Civil Engineering Infrastructure Research Articles

Social Impact Assessment Comparison of Composite and Concrete Bridge Alternatives

The definition of sustainability includes three fundamental pillars: economic, environmental, and social. Studies of the economic impact on civil engineering infrastructures have been focused on cost reduction. It is not necessarily in line with economic sustainability due to the lack of other economic factors. Moreover, the social pillar assessment has been weakly developed compared to the economic and the environmental ones. It is essential to focus on the social pillar and evaluate clear indicators that allow researchers to compare alternatives. Furthermore, bridge life cycle assessment studies have been focused on concrete options. This has resulted in a lack of analysis of the impact of composite bridge alternatives. This study is conducted in two stages. The first part of the study makes a cradle-to-grave social and environmental sustainability evaluation with the SOCA v2 and ecoinvent v3.7.1 databases. This assessment is carried out on four concrete and composite bridge alternatives with span lengths between 15 and 40 m. The social impact weighting method and recipe have been used to obtain the social and environmental indicators. The second part of the study compares the results obtained from the social and environmental assessment of the concrete and the composite alternatives varying the steel recycling rate. The bridge alternatives are prestressed concrete solid slab, prestressed concrete lightened slab, prestressed concrete box-girder, and steel–concrete composite box-girder. The results show that composite options are the best for environmental impact, but the concrete box girder solutions are better for social impact. Furthermore, an increase in the steel recycling rate increases the social impact and decreases the environmental one.

Pemanfaatan Serbuk Karet Terhadap Kuat Tekan dan Daya Redam Beton non Struktural

Waste tires are a serious problem in many countries in the world, including Indonesia, this is because waste is a solid material that is difficult to decompose and even recycle. The utilization of waste tires in the field of civil engineering and environmental infrastructure is something that needs to be developed. Utilization of rubber powder can be used as a partial substitute for sand in concrete mixtures used in structural concrete and non-structural concrete. This research was conducted by experimental method on cylindrical specimens to test the compressive strength and concrete blocks to test the damping power of 28 days old concrete. The test parameters are the compressive strength and damping coefficient of the rubber powder mixture. The variation of thetest object used is the replacement of used tire rubber powder against sand by 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The test results show that the more mixture of rubber powder in the concrete can reduce the compressive strength of the concrete and increase the damping ratio of the concrete.

A REVIEW ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF CRACKING BEHAVIOR OF RC STRUCTURES USING ELASTIC WAVE AND DEEP LEARNING-BASED APPROACH

Structural health monitoring and crack detections in RC structures is one of the prime requirements for serviceability of civil engineering infrastructures as well as to avoid mega economic and people loss. The current article provides a detailed review of cracks detection in RC structures based on SHM techniques. Among them, different types of advance and classical techniques such as elastic waves and deep learning methods were thoroughly reviewed to analyze their applications in SHM of civil engineering infrastructures in recent research. Elastic waves have further been classified into two approaches namely acoustic emission (AE) and guided wave method. The comparison was made between the classical method of crack detections in several RC structures and the recent advanced method called the Deep Learning approach. Based on the case studies and recent literature work thorough observations were made and concluded that the Deep Learning approach is most suited in the field to detect cracks initiations in civil engineering infrastructures by using the advanced computer technology in terms of the programming language of Machine learning and hence proved up to 97% accurate and reliable method. Based on the concrete evidence of smart applications of Deep Learning tools from the literature review in the detection of cracks in RC structure, few future research directions were also recommended to enhance the scope of SHM in the field of civil engineering infrastructures.

Perceptions of Civil Engineering and Construction Students Toward Community and Infrastructure Resilience

Civil engineering and construction (CEC) are among primary higher education programs preparing the next generation of subject experts and decision makers working on different aspects of infrastructure resilience, which is a key component of community resilience. However, in the curriculum of most CEC programs, there is no well-established approach for the formal education of students about resilience. Additionally, the evolving nature of the subject makes it even more challenging to develop a comprehensive knowledge foundation for CEC students regarding infrastructure and community resilience. In this situation, the perception of students becomes a critical factor shaping a program, dealing with resilience in the future. The main objective of this study is to examine the perception of CEC students toward community resilience with a primary focus on infrastructure. A quantitative research method was employed to identify challenges, potentials, importance, and gaps in students’ knowledge and quantify the comparisons. A survey was designed based on the DeVellis model and completed by 382 students enrolled in CEC programs in 15 universities across the US to assess how students perceive basic terms and factors related to resilience. Both descriptive and inferential methods were used to analyze the data. The results highlight a gap in students’ perceptions in terms of resilience definition, factors, scope, and tools, and the potential for better training programs and more engagement is warranted. The findings of this study can be utilized to design, develop, and implement modules to better educate CEC students about the subject matter. Improving the resilience knowledge level among CEC students will equip the next generation of subject experts and decision makers with proper knowledge and tools to enhance preparedness and planning, along with proactive response and recovery before, during, and after adverse natural events. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing an assessment on a sample group in the area of resilience within civil engineering curricula and emphasizing the necessity of embracing educational components by corresponding educators and administrators.

BIM-Based Methodology for the Management of Public Heritage. CASE Study: Algeciras Market Hall

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is modifying the workflow of the construction field, not only in design and construction stages but also for the management of the facilities. Most advances in academics and industry have focussed on the use of BIM for building. However, the possibilities of the use of three-dimensional information models for the construction and management of public works and civil engineering infrastructure projects (known as CIM) are still a matter of concern, being complex though offering a wider number of possibilities when compared with regular building industry. Moreover, the construction process in comparison with its lifespan represent only a small part of the investments for the use of public works. With this background, the possibilities based on BIM for the maintenance and rehabilitation of public heritage (HCIM) can greatly improve traditional management capabilities. Making best use of BIM and digitalisation for the management of public heritage (HCIM) requires creating tools for documentation, registering and data management to permit the adequate information transfer between the actors involved. Such actors may be experts or not and hold or not skills to use BIM tools. This study proposes the creation of a database to support the regular inspection during the lifespan of the infrastructure and connect it with the three-dimensional information model, serving the latter as an information repository of the whole life of the infrastructure. Such data include damage and causes as well as a description of the pathology and this information is referred to each element, showing all the historic measures taken. In addition, quantification and quotation of the repairs needed can be obtained. Lastly, the study has applied this methodology in Algeciras Market Hall, the notorious rationalist building designed by the engineer Eduardo Torroja and built in 1935. The results shown in this study can be of great interest for both researchers and practice, with an adaptation and innovation of the BIM and HCIM possibilities.

Image-Based Automated Width Measurement of Surface Cracking.

The detection of cracks is an important monitoring task in civil engineering infrastructure devoted to ensuring durability, structural safety, and integrity. It has been traditionally performed by visual inspection, and the measurement of crack width has been manually obtained with a crack-width comparator gauge (CWCG). Unfortunately, this technique is time-consuming, suffers from subjective judgement, and is error-prone due to the difficulty of ensuring a correct spatial measurement as the CWCG may not be correctly positioned in accordance with the crack orientation. Although algorithms for automatic crack detection have been developed, most of them have specifically focused on solving the segmentation problem through Deep Learning techniques failing to address the underlying problem: crack width evaluation, which is critical for the assessment of civil structures. This paper proposes a novel automated method for surface cracking width measurement based on digital image processing techniques. Our proposal consists of three stages: anisotropic smoothing, segmentation, and stabilized central points by k-means adjustment and allows the characterization of both crack width and curvature-related orientation. The method is validated by assessing the surface cracking of fiber-reinforced earthen construction materials. The preliminary results show that the proposal is robust, efficient, and highly accurate at estimating crack width in digital images. The method effectively discards false cracks and detects real ones as small as 0.15 mm width regardless of the lighting conditions.

How Efficient are LC3 and GGBFS-Contained Mortar Mixtures Submerged into Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> Solution against External Sulfate Attack at an early Age?

Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is one of the most widely used construction materials in civil engineering infrastructure construction but it is susceptible to sulfate attack. One of the ways to improve the sulfate resistance of an OPC mortar/concrete is to replace a certain amount of OPC with different pozzolanic materials such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and metakaolin. The use of pozzolanic materials to mortar/concrete not only enhances durability but also reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emission due to the less usage of OPC at the initial construction state. As considering these aspects, limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) has been developed in recent decades. However, the influence of LC3 on sulfate attack resistance has not been fully evaluated. Therefore, this study investigated the efficiency of LC3 mortar mixtures against sulfate attack at an early age (approximately 4.5 months) after two different curing periods, namely 1-day and 3-day curing, since the strength of the LC3 mixture is lower than OPC mixtures. To evaluate the synergistic effect of a combination of LC3 and GGBFS on the sulfate resistance, the LC3 and OPC mixtures containing 25% GGBFS were also assessed in terms of density, porosity, compressive strength, volumetric expansion, and weight changes. The experiment results show that the expansion of the LC3 mixture regardless of the addition of GGBFS and an initial curing strength made a plateau after a rapid increase up to 7 days, while the expansion of the OPC mixture kept increasing throughout the period. Furthermore, the addition of GGBFS to OPC or LC3 mixture provides the synergistic effect on reducing the expansion due to sulfate attack. Therefore, if LC3 mixture has high initial strength (min. 15 MPa) and dense microstructure to minimize the penetration of sulfate ion into the mixture, it is expected that LC3 mixture is more efficient than OPC mixture against the sulfate attack.

Evidence on the value of information towards decision-makers

Currently, there is a need to enhance the basis for decisions in the management of Civil Engineering infrastructure, explained by the evolution of social paradigms, such as the prioritization of gr...

Model Bridge Span Traversed by a Heavy Mass: Analysis and Experimental Verification

In this work, we investigate the transient response of a model bridge traversed by a heavy mass moving with constant velocity. Two response regimes are identified, namely forced vibrations followed by free vibrations as the moving mass goes past the far support of the simply supported span of the bridge. Despite this being a classical problem in structural dynamics, there is an implicit assumption in the literature that moving loads possess masses that are at least an order of magnitude smaller than the mass of the bridge span that they traverse. This alludes to interaction problems involving secondary systems, whose presence does not alter the basic characteristics of the primary system. In our case, the dynamic properties of the bridge span during the passage of a heavy mass change continuously over time, leading to an eigenvalue problem that is time dependent. During the free vibration regime, however, the bridge recovers the expected dynamic properties corresponding to its original configuration. Therefore, the aim here is the development of a mathematical model whose numerical solution is validated by comparison with experimental results recovered from an experiment involving a scaled bridge span traversed by a rolling mass. Following that, the target is to identify regions in the transient response of the bridge span that can be used for recovering the bridge’s dynamic properties and subsequently trace the development of structural damage. In closing, the present work has ramifications in the development of structural health monitoring systems applicable to critical civil engineering infrastructure, such as railway and highway bridges.

Foreword Special issue Empowering communities for non-structural seismic risk mitigation: the central role of communication

This special issue of “Annals of Geophysics” concerns the dissemination of knowledge on the prevention of damage mainly due to non-structural elements during earthquakes and its practical application at houses, schools and offices by common citizens, companies and institutions. The seismic capacity of buildings and other civil engineering structures and infrastructures are object of regulations for design and construction, and in some cases also the design, fabrication and mounting of electrical and mechanical equipments. Consequently, even in strong earthquakes many collapses of buildings and infrastructures are avoided. However, with few exceptions, design procedures do not aim at avoiding seismic vibrations from being transferred to the structures, but enable the structures to resist to the effects of those vibrations

Sustainable Geotechnics—Theory, Practice, and Applications

Today, modern Geotechnical Engineers, who in the past would have considered the phenomena occurring in the (primarily soil) environment, are faced with developments in environmental sciences that are becoming more and more detailed and sophisticated, with the natural phenomena and processes surrounding the civil engineering infrastructure being modelled, designed, monitored, and assessed in a more holistic way [...]

Stability of Railway Embankment in Saturated and Unsaturated Conditions

Slope failure is a vital issue in civil engineering infrastructures. Besides, climate change implications made this problem more critical. Therefore, in this study, a railway embankment’s slope stability has been studied in saturated and unsaturated conditions. The soil sample was collected from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru. The necessary and required data obtained through lab experiments. The obtained data from lab experiments then used in Seep/W and Slope/W to model the railway embankment numerically. The results obtained from this study indicate that rainfall infiltration plays a vital role in the safety factor value. The obtained results also depicted that both rainfall intensity and duration play an important role in slope stability. The factor of safety showed a declining pattern with increasing rainfall and duration of rainfall. The safety factor decrement occurred since the matric suction was reduced (negative pore water pressure) by rainfall infiltration. Besides, the safety factor decrease was more acute when train load was applied in a rainy period. Thus, it is suggested that in a long period of rainy time, the railway authorities should stop the train operation, or the embankment stability should be increased using some stabilizations methods in the planning and designing stage.

Mechanical Performance of HTCC Subjected to Elevated Temperatures

High toughness cementitious composite (HTCC) with high cracking resistance, high extensibility and high durability is widely applied in the field of civil engineering infrastructure, but in extreme environments such as elevated temperatures/fire due to the volatilization of organic fiber vulnerable to HTCC burst and mechanical performance degradation, structural damage and security problem. In this paper, the research status of post-high temperature mechanical properties is deeply analyzed. On this basis, suggestions for the optimization design of mechanical properties of HTCC to elevated temperature are put forward to provide technical support for the engineering application of this material.

Location of Civil Engineering Infrastructures in Relation to River Areas

The article describes the dynamics and roles of the different fluvial areas. It pays particular attention at describing the new concept of area of fluvial freedom and at the role of the riparian corridor so that rivers can maintain their role of motorway of life. Taking these into consideration, the article explores the degree of interference of different ways of locating bridges and roads in relation to rivers and the reasons for these infrastructures being places close to them.

Electrokinetic biocementation of an organic soil

Organic soils are a continuing challenge to civil engineers, as they are subject to settlements, negatively impacting on civil engineering infrastructure. To improve the in situ properties of these, chemical soil stabilisers (e.g. cement or lime) can be commonly used. Although successful in minimising severe damage, these stabilisers may have environmental side-effects (e.g. cement and lime production is linked to 7%–8% of overall CO2 emissions). Therefore, the development of innovative, superior, cost-effective and overall more sustainable soil improvement techniques is a field of ongoing research effort. In this context, this paper studies the electrokinetic (EK) biocementation of a problematic soft organic soil of the UK railway network using indigenous ureolytic bacteria. The paper focuses on aspects relevant for the effective implementation of treatments, namely the effect of degree of saturation of the soil and different ways of treatment implementation. The results in terms of unconfined compressive strength and CaCO3 content, proved the feasibility of EK biocementation using an indigenous microorganism, either premixed with the soil or injected electrokinetically. Higher strength gains were recorded for degrees of saturation in the region of 85%–95%. Strength gains and increased CaCO3 contents compared to the control samples were also noted when treatment duration was halved to one week although strengths increased further by 13–17% after a two-week treatment. Overall, the study gives promise for the applicability of the EK-biocementation technique under existing infrastructure. Further optimisation of the treatment variables and refinement of the implementation details could enhance the efficiency of the process.

Preface

7th International Conference on Environmental Science and Civil Engineering (ESCE 2021) was successfully held in Nanchang, P.R. China from January 9th to 10th, 2021. ESCE 2021 was organized by Nanchang Institute of Technology, Civil Engineering Academy of Jiangxi Province and Hubei Zhongke Institute of Geology and Environment Technology, co-organized by journal of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Key Laboratory for Safety of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering Infrastructure in Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Engineering Research Center of Special Reinforcement and Safety Monitoring Technology in Hydraulic & Civil Engineering.ESCE 2021 proceeding is a collection of outstanding submissions in the field of architecture and structural engineering, building materials, construction engineering, disaster prevention and mitigation, environmental and energy engineering, geological engineering, geotechnical engineering, and roads, tunnels and bridges. 279 articles were selected from more than 500 submissions after peer-review, and authors participated in ESCE2021 with oral presentations and posters, promoting the communication among researchers and experts from institutes and universities, including Changjiang Institute of Survey, Planning, Design and Research, State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geological Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc.Cordial gratitude is delivered to Technical Program Committee of ESCE 2021 for the professional work on guarantying the high standard of conference as well as the proceedings. We believe the proceedings will enhance the exchange of ideas and state-of-art knowledge on Environmental Science and Civil Engineering.Qing Quan LiangVictoria University, AustraliaList of Organizer, Co-organizer and Scientific Committee are available in this pdf.

Experimental and theoretical evidence for the load sequence effect in the compressive fatigue behavior of concrete

A realistic prediction of the concrete fatigue life exposed to high-cycle loading scenarios with variable amplitudes is of utmost importance for a reliable and economically efficient design of civil engineering infrastructure for transport and energy supply. Current design codes estimate the fatigue life under variable amplitudes using the Palmgren–Miner rule, which assumes a linear scaling between lifetimes measured for uniform cyclic loading scenarios. Several experimental series conducted in the past, however, indicate that this assumption is not valid and that it may lead to unsafe design. In this paper, an experimental and theoretical investigations of the fatigue loading sequence effect in normal- and high-strength concrete behavior are presented, which confirm this observation. In particular, a test campaign with 135 cylinder specimens, including three concrete grades and six different loading scenarios has been conducted. Several response characteristics of the fatigue behavior including Wöhler curves, fatigue creep curves and evolving shapes of hysteretic loops have been evaluated. To substantiate the experimental results, a theoretical explanation of the observed sequence effect is formulated based on the assumption, that energy is dissipated uniformly within the volume of a test specimen during subcritical, compressive cyclic loading. Then, superposition of energy dissipation profiles along the lifetime measured for constant amplitudes becomes possible and a theoretical justification of the experimentally observed sequence effect can be provided. Moreover, a reverse sequence effect reported in the literature for bending fatigue of concrete can then be explained by an unevenly distributed energy dissipation over a cracked specimen. Supported by the theoretical consideration, the processed experimental data is used to validate existing fatigue life assessment rules by testing their ability to reflect the load sequence effect.

Liquefaction resistance improvement of silty sands using cyclic preloading

Liquefaction induced damages are plenty and cause various levels of destruction to civil engineering infrastructure. It is possible to prevent liquefaction-induced hazards by understanding the mechanism and adopting some improvement techniques or design the structure to resist the soil liquefaction. In the present study, the influence of cyclic preloading on the liquefaction resistance of sand-silt mixtures is analyzed by conducting undrained cyclic triaxial tests on the cylindrical samples reconstituted at medium dense conditions (Dr = 50%). All samples were tested at an effective confining pressure of 100 kPa by varying the cyclic stress ratios (CSR) in the range of 0.127 to 0.178 using a sinusoidal waveform of frequency 1 Hz. The results are presented in the forms of the pore pressure build-up, axial strain variation and liquefaction resistance curves. Test results indicate that the liquefaction resistance of silty sands is increased substantially with the application of preload under drained conditions.

Structural Health Monitoring for Civil Engineering Infrastructure

Structural health monitoring (SHM) plays a vital role in ensuring the integrity, safety, and reliability of civil engineering infrastructure. With the increasing complexity and aging of structures, the need for effective monitoring systems has become paramount. This abstract presents an overview of the field of structural health monitoring, highlighting its significance in civil engineering and exploring various techniques and technologies used for monitoring the health of infrastructure.The objective of structural health monitoring is to detect, assess, and predict the condition of structures in real-time, enabling proactive maintenance and minimizing the risk of catastrophic failures. Traditional inspection methods, such as visual inspection, have limitations in terms of cost, accuracy, and coverage. SHM provides continuous and automated monitoring, enabling the collection of data from various sensors installed on the structure. These sensors capture data related to structural behaviour, environmental conditions, and loading conditions, among others.This abstract delves into the different types of sensors employed in SHM for civil engineering infrastructure. These sensors include strain gauges, accelerometers, displacement transducers, temperature sensors, and corrosion sensors. Strain gauges measure the strain or deformation experienced by the structure, while accelerometers detect vibrations and dynamic responses. Displacement transducers monitor the movement or displacement of specific points, providing valuable information about structural deformations. Temperature sensors help in understanding the effect of temperature variations on the structural behaviour. Corrosion sensors detect the presence of corrosion, a significant issue in infrastructure deterioration.

Isolated Effect and Sensitivity of Agricultural and Industrial Waste Ca‐Based Stabilizer Materials (CSMs) in Evaluating Swell Shrink Nature of Palygorskite‐Rich Clays

This paper evaluates the suitability of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) and waste marble dust (WMD) on the geotechnical properties of Palygorskite‐rich expansive clays located in northwest Pakistan. These problematic soils exhibit undesirable characteristics which greatly affect the pavements, boundary walls, slab‐on‐grade members, and other civil engineering infrastructures. A series of geotechnical tests were performed on soil specimens using prescribed percentages of the aforementioned Ca‐based stabilizer materials (CSMs). The investigation includes X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD) Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X‐Ray Fluorescence (XRF) tests, and physicomechanical properties such as moisture‐density relationship, Atterberg’s limits, swell pressure, and an ANN‐based sensitivity analyses of overall swell pressure development. The outcomes of these experimental investigations showed that the addition of CSMs into the expansive soils increased to 4% SCBA and 10% WMD, the plasticity index reduced by 30% and 49%, the volumetric swell decreased from approximately 49% to 86% and 63%, and the swelling pressure reduction was from 189 kPa to 120 kPa and 160 kPa (about 15% and 36%), respectively. It is interesting to note that replacement with specified CSM accelerated the strength of soil at extended curing periods and the optimum improvement in the strength behavior of the soil was also recorded. Moreover, with addition of the respective CSMs, the compactability and strength characteristics were ameliorated, while plasticity was significantly lowered. Given the amount of SCBA and WMD produced annually, their utilization for the stabilization of problematic soils, even in relatively low concentrations, could potentially have a substantial impact on the sustainable reuse of these waste materials.