Modeling Test and Numerical Simulation of Vertical Bearing Performance for Rigid-Flexible Composite Pouch Piles with Expanded Bottom (RFCPPEB)

Rigid-flexible composite pouch piles with expanded bottom (RFCPPEB) are generally considered as new symmetrical piles in practical engineering, but their bearing characteristics and design method are still not completely understood. The objective of this study is to investigate the vertical bearing performance and the optimal design scheme of RFCPPEB. Hence, laboratory modeling tests for this symmetric structure and an ABAQUS three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation analysis were used to study the vertical bearing characteristics on bottom-expanded piles and rigid-flexible composite piles with expanded bottom. The vertical bearing capacity, shaft resistance, pile tip resistance distribution rule, and load sharing ratio of RFCPPEB were analyzed and verified using different bottom expansion dimensions and cemented soil thicknesses. The results revealed that the optimal bottom expansion ratio of rigid bottom-expanded piles was 1.8 when the ratio of pile body to bottom-expanded pile head was 9:1. When the bottom expansion ratio (D/d) was increased, the bearing capacity of bottom-expanded piles was significantly increased at D/d = 1.4 and D/d = 1.8 compared to that of D/d = 1.0, reaching 1.67 and 2.29 times, respectively, while for D/d = 1.6 and D/d = 2.0, the ultimate bearing capacity remained unchanged. Besides, shaft resistance played an important role in the bearing process of the rigid bottom-expanded piles and RFCPPEB. When the shaft resistance was increased, the ultimate bearing capacity of the pile foundation was significantly improved. The shaft resistance of RFCPPEB was increased with increasing cemented soil thickness. The increases in the shaft resistance and thickness of the cemented soil showed a nonlinear growth, and the maximum shaft resistance was approximately 75 cm from the pile top. When the diameter of the expanded head was 1.8 times the diameter of the pipe pile and slightly larger than the thickness of the cemented soil (0.5 times the diameter of the pipe pile), the optimal amount of concrete 425.5 kN/m3 required for per unit volume around piles was obtained, with the RFCPPEB ultimate bearing capacity of 7.5 kN. For RFCPPEB, the soil pressure at the pile tip was directly proportional to the pile top load under small load and was decreased in the form of a half quadric curve under large load. It reached the most reasonable position where the slope of the quadric curve was the largest when the thickness of the cemented soil was larger than 0.5 times the diameter of the pipe pile.

Eccentric Compressive Behavior of Round-Ended Rectangular Concrete-Filled Steel Tubes with Different Central Angles

The application of round-ended rectangular concrete-filled steel tubes (RRCFSTs) in high-rise buildings or bridge structures is increasing, improving structural performance and meeting aesthetic requirements. Researching this novel steel–concrete composite helps to fully utilize the properties of the materials. In this study, 15 specimens were tested for analysis of the behaviors of RRCFSTs with different central angles under eccentric compression. Influences of central angles of round ends (θ), aspect ratios of rectangular parts (κ), steel strength and the eccentric ratio on failure modes, material utilization, confinement effect and eccentric bearing capacity are studied. Besides, the mechanism of confinement effects of steel tubes with different θ values was evaluated with the finite element method (FEM). The results show that local bulking usually occurs at the compression zone. When θ gradually changes from 0° to 180°, the local bulking position of straight steel plate changes from mid-length to both ends of the columns. Additionally, the interfacial stress between steel tube and concrete at round ends rises, but that at the corner, it decreases continuously, which results in an improved overall confinement effect and increased material utilization. In contrast, a larger κ leads to lower material efficiency because of the reduced overall confinement effect. The increases in both θ and κ enlarge the cross-sectional area and the eccentric ultimate bearing capacity, whereas θ has a better influence on the ductility than κ. A feasible simplified calculating approach for the eccentric ultimate bearing capacity of RRCFSTs is presented and validated.

Simulation of Mechanical Properties of Special-Shaped Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Column and Steel Beam Joints after Fire

To study fire after the mechanical performance of steel girder node special-shaped concrete-filled steel tube column, based on standard ISO - 834 litres of cooling curve, the node temperature field model was established based on finite element software ABAQUS, the compute nodes in the overall uniform temperature field under fire as a result, the reasonable choice of fire after the steel and concrete constitutive model, the temperature field results into the node stress model, considering the factors that influence the whole effect of fire loading in low cycle, the nodes of the finite element model, and contrast analysis of the temperature after the fire of the node and hysteretic performance and ultimate bearing capacity. The results show that the failure modes of special-shaped CFST column-steel beam joints at room temperature and after fire are the same, and the ultimate bearing capacity of the joints after fire decreases significantly by 14.88% compared with that at room temperature.

Confinement Effect and Efficiency of Concentrically Loaded RACFCST Stub Columns

Recycled aggregate concrete-filled steel tubular (RACFST) columns are widely recognized as efficient structural members that can reduce the environmental impact of the building industry and improve the mechanical behavior of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). The objective of this study is to investigate the behavior of recycled aggregate concrete-filled circular steel tubular (RACFCST) stub columns subjected to the axial loading. Three-dimensional finite element (FE) models were established using a triaxial plastic-damage constitutive model of RAC considering the replacement ratio of recycled aggregates. The FE analytical results revealed that the decreased ultimate bearing capacity of RACFCST stub columns compared with conventional concrete infilled steel tubular (CFST) columns was mainly due to the weakened confinement effect and efficiency. This trend will become more apparent with the larger replacement ratio of recycled aggregates. A practical design formula of the ultimate bearing capacity of RACFCST stub columns subjected to axial load was proposed on the basis of the reasonably simplified cross-sectional stress nephogram at the ultimate state. The derivation process incorporated the equilibrium condition and the superposition theory. The proposed equation was evaluated by comparing its accuracy and accessibility to some well-known design formulae proposed by other researchers and some widely used design codes.

Study on the Formation Mechanism of Rock Burst Caused by Seam Floor Slip under an Ultrathick Conglomerate

A rock burst accident occurred on coalface 13230 of the Gengcun Coal Mine in Henan Province. Through a field investigation, theoretical analysis, and microseismic monitoring, we studied how the rock burst, which was caused by overall seam floor slip and instability, occurring under an ultrathick conglomerate. Because the overlying ultrathick conglomerate in the mined-out zone close to coalface 13230 had been inadequately mined, the leading section of the coalface was under a high level of stress. Combined with the tectonic stresses from the F16 faultage and the soft floor structure, these factors caused the floor of this coalface to trigger the overall slip-type rock burst. In this paper, an estimation model of the ultimate bearing capacity of a seam floor under an ultrathick conglomerate and the advancing abutment pressure on the coalface is presented. This model is used to show that the ultimate bearing capacity of the seam floor on coalface 13230 is 26.3 MPa, and the abutment pressure is far more than the floor bearing capacity. We also present pressure relief and reinforced supporting measures, which can effectively prevent floor slip-type rock bursts from occurring. The results of this study provide a reference for the prevention and control of floor slip-type rock bursts in coal mining under an ultrathick conglomerate.

Bearing Capacity of Concrete Filled Steel Tube Circular Arch under the Six-Point Uniformly Distributed Loading and Its Engineering Application

The influence of rise-span ratio on the bearing performance of concrete filled steel tube (CFST) circular arch was studied in this paper, three groups of CFST circular arch specimens with different rise-span ratios (0.154, 0.207, and 0.26) were selected, the six-point uniformly distributed loading was performed, and bearing performance experiments on CFST circular arch specimens with fixed ends were carried out. In this study, the ultimate bearing capacity and deformation failure characteristics of CFST circular arch specimens were obtained. The comparative analysis shows that the deformation evolution of CFST circular arch specimens has experienced compaction stage, elastic stage, elastic-plastic stage, and plastic stage. In the elastic-plastic and plastic deformation stages, the circular arch shows good ductility and bearing capacity. The bearing capacity of the circular arch is significantly affected by the rise-span ratio. Compared with circular arch specimens with a rise-span ratio of 0.154, the yield load of specimens with a rise-span ratio of 0.207 and 0.26 is increased by 50.8% and 61.5%, and the ultimate bearing capacity is increased by 42.7% and 68.3%, respectively. The larger the rise-span ratio, the greater the yield load and ultimate bearing capacity of the specimen and the stronger the deformation resistance of circular arch. The numerical simulation on the bending resistance process of circular arch was performed by ABAQUS to present the compression failure process of steel tube and core concrete. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. The experimental and simulation results show that the circular arch first yields at the inner side of the arch foot, and the curvature of different positions of the specimen is no longer consistent. When the ultimate bearing capacity is reached, the steel pipe at the arch foot obviously heaves, and the hooping effect of the steel pipe on the concrete is invalid. Based on the above research results, a closed composite support scheme of “bolt mesh shotcrete + vertical elliptical CFST support + steel fiber concrete shotcrete layer + reinforced anchor cable” was proposed for the extremely soft rock roadway and successfully applied in the Qingshuiying coal mine.