The article discusses the physical and chemical mechanisms of the carbonation phenomenon itself, as well as points out the synergistic effect of frost destruction and concrete carbonation on reinforced concrete elements. Examples of structural damage from engineering practice in the diagnosis of reinforced concrete structures are presented. Two cases of frost and carbonation damage of precast reinforced concrete elements are analyzed. It was noted that the most common cause of damage to concrete structures is the lack of frost resistance. Carbonation of concrete leads to deprivation of the protective properties of the concrete lagging against the reinforcing steel. The examples cited include precast elements that, for technical reasons, had a relatively small lagging thickness. The first one relates to the thin walled elevation elements, which are exploited during 60 years and the second relates to the energetic poles with very advanced concrete corrosion damage. The examples given of corrosion of concrete and reinforcement of elements indicate that synergistic environmental interactions can intensify the destruction of elements.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of steel slag (SS) as a by-product as an additive on the geotechnical properties of expansive soil. A series of laboratory tests were conducted on natural and stabilized soils. Steel slag (SS) was added at a rate of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% to the soil. The conducted tests are consistency limits, specific gravity, grain size analysis, modified Proctor compaction, free swell, unconfined compression strength, and California Bearing Ratio. The Atterberg limit test result shows that the liquid limit decreases from 90.8 to 65.2%, the plastic limit decreases from 60.3 to 42.5%, and the plasticity index decreases from 30.5 to 22.7% as the steel slag of 25% was added to expansive soil. With 25% steel slag content, specific gravity increases from 2.67 to 3.05. The free swell value decreased from 104.6 to 58.2%. From the Standard Proctor compaction test, maximum dry density increases from 1.504 to 1.69 g/cm3 and optimum moisture content decreases from 19.77 to 12.01 %. Unconfined compressive strength tests reveal that the addition of steel slag of 25% to expansive soil increases the unconfined compressive strength of the soil from 94.3 to 260.6 kPa. The California Bearing Ratio test also shows that the addition of steel slag by 25% increases the California Bearing ratio value from 3.64 to 6.82%. Hence, steel slag was found to be successfully improving the geotechnical properties of expansive soil.

Footbridges, like all building structures, must be designed in a way that ensures their safe and comfortable use. Steel footbridges characterised by low vibration damping often turn out to be a structure susceptible to the dynamic influence of users during various forms of their activity. For these structures, the impact of running users may be a key type of dynamic load for the verification of the serviceability limit state due to vibrations. In the literature, there are several proposals for models of dynamic load generated by runners (models of ground reaction forces – GRF). The paper presents the characteristics, analyses and comparisons of selected GRF load models. The analyses were performed using the GRF recorded during the laboratory tests of runners (tests planned and carried out by the author) and the GRF determined using various load models. In order to illustrate the accuracy of the estimation of the dynamic response of the structure, depending on the GRF model used, dynamic field tests and dynamic numerical analyses of the selected steel footbridge were carried out. The obtained results were analysed and compared.

The paper focuses on the static behavior of double-layered tensegrity grids. Due to the specific characteristics, like the self-stress states and infinitesimal mechanisms, tensegrities can be used as deployable structures. For such structures, the possibility of the control of the behavior is very important. The main purpose of the work is to prove that the control of tensegrity structures with mechanisms is possible. The stiffness of such structures is found to depend not only on the geometry and material properties, but also on the initial prestress level and external load. In the case, when mechanisms do not exist, structures are insensitive to the initial prestress. It is possible to control the occurrence of mechanisms by changing the support conditions of the structure. Grids built with modified Simplex modules are considered. Two-stage analysis is performed. Firstly, the presence of the characteristic tensegrity features is examined and then, on that basis, the structures are classified into one of two classes. Next, the influence of the level of initial prestress on the behavior of structures under static load is analyzed. To evaluate this behavior, a geometrically non-linear model is used.

The paper discusses the principles of the Critical Shear Crack Theory (CSCT) in terms of the punching shear analysis of flat slabs made from lightweight aggregate concretes. The basic assumptions of the CSCT were discussed, explaining the differences with regard to the calculation of ordinary concrete flat slabs, relating mainly to the adopted failure criterion associated with ultimate slab rotation. Taking into account the observations and conclusions from the previous experimental investigations, it was confirmed, that contribution of lightweight aggregate particles in the aggregate interlock effect should be ignored, due to possibility of aggregate breaking. However, the analysis of the profile of failure surface confirmed, that particles of the natural fine aggregate increase the roughness of the surface and should be included by formulating failure criterion for LWAC slabs.
The theoretical load-rotation relationships were compared with the results of measurements, confirming good agreement in most cases. The theoretical ultimate rotations were lower on average by about 11% than the experimental ones. The analysis of 57 results of the experimental investigations on punching shear of LWAC slabs made from various types of artificial aggregates showed a very good agreement with predictions of the CSCT. The obtained ratio of the experimental to theoretical load was 1.06 with a coefficient of variation of 9.1%. The performed parametric study demonstrated a low sensitivity of the correctness of the CSCT predictions to a change in a fairly wide range of parameters such as: the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, concrete compressive strength and concrete density.

RC flat slabs are one of the most popular and effective methods of shaping plates in buildings. Although failures of entire structures are relatively rare, they cannot be excluded from the occupancy cycle of the facility. The research analysis presented in this paper is an attempt to understand more precisely the phenomena that occur in the RC flat slab system and to assess the influence of the additional protection of the flat slabs against progressive collapse in the case of failure of one of the supports. The results were obtained from destructive experimental investigations of a flat reinforced concrete slab made in scale 1:3. The collapse in the analysed model was simulated by removing three edge columns and additional loading by means of hydraulic actuator. In place of the columns removed, differential tie reinforcement was applied. The results obtained confirm that the structure achieved a much higher ultimate load than the one resulting from the design calculations.

This research aims to determine the influence of the cyclic process of freezing and defrosting on the mechanical properties of the chosen glass fibres and PTFE-coated woven fabrics. The specimens were subjected to freezing at about -20˚C for 4 h and thawing by full immersion into the water at about +20˚C for 4 h. The fabric samples after 25 and 50 frozen cycles were air-dried at room temperature for one week and then subjected to uniaxial tensile tests. The same tests have been performed on a reference group of specimens, which were not exposed to temperature change. The authors determined the tensile strength, and longitudinal stiffnesses resulting from performed tests. Although the investigated coated woven fabrics expressed a reduction in the tensile strength in water soaking conditions, the performed frozen cycles don’t show a significant decrease in strength under uniaxial tensile tests.

The problem of optimal design of a steel plated girder according to the Eurocode 3 is considered. Code regulations admit the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in designing plated structures with variable cross-sections. A technique of determining an approximate solution to the optimization problem is presented. It is determined a solution of a control theory optimization task, in which Eurocode requirements regarding the Ultimate Limit State (bearing capacity, local and global stability) as well as Serviceability Limit State (flexural rigidity) are used as appropriate inequality constraints. Static analysis is performed within the framework of linear elasticity and Bernoulli-Euler beam theory making an account for second-order effects due to prescribed imperfections. Obtained solutions, after regularization, may be used for direct verification with the use of FEA or as the first guess for iterative topology optimization algorithms. Code requirements governing the determination of optimal shape are visualized in the constraint activity diagram, which is a proposed tool for analysis of optimization process.

The bridge structure’s development causes a riverbed cross-sections contraction. This influences the flow regime, being visible during catastrophic floods. Then the flow velocity increases and water piles up upstream the bridge, where headwater afflux could be observed. These changes depend on the watercourse geometry and the bridge cross-section properties, especially on the degree of flow contraction under the bridge. Hydraulic conditions under the bridge depend on flow velocity, dimensions, and shape of abutments, the granulometric composition of bedload, which can be quantitatively characterized by hydraulic resistance coefficients. The research subject of headwater afflux is equated with the recognition of morphodynamic processes occurring along the passage route. The headwater afflux could be estimated by empirical formulas and by the energy method using Bernoulli’s law. Empirical methods are optimized by adopting various statistical criteria. This paper compares the headwater afflux values calculated using two existing empirical formulas, Rehbock and Yarnell, and compares them with the results of laboratory tests. Following the assumption that the free water surface is influenced by flow resistance, an attempt was made to include friction velocity in the empirical formulas. Based on the Authors’ database, the coefficients used were optimized using bootstrap resampling in Monte Carlo simulation. The analyses demonstrated that the formula best describing the phenomenon of headwater afflux upstream the bridge is an empirical formula built based on the historical Yarnell formula, which includes friction velocity value. The optimized equation provides an average relative error of 12.9% in relation to laboratory observations.

Irrigation and hydropower are among the most important sectors in the construction industry that propel the economic needs of a developing country like Vietnam. The construction of these projects often suffers from severe delays, leading to financial losses and other negative impacts on the economy. This paper aims to determine delay factors in the construction of these projects. Among many, 39 most important candidates of delay causes were identified from the literature review. Further surveys on project participants were conducted for the severity of these causes. An exploratory factor analysis was utilized to identify latent factors that cause delays in construction projects. The analysis result categorized a few groups of factors such as abnormal factors on the construction site (e.g., labor accidents, hydrology, water flow, extreme weather) and technical factors related to the construction contractor (e.g., unsuitable schedule, outdated construction technology, unprofessional workers) that have the greatest impact on the delay in construction of irrigation and hydropower projects in Vietnam. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge of project management and risk management, hence an improvement in the efficiency of the project sectors’ performance.