Enclosure to SBK-L-12129

Seabrook Station

ASR at Seabrook Station - Shear and Lap Splice Testing
Page 1 of 9
ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

MARCH 15, 2012

OGUZHAN BAYRAK, PH.D., P.E.

DIRECTOR, FSEL

BAYRAK@MAIL.UTEXAS.EDU

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

10100 BURNET ROAD, BUILDING 177

AUSTIN, TEXAS USA 78758

512.471.3062 TEL

512.471.1944 FAX
ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 IN T RO D U CT IO N ................................................................................................................... 1

2 SCOPE OF SHEAR TEST PROGRAM ................................................................................. 1

3 SCOPE OF LAP SPLICE TEST PROGRAM ........................................................................... 2

4 RESEARCH M ETHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 3

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

1 INTRODUCTION

Evaluation and literature review efforts conducted to date have led MPR associates and Dr. Oguzhan

Bayrak to conclude that a well-substantiated assessment of the safety-related structures is not possible

without additional test data. Data currently available within the literature are generally limited and/or

lack relevance to the structural details of Seabrook Station.

The test programs proposed below will provide the data and insights necessary to establish the current

and future implications of ASR deterioration within the most vulnerable structural details of Seabrook

Station. Specifically, the Shear Test Program (STP) and Lap Splice Test Program (LSTP) will elucidate the

effects of ASR with regards to the out-of-plane shear strength of, and lap splice development within,

walls without transverse reinforcement. The use of representative scale and materials will ensure that

data collected during each of the test programs will be directly applicable to the assessment and

management of safety-related structures at Seabrook Station.

Due to similarities in the specimen geometry and test methods, the Shear Test Program and Lap Splice

Test Program will be successfully completed in parallel. Descriptions of the test programs are provided

below and are followed by a discussion regarding the research methodology common to both test

programs (i.e. fabricate, condition, and test).

2 SCOPE OF SHEAR TEST PROGRAM (SPT)

A total of nine (9) reinforced concrete beams will be fabricated to study the effects of ASR on the out-ofplane shear performance of walls found within the B Electrical Tunnel of Seabrook Station. The purpose

of each of the nine specimens is outlined below.

" Control I Establishment of Baseline Shear Performance I One (1) Specimen: One of the

nine beams will be tested to (i) obtain the baseline (undamaged) shear performance of

the fully configured specimen and (ii) provide an indication of the margin that exists

between the actual (experimentally-determined) strength of the structural wall and the

calculated strength by using relevant provisions of ACI 318.

" Series I I Assessment of Current and Long-Term Degradation I Four (4) Specimens:

Three of the nine beams will be tested to assess the degradation of shear performance

at three different levels of ASR deterioration. The first beam will be tested when the

severity of the ASR deterioration is representative of the current state of the walls

found within the B Electrical Tunnel. Subsequent tests will be conducted at increasing

levels of deterioration. The fourth specimen will serve as a spare and testing will be

contingent of the results of the other Series I specimens.

" Series II I Assessment of Wall Retrofit Techniques I Four (4) Specimens: Three of the

nine beams will be tested to assess the efficacy of retrofit techniques (to be

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY I
F E ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

determined) in enhancement of the out-of-plane shear capacity. The retrofit techniques

and level(s) of deterioration to be assessed within the three tests will be dependent on

the results of the unmodified specimens. The fourth specimen will serve as a spare and

testing will be contingent on the results of the other Series II specimens.

The general layout of a specimen for the Shear Test Program is shown in Figure 1. The specimen scale is

equivalent to the scale of the walls found within the B Electrical Tunnel. The reinforcement pattern will

be designed and detailed to: (i) represent the lack of through-thickness reinforcement within the walls

of the B Electrical Tunnel and (ii) enable focused study of unreinforced shear behavior at various levels

of ASR degradation.

Reinforcement Mats

l4 L1

Applied Load TBDI

2 Test Region

Support Reaction Support Reaction

'1o NJ0 "

3T-2" 21'-4" T-2"

Figure 1: General Layout of Shear Test Specimen

3 SCOPE OF LAP SPLICE TEST PROGRAM (LSTP)

A total of nine (9) reinforced concrete beams will be fabricated to study the effects of ASR on the lap

splice development within the walls of the B Electrical Tunnel of Seabrook Station. The purpose of each

of the nine specimens is outlined below.

Control I Establishment of Baseline Lap Splice Performance I One (1) Specimen: One

of the nine beams will be tested to (i) obtain the baseline (undamaged) lap splice

performance of the fully configured specimen and (ii) provide an indication of the

margin that exists between the actual (experimentally-determined) strength of the

structural wall and the calculated strength by using relevant provisions of ACI 318.

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 2
FSEL ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

" Series I I Assessment of Current and Long-Term Degradation I Four (4) Specimens:

Three of the nine beams will be tested to assess the degradation of lap splice

performance at three different levels of ASR deterioration. The first beam will be tested

when the severity of the ASR deterioration is representative of the current state of the

walls found within the B Electrical Tunnel. Subsequent tests will be conducted at

increasing levels of deterioration. The fourth specimen will serve as a spare and testing

will be contingent of the results of the other Series I specimens.

" Series II I Assessment of Wall Retrofit Techniques I Four (4) Specimens: Three of the

nine beams will be tested to assess the efficacy of retrofit techniques (to be

determined) in enhancement of the lap splice performance. The retrofit techniques and

level(s) of deterioration to be assessed within the three tests will be dependent on the

results of the unmodified specimens. The fourth specimen will serve as a spare and

testing will be contingent on the results of the other Series II specimens.

The general layout of a specimen for the Lap Splice Test Program is shown in Figure 2. The specimen

geometry is equivalent to the Shear Test Program and the scale of the walls found within the B Electrical

Tunnel. The reinforcement pattern will be designed and detailed to: (i) represent the lack of throughthickness reinforcement within the walls of the B Electrical Tunnel and (ii) enable focused study of lap

splice behavior at various levels of ASR degradation. With regards to the second criteria, it will be

necessary to provide transverse reinforcement at the specimen ends to preclude the premature shear

failures and enforce lap splice failure within the constant moment region (i.e. center of the specimen).

01 I01

TBD Applied Loads TBD

Support Reaction Support Reaction

I4 0lo pill 0I

21'-4" 3'-2"

Figure 2: General Layout of Lap Splice Specimen

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 3
ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Each test program will feature distinct reinforcement details and testing configurations, but will

otherwise adhere to the same workflow: fabrication, conditioning, and structural testing.

Procedures for specimen fabrication will build upon techniques successfully implemented during ASRrelated studies at Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory. Trial batching will be conducted to

develop a concrete mixture that is well-suited to the objectives of the current program. In particular, the

final concrete mixture will: (i) rapidly generate ASR damage similar to, and in excess of, that found

within the walls of the B Electrical Tunnel, and (ii) result in hardened mechanical performance that is

representative of the concrete placed within the B Electrical Tunnel.

All specimens, with the exception of the control beams, will be stored outside of FSEL and subjected to

wetting-and-drying cycles to exacerbate/accelerate the ASR deterioration. The time-dependent severity

of the ASR deterioration will be characterized by two separate methods. The severity of cracking within

the cover concrete will be established through visual inspections and indexing methods. The severity of

ASR-related dimensional expansions will be independently recorded by means of reference pins

embedded within the. structural core of each member. Large-scale shear or lap splice testing will

commence when a suitable amount of ASR deterioration has developed. The means of large-scale shear

testing at Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory are outlined within the sections below.

4.1 LARGE-SCALE BEAM TEST FACILITY

Static loading of each specimen will be conducted within the Large-Scale Beam Testing Facility. Hydraulic

ram(s), supported by the strong floor of the testing facility, will exert an upward force at the desired

location(s). Simple supports will be provided at the two large steel plate girders (i.e. transfer beams) and

high strength threaded rods will transfer the specimen reactions to the floor. The configuration of the

test frame for the Shear Test Program is illustrated in Figure 3 through Figure 5. Shear-dominated and

flexure-dominated specimens have been successfully tested within the Large-Scale Beam Testing

Facility, as illustrated in Figure 6 and Figure 7.

A well-defined, simply-supported testing condition will be created by the installation of roller and pin

assemblies at the load(s) and support points; respectively. To permit free rotation and translation at the

applied load(s), a three-inch diameter steel bar will be allowed to roll freely between a pair of four-inch

thick steel plates. Rotations will be similarly released at each support through the use of two-inch

diameter steel bars and two-inch thick steel plates. Axial restraint of the specimens will be limited by the

lateral flexibility of the threaded rods at each support.

Each of the specimens will be monotonically loaded to failure in increments equal to approximately onetenth of the full load-carrying capacity. Structural cracking and other forms of structural distress will be

identified and noted between each of the load steps. Photographs of the test region will be used to

document the propagation of cracks and the final failure mode will be documented on a video camera.

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 4
'1

0

z

C

CA

2

z

0,

0

m

z

F-

__q

IG)

-I

M

0,

0

0

0

Figure 3: Large-Scale Beam Test Facility for STP, Elevation View
C

0

z 3" Diameter

Threaded Rod

Load Cell

C

z Transfer Beam

rn- •~ MO

z0

Roller Assemblies pecimen

and Bearing Plates --I

0 Hydraulicz SRam G

Steel Spacer A

Strong Floor

L I

Figure 4: Large-Scale Beam Test Facility, End View

a)I
MC0zCCMzz00

'.1m

I-z

(A

F-)

--I

z

00z

Strong Floor

Figure 5: Large-Scale Beam Test Facility for STP, Plan View
"nM

0

z

z

CA)

z

0

'1

m

IM

V/)

--I

m

-_4

z

G~)

-o

0

0

0

z

Figure 6: Large-Scale Beam Test Facility Configured for Shear-Dominated Testing
"n

0

2

z

0

0

-n

m

Iz

IM

m)

0

0

U,

Figure 7: Large-Scale Beam Test Facility Configured for Flexure-Dominated Testing

I
ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

4.2 INSTRUMENTATION AND DATA ACQUISITION

A comprehensive set of instrumentation (Figure 8) will be utilized to capture the data necessary to

uniquely characterize the behavior of each specimen. Comparison of the measurements and

observations made during the control and damage specimen tests will be vital to identifying the

implications of ASR deterioration.

Each of the transducers described below will be wired to bridge completion modules and then

interrogated via a 120-channel scanner. The voltage output will be converted into valid engineering data

via predetermined calibration factors. A computer with necessary software installations will allow

storage and visualization of data in real time. Layouts of the instrumentation for the shear and lap splice

test programs are shown in Figure 9.

The reaction at each support will be measured by a set of four load cells. As shown in Figure 8A and

Figure 9, the center-hole load cells will be individually placed over each high-strength rod. The reaction

nuts and transfer nuts will be leveled prior to applying load to ensure an even distribution of the load

among the rods (and corresponding force transducers).

To monitor the displacements, multiple displacement transducers will be positioned along the bottom

side of each specimen. Displacements measured at the centerline, load point(s), and each support will

be used to isolate the deflection of the specimen. The location of each displacement transducer is

illustrated within Figure 9. Typical installation of a displacement transducer is illustrated in Figure 8B.

Figure 8: Instrumentation (A) Load Cells (B) Displacement Transducer

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 10
FSEL ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

LLoad Cells Load Cells

j

Test

Region

_••~Displaceu ment

Load Cells Load Cells

Test _

Region

Displacement' I

Transducers

I-I~

Figure 9: General Instrumentation Layout (A) Shear Test Program (B) Lap Splice Test Program

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 11
ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

4.3 POST-TEST ANALYSES: DESIGN MARGIN

Within the context of the Shear Test Program, testing of a control specimen (free from ASR

deterioration) will provide an indication of the margin that exists between the in-situ strength of the

tunnel walls and the shear capacity calculated by application of ACI 318 Eq. 11-3 (Vc=2,/fbwd ). In

reference to the control test outcome, the design margin will be inferred from a comparison of the

maximum shear carried by the test region (Vtest) and the calculated shear capacity (VJ).

A comparison of this nature is justified given the similarities that exist between the proposed test

program and the empirical bases of ACI 318 Eq. 11-3. More specifically, ACI 318 Eq. 11-3 was derived by

ACI Committee 326 (1962) on the basis of test data collected from simply supported shear tests

equivalent to the tests proposed here.

Post-test analysis will be necessary to determine the maximum shear carried by the test region, Vtest.

Figure 10 includes the free-body diagram and equations necessary to calculate the full shear force at the

critical section. The critical section will be defined at the center of the test region under consideration. It

should be noted that the near reaction (RA) will be taken as the sum of the load cell measurements at

that support.

Support

Reaction

J-WLRA = (1-a) P,

4 i 1 A 4_.i .. ý_ 4 4_.i ._ý. _1 7.1 ; ;7_AA.ýWDLýA 4

+ WD(L + 2 LA)

(1a)14 (1-a)L aL

-r P'14

LA L Critical Section LLA

aL/2

Vtest = R + WDL(LA+ aL/2)

Figure 10: Shear Force Diagram for a Typical Shear Test

Similar analyses can and will be completed for tests conducted under the auspices of the Lap Splice

Testing Program. It should be noted that a well-developed lap splice should enable full utilization of the

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 12
FSEL ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

reinforced concrete member in flexure. In reference to the control test outcome, the design margin will

be inferred from a comparison of the maximum moment carried by the member (Mtest) and the flexural

capacity (M,) calculated according to the provisions of ACI 318.

4.4 POST-TEST ANALYSES: FLEXURAL STIFFNESS

Analysis of the load-deflection responses of both shear and lap splice specimens, with and without

deterioration, will provide an indication of ASR-related changes in flexural stiffness. As shown in Figure

11, the flexural stiffness (k) of a given member may be inferred from the linear-elastic portion of the

load-deflection response. The flexural stiffness of each specimen, control and ASR-affected alike, will be

determined in this manner. Comparison of the values will thereby enable a quantitative assessment of

the ASR-related changes in flexural stiffness.

P k-ABEAM

a-"

kASR

0.

kCONTROL

Deflection, ABEAM

Figure 11: Comparison of Load-Deflection Responses

It should be noted that post-test analysis of the shear test data will be necessary to determine the

deflection of the specimen at the load point, ABEAM. Rigid body displacement of the specimen at both

supports (

6 NEAR and 6 FAR) will be factored out of the displacement measured at the load point (

6 LOAD) as

shown in Figure 12. Response of the lap splice specimens will likely be characterized by the

displacement at the centerline; similar analyses will be conducted to factor out rigid body displacement

of the specimen.

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 13
FSEL ASR AT SEABROOK STATION

SHEAR AND LAP SPLICE TESTING

Support

Reaction

ABEAM - 8LOAD - AS

Support

Reaction

As = 6 FAR + (1-a)(6 NEAR- 6 FAR)

"3

8FAR{

6 NEAR

6 = recorded displacement

A = calculated displacement

1

Applied Load

,I, -1

(1-a)L aL

Figure 12: Calculation of Specimen Displacements and Deformations

FERGUSON STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 14