Enhancing Strength of Bamboo using GFRP and PU

Bamboo is an eco-friendly material, it can be used in various applications such as bamboo housing, bamboo bridges, bamboo scaffolding, ply bamboo, bamboo furniture, and for defence applications. It has various advantages to be used as structural material. However, it has weaknesses such as crushing failure under extreme loading that need to be addressed. The objective of this research is to enhance bamboo bearing and bending capacity using various stiffeners.  Experimental work done is to investigate the compressive strength, bending strength, bearing strength and tensile strength of raw local bamboo. Further analysis includes bending and bearing strength of raw bamboo and strengthen bamboo using Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) and Polyurethane (PU) Foams. From the test done, the bearing strength of raw bamboo Semantan with node is between 2.61 MPa to 3.14 MPa and for raw bamboo Semantan without node is between 0.28 MPa to 0.82 MPa, average bending strength of raw bamboo Semantan is 59 MPa. For strengthen bamboo with 4 layers of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer, the bearing strength without node is between 1.59 MPa to 2.38 MPa, and the average bending strength is 62 MPa which is about 5% higher than raw bamboo. Keywords: Bamboo Semantan, Strengthening Bamboo, Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), Defence Structure, Green Building (GBI

Normal Strength Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Explosive Loading

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the behavior of plain reinforced concrete and Normal strength steel fiber reinforced concrete panels (SFRC) subjected to explosive loading. The experiment were performed by the Blast Research Unit Faculty of Engineering, University Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia A total of 8 reinforced concrete panels of 600mm x 600mm x 100mm were tested. The steel fiber reinforced concrete panels incorporated three different volume fraction, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% of hooked end steel fibers. The panels were subjected to explosive loading generated by the detonation of 1kg of explosive charge located at a 0.6m standoff. This investigation indicates that the steel fiber reinforced concrete panel containing of 1.5% volume fraction gave the best performance under explosive loading

Axial and Flexural Load Test on Untreated Bamboocrete Multi-Purpose Panel

In this study, the axial and flexural strength of lightweight concrete panel reinforced with untreated bamboo describe as bamboocrete multi-purpose panel was investigated. Bamboo is a low cost, abundantly ready available and sustainable material used to carry load.  In this research, bamboo is used to reinforce lightweight concrete to form a load bearing panel. From the test conducted, design axial strength of the panel can be up to 100kN (10 ton). The 1500 mm length, 500 mm wide, and 125 mm thick, bamboocrete panel then were subjected to four-point bending and achieved ultimate bending strength of at least 25 kN. The bamboo used in the concrete panel greatly contributed to the bending strength of the panel. Upon removal of the load, the bamboocrete panel return to almost its original form, showing flexibility and ductility of the panel

Retrofitting Options for Un-Reinforced Brick Wall Subjected to Impact Load

Abstract. In this research we investigate the possibility of enhancing the way brick walls can be retrofitted in an economical manner and become more resistant to blast impact. Retrofitting a method usually done on constructed walls; however, the same strengthening procedures can also be applied to a new construction project. In this research we investigate three methods of reinforcing brick walls against blast impact. First, reinforcing the brick layer using carbon fiber strips only without epoxy, with the fiber being placed on the bare bricks before it is plastered with mortar finishing, second, reinforcing the brick wall by placing CFRP onto the bare bricks and fixing with epoxy prior to finishing or being plastered over with mortar, and third, retrofitting the outer surface of a finished, or plastered, brick wall with CFRP and fixed with epoxy as is commonly done. The impact test was conducted using a drop weight released at a fixed height to simulate blast energy of an explosion. The effects of the test on all the samples were observed to identify failure patterns. Flexural testing was also conducted to observe how the samples perform under normal flexural loading. It was discovered that the second option, i.e. placing the CFRP on the bare bricks and fixing with epoxy before it is finished or plastered over with mortar, performs the best. This is due to the CFRP being firmly fixed before mortar finishing, causing the CFRP to be held steadily in place during the impact, thus, helping the wall to resist the impact load. With the third option, the CFRP was able to resist the impact but, as has been observed in other studies, the CFRP delaminates from the wall. The first option does not work very well since the mortar is unable to perform as well as the epoxy in holding the fiber to the wall to resist the impact force. Thus, for plastered brick walls, it is better suited for it to be reinforced by FRP under the finished mortar rather than on it, thus reducing the problem of delaminated FRP from the wall surface

Retrofitting Options for Un-Reinforced Brick Wall Subjected to Impact Load

Abstract. In this research we investigate the possibility of enhancing the way brick walls can be retrofitted in an economical manner and become more resistant to blast impact. Retrofitting a method usually done on constructed walls; however, the same strengthening procedures can also be applied to a new construction project. In this research we investigate three methods of reinforcing brick walls against blast impact. First, reinforcing the brick layer using carbon fiber strips only without epoxy, with the fiber being placed on the bare bricks before it is plastered with mortar finishing, second, reinforcing the brick wall by placing CFRP onto the bare bricks and fixing with epoxy prior to finishing or being plastered over with mortar, and third, retrofitting the outer surface of a finished, or plastered, brick wall with CFRP and fixed with epoxy as is commonly done. The impact test was conducted using a drop weight released at a fixed height to simulate blast energy of an explosion. The effects of the test on all the samples were observed to identify failure patterns. Flexural testing was also conducted to observe how the samples perform under normal flexural loading. It was discovered that the second option, i.e. placing the CFRP on the bare bricks and fixing with epoxy before it is finished or plastered over with mortar, performs the best. This is due to the CFRP being firmly fixed before mortar finishing, causing the CFRP to be held steadily in place during the impact, thus, helping the wall to resist the impact load. With the third option, the CFRP was able to resist the impact but, as has been observed in other studies, the CFRP delaminates from the wall. The first option does not work very well since the mortar is unable to perform as well as the epoxy in holding the fiber to the wall to resist the impact force. Thus, for plastered brick walls, it is better suited for it to be reinforced by FRP under the finished mortar rather than on it, thus reducing the problem of delaminated FRP from the wall surface

Simulation Study on Hypervelocity Penetration of Lab Scaled Shape Charge Mechanism

Shaped charge (SC) is a mechanism used by defence industries as anti-armored weapon to penetrate armored plates.  Numerous studies have been conducted on the shaped charged effects.  However, experimental studies are limited due to great safety requirement and limited access to high grade explosive.  Due to these limitations, an experimental study on a small-scale shaped charge mechanism (SCM) penetration blast test was conducted against five (5) types of target materials.  The experimental data is then verified by simulation to proof that it can be used to predict the SC penetration data. This paper intent to present a comparative study on the effect of shaped charge blast conducted by simulation with the actual experimental results. In order to conduct this study, a 2D AUTODYN software were used to develop the SC blast model against five (5) types of target materials.  This study concludes that the 2D AUTODYN simulations results can predict the hypervelocity penetration for all target materials compared to the experimental test with an average difference of 9.1 %

Simulation Study on Hypervelocity Penetration of Lab Scaled Shape Charge Mechanism

Shaped charge (SC) is a mechanism used by defence industries as anti-armored weapon to penetrate armored plates.  Numerous studies have been conducted on the shaped charged effects.  However, experimental studies are limited due to great safety requirement and limited access to high grade explosive.  Due to these limitations, an experimental study on a small-scale shaped charge mechanism (SCM) penetration blast test was conducted against five (5) types of target materials.  The experimental data is then verified by simulation to proof that it can be used to predict the SC penetration data. This paper intent to present a comparative study on the effect of shaped charge blast conducted by simulation with the actual experimental results. In order to conduct this study, a 2D AUTODYN software were used to develop the SC blast model against five (5) types of target materials.  This study concludes that the 2D AUTODYN simulations results can predict the hypervelocity penetration for all target materials compared to the experimental test with an average difference of 9.1 %

Performance of Hybrid Steel Fibers Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Air Blast Loading

This paper presents the results of the experimental data and simulation on the performance of hybrid steel fiber reinforced concrete (HSFRC) and also normal reinforced concrete (NRC) subjected to air blast loading. HSFRC concrete mix consists of a combination of 70% long steel hook end fibre and also 30% of short steel hook end fibre with a volume fraction of 1.5% mix. A total of six concrete panels were subjected to air blast using plastic explosive (PE4) weighing 1 kg each at standoff distance of 0.3 meter. The parameters measured are mode of failure under static and blast loading and also peak overpressure that resulted from detonation using high speed data acquisition system. In addition to this simulation work using AUTODYN was carried out and validated using experimental data. The experimental results indicate that hybrid steel fiber reinforced concrete panel (HSFRC) possesses excellent resistance to air blast loading as compared to normal reinforced concrete (NRC) panel. The simulation results were also found to be close with experimental data. Therefore the results have been validated using experimental data

Innovation in Lean Thinking to Achieve Rapid Construction

Lean thinking holds the potential for improving the construction sector, and therefore, it is a concept that should be adopted by construction sector players and academicians in the real industry. Bridging from that, a learning process for construction sector players regarding this matter should be the agenda in gaining the knowledge in preparation for their career. Lean principles offer opportunities for reducing lead times, eliminating non-value adding activities, reducing variability, and are facilitated by methods such as pull scheduling, simplified operations and buffer reduction. Thus, the drive for rapid construction, which is a systematic approach in enhancing efficiency to deliver a project using time reduction, while lean is the continuous process of eliminating waste, meeting or exceeding all customer requirements, focusing on the entire value stream and pursuing perfection in the execution of a constructed project. The methodology presented is shown to be valid through literature, interviews and questionnaire. The results show that the majority of construction sector players unfamiliar with lean thinking and they agreed that it can improve the construction process flow. With this background knowledge established and identified, best practices and recommended action are drawn