FRP (fiber-reinforced composite) is generally regarded as the repair and enhancement material for existing concrete structures in extreme service environments such as high temperatures or fire exposure. In order to reveal the effect of high temperatures (i.e., thermal load) on the interfacial debonding behavior of a FRP-strengthened concrete beam, the novel closed-form analytical model was established and validated while considering the interfacial bond-slip constitutive. Based on the analytical model, solutions to the distributions of interfacial slip, interfacial shear stress, and debonding load were derived. Moreover, the effects of temperature variations and the FRP’s bonded thickness and length on interfacial bond behavior were also evaluated. The results indicated that the increase in temperature variations accelerated the development trends of interfacial slip and shear stress, where the affected range was mainly concentrated in the bonded plate end. The relationship between temperature variations and debonding loads presented a changing linear trend, and a prediction model for the debonding load was also proposed. Meanwhile, the increase in the FRP’s bonded thickness decreased the bond performance and accelerated the degradation trend of the debonding load. However, the increase in FRP’s bonded length improved the bearing capacity of the FRP-strengthened concrete beam. This paper provides meaningful guidelines for the sustainable design and construction of FRP-strengthened concrete structures in high-temperature environments.

A large-scale series of cyclic triaxial tests were conducted to explore the evolution of the dynamic resilient modulus of silty clay for the heavy-haul railway subgrade. A novel loading sequence for measuring the dynamic resilient modulus was established, which characterized the dynamic stress state of the subgrade induced by the heavy-haul train load. In the experimental investigation, the deviatoric stresses, confining stress, initial moisture content, and compaction degree were considered as variables, and the effects of the aforementioned variables were evaluated quantitatively. The experimental results showed that the dynamic resilient modulus was negatively related to deviatoric stresses and initial moisture content, where the average decreased rates were 14.65% and 27.79% with the increase in deviatoric stresses from 60 kPa to 150 kPa and increase in the initial moisture content from 9.8% to 15.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the dynamic resilient modulus was positively related to confining stress and compaction degree, where the average increased rates were 23.25% and 27.48% with the increase in confining stress from 20 kPa to 60 kPa and increase in compaction degree from 0.91 to 0.95. To provide a better application, the two high-accuracy predicted methods were established through the empirical model and artificial neural network approach including the aforementioned variables. This study can provide useful guidelines for the effective and safe design of the heavy-haul railway subgrade filled with silty clay.

The shakedown state of the subgrade is crucial for the sustainable design and long-term stability evaluation of pavement structures. In order to characterize the plastic deformation and shakedown behavior of subgrade soil in seasonal frozen regions, cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on the thawed subgrade soil after seven cycles of freeze-thaw. The influences of the numbers of cycle loading, the amplitude of cyclic deviator stress, and the confining stress were considered variables. The evolution features of accumulative plastic strain, accumulative plastic strain rate, and critical dynamic stress were experimentally analyzed. Based on the shakedown theory, the ensuing discoveries were that the accumulative plastic strain response-behavior of thawed subgrade soil was typically divided into plastic shakedown, plastic creep, and incremental collapse under the long-term cyclic loading. Furthermore, the shakedown standard for thawed subgrade soil was also proposed based on the evolution of the accumulative plastic strain rate. The critical dynamic stresses can be obtained by the proposal formula to determine the different plastic deformation ranges.

This study aims to solve the problems of the high carbon emissions, poor compatibility, and insufficient storage stability of conventional polymer–modified bitumen (PMB). A novel High–Modulus Polyurethane Prepolymer (HM–PU) bitumen modifier was independently prepared to explore its modification effect and optimal application parameters. Experimental results show that the optimal isocyanate group (NCO) content and dosage of the HM–PU modifier are both 5%. The thermal stability and high– and low–temperature performance of modified bitumen are significantly enhanced, and HM–PU exhibits excellent compatibility with base bitumen (BA). This work innovatively synthesizes the HM–PU modifier and clarifies its physicochemical modification mechanism via macroscopic performance tests, thermal analysis, and microscopic characterization, providing a new strategy for the development and application of eco–friendly bitumen modifiers.