Numerical and empirical approach in predicting the penetration of a concrete target by an ogive-nosed projectile

This paper demonstrates the application of both numerical simulation and empirical equation in predicting the penetration of a concrete target by an ogive-nosed projectile. The results from the experiment performed by Gran and Frew [In-target radial stress measurements from penetration experiments into concrete by ogive-nose steel projectiles, Int. J. Impact Eng. 19 (8) (1997) 715–726] are used as a benchmark for comparison. In the numerical simulations a 3.0-caliber radius-head steel ogival-nose projectile with a mass of 2.3 kg is fired against cylindrical concrete target with a striking velocity of 315 m/s. The simulation, performed using AUTODYN 2-D, assesses three numerical schemes, namely Langrange, Euler–Lagrange coupling and smooth particles hydrodynamics SPH–Lagrange coupling, in predicting the maximum depth of penetration and the radial stress–time response of the concrete target. When assessing the three solution techniques we hypothesize that the effect of strain rate on strength for the concrete target does not adversely affect the prediction on the maximum depth of penetration and the radial stress–time response of the concrete target. In the empirical approach the penetration equation developed by Forrestal et al. [An empirical equation for penetration depth of ogive-nose projectiles into concrete targets, Int. J. Impact Eng. 15 (4) (1994) 395–405] is used to determine the maximum depth of penetration and the deceleration–time response. The deceleration–time response for the projectile using the empirical approach is compared with those obtained from the numerical simulations. Results from both the numerical and empirical approaches are consistent. The calculated depth of penetration from both approaches yield relatively good agreement with that obtained from the experiment. The numerical simulations using each of the three numerical schemes are also able to reproduce the profiles from the radial stress measurements. Simulations using the SPH numerical scheme give the best overall agreement. The good overall agreement with the experimental radial stress measurements and consistent results between both empirical and numerical approach, enhanced the confidence in engineers and ballisticians when using these two approaches in complementing full-scale testing.     

The effect of blending granular aggregates of different origin on the strength of concrete

This work correlates the resistance of concrete cores with the physical properties of the granular material forming it. A basic physical characterization is conducted, taking into account the origin of the grains involved in the concrete mixture; that is, if they come from natural degradation (natural granular aggregates) or from a grinding process (crushed granular aggregates). Apparent and real densities, shape factors, packing densities, and specific surface areas of the grains are measured. The results are discussed as a function of size and origin of the grains. Several mixtures are prepared following a standard protocol and using different ratios of natural and crushed aggregates. For each ratio, six cores are prepared and uniaxial compression tests are performed. A non-monotonic relation between the resistance of concrete and the percentage of crushed aggregate present in it is obtained, with an optimum ratio depending on the physical properties of the grains.     

Analysis,modeling and solution of the concrete delivery problem

This paper describes a specific local search approach to solve a problem arising in logistics which we prove to be NP-hard. The problem is a complex scheduling or vehicle routing problem where we have to schedule the tours of concrete mixer vehicles over a working day from concrete-producing depots to concrete-demanding customers and vice versa. We give a general mixed integer programming model which is too hard to solve for state of the art mixed integer programming optimizers in the case of the usually huge problem instances coming from practice. Therefore we present a certain local search approach to be able to handle huge practical problem instances.     

弯剪共同作用下的RPC梁截面分析程序探讨

为了研究配箍率对高强箍筋活性粉末混凝土梁抗剪性能的影响,开展6根配置HRB400级箍筋RPC梁的抗剪试验,考虑RPC的材料特征参数与钢纤维对斜截面承载力的影响,分析有腹筋与无腹筋梁在剪力传递机理及裂缝控制方面的差异,基于修正压力场理论,对开裂混凝土在拉、压应力下的本构关系及裂缝处的应力平衡条件进行适当修正,将弯矩效应叠加至纯剪作用建立RPC梁在弯剪复合作用下的分析模型,并根据弯剪复合作用采用MATLAB软件编制RPC梁斜截面抗剪强度分析计算程序,对RPC简支梁进行受剪强度分析,并将试验结果与计算结果进行对比分析,研究结果表明该计算程序能够较好地预测高强钢筋RPC梁的受剪承载力,具有一定的参考和实用价值。     

评价混凝土中钢筋腐蚀的恒电量技术

本文综述了恒电量技术在混凝土中钢筋腐蚀上的应用研究 ,和其他化学技术相比较 ,可以认为恒电量技术具有测量速度快、反应灵敏、无损检测和近乎原位的腐蚀测量以及不受介质阻力影响等优点 .恒电量技术在研究钢筋的腐蚀中有着良好的应用前景 ,同时这种方法目前也还存在着有待解决的几个难点     

Effect of heterogeneity on the quantitative determination of trace elements in concrete

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been used for quantitative measurement of trace elements, e.g. sulfur and chlorine, in concrete. Chloride and sulfate ions have a large effect on the durability of concrete structures, and quantitative measurement is important for condition assessment and quality assurance. Concrete is a highly heterogeneous material in composition and grain-size distribution, i.e. the spatial distribution of elements. Calibration plots were determined by use of laboratory-made reference samples consisting of pressings of cement powder, hydrated cement, cement mortar, and concrete, in which the heterogeneity of the material is increasing because of the aggregates. Coarse aggregate and cement paste are distinguishable by the intensity of the Ca spectral lines. More advanced evaluation is necessary to account for the effect of the fine aggregate. The three series of reference samples enable systematic study of the effects of heterogeneity on spectral intensity, signal fluctuation, uncertainty, and limits of detection. Spatially resolved measurements and many spectra enable statistical evaluation of the data. The heterogeneity has an effect on measurement of the sulfur and chlorine content, because both occur mainly in the cement matrix. Critical chloride concentrations are approximately 0.04% (m/m). The chlorine spectral line at 837.6 nm is evaluated. The natural sulfur content of concrete is approximately 0.1% (m/m). The spectral line at 921.3 nm is evaluated. One future application may be simultaneous determination of the amount of damaging trace elements and the cement content of the concrete.     

Detector comparison for sulfur and chlorine detection with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy in the near-infrared-region

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been employed for the investigation of the sulfur and chlorine content of building materials. Both, chloride and sulfate ions are major damaging species affecting the stability and lifetime of a structure. Chlorine and sulfur are mostly detected in the VUV and the NIR. In case of building materials the main elements like calcium or iron have many strong spectral lines over the whole spectral range, so that trace elements can only be detected in spectral windows unaffected from these lines. With regard to a preferably simply, robust against dust and vibrations and portable setup only the NIR spectral features are used for civil engineering applications.

Most detectors, mainly CCD cameras have rapidly decreasing quantum efficiency in the NIR. Also the quantum efficiency of the photocathode of CCD-Detectors with image intensifier is decreasing in the NIR. Different CCD-detectors were tested with respect to high quantum efficiency and high dynamic range, which is necessary for simultaneous detection of weak spectral lines from trace elements and intense spectral lines from main elements.

The measurements are made on reference samples consisting of cement, hydrated cement, cement mortar and concrete with well-defined amounts of the trace elements. Experimental conditions are chosen for an optimum intensity of the trace element spectral lines. The detector systems are compared by limit of detections and the signal to noise ratio.     

Cement Composites with Carbon-Based Nanomaterials for 3D Concrete Printing Applications – A Review

3D concrete printing (3DCP) is an emerging additive manufacturing technology in the construction industry. Its challenges lie in the development of high-performance printable materials and printing processes. Recently developed carbon-based nanomaterials (CBNs) such as graphene, graphene oxide, graphene nanoplatelets, and carbon nanotubes, have various applications due to their exceptional mechanical, chemical, thermal, and electrical characteristics. CBNs also have found potential applications as a concrete ingredient as they enhance the microstructure and modify concrete properties at the molecular level. This paper focuses on state-of-the-art studies on CBNs, 3DCP technology, and CBNs in conventional and 3D printable cement-based composites including CBN dispersion techniques, concrete mixing methods, and fresh and hardened properties of concrete. Furthermore, the current limitations and future perspectives of 3DCP using CBNs to produce high-quality composite mixtures are discussed.     

Determination of long-lived radionuclides in concrete matrix by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A laser ablation system using a Nd:YAG laser was coupled both to a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometer and to a double-focusing sector field ICP mass spectrometer. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was applied for the determination of long-lived radionuclides in a concrete matrix. The investigated samples were two laboratory standards with a concrete matrix, which we doped with different long-lived radionuclides (e.g. ⁹⁹Tc, ²³²Th, ²³³U, ²³⁷Np) from the ng g⁻¹ to μ g⁻¹ concentration range and an undoped concrete material (blank). Detection limits for long-lived radionuclides in the 10 ng g⁻¹ range are reached for LA-ICP-MS using the quadrupole mass spectrometer. With double-focusing sector field ICP-MS, the limits of detection are in general one order of magnitude lower and reach the sub ng g⁻¹ range for ²³³U and ²³⁷Np. A comparison of mass spectrometric results with those of neutron activation analysis on undoped concrete sample indicates that a semiquantitative determination of the concentrations of the minor and trace elements in the concrete matrix is possible with LA-ICP-MS without using a standard reference material.     

Diseño automático de tableros óptimos de puentes de carretera de vigas artesa prefabricadas mediante algoritmos meméticos híbridos

This paper deals with the minimum cost automatic design of precast bridge decks made of U-beams and an upper slab. It uses a hybrid memetic algorithm that combines the population search of solutions by genetic algorithms and a search by variable neighborhood. This algorithm is applied to a bridge made of two isostatic U-beams of 20-40 m of span and a width of 12 m. This example has 40 discrete variables. The evaluation module takes into account the service and ultimate limit states usually considered for these structures, i.e. flexure, shear, torsion, cracking, deflections, etc. The use of the memetic algorithm requires its previous calibration. Each of the heuristics is run 12 times, obtaining information about the minimum and average values, as well as the scatter. The parametric study showed a good correlation for the cost, the number of strands and the steel and concrete quantities with the span length. Savings have been found between 8 and 50% compared to other structures really executed. The presented procedure allows the practical application to the real design and its adaptation to the precast process.