Papers by Author: Wei Ping Zhang

Abstract: This paper presents a study on reinforcement of timber columns with longitudinal cracks strengthened by CFRP sheets under eccentric compression. An experimental program using special eccentric compression hinged-support was proposed to identify the failure modes and to investigate the recovery in load carrying capacity. Different combinations of eccentric distance and directions of the eccentric plane related to that of the crack plane were considered. This test can provide detailed experimental data for the application of CFRP strengthening on timber columns under eccentric compression which is an efficient method to maintain the original historical structure.

Abstract: Acceleration penetration tests of chloride ion were conducted for typical diurnal and semidiurnal tidal types in China with consideration of various values of soaking time. It was found that the content of chloride ion from shallow area near the surface of concrete to the pure diffusion area of concrete reduced more significantly with the depth than that in the pure diffusion area of concrete. Based on Fick’s second law, the variation laws of chloride ion content at the edge of the pure diffusion area and chloride ion diffusion coefficient in the pure diffusion area under different soaking time ratios were identified by using the chloride ion content distributions that were established based on the test results of concrete in the pure diffusion area. It was found that the chloride ion content and the apparent chloride ion diffusion coefficient in pure diffusion area may be very high when the ratio of soaking time ratio is between 0.3 and 0.42 or 0.6 and 0.7 for diurnal tidal type and 0.83 for semidiurnal tidal type, which will cause severe erosion in concrete structures in tidal zone.