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.     

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.     

腐蚀介质中混凝土/钢筋界面电极电位分布的立体分析

由于混凝土的隔离和高绝缘性 ,常规的电化学技术、微探针扫描技术均难于获得在腐蚀介质的浸泡下混凝土 /钢筋界面 ,特别是不同深处的混凝土 /钢筋界面的电位分布 .本文提出用阵列电极法并结合电子技术和微机控制技术 ,获得同一水平面上混凝土 /钢筋界面以及不同深处的混凝土 /钢筋界面的电位分布立体信息图 .结果表明 :在NaCl介质中经过一段时间的浸泡 ,混凝土中的钢筋腐蚀可发生并发展 ;而在Na2 SO4 介质中经过一段时间的浸泡 ,虽钢筋腐蚀一般不发生 ,但混凝土可能破坏 .不同深处混凝土 /钢筋界面腐蚀优先发生在混凝土覆盖较浅的部位 .     

Experimental study of wave dispersion and attenuation in concrete

Results from an experimental study concerning wave propagation in cementitious materials are presented in this paper. Narrow band pulses at several frequencies were introduced into specimens of cement paste, mortar and concrete allowing direct measurement of longitudinal wave velocities and amplitude for each frequency. It is shown that aggregate content play an important role in wave propagation increasing considerably the wave velocity, while the aggregate size seems to control the attenuation observed. Slight velocity variations observed with frequency are discussed in relation to the degree of inhomogeneity of the materials.     

Algorithm for simulating fracture processes in concrete by lattice modeling

To simulate fracture behaviors in concrete more realistically, a theoretical analysis on the potential question in the quasi-static method is presented, then a novel algorithm is proposed which takes into account the inertia effect due to unstable crack propagation and meanwhile requests much lower computational efforts than purely dynamic method. The inertia effect due to load increasing becomes less important and can be ignored with the loading rate decreasing, but the inertia effect due to unstable crack propagation remains considerable no matter how low the loading rate is. Therefore, results may become questionable if a fracture process including unstable cracking is simulated by the quasi-static procedure excluding completely inertia effects. However, it requires much higher computational effort to simulate experiments with not very high loading rates by the dynamic method. In this investigation which can be taken as a natural continuation, the potential question of quasi-static method is analyzed based on the dynamic equations of motion. One solution to this question is the new algorithm mentioned above. Numerical examples are provided by the generalized beam (GB) lattice model to show both fracture processes under different loading rates and capability of the new algorithm.     

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.     

光纤传感器测量FRP加固结构的损伤

A distributed fiber optic sensor is developed for condition monitoring of civil infrastructure sys-tems. The fiber optic sensor is especially useful in applications involving structures strengthened by fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The sensor principles are simple and therefore, practical for detec-tion of cracks, debonding and deformation measurements. Structural monitoring capability of the sensor