions after installation. Existing evaluations often neglect the impact of rocking motion, primarily concentrating on fractures due to lifting. To enhance impact resistance, ultra-slow speed experimental tests were conducted to determine the fracture energy of concrete block considering rPET. The results revealed a significant improvement in the fracture energy of rPET reinforced concrete. Based on these experimental test results, a numerical model was developed to simulate the behavior of wave-dissipating concrete blocks considering rocking motion. The developed Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model proved to be more relevant than the Finite Element (FE) model. Furthermore, this newly developed numerical model was utilized to evaluate structural performance. The results of the numerical analysis indicated a relationship between weight and impact velocity on the occurrence of damage. This led to the proposal of fragility curves for Sealock and TTP under various impact velocities during rocking motion. Fragility curves, developed based on impact velocity, demonstrated enhanced impact resistance of wave-dissipating concrete blocks reinforced with rPET. In addition, the incorporation of PET fibers effectively controlled crack propagation and improved impact resistance, particularly with increasing block weight. The methodology employed in this study holds potential for predicting outcomes using simple data, making it applicable to other scenarios such as vehicle-bridge pier collisions.
Published Version
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