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of concrete ground-supported slabs containing fibres, both steel and synthetic, as an alternative to mesh reinforcement. This work reports on tests carried out at different critical loading locations, including the centre, edges and corners of a 6.0 × 6.0 × 0.15 m deep plain concrete slab. The test results are compared with theoretical values derived using available design codes and other information sources. The results show a notable difference between the test results and the theoretical values.

This paper confirms that the structural behaviour of groundsupported slabs is a non-linear function of the structural properties of slabs as well as the supporting soil. The findings reported emphasize that the suggested equations used in design codes pay insufficient attention to the effect of the supporting ground stiffness within the context of the mechanical behaviour of slabs as far as ductility is concerned. The results presented demonstrate that ground stiffness has a significant effect on the ductility of ground-supported slabs. It also pays particular attention to the possibility of determining the ductility limit of slabs.

The main objective of this investigation is to provide an alternative method for the damage detection and assessment of bridge structures based on comparisons between finite element (FE) modelling/analysis and field data. The field data reported in this paper refers to the use of a non-destructive structural testing method (IBIS-S sensor system -displacement IntroductionFinite element (FE) models usually need calibration to conform to experimental data. It is important to emphasize that establishing the difference between calibration and correlation is one of the objectives of this investigation. The correlation process makes the FE model more accurate so that it can be synchronized with experimental data. In this process, the actual condition of the structure under investigation, with observed defects such as cracks and structural deformations (internally as well as externally), is introduced into the developed FE model in order to correlate it with the actual structure, in this particular case a bridge. The actual behaviour of structures can rarely be predicted, even using FE methods. Numerous factors such as age, degradation of materials, corrosion and cracking can cause disparity between the results of an ideal FE model and the actual behaviour of the structure. Extensive research has been performed for the case of damage detection/identification in bridge structures [1]. Some of these investigations apply analytical methods [2,3] and others use non-destructive measurement methods. But a combination of analytical modelling with experimental data collection [4,5] has always provided the best results. In this investigation, the authors have tried to eliminate the difference between the actual field data and the results of the analytical models by introducing the sources of these disparities into the FE models. This is called "correlation". It is believed that this will provide an opportunity to develop reliable FE models that are capable of predicting the actual behaviour of a structure.The science of fracture mechanics has now branched into diverse state-of-the-art topics investigated by a wide variety of scientific specialists, with investigation results being applied to a broad range of problems [6]. These invaluable findings provide a foundation on which new software can be developed, capable of solving problems such as stress concentration in a cracked surface in a fraction of a second [7].The structure under investigation in this study is a four-span simply supported concrete deck bridge structure, the Pentagon Road Bridge (Fig. 1), which has carried an access road from Rope Walk to the Pentagon Shopping Centre since 1975.The Pentagon Road Bridge consists of four spans, as shown in Fig. 2, supported on abutments at the extreme ends of the bridge and three intermediate piers. Starting