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An extended finite element method (XFEM) for fracture problem within the finite element software ABAQUS is adopted in order to investigate the mechanical properties and fracture behaviour of RPC material. The RPC materials observed are plain RPC of 0% and steel fiber RPC (SFRPC) of 2% volume fraction. Single edge notch three-point bending (TPB) tests of RPC materials are performed. The mechanical properties of RPC with respect to single edge notch TPB test, i.e. tensile stress, CMOD, and fracture energy obtained from experiment are then compared to those obtained from numerical analysis. A good agreement is observed between the experimental and numerical results.

The dynamic increase factor phenomenon occurred in both tested materials, soft wood and hard wood, with the stresses rising with an increase of the strain rate.  The dynamic increase factors of spruce wood in the longitudinal, tangential, and radial direction were obtained.  The dynamic increase factors of teak wood in the longitudinal and radial direction were obtained.  The parameters applied in the numerical simulation using LS-Dyna for the SHPB rods, the tested wood materials and the contacts in the experiments conducted were satisfactory.

A finite element study carried out using LS DYNA and aimed to simulate the monotonic pull-out test of deformed steel rebar embedded in concrete is presented in this paper. Three models of the interface between deformed steel rebar and well-confined concrete, i.e. perfect bond model and two bond-slip models are observed and compared. Bond stress-slip response and rebar stress-slip response obtained numerically are validated with experimental data and empirical equations available from the literature. The full bond model overestimates the response, providing higher rebar stress. In the bond-slip models, good agreement is observed between numerical and experimental bond stress and rebar Stress–slip responses. The empirical equation of bond-slip proposed by Murcia-Delso and Shing (2014) is found to overestimate the peak bond stress.

Indonesia is an earthquake-prone country. In many earthquakes, the housing sector suffers the most damage. Repairing and rebuilding houses is often the most expensive part of post-disaster recovery, placing a burden on the government. Standards and guidelines for earthquake-resilient houses exist, yet houses continue to be damaged in earthquake events. Although Indonesia has numerous engineers, both experienced and newly qualified, only a few are interested in pursuing and identifying affordable solutions to the housing problems caused by earthquakes that are sustainable and resilient. Moreover, people are unaware of and unable to implement the proposed and promoted solutions. With many people living in earthquake-prone areas with little access to affordable and appropriate technology, the challenge facing Indonesia today is to produce more engineers who have the level of sensitivity, empathy, and passion required to address this great humanitarian need. The promotion of humanitarian engineering to provide appropriate solutions must start early on in higher engineering education.