The author has been using computational mechanics and essentially the Finite Element Method to solve engineering problems for a very long time. During the last ten years he has focused his research interests towards the particular area of concrete, and concrete structures. He has identified mathematical and physical trends, attitudes and opinions and has analysed them critically with respect to their engineering validity, usefulness and practicality. He has developed his own critical hypotheses, on the performance of
reinforced concrete alone, or in combination with other structural materials and under both static and dynamic actions and has attempted to question and contest arguments generated by others in favour of implied limitations or „automatic‟ solutions. These ideas he has disseminated through peer reviewed scientific and engineering journals. The latter have been accepted by fellow academics and engineering practitioners and have helped to shape the development of this area of engineering and computational mechanics.
The papers representing the author‟s portfolio of evidence in this specialised field of Computational Mechanics have been supplemented by a number of additional articles. A number of them have been published in internationally prominent journals, or proceedings, or appeared in national conferences, workshops, lectures and presentations. Some have made a contribution to technical/scientific reviews and discussions in well-known journals, such as the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. All the above can be found in the author‟s CV submitted with this document. The author has also tried to pass the
knowledge gathered from his research to his students and other fellow academics by blending it with his lectures and publishing in pedagogical journals (Karadelis, 1998, 1999). As a consequence, this output has earned him a credible reputation as a research scholar specialising in the above mentioned field and has reserved a place for him in both, the academic and engineering practice communities.
Each of these studies, as analysed in the author‟s main portfolio of evidence, makes a considerable contribution in improving the understanding of reinforced concrete behaviour as a structural material. They also contribute significantly to the area of computer
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simulation of structures. The first paper provided an example of research that generated a robust numerical model that was firmly grounded in finite element analysis. This work was of significant practical value to engineering professionals, the public and the non-
destructive testing specialists. The next study was an important springboard in applied structural modelling work and a good example of successful numerical representation of a structural steel connection. This work improved the numerical image and behavioural accuracy of certain types of structures (plates, shells, beams).
The next two papers examined the under-researched area of reinforced concrete as a material, highlighted the advantages and drawbacks of all the state-of-the-art numerical representations and concluded by proposing a rigorous but practical numerical model for wider use. It was maintained that such a model may have a practical value, not only to the construction industry but also the research community. The novel experimental
investigation of grandstand terraces can be regarded as the stepping stone for further computational analysis of reinforced concrete structures. This investigation should have considerable practical value not only because of the resulting computational model but also for revising the design approach of these units.
The aforementioned experimental investigation led the author in developing a novel global numerical model for reinforced concrete. This innovative paper demonstrated that it is reasonable (and more realistic) to ignore the highly disputed descending part of the typical stress-strain performance curve of concrete (strain softening) and base the numerical model on its more realistic brittle behaviour. The last two papers exhibit a different characteristic to all previous studies as they concentrate on studying the basic dynamic (as opposed to static) behaviour of the same concrete terrace units mentioned earlier. These types of studies can be used as an aid for the design and construction of new structures that can be susceptible to vibrations. They explore rarely recognised problems of structural behaviour using specific methods and theories. They convey a message to fellow academics,
engineering analysts and specialists that experimental modal analysis alone may not adequately portray the dynamic properties of a structure.
Some of the papers constituting the author‟s auxiliary portfolio surfaced from commissions by the private industry to investigate particular aspects of their work in order to improve productivity (Karadelis & Brown, 2000), or by professional organisations (Chapman &
Karadelis, 1994) to study and report on construction markets abroad. A few papers
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disseminate the author‟s build-up research experience to teaching. They have been cited and viewed as very constructive and informative by peers and students (Karadelis, 1998).
Finally, several papers were spin-offs from a wider dissemination of his research through international conferences. Collectively, a strong case can be argued that all these papers have made a significant contribution to research in the UK engineering community in the area of Computational Mechanics.
The author hopes that the bulk of work presented above demonstrates his wider analytical and computational skills. The author has established and demonstrated an in-depth ability to research from within a designated area and through various studies. It is likely that he has made and presented a successful critical analysis based on his own material and other sources. He has applied successfully a range of research methodologies and has used the finite element method of analysis extensively to test both experimental and physical models. As a result, he has been able to develop some original approaches to data
modelling during this time. The conclusions of the various studies have provided insights and recommendations that have been useful to academics, engineering practitioners and students.
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Chapter 7