• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.615-626
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• 2021

The main objective of this study is to present a fast and reliable approach to predict the swelling potential of clay-bearing rocks. Investigations showed that there is a good correlation between the swelling potential of a rock and its desire to absorb water due to its clay content which could be measured using the "Contact Angle" test as one of the most common ways to determine the wettability. In this test, the angle between a water drop and the flat rock surface on which it rests is measured. The present method is very fast and returns repeatable results and requires minimal sample preparation. Only having a saw-cut surface of a sample with any shape is all one needs to perform this test. The logic behind this approach is that the swelling potential of a rock is a function of its mineral content and molecular structure, which are not only distributed in the bulk of the sample but also reflected on its surface. Therefore, to evaluate swelling behavior, it is not necessary to wait for a sample to get wet all the way to its "internal structure" (which, due to the low permeability of clay-bearing rocks, is very slow and time-consuming). Instead, one can have a good sense of swelling potential by studying its surface. Parametric studies on the effect of moisture content, porosity, and surface roughness on the contact angle measurements showed that using a saw-cut oven-dried sample is a convenient way to evaluate the swelling potential by this method.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.819-830
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• 2022

This paper presented an experimental study of the bond-slip behavior of reactive powder concrete (RPC)-filled square steel tube. A total of 18 short composite specimens were designed forstatic push-out test, and information on their failure patterns, load-slip behavior and bond strength was presented. The effects of width-to-thickness ratio, height-to-width ratio and the compressive strength of RPC on the bond behavior were discussed. The experimental results show that:(1) the push-out specimens remain intact and no visible local buckling appears on the steel tube, and the interfacial scratches are even more pronounced at the internal steel tube of loading end; (2) the bond load-slip curves with different width-to-thickness ratios can be divided into two types, and the main difference is whether the curves have a drop in load with increasing slip; (3) the bond strength decreases with the increase of the width-to-thickness ratio and height-width ratio, while the influence of RPC strength is not consistent; (4) the slippage has no definite correlation with bond strength and the influence of designed parameters on slippage is not evident. On the basis of the above analysis, the expressions of interface friction stress and mechanical interaction stress are determined by neglecting chemical adhesive force, and the calculation model of bond strength for RPC filled in square steel tube specimens is proposed. The theoretical results agree well with the experimental data.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.313-320
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• 2022

Theoretical calculation results are presented for the enhancement of the water mass flow rate through the hydrophobic micro/nano pores in the membrane respectively on the micrometer and nanometer scales. The water-pore wall interfacial slippage is considered. When the pore diameter is critically low (less than 1.82nm), the water flow in the nanopore is non-continuum and described by the nanoscale flow equation; Otherwise, the water flow is essentially multiscale consisting of both the adsorbed boundary layer flow and the intermediate continuum water flow, and it is described by the multiscale flow equation. For no wall slippage, the calculated water flow rate through the pore is very close to the classical hydrodynamic theory calculation if the pore diameter (d) is larger than 1.0nm, however it is considerably smaller than the conventional calculation if d is less than 1.0nm because of the non-continuum effect of the water film. When the driving power loss on the pore is larger than the critical value, the wall slippage occurs, and it results in the different scales of the enhancement of the water flow rate through the pore which are strongly dependent on both the pore diameter and the driving power loss on the pore. Both the pressure drop and the critical power loss on the pore for starting the wall slippage are also strongly dependent on the pore diameter.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.525-538
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• 2023

This paper focuses on the energy absorption of lattice core sandwich structures of different configurations. The diamond lattice unit cell, which has been extensively investigated for energy absorption applications, is the starting point for this research. The energy absorption behaviour of sandwich structures with an expanded metal sheet as the core is investigated at low-velocity impact loading. Numerical simulations were carried out using ABAQUS/EXPLICIT and the results were thoroughly compared with the experimental results, which indicated desirable accuracy. A parametric analysis, using a Box-Behnken design (BBD), as a method for the design of experiments (DOE), was performed. The samples fabricated in three levels of parameters include 0.081, 0.145, and 0.562 mm² Cell sizes, and 0, 45, and 90-degree cell orientation, which were investigated. It was observed from experimental data that the angle of cells orientation had the highest degree of influence on the specific energy absorption. The results showed that the angle of cells orientation has been the most influential parameter to increase the peak forces. The results from using the design expert software showed the optimal specific energy absorption and peak force to be 1786 J/kg and 26314.4 N, respectively. The obtained R2 values and normal probability plots indicated a good agreement between the experimental results and those predicted by the model.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.577-589
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• 2023

In this study, on-site testing was carried out to investigate the vibration performance of a cold-formed thin-walled steel floor system. Ambient vibration, walking excitation (single and double persons), and impulsive excitation (heel-drop and jumping) were considered to capture the primary vibration parameters (natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes) and vertical acceleration response. Meanwhile, to discuss the influence of cement fiberboard on structural vibration, the primary vibration parameters were compared between the systems with and without the installation of cement fiberboard. Based on the experimental analysis, the cold-formed thin-walled steel floor possesses high frequency (> 10 Hz) and damping (> 2%); the installed cement fiberboard mainly increases the mass of floor system without effectively increasing the floor stiffness and may reduce the effects of primary vibration parameters on acceleration response; and the human-structure interaction should be considered when analyzing the vibration serviceability. The comparison of the experimental results with those in the AISC Design Guide indicates that the cold-formed thin-walled steel floor exhibits acceptable vibration serviceability. A crest factor 𝛽_rp (ratio of peak to root-mean-square accelerations) is proposed to determine the root-mean-square acceleration for convenience.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 2023

Algal organic matters (AOMs) are challenging to remove using traditional water treatment methods. Additionally, they are recognized as disinfection by product (DBP) precursors during the chlorination process. These compounds have the potential to seriously harm aquatic creatures. Despite the fact that AOMs and DBPs formed from algae can harm aquatic species by impairing their cognitive function and causing behavioral problems, only a few studies on the effects of AOMs and associated DBPs have been conducted. To assess the impact of extracellular organic materials (EOMs) produced by three different hazardous algal species and the chlorinated EOMs on zebrafish, this study used fish acute embryo toxicity (FET) and cognitive function tests. With rising EOM concentrations, the embryo's survival rate and mental capacity both declined. Of the three algal species, the embryo exposed to Microcystis aeruginosa EOM exhibited the lowest survival rate. On the other hand, the embryo exposed to EOMs following chlorination demonstrated a drop in CT values in both the survival rate and cognitive ability. These findings imply that EOMs and EOMs treated with chlorine may have detrimental effects on aquatic life. Therefore, an effective EOM management is needed in aquatic environment.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.423-433
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• 2016

After the industrial of steelmaking by-products are processed properly, they can be used in civil engineering, not only as a substitute for natural resources and to reduce costs, but also to provide environmental protection. This study used different amounts (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%,and 50%) of desulphurization slag to replace natural fine aggregates in ready-mixed soil materials, and tested the physical and fresh properties (slump, slump flow, tube flow, initial setting time, and bleeding) and hardened properties (compressive strength, ball drop, ultrasonic pulse velocity) of the materials. The variations between the performances of the materials with different mix proportions were discussed. When desulphurization slag is used in RMSM, the workability can be enhanced obviously significantly. When the replacement of desulphurization slag is 50%, the slump flow is increased by 110mm compared with the control group, and the initial setting time increases as the replacement increases, because of bleeding. When the replacement is 10% and 20%, the compressive strength at various ages is higher than that of the control group. When the replacement is 10%, the compressive strength at 7 days is higher than that of the control group by 60%, and the ultrasonic pulse velocity is proportional to the compressive strength, which increases with age and decrease as the replacement increases. An appropriate replacement can effectively accelerate construction, and allow projects to be finished ahead of schedule; therefore, an appropriate replacement, is applicable for ready-mixed soil materials.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.573-585
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• 2018

This article presents strain gradient elasticity-based procedures for static bending, free vibration and buckling analyses of functionally graded rectangular micro-plates. The developed method allows consideration of smooth spatial variations of length scale parameters of strain gradient elasticity. Governing partial differential equations and boundary conditions are derived by following the variational approach and applying Hamilton's principle. Displacement field is expressed in a unified way to produce numerical results in accordance with Kirchhoff, Mindlin, and third order shear deformation theories. All material properties, including the length scale parameters, are assumed to be functions of the plate thickness coordinate in the derivations. Developed equations are solved numerically by means of differential quadrature method. Proposed procedures are verified through comparisons made to the results available in the literature for certain limiting cases. Further numerical results are provided to illustrate the effects of material and geometric parameters on bending, free vibrations, and buckling. The results generated by Kirchhoff and third order shear deformation theories are in very good agreement, whereas Mindlin plate theory slightly overestimates static deflection and underestimates natural frequency. A rise in the length scale parameter ratio, which identifies the degree of spatial variations, leads to a drop in dimensionless maximum deflection, and increases in dimensionless vibration frequency and buckling load. Size effect is shown to play a more significant role as the plate thickness becomes smaller compared to the length scale parameter. Numerical results indicate that consideration of length scale parameter variation is required for accurate modelling of graded rectangular micro-plates.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.435-448
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• 2018

This paper reports the development of a theoretically rigorous method for permanent way engineers to assess the condition of railway ballast under a concrete sleeper with the potential to be extended to a smart system for long-term health monitoring of railway ballast. Owing to the uncertainties induced by the problems of modeling error and measurement noise, the Bayesian approach was followed in the development. After the selection of the most plausible model class for describing the damage status of the rail-sleeper-ballast system, Bayesian model updating is adopted to calculate the posterior PDF of the ballast stiffness at various regions under the sleeper. An obvious drop in ballast stiffness at a region under the sleeper is an evidence of ballast damage. In model updating, the model that can minimize the discrepancy between the measured and model-predicted modal parameters can be considered as the most probable model for calculating the posterior PDF under the Bayesian framework. To address the problems of non-uniqueness and local minima in the model updating process, a two-stage hybrid optimization method was developed. The modified evolutionary algorithm was developed in the first stage to identify the important regions in the parameter space and resulting in a set of initial trials for deterministic optimization to locate all most probable models in the second stage. The proposed methodology was numerically and experimentally verified. Using the identified model, a series of comprehensive numerical case studies was carried out to investigate the effects of data quantity and quality on the results of ballast damage detection. Difficulties to be overcome before the proposed method can be extended to a long-term ballast monitoring system are discussed in the conclusion.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.453-462
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• 2018

Damages to buildings affected by a near-fault strong ground motion are largely attributed to the vertical component of the earthquake resulting in column failures, which could lead to disproportionate building catastrophic collapse in a progressive fashion. Recently, considerable interests are awakening to study effects of earthquake vertical components on structural responses. In this study, detailed modeling and time-history analyses of a 12-story code-conforming reinforced concrete moment frame building carrying the gravity loads, and exposed to once only the horizontal component of, and second time simultaneously the horizontal and vertical components of an ensemble of far-field and near-field earthquakes are conducted. Structural responses inclusive of tension, compression and its fluctuations in columns, the ratio of shear demand to capacity in columns and peak mid-span moment demand in beams are compared with and without the presence of the vertical component of earthquake records. The influences of the existence of earthquake vertical component in both exterior and interior spans are separately studied. Thereafter, the correlation between the increase of demands induced by the vertical component of the earthquake and the ratio of a set of earthquake record characteristic parameters is investigated. It is shown that uplift initiation and the magnitude of tensile forces developed in corner columns are relatively more critical. Presence of vertical component of earthquake leads to a drop in minimum compressive force and initiation of tension in columns. The magnitude of this reduction in the most critical case is recorded on average 84% under near-fault ground motions. Besides, the presence of earthquake vertical components increases the shear capacity required in columns, which is at most 31%. In the best case, a direct correlation of 95% between the increase of the maximum compressive force and the ratio of vertical to horizontal 'effective peak acceleration (EPA)' is observed.