The problem of calculating transient heat transfer in concrete floor slabs is complicated due to ground coupling, which can require the numerical solution of two or three-dimensional transient conduction equations. This paper presents a simplified method for calculating transient slab-on-ground heat transfer that can be incorporated within hourly simulation programs. The method assumes that the...

The use of composite structures is increasingly present in civil construction works. Steel-concrete composite beams, particularly, are structures consisting of two materials, a steel section located mainly in the tension region and a concrete section, located in the compression cross sectional area , both connected by metal devices known as shear connectors. The main functions of these connecto...

This study investigated the response of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs in building structures to internal explosions. The performances of two slabs designed in accordance with the protective structural design and conventional gravity design approaches were evaluated in terms of midspan displacements, support rotations, and damage patterns. Data from available slab blast experiments in the open ...

This paper presents the experimental results of utilizing a flexible thin-film membrane as a passive barrier to radon gas diffusion. Nine commercially available membranes of various compositions and thicknesses were evaluated as retardant to radon gas diffusion. The radon gas concentration ratios across the thin-film membranes alone and in combination with an adjacent concrete sample (effective...

A focused electric spark is used as a non-contact acoustic source to excite stress waves in solids. The source consists of an electric spark source located at the near focus of an ellipsoidal reflector that focuses the acoustic disturbance generated by the spark source to the far focal point. Experimental studies using both contact and non-contact sensors indicate that the source has the capabi...