Reddy, Dronnadula V.

The purpose of the thesis is to determine and compare the performance characteristics of marine piles corroded by chloride diffusion and repaired by several different methods for both uncracked and cracked concrete and to determine their structural integrity. The long-term objective is the comparison of the analytical values with those from an on-going experimental evaluation. The time for chloride concentration reach the threshold value that initiates corrosion in the reinforcement has been determined by Fick's law, extended to 2-D and 3-D chloride diffusion, for (a) uncracked concrete, and (b) for cracked concrete with the Simplified Smeared Approach (SSA). The structural integrity of the concrete circular pile is compared before and alter repair, by (a) finite element modeling using ANSYS software with the maximum deflection, and (b) beam strength analysis to find the moment capacity for cracked and ultimate conditions. The overall findings indicate the adequacy of the repair procedures.

This investigation addresses the evaluation of the increase in structural integrity of concrete wall panels by the addition of polypropylene fibers. The test methodology used was the evaluation of flexural (simply-supported and cantilever), shear (in-plane and punching), and impact behavior. The concrete panels comprised sets with (i) regular reinforcement (ACI code based), (ii) Reinforced concrete panels: 0.2% fibers with minimum ACI reinforcement, FRC 2, (iii) 0.3% fibers without reinforcement, FRC 3, and (iv) plain beams without reinforcement. The instrumentation consisted of deflection and electrical strain gages, a slope indicator for slope testing, and an oscilloscope with a camera attachment for monitoring load and energy traces in impact testing. The normalized (adjusted for concrete strength variations) ultimate load and energy values were compared. The findings indicated enhancement of ductility and shear strength for the fiber reinforced specimens, which are very desirable for sudden and impact loading conditions associated with hurricane-type loading.

Coal fly ash and wood ash were added singly to asphalt mixes as partial replacements of the asphalt cement. Mechanical property testing and cost analysis were carried out with the following percentages: 0, 10, 15, 20, and 25. The objective of the investigation was to determine the changes in mechanical properties and cost-effectiveness of ash modification. The softening point, penetration, creep displacement, and modulus of elasticity indicated stiffening of the mix with increased ash proportion. The indirect tensile and compression strengths reached peak values for the 10 and 15% mixes. The Marshall stability, the bulk density, and the maximum density, decreased with ash addition. The cost analysis indicated a saving of 6% for ash replacement of 15%. Therefore, the replacement of 10 to 15% of asphalt cement is an excellent solution to decrease the mix costs and to reduce the amount of ash in landfills without compromising the mechanical properties of the mix.

This research investigates the use of rigid and flexible-membrane submerged breakwaters for wave energy attenuation. A comprehensive review of breakwater design criteria and previous research on submerged breakwaters is included. Physical model laboratory studies conducted by the author and other researchers are investigated as a means for obtaining formulations for wave transmission coefficients. The mechanisms by which waves are attenuated and break are analyzed using video photography of the wave tank tests. The primary objective of this doctoral research was to determine and compare the wave attenuation of non-conventional rigid and flexible-membrane type submerged breakwaters. Physical model tests were performed using the wave tank facilities at Florida Institute of Technology located in Melbourne, Florida. Six different breakwater cross-sections used were: (1) rectangular, (2) triangular, (3) P.E.P.-$Reef\sp{TM}$, (4) single sand-filled container, (5) three stacked sand-filled containers, and (6) one single water-filled container. The first three breakwater units were rigid (or monolithic), and the last three units are flexible-membrane breakwater units. All six units tested had the same height, length (longshore), and base width (cross-shore), with different cross-sections and shapes, and were composed of different materials. A new classification scheme was developed for breakwaters and artificial reefs, based on water depth, structure height, and wave heights. The wave-structure interaction resulting in the wave breaking on the submerged breakwaters was documented, and the observations were analyzed. Wave transmission coefficients were computed for the six different breakwater models tested, and comparisons between the different models were made. Conclusions regarding the primary factors affecting the effectiveness of rigid and flexible-membrane submerged breakwaters were developed, as were recommendations for further research.

In the present investigation, the boundary/finite element alternating methods are used to evaluate the stress intensity factors and weight functions for surface crack problems. For two dimensional problems, Westergaard stress functions are used to find the analytical solutions for an infinite plate with an embedded crack, subjected to crack face tractions, and the boundary element method for the numerical solution. The stress intensity factors and weight functions for an arbitrary plate with an edge crack subjected to mixed mode loads are obtained by the alternating technique. For three dimensional problems, an elliptical coordinate system and the gravity potential functions are used to derive the three dimensional analytical solutions for an infinite solid with an embedded crack. The analytical solutions are derived for the cases of shear tractions and normal tractions, separately, by assuming that the tractions are symmetric about both the major and minor axes. Superposition gives the general solutions. The analytical solutions and the finite element method, in conjunction with alternating technique, are used to evaluate the stress intensity factors for a solid with a semi-elliptical surface crack, subjected to arbitrary loads. A general approach to evaluate the weight functions for a two dimensional plate with a three dimensional semi-elliptical surface crack is formulated. Numerical examples are evaluated using the formulation developed in the present investigation. The results show good agreement with those from classical solutions. The convergence characteristics of the alternating methods are also discussed. Finally, the formulation is applied to welded plate T-joints with edge/semi-elliptical surface cracks, subjected to three point bending, to obtain stress intensity factors.

The dissertation is an experimental and analytical investigation of the long term performance of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls with geosynthetics, with particular focus on rational methods to enable the determination of the applicable factors for use in Load Resistance Factor Design (LRFD). An overview of current issues concerning MSE walls is followed by an extensive literature review addressing MSE walls, pullout strength, creep and creep rupture, durability and degradation, design methodology, analytical prediction, and field evaluation of MSE walls. The experimental tasks comprise: (i) creep and creep rupture, (ii) durability and degradation, (iii) small scale testing of MSE walls with a model prototype ratio of 1:5.5, and (iv) construction of prototype MSE wall and instrumentation for long-term performance. The analytical work comprises finite difference modeling using the Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC) software, (i) For creep up to 10,000 hours accelerated exposure for HDPE and PET geogrids, with super-ambient temperatures and soil water conditions related to soil conditions in Florida, the significant part of creep was due to temperatures and not solution exposures, with creep rupture occurring primarily for HDPE. (ii) For durability, performance at ambient temperatures was extrapolated, based on the Arrhenius method. The variation in degradation between the different solutions was minimal, indicating hydrolysis as the main cause for PET at elevated temperatures. (iii) Two HDPE and two PET reinforcement small scale (1:5.5) MSE walls were tested, with different surcharges each for 72 hour periods. Panel movements, strains in the reinforcement, and wall settlements were measured, indicating values smaller than the predicted, mostly for the smaller surcharges due to distortion caused by scaling neglecting the gravity effect. (iv) For analysis with FLAC computer software, two correction factors "a" and "b" were applied to correct the discrepancies between the model and the test values. The PET MSE small scale wall showed more deviation because the material has a low modulus of elasticity. (v) A preliminary comparison of the small scale and the prototype MSE wall behavior indicated discrepancies due to distortion scaling related to the lack of gravity simulation.