The size effect in concrete structures – presentation

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In the organization of the fib Hungarian Group and three departments of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Zdeněk P. Bažant presented the size effects in concrete structures.

The English language presentation was on the 10th of May 2016. (Tuesday) from 12AM to 15PM, in BME Building K. Ground Floor 85. 1111 Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3.

The presenter, Prof. Zdeněk P. Bažant was born and educated in Prague (Ph.D. 1963), and joined Northwestern University (Illinois) in 1969, where he became Professor in 1973.

The title of the presentation: The size effect in concrete structures: failures, safety and design codes.

Concrete is one of many quasisibrittle materials whose response changes from quasi-plastic to quasibrittle as the ratio of structure size to material inhomogeneity size increases. In consequence, a rational size effect factor must be introduced into the limit load equations of design codes. After reviewing some failures of large structures documenting the size effect, Bažant discusses the recent efforts to modernize the code provisions for beam shear, punching, torsion, plain flexural strength, etc., and explains the benefits for safety, efficacy and innovation friendliness in structural design.

The presentation is organized by the dib Hungarian Group in cooperation with BME Dept of Structural Engineering, BME Dept. of Construction Materials and Technologies and BME Dept. of Structural Mechanics.