ABSTRACT
Modular building systems (MBS) and Origami are two emerging methods used in current construction practice. Origami is directly associated with the principles of the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, characterised by high morphological possibilities and ultimately creates foldable structures with tuneable mechanical properties. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the structural behaviour of origami for architectural engineering applications. MBS is a volumetric prefabricated construction technique enhancing productivity in construction. In this paper, a modular unit is designed which employs origami techniques. The roof and floor panels of the modular units formed with steel joists were substituted with origami sandwich panels, while corner posts were substituted with origami columns. The origami-like foldable system demonstrated superior efficiency in constructability, being highly compact during transportation and requiring few operations for the in-situ installation. The structural performances of the developed and foldable modular units were assessed through finite element analysis. It was found that, without increasing the self-weight of the system, the design of origami-like modular units can be tuned for high structural performances and various structural sizes, which can impact the usability of space and the aesthetics of architecture. While this is a preliminary study and physical testing is needed, the positive results open the possibility of exploring highly deployable modular structures of novel shapes that can be employed during post-disaster and emergencies (Covid-19).
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Finite Element AnalysisABSTRACT
Cracking in concrete structures can significantly affect their structural integrity and eventually lead to catastrophic failure if undetected. Recent advances in sensor technology for structural health monitoring techniques have led to the development of new and improved sensors for real-time detection and monitoring of cracks in various applications, from laboratory tests to large structures. In this study, triaxial accelerometers have been employed to detect and locate micro- and macrocrack formation in plain self-compacting concrete (SCC) and steel-fibre-reinforced SCC (SFRSCC) beams under three-point bending. Experiments were carried out with triaxial accelerometers mounted on the surface of the beams. The experimental results revealed that triaxial accelerometers could be used to identify the locations of cracks and provide a greater quantity of useful data for more accurate measurement and interpretation. The study sheds light on the structural monitoring capability of triaxial acceleration measurements for SFRSCC structural elements that can act as an early warning system for structural failure.
ABSTRACT
Structural evaluation of masonry against dynamic seismic actions invariably requires appropriate cyclic compression constitutive models. However, not many research studies have been dedicated to date to investigate the cyclic compression behaviour of masonry. Therefore, series of experimental investigation followed by analytical model verification were employed in this research to better understand the cyclic compression characteristics of masonry. Twelve masonry wallettes were experimentally tested under cyclic compression loading with different unit-to-mortar assemblies, which are commonly found in masonry structures. The experimental results indicated that the cyclic compression behaviour is greatly influenced by the masonry compressive strength and deformation properties. Thereafter, the ability of five literature analytical models to predict the masonry structural response under cyclic compression loading was investigated. The advantages and limitations of these models are presented and discussed, and the most appropriate analytical model to define the cyclic compression characteristics of masonry has been evaluated and reported. The suggested analytical model is shown to predict the cyclic compression characteristics of different masonry assemblies such as the envelop response, the stiffness degradation, the plastic strain history of the unloading and reloading stages.
