Bowen Lab Projects - Concrete

Seismic Response of Structural Walls with Reinforcement and Geometric Discontinuities

The objective of this project was to study the seismic response of structural walls with a vertical stack of openings that terminate in a solid wall in the lower stories in building structures.

Seismic Response of Reinforced Concrete Walls with Lap Splices

Lap-splice failures in reinforced concrete walls and smoke stacks after recent earthquakes (e.g. Izmit, Turkey in 1999, Northridge, United States in 1994, Maule, Chile in 2010) and the scarcity of experimental data revealed the need for this investigation.

Increasing Bridge Deck Service Life

The Indiana Department of Transportation is funding this project with an objective of developing a bridge deck that has a service life of 75-100 years. To potentially improve the durability and performance of bridge decks, new types of alternative materials are evaluated. The alternative materials considered in this research are four different types of solid stainless steel (316LN, Duplex 2205, Duplex 2304, XM-28), MMFX II microcomposite steel, dual coated steel with zinc and epoxy, zinc-clad steel, and hot-dip galvanized steel.

Performance Evaluation of Crack and Deck Sealants for Concrete Bridge Decks

Corrosion of steel reinforcement from salt intrusion can greatly reduce the service life of a concrete bridge deck. Sealants applied to the deck surface and within cracks can reduce this corrosion. Sealant product performance is tested with electrically wired macrocells that are exposed to saline solution for long-term intervals. Specimens are opened, visually inspected, and compared to evaluate performance.

NEES Collaborative Research: Behavior of Spirally Reinforced Concrete Columns under Load Reversals

This project is part of a collaborative study of Soil-Foundation-Structure-Interaction (SFSI). To study the prototype structure, a series of four physical models were tested in the overall project. These models were tested using one of the following test types: centrifuge testing,field tests, shaking table tests, and laboratory tests. Large-scale individual columns and bridge bents have been built and tested at Purdue to evaluate strength degradation in flexure and shear under cyclic loads.

Experimental Evaluation and Implementation of Post-Tensioning in Concrete Bridge Decks

An experimental evaluation of post-tensioning in concrete bridge decks is being carried out to verify design recommendations derived from analytical models for slab-on-girder bridges.

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