Cost and structural efficiency comparison between rectangular hollow core and solid concrete piers
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Date
2016-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Cement is the second most used construction material on earth. Beside the declining
abundance of the raw materials to be used for the production of cement, the power
and energy saving problems has become the main questions of the world. The search
for new smart construction materials and the recycling procedures are currently under
research and practices. The efficient use of the materials could also be a significant
factor that could give out a valuable contribution in this regard.
Economy, sustainability and environmental changes become the main challenges of
engineers in the 21st century. In this thesis, analytic comparison is made by minimizing
the volume of concrete used for long and slender concrete piers in order to get
buckling and axial compression load resistance as well as economically efficient
sections. Bridges of several height are designed and examined under similar Structural
loads.
During casting, Concrete experiences different stages of hydrations. These chemical
reactions can be categorized as exothermic chemical reactions in which, heat will be
released. The amount of high heat released in the core center of the member will not
be migrated to the environment so easily and it will result in thermal stress and early
stage cracks at the outer most surfaces. The crack formation can be kept minimum by
reducing the Concrete volume, which actually results in less thermal stress.
The ductility property of various bridge piers are evaluated and hollow sectioned piers
are found to be more ductile. For bridges built in the seismic areas, plastic moment
capacity is calculated for piers of hollow and solid core sections. This sample piers are
designed with various height and the result indicate that sections of hollow
rectangular piers are more ductile and economical.
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Structural Engineering