---

A framework for development of constitutive models including damage progress, based on semi-micromechanical aspects of plasticity is proposed for concrete. The model uses sub-loading surface with multilaminate framework to provide kinematics and isotropic hardening/softening in the ascending/descending branches of loading and can be able to keep stress/stain paths histories for each plane separately. State of stresses on planes is divided to four basic stress patterns i.e. pure compression, increasing compression-and shear, decreasing compression-shear and tension-shear and used in derivation of plasticity equations. Under this kind of categorized form the model is capable of predicting behavior of concrete under any stress/strain path such as uniaxial, biaxial and triaxial in the monotonic and cyclic loading, Also this model is capable of predicting the effects of principal stress/strain axes rotations and consequent plastic flow and has the potential to simulate the behavior of material with anisotropy, fabric pattern, slip/weak planes and crack opening/closing. The material parameters of model are calibrated by optimum fitting of the basic test data available in the literature. The model results under both monotonic and cyclic loading have been compared with experimental results to show capability of model.

---

Makran Subduction Zone (MSZ) offshore of Iran and Pakistan is one of the most tsunamigenic sources in the Indian Ocean. Historically, the MSZ has generated some tsunamigenic earthquakes like that of 28 November 1945 with the death tool of more than 4000 people along the coasts of Iran, Pakistan, India, and Oman. In this study, the tsunami hazard associated with the MSZ is investigated. At first, a review of historical tsunamis in the Indian Ocean basin was performed which reveals the Makran region has experienced al least 4 tsunamis including events of 326 BC, 1897, 1008, and 1945. Consequently, since the pattern and extent of vertical ground deformation from an earthquake determines whether or not a tsunami is formed, a computer program is developed to predict the seafloor deformation due to the earthquake occurrence in the MSZ. The model was verified through run of it on some actual tsunamis so far occurred. Then, using the data of the 1945 Makran tsunami, the seismic parameters of the MSZ were calibrated. Finally, we used the developed computer program to calculate seafloor deformation at the location of Makran subduction zone for several earthquake scenarios with moment magnitudes ranging between 6.5 and 8.5. The results of this research show that the risk of tsunami generation from MSZ can be classified into three main categories, as follows: (1) very little risk for tsunami generation in the case of the occurrence of an earthquake having magnitude up to 7 (2) little to medium risk for moment magnitudes ranging between 7 and 7.5 and (3) high risk for moment magnitude greater than 7.5. At the end of the paper, modeling of tsunami propagation is performed for an earthquake scenario with magnitude of 8 offshore Chabahar, in order to give preliminary information about tsunami behavior in this region.

---

In the current study, an effort is made to determine three dimensional bearing capacity of rectangular foundations using Discrete

Element Method. The soil mass is modeled as discrete blocks connected with Winkler springs. Different factors affect the geometry

of failure surface. Six independent angles are used to define the failure surface. By trial and error, the optimum shape of failure

surface beneath the foundation can be found. The paper includes the derivation of the governing equations for this DEM based

formulation in three dimensional state as well as parametric sensitivity analyses and comparison with other methods. Moreover,

using the current method, bearing capacity coefficients are presented for various friction angles and foundation aspect ratios.

---

The use of geotextiles to postpone reflective cracks in asphalt overlay is a popular practice, so researchers are eager to calculate its structural value. This research study has focused on this issue for geotextiles used in the roads of Iran. Twelve sections from the Tehran-Qom road were tested each examined before and after construction of the overlay. The tests were of the Falling Weight Deflectometer type, and at least twelve tests were conducted each time. The data from five sections (four for developing the model and one for evaluating the output) allowed a new mathematical model to be developed. For the seven remaining sections, some foreign and Iranian geotextiles were used as interlayers. The mean structural value for all of the geotextiles was equivalent to that of a 2.92 cm-thick Hot Mix Asphalt overlay, while that for only the Iranian sections was equivalent to 2.28 cm. Economic evaluations, based on construction costs, showed that in 2011 the use of geotextiles was economical in Iran, because fuel and bitumen subsidies had been eliminated and different geotextile brands had been brought to market in the country.

---

In saturated soils, heating induces thermal expansion of both grains and the pore fluid. Lower thermal expansion coefficient of aggregates results in the increase of pore pressure and reduction of the effective stress besides subsequent volume changes due to the dissipation of pore pressure and heat transfer. Dissipation of thermally induced pore pressure with time is a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) phenomenon, involving gradients of pore pressure and temperature, hydraulic and thermal flows within the mass of soil and changes in the mechanical properties with temperature. The objective of this paper is presentation of a numerical method to determine the effect of temperature on consolidation of clays. In this regard, the finite element code, PISA is used for one dimensional THM analysis of porous media. The analysis performed using both linear elastic and elastoplastic Cam clay models. Modified Cam clay model was applied in elastoplastic analysis. Variation of temperature, displacements and pore pressure determined with time and compared with numerical solutions of other researchers. Also it was indicated that implementation of coupled THM analysis yields better results for displacements compared to the hydro mechanical (HM) one. Application of elastoplastic constitutive model instead of linear elastic one indicated that preconsolidation pressure has an important effect on results of analysis.

---

Due to the heterogeneous nature of granular soils and the involvement of many effective parameters in the geotechnical behavior of soil-foundation systems, the accurate prediction of shallow foundation settlements on cohesionless soils is a complex engineering problem. In this study, three new evolutionary-based techniques, including evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR), classical genetic programming (GP), and gene expression programming (GEP), are utilized to obtain more accurate predictive settlement models. The models are developed using a large databank of standard penetration test (SPT)-based case histories. The values obtained from the new models are compared with those of the most precise models that have been previously proposed by researchers. The results show that the new EPR and GP-based models are able to predict the foundation settlement on cohesionless soils under the described conditions with R2 values higher than 87%. The artificial neural networks (ANNs) and genetic programming (GP)-based models obtained from the literature, have R2 values of about 85% and 83%, respectively which are higher than 80% for the GEP-based model. A subsequent comprehensive parametric study is further carried out to evaluate the sensitivity of the foundation settlement to the effective input parameters. The comparison results prove that the new EPR and GP-based models are the most accurate models. In this study, the feasibility of the EPR, GP and GEP approaches in finding solutions for highly nonlinear problems such as settlement of shallow foundations on granular soils is also clearly illustrated. The developed models are quite simple and straightforward and can be used reliably for routine design practice.

---

The study has been developed a qualitative System Dynamics model to measure sustainability performance of construction project, considering contractors’ tendency to productivity. Construction contractors do not have a clear understanding of sustainability especially in developing countries. However, they welcome higher productivity as a determinant parameter in scheduling and financial success of construction project. Therefore, construction productivity improvement can be employed as an incentive to persuade contractors for implementing sustainability mechanisms in construction project. Sustainability performance has been examined in three aspects of economic, social and environmental by introducing different subsystems and feedback loops. These loops are based on the causal links among the factors affecting construction sustainability and productivity. The findings provide a proper basis for both practitioners and researchers through illustrating the cohesion between productivity and sustainability.