Component Analysis

• Shear Strength of Short Reinforced Concrete Columns
  

  

  What?

  • Developed a novel formula to predict the shear strength of short rectangular bridge columns
  • Produced extensive report, including a literature review, testing methodologies, detailed discussion, and analysis of results

  How?

  • Proposed a simplified superposition procedure to predict shear strength of short reinforced concrete bridge columns
  • Verified against experimental results and non-linear finite elements in VecTor2, achieving 21% more accuracy in strength predictions
• Structural Steel Beam Eccentric Loading
  

  

  What?

  • The brick veneer shown and the bearing wall behind it were to be removed to allow for a new 22 feet wide opening
  • A new structural steel beam was to be placed to support the existing bearing wall and the brick veneer above the second floor, the second floor joists in addition to the existing W8 beam from the lower roof shown in the picture
  • The loading from the existing W8x40 supporting the external pergola, will be acting at an eccentricity to the new proposed W14 beam centerline

  How?

  • Measured dimensions of existing structural steel beams, wood joists, brick veneer, wall composition, gap tolerances and elevation differences
  • Carried out a detailed torsional (eccentric loading) sensitivity structural analysis for the new W14 beam above the 22 feet wide opening
  • Utilized AISC Design Guide 9: Torsional Analysis and WinTORQ to calculate the torsional rotations
• Structural Steel Truss Reinforcement
  

  

  What?

  • Reinforce existing structural steel truss in school gymnasium to support a new soccer field placed above the roof of the gym

  How?

  • Measured dimensions of existing truss members and tabulated member sizes
  • Utilized structural steel coupons, member sizes and bracing to estimate the carrying capacity of the existing truss
  • Used EXCEL to derive the design actions on the truss from the additional dead and live loads
  • Verified deflection calculations using a 2D model in SAP2000
  • Applied structural steel design principles to size steel plate reinforcement and intermittent welds
• Reinforcing Bridge Girders Using FRP Shear Strips
  

  

  What?

  • Examine the strengthening of prestressed concrete bridge girders using carbon fiber reinforced polymer fabric

  How?

  • Successfully executed the testing, study and comparison of the response of 4 specimens in 1/2 scale size, modeling old Champlain Bridge girders
  • Presented technical conference poster detailing the study and findings
• Old Champlain Bridge Pier Cap Retrofit Study
  

  

  What?

  • Study the behavior of variable-depth cap beams at service loading and at failure to analyze the effectiveness of crack control reinforcement and inclined reinforcement
  • Investigate the influence of added external horizontal post-tensioning

  How?

  • Successfully executed the testing, study and comparison of the response of 4 specimens in 1/2 scale size, modeling old Champlain Bridge pier caps
  • Assisted in preparing the results, which were then summarized in a technical paper
• Pile cap load capacity study
  

  

  What?

  • Evaluate the capacity of the reinforced concrete pile cap to determine the number of additional floors that could be added to the existing building as a vertical addition

  How?

  • Measured dimensions of pile cap and determined number of piles
  • Utilized strength results from concrete core drilling, pile diameter, pile thickness and radar scanning of the pile cap's flexural reinforcing steel size and spacing to determine the capacity of the pile cap
• Cantilever Retaining Wall Design
  

  

  What?

  • Design of a reinforced concrete cantilever retaining wall that retains a soil embankment

  How?

  • Performed soil, hydrostatic and surcharge load calculations
  • Performed stability checks on the wall (i.e sliding, overturning and bearing)
  • Used EXCEL to derive the design actions on wall and to size reinforcement
• Numerical Simulation of Solitary Wave Run Up
  

  

  What?

  • Reliable estimation of Tsunami waves run-up heights
  • Reported safety factors recommendations for coastal design heights

  How?

  • Simulate the Tsunami phenomena running up a beach by approximating it as a solitary wave
  • The solitary wave was generated using a numerical simulation scheme using ANSYS FLUENT