This study shows the results of the investigation of the strength performance, and residual strength of a single component inorganic binder
system Cast Clean S27®. The study was conducted using three different foundry sand sources in South Africa. Sample A is an alluvial
coastal sample, sample B is an alluvial riverbed sample and Sample C is a blasted sample from a consolidated quartzite rock. The binder
was also cured using three different curing mechanisms. The aim of the investigation was to determine the variation of strength
performance and residual strength between the different South African sand sources based upon the physical and chemical properties of
the sand sources. The moulding sand was prepared using three possible curing mechanisms which are carbon dioxide curing, ester curing
and heat curing. The strength measurements were determined by bending strength. Sample A and sample C sand had good strength
development. Sample B sand had inferior strength development and excellent high temperature residual strength. The study showed that
the single component inorganic binders have good strength development and low residual strength. The silica sand properties have major
contributing factors on both strength development and residual strength. The degree of influence of silica sand properties on strength
performance and residual strength is dependent on the time of curing and method of curing.
In order to investigate the progressive collapse performance of steel open-web sandwich plate structure, the sensitivity index and the importance coefficient of the bars are analyzed by the alternate path method. The condition that the model has perimeter supports with different parameters shows the result that: the redundancy index of structure increases at the structural edge, and the redundancy index will be reduced to changing degrees at the middle structure, when the stiffness of higher ribs increases. The redundancy index has little change, when the stiffness of lower ribs or shear keys increases. The sensitivity index of the shear keys dropped significantly, but the sensitivity index of the higher ribs and lower ribs increase, when the span to depth ratio increases. The sensitivity index of the higher ribs in L1 line increases significantly, when the span to depth ratio declines. So it is advisable to strengthen the higher ribs to avoid excessive sensitivity of ribs, when the span to depth ratio declines.