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• A database of existing experimental tests has been collected for double-skin columns. • Concrete-filled double-skin and dual steel tubular short columns are considered. • An advanced numerical model is presented to assess the concrete confinement effect. • The resistances are compared to the predictions from major design specifications. • Based on the comparisons, a new unified confinement-based design approach is proposed. Concrete-filled stiffened steel tubular short columns, with cold-formed stiffened steel tubes for the outer section, have been widely used in Asia in large commercial facilities and warehouses. This paper focuses on the response of concrete-filled double-skin stiffened steel tubular (CFDSST) short columns and concrete-filled dual stiffened steel tubular (CFDST) short columns, with either square or circular inner tubes. A detailed database of existing information is assembled and presented, as well as a thorough analysis of existing design expressions. Additional examination of the concrete confinement has been undertaken which highlight the differences in behaviour between CFDSST and CFDST cross-sections. The major aim in this work is to provide a unified design approach, which accounts for concrete confinement and accounts for the material and geometric properties of the section, and offers improved accuracy over the existing approaches given in the European, American, British and Chinese design codes. The newly proposed unified confinement-based direct design approach for axially-loaded CFDSST and CFDST short columns is discussed, including the consideration given to the lateral confining pressure provided by the steel tubes. This method is shown to provide more accurate depictions of the load resistances of CFDSST and CFDST short columns relative to the international specifications, with lower scatter and greater range of applicability. It has also been shown that the CFDSST sections with a stiffened outer steel tube provides greater confinement and additional strength compared with equivalent unstiffened circular tubes of high relative tube slenderness. Given the easier fabrication and installation of beam-to-square column joints compared with circular columns, this is likely to extend their range of application in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of shrinkage cracks is a natural phenomenon in expansive soils. The development of these cracks affects both the physical and mechanical properties of the soil. This paper proposes new procedures for predicting and detecting the formation of crack patterns in expansive soils, based on customized Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and transfer learning. A total of four different deep learning models are developed to detect the soil crack pattern by changing the convolution layers and hyper-parameters in the analysis. The novelty of the proposed detection methods lies in the use of customized CNN models in shrinkage crack detection for expansive soils. The customized CNN models are constructed by varying the number of convolution layers and the hyperparameters. The results show that the proposed CNN models provide very accurate results and are capable of detecting the presence of cracks in the soil with great accuracy. The best results are from one of the customized CNN models namely the Customized CNN Model 2 which consists of five convolution layers, three activation layers, one pooling layer, two fully connected layers, and a softmax layer. The results from this model are compared with other well-known approaches from the literature and are shown to provide improved results. Overall, the proposed deep learning methods developed in this paper produce excellent results in terms of the accurate detection of shrinkage soil cracks and can also be applied to other types of soil cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Patients with limited English proficiency have increased healthcare challenges. Providing patient education in the patient's language has the potential to improve health outcomes, reduce system costs, and improve patient satisfaction. Healthcare providers remain apprehensive regarding the contextual accuracy of neural machine translation to assist the efforts of human translators and interpreters. Google Translate (GT) now uses deep learning techniques to translate whole sentences, which is more sensitive to context and grammar. The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility and utility of using machine translation (Google Translate) to translate radiation therapy patient education materials. Five Radiation Therapy patient education pamphlets were chosen for translation based on their high usage and importance at our institution. The pamphlets chosen for the study were: 1) Taking care of your skin during radiation therapy; 2) What to expect when getting radiation therapy for prostate cancer; 3) What to expect when getting radiation therapy to the abdomen and pelvis; 4) What to expect when getting radiation therapy to the head and neck; 5) What to expect when getting palliative radiation therapy to the lungs. Each pamphlet was translated from English into the following five languages: Vietnamese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish, using both GT and professional human translators. These languages were chosen based on data on the most common language needs in the local hospital network. An additional group of professional human translators (3 per language) conducted an independent, blinded review of the translated pamphlets, evaluating the domains of fluency, adequacy, meaning, and severity. When comparing human and machine-translated material scores, humans scored higher in every domain, with t-tests determining the differences to be significant (p=<0.001). Total scores for machine-translated materials ranged from 13.33-15.27 out of a possible 20 for GT and 14.5-17.28 for human-translated material. In the most sensitive domain of severity, which identifies the resultant risk to patient outcomes based on mistranslation, machine scores ranged from 3.27-4.40 out of a possible 5 compared to 3.60-4.93 for human translations. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant differences in scores between languages with Spanish and Vietnamese regularly scoring better in both human and machine translated versions. This research suggests that using machine translation tools such as Google Translate to translate whole sentences in radiation therapy pamphlets from English to 5 common languages is feasible. While there remain significant differences in quality between human and machine translation, it appears that the latter does not pose a significant risk of adversely affecting patient health outcomes, potentially opening the path for its limited use in patient education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prospective clinical trial (PERSON study) was conducted to compare anxiety and satisfaction between standard care and a 'person-centered' model of care to meet the informational and supportive needs of patients with breast cancer receiving radiation therapy. The aim of this research was to qualitatively evaluate patients' experiences from optional interviews, acquired as a secondary trial outcome, to gain further insights on the person-centered aspects of their care. Patients receiving locoregional breast radiation therapy, in free-breathing or with an active breath-hold device, were randomized 1:1 to the intervention (person-centered model) or standard care. The intervention included a 45 minute face-to-face pre-CT education with a Radiation Therapist (RTT) and the same RTT performed CT-sim, planning and treatment delivery to maintain continuity of care. Standard care had no dedicated education session led by an RTT, and typically different RTTs were involved across procedures. Patients were offered the option to participate in a semi-structured interview within 2 weeks of completing treatment. These were conducted by a single facilitator and focused on their lived radiation therapy experiences and how it could be improved. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using NVivo v.12 by a single observer, with coding reviewed by a second observer. Thematic analysis was conducted separately for each arm to identify themes. A total of 41 (21 intervention, 20 standard care) completed the optional interviews until data saturation was reached. The first theme that emerged focused on the importance of consistent RTTs. Patients in both arms reported a sense of belonging, familiarity and increase in confidence during their radiation therapy experience when cared for by a consistent RTT. Some patients noted that a small, consistent team of RTTs may also provide similar feelings of comfort. Participants in the intervention arm indicated particular value in having this consistency across specific transitions (e.g. between CT-sim and beginning of treatment) to provide a sense of continuity. The second theme identified by patients in both arms was uncertainty in the radiation therapy process as a source of nervousness, particularly for those requiring use of the active breath-hold device. The third theme emphasized by patients in the intervention arm was the importance of a RTT-led education session and its impact on feelings of preparedness. The session provided opportunity for treatment specific questions and allowed for visualization of the process. The insights gained from patients' qualitative experiences with breast radiation therapy supports the role of RTTs in person-centered care. Patients specifically reported on both study arms needing to be well prepared for treatment procedures and familiar with their care team, two aspects of care that are more proactively addressed in the person-centered (intervention) model of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Stainless steel is increasingly popular in construction projects owing to its corrosion-resistance, excellent mechanical and physical properties and its aesthetic appearance. The current paper is concerned with the use of these materials in steel-concrete composite beams, which is an entirely new application. Current design codes for steel-concrete composite beams are based on elastic-perfectly plastic steel material behaviour neglecting strain hardening. Whilst this is a reasonable assumption for carbon steel, stainless steel is a very ductile material which offers significant levels of strain hardening prior to failure. Therefore, current design provisions typically result in inaccurate and overly-conservative strength predictions when applied to stainless steel composite beams. The current study presents for the first time, an analytical solution for predicting the plastic bending capacity of stainless steel–concrete composite beams with either full or partial shear connection. This method is a development of the continuous strength method (CSM). Since the analytical analysis requires complex mathematical solution, a simplified analytical solution is also proposed, utilising some of the assumptions in Eurocode 4. There are no tests currently available in the literature for stainless steel-concrete composite beams. Therefore, a finite-element model is developed and validated against a number of experimental results for composite beams made from normal or high strength carbon steel. The validated numerical model is then used to investigate the accuracy of the proposed analytical solution. It is concluded that both the full and simplified analytical solutions are reliable and the simplified analytical method provides a straight forward design tool for practical engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, the behaviour of concrete filled tubular flange girders (CFTFGs) is investigated through both numerical and analytical modelling. These are new and complex members and their behaviour is governed by a number of inter-related parameters. This work aims to study the relative influence of a number of these variables on the flexural behaviour, particularly for CFTFGs with stiffened webs. A nonlinear three-dimensional finite element (FE) model is developed in the ABAQUS software and is validated using available experimental data. The validated model is then employed to conduct parametric studies and investigate the influence of the most salient parameters. For comparison purposes, and to observe the effect of the concrete infill, steel tubular flange girders (STFGs) with a hollow flange are also studied. The finite element models consider the effects of initial geometric imperfections, as well as other geometrical and material nonlinearities, on the response. In addition, simplified analytical expressions for the flexural capacity are proposed, and the results are compared to those from the FE analyses. It is found that CFTFGs and STFGs with the same dimensions have similar buckling shapes but different buckling loads, with the CFTFG offering greater buckling resistance. This highlights the influence of the concrete infill which increases the stiffness of the upper flange, and hence allows the member to carry additional bending moments compared to STFGs. The proposed analytical expressions, which are suitable for design, are also shown to be capable of providing an accurate depiction of the behaviour and bending moment capacity. Highlights • Concrete filled tubular flange girders (CFTFGs) are investigated through both numerical and analytical modelling. • These are new and complex members and their behaviour is governed by a number of inter-related parameters. • This work aims to study the relative influence of a number of these variables on the flexural behaviour, particularly for CFTFGs with stiffened webs. • A nonlinear three-dimensional finite element (FE) model is developed in the ABAQUS software and is validated using available experimental data. • The validated model is then employed to conduct parametric studies and investigate the influence of the most salient parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the scarcity of performance data on HSS columns at elevated temperature, a numerical model, which considered geometric imperfections and material non-linearity has been developed in ABAQUS (2014) and validated using experimental data on HSS at ambient temperature and mild steel grades at elevated temperature. After the model was validated, parametric studies incorporating material properties of two different steel grades: S690QL and S700MC were done, in order to determine the influence of the steel grades on the buckling behaviour and assess the suitability of the Eurocode fire resistance design rules for HSS columns. The results showed that the Eurocode generally provides conservative (i.e. safe) results with respect to the buckling coefficients and safely predicts the buckling resistance of columns made from S700MC, while a lower buckling curve may be needed for columns made from S690QL. In addition, because of the various alloying and production routes employed to produce HSS, variations in the stress-strain responses was also observed, in turn, this influenced the buckling response and highlighted possible unconservativisms (i.e. unsafe) in the Eurocode design approach as a result of generalising the material response. Highlights • Numerical model developed and validated in ABAQUS using experimental data • S690QL & S700MC have different buckling responses at elevated temperature hence grouping thier performances can be misleading • The Eurocode approach can be unconservative (i.e. unsafe) for S690QL columns and conservative (i.e safe) for S700MC columns [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Health care involves the participation of patients, family, and a diverse team of often highly specialized health care professionals. Involvement of all these team members in a cooperative and coordinated way is essential to providing exceptional care. This article introduces key concepts relating to interprofessional collaborative teamwork. Approaches to measuring and studying collaboration and evidence demonstrating the benefits of collaboration are presented. The structural, psychological, and educational factors which may determine collaborative behaviour are described. Learning Objectives: By the end of this CME article, participants will be able to 1. Distinguish between multifunctional and interdisciplinary teams, 2. Define collaboration in a health care setting, 3. Describe the value of collaboration to patients, staff, and organizations, 4. Understand approaches to measuring collaboration, and 5. Identify factors that determine the ability of teams to collaborate. This article is a CME article and provides the equivalent of 2 hours of continuing education that may be applied to your professional development credit system. A 20-question multiple choice quiz follows this reading, and answers can be found on page 216. Please note that no formalized credit (Category A) is available from CAMRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High strength steels are increasingly common in structural engineering applications owing to their favourable strength to weight ratio, excellent sustainability credentials and attractive physical and mechanical properties. However, these grades are under-used in structures owing to a lack of reliable information relating to their structural performance, particularly at elevated temperature. This paper presents a review of high strength steels in structural applications including the key design considerations. Particular focus is given to the lateral torsional buckling response of laterally unrestrained beams. A finite element model is developed to investigate this behaviour at ambient and elevated temperature. A series of beams between 500 and 4500 mm in length are studied in order to develop buckling curves which are comparable with current design provisions. At ambient temperature, it is shown that all of the buckling curves currently included in Eurocode 3 Part 1-1 give unsatisfactory and potentially unsafe predictions. In elevated temperature conditions, the buckling curves presented in Eurocode 3 Part 1–2 depict the behaviour reasonably well but, at relatively high slenderness values, the standard does not always provide a safe prediction. Revised bucking curves are proposed for high strength steel beams for laterally unrestrained beams made from high strength steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ferritic stainless steels are low cost, price-stable, corrosion-resistant materials. Although widely used in the automotive and domestic appliance sectors, structural applications are scarce owing to a dearth of performance data and design guidance. The characteristics of ferritics make them appropriate for structures requiring strong and moderately durable structural elements with attractive metallic surface finishes. The present paper provides an overview of the structural behaviour of ferritic stainless steels, including a summary of the findings of a recent European project (SAFSS) on ferritics. Laboratory experiments have been completed including material tests as well as structural member tests, both at ambient and elevated temperatures. The experimental data is supplemented by numerical analysis in order to study a wide range of parameters. The findings of this work have enabled design guidance to be proposed, as discussed herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the ultimate behaviour of lightly reinforced concrete members under extreme loading conditions. Although the consideration given to the assessment of ductility is of general relevance to various applications, it is of particular importance to conditions resembling those occurring during severe building fires. The main purpose of the investigation is to examine the failure of idealised members representing isolated strips within composite floor slabs which become lightly reinforced in a simulated fire situation due to the early loss of the steel deck. An experimental study, focusing on the failure state associated with rupture of the reinforcement in idealised concrete members, is presented. The tests enable direct assessment of the influence of a number of important parameters such as the reinforcement type, properties and ratio on the ultimate response. The results of several tests also facilitate a detailed examination of the distribution of bond stresses along the length. After describing the experimental arrangements and discussing the main test results, the paper introduces a simplified analytical model that can be used to represent the member response up to failure. The model is validated and calibrated through comparisons against the test results as well as more detailed nonlinear finite element simulations. The results and observations from this investigation offer an insight into the key factors that govern the ultimate behaviour. More importantly, the analytical model permits the development of simple expressions which capture the influence of salient parameters such as bond characteristics and reinforcement properties, for predicting the ductility of this type of member. With due consideration of the findings from other complementary experimental and analytical studies on full slab elements under ambient and elevated temperatures, this work represents a proposed basis for developing quantified failure criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes an experimental investigation into the influence of elevated temperatures on the mechanical properties of steel reinforcement. The study includes tests carried out at ambient temperature as well as under steady-state and transient elevated temperature conditions. A complementary test series, in which the residual post-cooling properties of reinforcing bars were examined, is also described. The experimental study focussed on assessing the performance of reinforcement of 6 and 8mm diameter, although 10mm bars were also considered in some cases. The specimens included both plain and deformed bars. After providing an outline of the experimental set-up and loading procedures, a detailed account of the test results is presented and discussed. Apart from the evaluation of stress–strain response and degradation of stiffness and strength properties, particular emphasis is given to assessing the influence of temperature on enhancing the ductility of reinforcement. The findings of this study have direct implications on procedures used for predicting the ultimate behaviour of structural floor elements and assemblages during, and following, exposure to elevated temperatures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Imaging & Radiation Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The etiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is multifactorial. Efforts to identify genes influencing CVD risk have met with limited success to date, likely because of the small effect sizes of common CVD risk alleles and the presence of gene by gene and gene by environment interactions.Methods: The HAPI Heart Study was initiated in 2002 to measure the cardiovascular response to 4 short-term interventions affecting cardiovascular risk factors and to identify the genetic and environmental determinants of these responses. The measurements included blood pressure responses to the cold pressor stress test and to a high salt diet, triglyceride excursion in response to a high-fat challenge, and response in platelet aggregation to aspirin therapy.Results: The interventions were carried out in 868 relatively healthy Amish adults from large families. The heritabilities of selected response traits for each intervention ranged from 8% to 38%, suggesting that some of the variation associated with response to each intervention can be attributed to the additive effects of genes.Conclusions: Identifying these response genes may identify new mechanisms influencing CVD and may lead to individualized preventive strategies and improved early detection of high-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The behaviour of stainless steel reinforced concrete beams is investigated. • A full and simplified version of a deformation-based design method is proposed and examined herein with reference to the current design rules in Eurocode 2. • A comprehensive parametric study is conducted to study the most influential parameters. • The serviceability limit state is also explored through a detailed analysis of the deflection behaviour. Stainless steel reinforcement has become a very attractive option for reinforced concrete structures owing to its distinctive properties including outstanding corrosion resistance, excellent fire behaviour, long life cycle as well as low maintenance requirements. Additionally, stainless steel reinforcement offers exceptional ductility and strain hardening characteristics compared with other common materials, which are very desirable in design to avoid sudden collapse. However, most global design standards do not incorporate an appropriate design approach for reinforced concrete members with stainless steel. The substantial strain hardening characteristics of stainless steel are typically not represented in standardised material models and therefore this attractive characteristic is not exploited in design resulting in structural and economic inefficiencies. Hence, the aim of this paper is to propose and validate a new deformation-based design approach for stainless steel reinforced concrete beams based on the continuous strength method, with reference to the current design rules provided in Eurocode 2. This approach is shown to be an effective design tool that exploits the distinctive characteristics of stainless steel reinforcement in an efficient and reliable manner. It is shown to provide a more efficient design with less over-conservatism and greater accuracy, compared with other methods. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted using Abaqus software to study the influence that various geometric and material properties have on the capacity of the members. Moreover, the serviceability limit state is also explored through a detailed analysis of the deflection behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stainless steel possesses excellent mechanical and physical properties, has outstanding corrosion resistance, and is extremely ductile. It finds extensive use in the construction industry and has increasingly been employed in reinforced concrete structures in recent years as there is greater focus on longevity and life cycle costing. However, there has been limited to no research on the fire resistance of stainless steel reinforced concrete structures. In this study, a finite element model of a stainless steel reinforced concrete (SSRC) beam is developed and verified to simulate the fire resistance of the SSRC beams. The model is validated through comparison with available test data before it is employed to undertake a comparative study to evaluate the fire performance of carbon-reinforced and stainless steel-reinforced concrete beams. Various factors, such as load ratio, reinforcement ratio, and concrete strength, are analysed for their impact on the fire resistance of these beams. The ductile failure observed in stainless steel-reinforced concrete (SSRC) beams during fire incidents suggests their potential as replacements for carbon steel-reinforced concrete (CSRC) beams, particularly in fire-prone areas where structural integrity is paramount. SSRC beams can achieve comparable fire resistance to CSRC beams with lower reinforcement ratios, thereby reducing reinforcement requirements potentially. It is shown that stainless steel reinforced concrete beams deform more under flexure than equivalent carbon steel beams largely owing to their greater survival time and resistance to greater temperatures, significantly affecting the fire resistance. A proposed critical temperature limit of 765 °C for SS reinforcing rebar under fire exposure is recommended as a design guideline. • FE model of a stainless steel reinforced concrete beam under fire is developed and verified. • Carbon steel-reinforced concrete (CSRC) and stainless steel-reinforced concrete (SSRC) beams are evaluated. • Factors like load ratio, reinforcement ratio, and concrete strength, are analysed for their impact on the fire resistance. • The ductile failure in SSRC beams under fire suggests their potential as replacements for CSRC beams. • A critical temperature limit of 765°C for SS reinforcing rebar under fire is recommended as a design guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper deals with the post-fire assessment of stainless steel structures for their reinstatement. • Yield strength, ultimate strength, ultimate strain and Young's modulus are studied. • Three families are considered: austenitic, ferritic and duplex stainless steel. • The characteristic values of retention factors after fire and cooling are provided. • The safety factors for the reinstatement of structures following a fire are given. Stainless steel offers excellent mechanical properties as well as corrosion resistance and performs better in a fire compared to carbon steel in that it retains its strength and stiffness for a longer duration. The current paper is focussed on the post-fire condition, which has received limited attention to date from the research community. The motivation for the work is to show that stainless steel elements that have been exposed to fire can be re-instated with minimal additional costs in a short time frame. The paper proceeds with a description of recent material tests into the residual properties of grade 1.4301 austenitic stainless steel, following exposure to elevated temperature. Two different types of test were conducted and these are described. Firstly, a series of tensile tests were completed on coupons taken from a loaded stainless steel beam previously examined under fire conditions. Secondly, a set of virgin coupons (i.e. which have not been previously heated or tested) were exposed to different levels of elevated temperature and cooling procedures. This is with a view to understanding the ability of structural elements made from this material to survive a fire and continue in service. The results are employed along with other data obtained from the literature to conduct a detailed study into the design considerations. The collected data includes information on the proof and ultimate strengths, ultimate strain and Young's modulus and the extent to which these are affected following the occurrence of a fire. The study is done for ferritic, austenitic and duplex stainless steel. By focusing on the effect of a fire on the mechanical properties after cooling using a statistical approach, safety factors are proposed together with a reduced reliability index based on economic and social considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the details and analysis of a fire test conducted on a stainless steel cellular beam, as well as the development of a finite element model to further study the behavior. Cellular beams are increasingly popular in the construction as they provide a structurally and materially efficient design solution as well as allowing the passage of services. Their behavior in fire can be challenging as the web-post typically reaches higher temperatures than equivalent webs in solid beams. Stainless steel is also increasingly popular for structural applications, mainly due to its excellent corrosion resistance, as well as its other attractive physical and mechanical attributes. The focus in this paper is on the behavior of stainless steel cellular beams, which combine the attractive qualities of stainless steel with the structural efficiency of beams with openings, in fire. A fire test has been conducted which is described and discussed. Then, a finite element analysis model is developed to analyze the thermo-mechanical behavior of unprotected stainless steel cellular beams. The model is validated using the experimental results and then employed to investigate the important parameters which influence the behavior. • Details of fire test on a stainless steel cellular beam. • Development and validation of FE model. • Study into the most salient parameters. • Advantages of stainless steel in fire, compared with carbon steel, presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper deals with the post-fire assessment of structures for their reinstatement. • The post-fire material properties for structural carbon steel are collected. • Yield strength, ultimate strength, ultimate strain and Young's modulus are studied. • Six different grades of steel are considered including cast and wrought iron. • The characteristic values of retention factors after fire and cooling in combination with adjusted safety factors are provided. This paper provides guidance on the post-fire material properties and associated safety factors for structural carbon steel which are required for the assessment and retrofitting of existing steel buildings which have suffered and survived a fire. Nowadays, there is a discrepancy between the methodology which is used in the design stage of a building (mostly based on the partial factor method) and the verification methods used after a fire. In the past decade, a number of researchers have published test data and there is more information available on the mechanical properties of steel following a fire. Nevertheless, a statistical evaluation of these results has yet to be conducted although design codes generally adopt a reliability-based approach for the analysis and assessment of buildings. To fill this gap of knowledge, the current article includes a statistical evaluation of the mechanical data from 718 tests collected from 19 peer-reviewed articles and doctoral theses. The study is done for hot-rolled steel, cold-formed steel as well as wrought or cast iron. By focusing on the effect of a fire on the mechanical properties after cooling, which is mostly related to how the coefficient of variation of their distribution increases, adjusted safety factors are proposed together with a reduced reliability index based on economic and social considerations. It is contended that by following this method, possible misunderstandings can be avoided and decisions on the salvage and rehabilitation of structures can be based on performance data and technical analysis, thus reducing the need for individual judgement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper investigates the bond behavior of stainless steel reinforced concrete. • Current design rules are found to be overly conservative. • Stainless steel reinforcement exhibits lower bond strength compared with carbon steel. • New design parameters are proposed. • A summary of recommendations for the codes of practice is provided. Stainless steel reinforced concrete has seen a large increase in usage in recent years, in response to the ever-increasing demands for structures and infrastructure to be more durable, efficient and sustainable. Currently, existing design standards advise using the same design rules for stainless steel reinforced concrete as traditional carbon steel reinforced concrete, owing to a lack of alternative information. However, this is not based on test or performance data. As such, there is a real need to develop a full and fundamental understanding of the bond behaviour of stainless steel reinforced concrete, to achieve more sustainable and reliable design methods for reinforced concrete structures. This paper investigates the bond behavior of stainless steel reinforced concrete and compares the performance to traditional carbon steel reinforced concrete, through experimental testing and analysis. It also compares the results to existing design rules in terms of bond strength, anchorage length and lap length. It is shown that stainless steel rebar generally develops lower bond strength with the surrounding concrete compared with equivalent carbon steel reinforcement. Moreover, it is shown that existing design codes are very conservative and generally underestimate the actual bond strength by a significant margin. Therefore, following detailed analysis, it is concluded that current design rules can be safely applied for stainless steel rebar, although more accurate and efficient methods can be achieved. Hence, new design parameters are proposed reflecting the bond behaviour of stainless steel rebar, so that more efficient designs can be achieved. Moreover, a summary of recommendations for the codes of practice is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimental programme on full-scale RC members with a green alternative BFRP rebar. • The experimental results are compared with international design standards. • Design recommendations for reinforced concrete with BFRP rebars are proposed. The durability of reinforced concrete structures is an ongoing challenge for engineers, particularly in harsh environments. In these conditions, concrete is susceptible to excessive cracking which allows water or other aggressive agents to penetrate the structure, thereby accelerating the deterioration, mainly through corrosion, of the steel reinforcement. The deteriorated concrete structures require frequent maintenance to achieve and extend their service life and may need expensive rehabilitation measures. The use of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) rebars, such as carbon and glass FRPs, can be an effective, sustainable and durable solution to enhance the durability of reinforced concrete structures in aggressive environments. Another type of FRP that has gained popularity in construction in the last two decades is basalt fibre-reinforced polymer (BFRP), which is the subject of the current paper. In order to investigate their behaviour, an experimental programme comprising five reinforced concrete beams and seven one-way spanning slabs has been conducted, and is described herein in detail. Three different types of reinforcement were included in the tests, namely sand-coated BFRP bars, ribbed BFRP bars as well as regular carbon steel reinforcement, for comparison. All of the members were tested up until failure. The test results are presented and analysed, with particular focus given to the cracking moment, ultimate moment capacity, deflections and also crack opening widths. The results are compared with the guidance currently available in several international design codes. In addition, based on the results and analysis presented herein, design recommendations for reinforced concrete with BFRP rebars are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]