Strengthening of RC beams with an innovative timber-FRP composite system

The results of a theoretical and experimental research project on the use of an innovative technique for strengthening concrete beams are presented. A spacer element is inserted between the tension side of a beam and the composite material to increase its lever arm and to enhance the over all stiffness of the strengthened beam. The main aim of this exploratory project was to increase the ultimate failure load of strengthened beam specimens, whilst guaranteeing acceptable over all deflections at the serviceability limit states. This resulted into a significant reduction in the amount of FPR required and in a better utilization of the materials employed. A preliminary theoretical study was carried out to investigate the effect of Young’s modulus, failure strain, and thickness of the element to be used as a spacer in order to determine the best possible candidate material. Three tests on 2.5-m-long beams were carried out, and different anchorage techniques were used to try and prevent the debonding of the strengthening system. The results from this pilot study are very promising, as the strengthening system ensures an adequate initial stiffness along with an improved ultimate flexural capacity. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 403–416, May–June, 2008.     

Simultaneously Boosting Toughness and Tensile Strength for Polyamide 6/montmorillonite Nanocomposite by a Pressure-Induced Flow Field

Nanocomposites of polymers and montmorillonite (MMT) represent a type of important hybrid material. However, unlike in some natural hybrid materials where much improved mechanical properties are achieved by an ordered assembly (layered, sheet-like or fibrous morphology) of complementary hard and soft components on nano- and microscopic scales, the exfoliated MMT nano-sheets are generally randomly dispersed in bulk polymeric matrices. In this paper we utilized a pressure-induced flow (PIF) field to orient MMT nano-sheets and generate stratified morphologies in polyamide 6 (PA6)/MMT nanocomposite bulk material. The toughness and tensile strength can be simultaneously increased. In particular, the impact strength increased up to 10 fold higher than the same material obtained by conventional processing methods. The mechanism for enhancement could be the confinement of crack propagations and the tortuous energy dissipating paths, which are attributed to the oriented MMT and the anisotropic hierarchical morphologies formed during PIF-processing.     

压缩-剪切复合应力下PMMA材料的静态力学特性研究

通过压缩具有一定倾斜角(0°,10°,15°,20°和25°)试件和双剪切模型试件,实现了单轴压缩、压缩-剪切复合应力以及纯剪切三种应力状态,得到PMMA(聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯)在相应应力状态下的应力-应变曲线,同时对不同应力状态下试件的破坏模式进行了分析。结果表明:在不同受力环境中材料的强度和破坏的机理不同;同单轴压缩状态下相比,材料在压缩-剪切复合应力状态下屈服极限、强度极限以及破坏应变均不同程度的增大,呈现明显的"剪切增强"现象。单轴压缩与压缩-剪切应力状态下试件的破坏模式均为在试件短对角面上出现明显的剪切屈服带,由应力分析得出试件剪应力在短对角面上达到最大,引起在此平面上分子链间滑动从而产生应变软化形成剪切屈服带;双剪切试件的破坏模式为与剪切面呈45°的斜面。     

Molecular dynamic studies of the interaction of a/6⟨112⟩ Shockley dislocations with stacking fault tetrahedra in copper. Part II: Intersection of stacking fault tetrahedra by moving twin boundaries

The interactions of moving twin boundaries with stacking fault tetrahedra (SFTs) have been studied by molecular dynamics. The results reveal a spectrum of processes occurring during these interactions. In general, they lead to damage of the parent SFT and formation of new defects in the twin lattice. The character of these defects depends on the nature of the twinning front, the size of the SFT and its orientation with respect to incoming dislocations. Typical structures that may be produced in the twin include product-SFTs, free vacancies, planar stacking faults bounded by partial dislocations, mutually linked stacking faults on non-coplanar {111} _T planes, small {111} _T tetrahedra and their partial forms. Dislocation mechanisms involved in the formation of these defects are being analyzed.     

Mechanical strengthening of TMOS-based alcogels by aging in silane solutions

It has been shown that aging of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)-based alcogels in solutions of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)/methanol (MeOH) provides new monomers to the alcogel and favorably increases the strength and stiffness of the alcogel and hence reduces the shrinkage during the subsequent drying. Load relaxation experiments have been performed to determine the shear modulus (G), Poisson's ratio (), and the permeability of wet gel rods as a function of aging time in the TEOS/MeOH solution. The modulus of rupture (MOR) and G have also been obtained from 3-point bending tests. Aging the gels in 70 vol% TEOS/MeOH causes an increase in G from 0.48 MPa to 1.8 MPa and 7.4 MPa after aging for 24 hours and 144 hours, respectively.It is shown that the drying stress is actually increased by the aging treatment, but the increase in strength of the gel is even greater; hence, strengthening of the alcogels dramatically reduces the probability of cracking during drying. Unaged gels with higher TMOS concentrations corresponding to the silica content of gels aged in TEOS solution, however, showed large shrinkage and severe cracking.     

Dislocation-density function dynamics – An all-dislocation,full-dynamics approach for modeling intensive dislocation structures

It has long been recognized that a successful strategy for computational plasticity will have to bridge across the meso scale in which the interactions of high quantities of dislocations dominate. In this work, a new meso-scale scheme based on the full dynamics of dislocation-density functions is proposed. In this scheme, the evolution of the dislocation-density functions is derived from a coarse-graining procedure which clearly defines the relationship between the discrete-line and density representations of the dislocation microstructure. Full dynamics of the dislocation-density functions are considered based on an “all-dislocation” concept in which statistically stored dislocations are preserved and treated in the same way as geometrically necessary dislocations. Elastic interactions between dislocations in a 3D space are treated in accordance with Mura's formula for eigen stress. Dislocation generation is considered as a consequence of dislocations to maintain their connectivity, and a special scheme is devised for this purpose. The model is applied to simulate a number of intensive microstructures involving discrete dislocation events, including loop expansion and shrinkage under applied and self stress, dipole annihilation, and Orowan looping. The scheme can also handle high densities of dislocations present in extensive microstructures.     

FRP加固RC梁界面疲劳损伤红外检测分析

FRP-混凝土界面剥离损伤的探测是界面力学分析的一个难点。基于三个标准试件探讨了红外检测方法对FRP-混凝土界面剥离探测的精度、可行性以及剥离判断的标准,并对常幅疲劳荷载下FRP加固钢筋混凝土(RC)梁界面的疲劳行为进行了跟踪记录,分析了界面的疲劳破坏过程。试验结果表明,FRP加固RC梁界面存在初始的未粘结区,在疲劳加载的初期界面剥离快速增加,随后在大部分疲劳寿命期内保持稳定,在最后数千次加载循环内界面损伤失稳发展导致整个加固构件的破坏。文中基于红外数据给出了每个阶段的疲劳加载次数和界面剥离损伤的面积。     

某多层桩基础住宅楼顶升纠偏

通过介绍某危房治理的工程实例,对复杂地质条件下住宅楼进行顶升纠偏作了一定的探索,并就在施工过程中碰到的难点问题提出了解决办法.     

Recent Progress on the Dispersion and the Strengthening Effect of Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene-Reinforced Metal Nanocomposites: A Review

This article reviews the available literature published to date on the reinforcement of metals with carbon-nanofillers (CNTs and graphene), and also offers a specific focus on issues related to the mechanical and tribological properties of nanocomposites. Carbon-nanofillers (later denoted by C-nanofillers) are known to have extraordinary mechanical properties and multifaceted characteristics and are ideal candidates for the reinforcement of metals for numerous applications. However, their incorporation for practical applications has been challenging researchers for decades. The most important issue is uniform dispersion due to sizeable surface differences between carbon-nanofillers and metals. Other concerns are structural integrity, wetting with metals, and interfacial connections. Nanocomposite applications can only be effective when these challenges are properly addressed and overcome.

Section 1 assesses the importance of C-nanofillers and expressly highlights current research efforts to optimize dispersion in different metals along with processing techniques in section 2. The authors give special attention on C-nanofillers reinforcement contribution to enhanced mechanical strength of metals presented in section 3. C-nanofillers dispersion evaluation tools are highlighted in section 4. Authors also focuses on C-nanofillers role and factors directly associated with metal nanocomposite strength, as reported in the literature. Particular consideration is also given to knowledge sharing of attendant strengthening mechanisms along with contribution reported for empirically derived models used to predict strength. Section 6 solely dedicated to the tribological aspects of C-nanofillers reinforced metallic nanocomposites. Lastly, future recommendations and works need attention is summarized.