International Concrete Abstracts Portal

Serviceability is considered a critical factor in the management of concrete bridges and structures. Typical components for evaluating the serviceability limit state include cracking, deflection, and vibration. Additionally, to ensure the adequate performance of load-bearing members, proper evaluation methodologies should be adopted. Although numerous research projects have been undertaken to examine the serviceability and performance assessment of concrete bridges and structures, significant endeavors are still required to address unexplored challenges. Of interest are the development of simplified prediction and appraisal approaches; novel techniques for quantifying stress levels; serviceability criteria under unusual distress; and the characterization of structural responses when exposed to blast, wind, and seismic loadings. This Special Publication contains 11 papers selected from technical sessions held in the ACI Fall Convention in November 2024. The Editors wish to thank all contributing authors and anonymous reviewers for their rigorous efforts. The Editors also gratefully acknowledge Ms. Barbara Coleman at ACI for her knowledgeable guidance. Yail J. Kim, University of Colorado Denver, Editor Hyeon-Jong Hwang, Konkuk University, Editor

Reinforced concrete sections have typically been the most used material for hardened protective construction due to their mass and the ductility provided by the reinforcement. The additional mass of these sections reduces deflections and increases dampening, which reduces vibrations. Even for the occasional occurrence of hardened steel structures, the foundation is comprised of reinforced concrete. Reinforced concrete structures are hardened for a multitude of reasons. The most common include antiterrorism, force protection, equivalent protection for quantity distance arc violations, personnel protection, prevention of prompt propagation, asset protection, and elastic response during repeated intentional detonations. Many of the structures in the United States (US) used by the Department of Defense (DoD), to accommodate a rapid increase in production and storage of explosives were built during World War II (1941-1945). Facilities used for explosives production, maintenance, research and development (R&D), demolition, testing, and training are commonly referred to as Explosives Operating Locations (EOLs). This puts the average age of many of these facilities close to 80 years-old, which is past their originally intended service life. This paper presents a structural health and visual inspection (SHVI) technique developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Facilities Explosives Safety Mandatory Center of Expertise (FES MCX), the University of Oklahoma, and the Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) for the inspection of reinforced concrete Explosives Operations Location (EOL) facilities and live-fire training facilities [9]. This inspection process has been utilized to inspect over 1500 structures across multiple countries over the last decade and aid DoD installations in planning and budgeting for necessary repairs and future recapitalization priorities. This work does not include application to anti-terrorism or force protection in hardened structures for conventional weapon effects. This process has also been modified for use in live-fire training operations in concrete facilities and coupled with analyses to determine facility adequacy for explosives operations with desired charge weights, based on the given facility’s current structural health rating and its analyzed ability to remain elastic during repeated intentional detonations. The FES MCX partners with ERDC for concrete coring, materials analysis, and testing of samples to determine the estimated remaining service life of concrete structures based on the carbonation front of cored samples determined by the carbonation tests in relationship to the steel reinforcement. Examples of historical application will be given, and details provided on how these methods can lead to improved life-cycle cost for concrete structures and paired with design development criteria for optimal results.

The ACI Foundation’s 2024-2025 Baker Student Fellowship recipient, Austin Mizen from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA, had a remarkable opportunity to intern with Baker Construction during the summer of 2024.

A new certificate program on “Designing Concrete Structures Reinforced with GFRP Bars Using the ACI CODE-440.11-22” is now offered online through ACI University. The program focuses on recently published ACI CODE-440.11-22: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete Reinforced with Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Bars—Code and Commentary.

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is a state-of-the-art cementitious composite. Since the concept of this novel concrete mixture emerged in the 1990s, significant advancements have been made with numerous benefits such as high strength, flowability, high post-cracking tensile resistance, improved durability, reduced maintenance, and extended longevity. Currently, UHPC is employed around the globe alongside recently published practice guidelines. Although numerous research projects were undertaken to examine the behavior of UHPC-incorporated structures, there still are many gaps to be explored. Of interest are the development of robust and reliable mixtures and their application to primary load-bearing members for bridges and buildings, including various site demonstration projects that would promote the use of this leading-edge construction material. This Special Publication (SP) contains nine papers selected from three technical sessions held in the ACI Spring Convention in March 2022. All manuscripts were reviewed by at least two experts in accordance with the ACI publication policy. The Editors wish to thank all contributing authors and anonymous reviewers for their rigorous efforts. The Editors also gratefully acknowledge Ms. Barbara Coleman at ACI for her knowledgeable guidance. Yail J. Kim, Steven Nolan, and Antonio Nanni Editors University of Colorado Denver Florida Department of Transportation University of Miami