This study presents the seismic performance evaluation of the reinforced concrete (RC) frame designed as per Ethiopian (based on EN1998-1) and Chinese seismic codes to realize best practices within them. In the study, three-model RC frames with 4-, 8-, and 12-story are designed with the respective codes. Then, their seismic performances are evaluated using the nonlinear static (pushover) procedures of FEMA 356 and ATC 40 provisions. To validate the analysis result, dynamic nonlinear time history analysis is also made. The comparison parameters include elastic stiffness, peak strength, target displacement, and plastic hinge formation patterns in the structures. The results display many similarities in the global and local performances of the structures. Despite these, some noteworthy discrepancies are also noted. Besides, the performance point analysis revealed a significant difference in target displacement that reflects the two codes’ demand spectrum essential disagreements, particularly for the period of vibration greater than 2.0’s. In conclusion, the study highlighted the beneficial aspects of both codes, which will be useful for the future studies.

Concrete is the most extensively utilized construction material globally and is increasingly used due to industrialization and urbanization. Currently, most scientists worldwide are concentrating their attention on effective strategies to adopt materials from large amounts of waste resources as a partial substitute for cement in concrete production due to scarcity of resources and continuous environmental pollution. In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted on the properties of concrete made from the partial replacement of cement by hybrid coffee husk ash (CHA) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). The study considered different percentages (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) of hybrid ash to assess the engineering properties of fresh and hardened concrete of C-20/25. A slump and compaction factor test was conducted to study the workability of fresh concrete. The study showed that, as the percentage of replacement increased from 0% to 15%, the workability of the concrete decreased up to 15.15%. In addition, compression, split tensile, and flexural tests were done on the 7th, 14th, and 28th days to investigate the properties of hardened concrete. Based on the test result, 10% of hybrid ash was the maximum percentage of replacement that showed a compressive and tensile strength greater than the target strength. Therefore, the study concludes that up to 10% replacement of cement by hybrid ash may be employed in concrete production, which in turn is used to minimize the cost of construction and environmental pollution by recycling waste coffee husk and sugarcane bagasse.

This study investigates the feasibility and structural performance of textile reinforced cement (TRC) stay-in-place (SiP) formwork designed as shear reinforcement for beam-column joints under monotonic loading through the nonlinear finite element package ABAQUS. This was achieved by conducting numerical analysis on 24 beam-column joints using different parameters that affect the joints’ performance, including column axial load ratio, concrete compressive strength, beam tensile reinforcement ratio, joint shear reinforcement ratio, and thickness of TRC. The models were first calibrated to the results obtained from the experimental program of previous studies. The start of the yielding behavior of the composite beam-column (73 kN) corresponds well to the conventional beam-column joint (72 kN). A similar correlation can be observed at the ultimate load with only a 3.7% difference, 84 kN in the case of the composite beam-column joint and 81 kN in the case of the conventional beam-column joint. The findings of this investigation showed that a beam-column with a full steel stirrup and TRC SiP formwork as shear reinforcement at the joint exhibits similar yielding behavior, such that TRC SiP formwork can replace the full steel stirrup at the joint, as proved by comparison analysis. Furthermore, the numerical analysis results due to the effect of these essential parameters on the structural performance of the beam-column with TRC SiP formwork at the joint were also discussed.