A PROPOSAL FOR DYNAMIC BENCH-MARKING AND CERTIFICATION OF REINFORCED CONCRETE ELEMENTS IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF SEISMIC AND OTHER TRANSIENT LOADING ACTIVITIES

A Method has been devised to bench-mark the suitability of use of reinforced concrete structural components subjected to routine dynamic loads. The method consists of loading a reinforced concrete beam with both extremities "rigidly" fixed. The central force applied could take the form of any periodic specified load history. It is then possible to predict the deformation characteristics of the system easily, under simplified loading conditions. The expected solution could be predicted by the engineer-incharge and communicated to the laboratory staff. If routinely carried out, the test can become an authorization exercise by the laboratory staff who could simply note the production batch which satisfy the national or regional codes of practice, as certifiable structural elements. Hence, by setting the ground rules based on locally available materials and workforce, samples of beams could be cast in-situ and transported a short distance for the bench-marking to be carried out. Two indicators are proposed for quality assessment of materials (QUAILS) and workmanship (QUASI) which can set minimum standards for acceptability of structrual components in earthquake zones. The testing, behaviour identification and quality auditing, have been carried out on beams of various length and sectional properties. The success and the simplicity of the method exceeded that which was hoped at the outset of the project.