Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

One of the key issues in the design of concrete liquid containing structures (CLCS) is their crackingx000D
characteristics and its relation to the liquid leakage. A consistent knowledge on this matter is essential to ensurex000D
if the serviceability requirements are met. The previous research conducted in this area is very limited. Most ofx000D
the available literature is focused on the leakage behavior of typical beam sections made of normal concretex000D
under simple static loading. The lack of empirical data on the permeability behavior of slab or wall sectionsx000D
made of smart material under combinations of loadings is felt in the literature. This study intends to addressx000D
this issue both analytically, using the non-linear finite element (FE) analysis and experimentally, measuring thex000D
leakage rate in the loaded specimens under pressurized water as a function of the crack conditions and time.x000D
The issue is of particular significance for CLCS used in lifeline facility capacities such as in municipal waterx000D
supply, sewage treatment, firefighting, nuclear industry, etc. In such applications, due to functionality reasons,x000D
crack and leakage control is the main concern and an uncontrolled cracking could lead to irreparablex000D
consequences. The major issue to be emphasized in this research is the development of cracks leading tox000D
uncontrollable leakage in the vulnerable regions of the containment walls due to different loading applicationsx000D
including seismic. Current design codes do not address this issue adequately and it is left to design engineers tox000D
conservatively consider it in their design, thus necessitating a more detailed and focused investigation. Thex000D
main objective of this research is to assess and compare the performance of self-healing ECC (Engineeredx000D
Cementitious Composites) and normal concrete material in controlling the crack/leakage in CLCS in an effortx000D
to achieve the most desired water tightness characteristics in this type of structures. In this relation, it isx000D
proposed that various loading types and stress combinations be induced in specimens representing a reinforcedx000D
container wall and their water-tightness behavior be examined then.