Woju, U W and Balu, A S (2020) Fuzzy uncertainty and its applications in reinforced concrete structures. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 18(5), pp. 1175-1191. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this paper is mainly to handle the fuzzy uncertainties present in structures appropriately. In general, uncertainties of variables are classified as aleatory and epistemic. The different sources of uncertainties in reinforced concrete structures include the randomness, mathematical models, physical models, environmental factors and gross errors. The effects of imprecise data in reinforced concrete structures are studied here by using fuzzy concepts. The aim of this paper is mainly to handle the uncertainties of variables with unclear boundaries. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the intended objective, the reinforced concrete beam subjected to flexure and shear was designed as per Euro Code (EC2). Then, different design parameters such as corrosion parameters, material properties and empirical expressions of time-dependent material properties were identified through a thorough literature review. Findings: The fuzziness of variables was identified, and their membership functions were generated by using the heuristic method and drawn by MATLAB R2018a software. In addition to the identification of fuzziness of variables, the study further extended to design optimization of reinforced concrete structure by using fuzzy relation and fuzzy composition. Originality/value: In the design codes of the concrete structure, the concrete grades such as C16/20, C20/25, C25/30, C30/37 and so on are provided and being adopted for design in which the intermediate grades are not considered, but using fuzzy concepts the intermediate grades of concrete can be recognized by their respective degree of membership. In the design of reinforced concrete structure using fuzzy relation and composition methods, the optimum design is considered when the degree of membership tends to unity. In addition to design optimization, the level of structural performance evaluation can also be carried out by using fuzzy concepts.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | design optimization; fuzzy composition; fuzzy relation; fuzzy set operations; fuzzy set theory; membership functions; reinforced concrete |
| Index terms: | concrete structure, fuzzy set theory, fuzzy set, design parameter, reinforced concrete beam, heuristic, boundaries, design optimization, performance evaluation, environmental factor, corrosion, flexure, reinforced concrete, methodology, literature review, fuzzy concept, mathematical model, material property, physical model |
| Subjects: | building materials, data analysis and analytics, property law, environmental science, material degradation and durability, risk assessment, mathematical modelling, design constraints, decision-making and optimization, performance measurement, structural engineering, manufacturing engineering, research methods, material properties and characteristics, design process |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Design Practice, Quality Management, Research Practice, Construction Materials, Engineering Principles, Risk Management, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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