• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.166-173
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• 2014

In this study, a laminated composite material with dispersing aluminum oxide powder between the CFRP laminate plies, and also CFRP composites without aluminium oxide powder were fabricated for Mode I experiments using the DCB specimen and a tensile test. The behavior of the crack and the change of the interfacial fracture toughness were evaluated. Also in order to evaluate the damage mechanism for the crack extension, the AE sensor on the surface of the DCB test specimen was attached. AE amplitude was estimated for CFRP-alumina and CFRP composite. And the fracture toughness was evaluated by the stress intensity factor and energy release rate. The results showed that an unstable crack was propagated rapidly in CFRP composite specimen along with the interface, but crack propagation in CFRP-alumina specimen was relatively stable. From results, we show that aluminium oxide powder spreaded uniformly in the interface of the CFRP laminate carried out the role for preventing the sudden crack growth.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.129-136
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• 2018

The estimation of the fatigue design life for large welded structures is usually performed using the liner cumulative damage method such as Palmgren-Miner rule or the equivalent damage method. When a fatigue crack is detected in a welded steel structure, the residual service life has to be estimated base on S-N curve method and liner elastic fracture mechanics. In this study, to examine the 3D fatigue crack behavior and estimate the fatigue life of out-of-plane gusset fillet welded joint, the fatigue tests were carried out on the model specimens. Investigations of three-dimensional fatigue crack propagation on gusset welded joint was used the finite element analysis of FEMAP with NX NASTRAN and FRANC3D. Fatigue crack growth analysis was carried out to demonstrate the effects of aspect ratio, initial crack length and stress ratio on out-of-plane gusset welded joints. In addition, the crack behaviors of fatigue tests were compared with those of the 3D crack propagation analysis in terms of changes in crack length and aspect ratio. From this analysis result, SIFs behaviors and crack propagation rate of gusset welded joint were shown to be similar fatigue test results and the fatigue life can also be predicted.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2018

From the viewpoint of engineering applications, the prediction of the failure of bogies plays an important role in preventing the occurrence of fatigue. Fatigue is a complex phenomenon affected by many uncertainties (such as load, environment, geometrical and material properties, and so on). The key to predict fatigue damage accurately is how to quantify these uncertainties. A Bayesian model is used to account for the uncertainty of various sources when predicting fatigue damage of structural components. In spite of improvements in the design of fatigue-sensitive structures, periodic non-destructive inspections are required for components. With the help of modern nondestructive inspection techniques, the fatigue flaws can be detected for bogie structures, and fatigue reliability can be updated by using Bayesian theorem with inspection data. A practical fatigue analysis of welded bogies is utilized to testify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.317-328
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• 2009

Current maintenance operations and integrity checks on a wide array of structures require personnel entry into normally-inaccessible or hazardous areas to perform necessary nondestructive inspections. To gain access for these inspections, structure must be disassembled and removed or personnel must be transported to remote locations. The use of in-situ sensors, coupled with remote interrogation, can be employed to overcome a myriad of inspection impediments stemming from accessibility limitations, complex geometries, the location and depth of hidden damage, and the isolated location of the structure. Furthermore, prevention of unexpected flaw growth and structural failure could be improved if on-board health monitoring systems were used to more regularly assess structural integrity. A research program has been completed to develop and validate Comparative Vacuum Monitoring (CVM) Sensors for surface crack detection. Statistical methods using one-sided tolerance intervals were employed to derive Probability of Detection (POD) levels for a wide array of application scenarios. Multi-year field tests were also conducted to study the deployment and long-term operation of CVM sensors on aircraft. This paper presents the quantitative crack detection capabilities of the CVM sensor, its performance in actual flight environments, and the prospects for structural health monitoring applications on aircraft and other civil structures.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.256-269
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• 2020

The objective of this study is to evaluate the stress thresholds in crack development and the corrected fracture toughness of KURT granite under dry and saturated conditions. The stress thresholds were identified by calculation of inelastic volumetric strain from an uniaxial compression test. The corrected fracture toughness was estimated by using the Level II method (Chevron Bend specimen), suggested by ISRM (1988), in which non-linear behaviors of rock was taken into account. Average crack initiation stress(σ_ci) and crack damage stress(σ_cd) under a dry condition were 91.1 MPa and 128.7 MPa. While, average crack initiation stress(σ_ci) and crack damage stress(σ_cd) under a saturated condition were 58.2 MPa and 68.2 MPa. The crack initiation stress and crack damage stress of saturated ones decreased 36% and 47% respectively compared to those of dry specimens. A decrease in crack damage stress is relatively larger than that of crack initiation stress under a saturated condition. This indicates that the unstable crack growth can be more easily generated because of the saturation effect of water compared to the dry condition. The average corrected fracture toughness of KURT granite was 0.811 MPa·m^0.5. While, the fracture toughness of saturated KURT granite(K_CB) was 0.620 MPa·m^0.5. The corrected fracture toughness of rock in saturated condition decreases by 23.5% compared to that in dry condition. It is found that the resistance to crack propagation decreases under the saturated geological condition.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.267-278
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• 2016

In order to observe the internal damage of concrete in real time, we introduced acoustic emission nondestructive detecting technology into a series of fracture tests; the test results revealed the whole process that concrete undergoes when it sustains damage that leads to failure, according to the change rules of the acoustic emission parameters. The results showed that both the initiation and unstable loads can be accurately determined using the abrupt change of the acoustic emission rate curves and the turning point of the acoustic emission parameters' accumulative curves. The whole process, from damage to failure, includes five phases, beginning with damage, such as cracking, a stable crack growth process, a critical unstable stage, and unstable propagation. The brittle fracture characteristics of concrete change when steel bars are joined, because the steel bars and the concrete structure bond, which causes an increase in the acoustic emission signals within the fracture process of the reinforced concrete. The unstable propagation stage is also extended. Our research results provide a valid methodology and technical explanations, which can help researchers to monitor the cracking process of concrete structures, in real time, during actual projects.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1932-1940
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• 2004

Although the previous researches evaluated the fatigue behavior of Al/GFRP laminates using the traditional fracture mechanism, their researches were not sufficient to do it : the damage zone of Al/GFRP laminates was occurred at the delamination zone instead of the crack-metallic damages. Thus, previous researches were not applicable to the fatigue behavior of Al/GFRP laminates. The major purpose of this study was to evaluate delamination behavior using the relationship between crack length (a) and delamination width (b) in Al/GFRP laminate. The details of investigation were as follows: 1) Relationship between the crack length (a) and the delamination width (b), 2) Relationship between the delamination aspect ratio (b/a) and the delamination area rate ((A$\_$D/)/subN// (A$\_$D/)$\_$All/), 3) The effect of delamination aspect ratio (b/a) on the delamination shape factor (f$\_$s/) and the delamination growth rate (dA$\_$D// da). As results, it was known that the delamination aspect ratio (b/a) was decreased and the delamination area rate ((A$\_$D/)$\_$N// (A$\_$D/)$\_$All/) was increased as the normalized crack size (a/W) was increased. And, the delamination shape factors (f$\_$s/) of the ellipse-II(f$\_$s3/) was greater than of the ellipse-I(f$\_$s2/) but that of the triangle (f$\_$s1/) was less than of the ellipse-I(f$\_$s2/).

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.97-119
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• 2013

This paper presents numerical and experimental results on the use of guided waves for structural health monitoring (SHM) of crack growth during a fatigue test in a thick steel plate used for civil engineering application. Numerical simulation, analytical modeling, and experimental tests are used to prove that piezoelectric wafer active sensor (PWAS) can perform active SHM using guided wave pitch-catch method and passive SHM using acoustic emission (AE). AE simulation was performed with the multi-physic FEM (MP-FEM) approach. The MP-FEM approach permits that the output variables to be expressed directly in electric terms while the two-ways electromechanical conversion is done internally in the MP-FEM formulation. The AE event was simulated as a pulse of defined duration and amplitude. The electrical signal measured at a PWAS receiver was simulated. Experimental tests were performed with PWAS transducers acting as passive receivers of AE signals. An AE source was simulated using 0.5-mm pencil lead breaks. The PWAS transducers were able to pick up AE signal with good strength. Subsequently, PWAS transducers and traditional AE transducer were applied to a 12.7-mm CT specimen subjected to accelerated fatigue testing. Active sensing in pitch catch mode on the CT specimen was applied between the PWAS transducers pairs. Damage indexes were calculated and correlated with actual crack growth. The paper finishes with conclusions and suggestions for further work.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2003

Fracture behaviors of pipes with local wall thinning are very important for the integrity of nuclear Power Plant. In Pipes of energy Plants, sometimes, the local wall thinning may result from severe erosion-corrosion (E/C) damage. However, the effects of local wall thinning on strength and fracture behaviors of piping system were not well studied. In this paper, the monotonic bending tests were performed of full-scale carbon steel pipes with local wall thinning. A monotonic bending load was applied to straight pipe specimens by four-point loading at ambient temperature without internal pressure. From the tests, fracture behaviors and fracture strength of locally thinned pipe were manifested systematically. The observed failure modes were divided into four types; ovalization. crack initiation/growth after ovalization, local buckling and crack initiation/growth after local buckling. Also, the strength and the allowable limit of piping system with local wall thinning were evaluated.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.246-253
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• 2003

The initiation and growth of short fatigue cracks in the simulated aircraft structure with a series of rivet holes was detected by acoustic emission (AE). The location and the size of short tracks were determined by AE source location techniques and the measurement with traveling microscope. AE events increased intermittently with the initiation and growth of short cracks to form a stepwise increment curve of cumulative AE events. For the precise determination of AE source locations, a region-of-interest (ROI) was set around the rivet holes based on the plastic zone size in fracture mechanics. Since the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was very low at this early stage of fatigue cracks, the accuracy of source location was also enhanced by the wavelet transform do-noising. In practice, the majority of AE signals detected within the ROI appeared to be noise from various origins. The results showed that the effort of structural geometry and SNR should be closely taken into consideration for the accurate evaluation of fatigue damage in the structure.