• Steel and Composite Structures
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.339-358
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• 2014

Exodermic deck systems are new composite steel grid deck systems which have been used in various projects during the past decade. One of the eminent features of this system is considerable reduction in the structure weight compared to the ordinary reinforced concrete decks and also reduction in construction time by using precast Exodermic decks. In this study, dynamic properties of the Exodermic deck bridges with alternative perfobond shear connectors are investigated experimentally. In order to evaluate the dynamic properties of the decks, peak picking and Nyquist circle fit methods are employed. Frequencies obtained experimentally are in good agreement with the results of the finite-element solution, and the experimental results show that the first mode is the most effective mode among the obtained modes. The first four modes are the rigid translational motion modes, and the next two modes seem to be rigid rotational motion modes around a horizontal axis. From the 7th mode onwards, modes are flexible. The range of damping ratios is about 0.5%. Furthermore, the static behavior of the Exodermic decks under a static load applied at the center of the decks was investigated. Failure of the decks under positive bending was punching-shear. The bending strength of the decks under negative bending was about 50 percent of their strength under positive bending. In addition, the weight of an Exodermic deck is about 40% of that of an equivalent reinforced concrete slab.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• 제10권5호
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• pp.347-353
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• 2018

PURPOSE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the marginal discrepancy of heat-pressed ceramic veneers manufactured using a CAD/CAM system. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The ceramic veneers for the abutment of a maxillary left central incisor were designed using a CAD/CAM software program. Ten veneers using a microstereolithography apparatus (AM group), ten veneers using a five-axis milling machine (SM group), and ten veneers using a traditional free-hand wax technique (TW group) were prepared according to the respective manufacturing method. The ceramic veneers were also fabricated using a heat-press technique, and a silicone replica was used to measure their marginal discrepancy. The marginal discrepancies were measured using a digital microscope (${\times}160$ magnification). The data were analyzed using a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis H test. Finally, post-hoc comparisons were conducted using Bonferroni-corrected Mann-Whitney U tests (${\alpha}=.05$). RESULTS. The $mean{\pm}SD$ of the total marginal discrepancy was $99.68{\pm}28.01{\mu}m$ for the AM group, $76.60{\pm}28.76{\mu}m$ for the SM group, and $83.08{\pm}39.74{\mu}m$ for the TW group. There were significant differences in the total marginal discrepancies of the ceramic veneers (P<.05). CONCLUSION. The SM group showed a better fit than the AM and TW groups. However, all values were within the clinical tolerance. Therefore, CAD/CAM manufacturing methods can replace the traditional free-hand wax technique.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제11권5호
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• pp.779-807
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• 2016

Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) are essential tools in seismic hazard analysis. With the introduction of probabilistic approaches for the estimation of seismic response of structures, also known as, performance based earthquake engineering framework; new tasks are defined for response spectrum such as the reference criterion for effective structure-specific selection of ground motions for nonlinear time history analysis. One of the recent efforts to introduce a high quality databank of ground motions besides the corresponding selection scheme based on the broadband spectral consistency is the development of SIMBAD (Selected Input Motions for displacement-Based Assessment and Design), which is designed to improve the reliability of spectral values at all natural periods by removing noise with modern proposed approaches. In this paper, a new global GMPE is proposed by using selected ground motions from SIMBAD to improve the reliability of computed spectral shape indicators. To determine regression coefficients, 204 pairs of horizontal components from 35 earthquakes with magnitude ranging from Mw 5 to Mw 7.1 and epicentral distances lower than 40 km selected from SIMBAD are used. The proposed equation is compared with similar models both qualitatively and quantitatively. After the verification of model by several goodness-of-fit measures, the epsilon values as the spectral shape indicator are computed and the validity of available prediction equations for correlation of the pairs of epsilon values is examined. General consistency between predictions by new model and others, especially, in short periods is confirmed, while, at longer periods, there are meaningful differences between normalized residuals and correlation coefficients between pairs of them estimated by new model and those are computed by other empirical equations. A simple collapse assessment example indicate possible improvement in the correlation between collapse capacity and spectral shape indicators (${\varepsilon}$) up to 20% by selection of a more applicable GMPE for calculation of ${\varepsilon}$.

• Wind and Structures
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.181-198
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• 2020

In the traditional buffeting response analysis method, the spanwise incomplete correlation of buffeting forces is always assumed to be same as that of the incident wind turbulence and the action of the signature turbulence is ignored. In this paper, three typical bridge decks usually adopted in the real bridge engineering, a single flat box deck, a central slotted box deck and a two-separated paralleled box deck, were employed as the investigated objects. The wind induced pressure on these bridge decks were measured via a series of wind tunnel pressure tests of the sectional models. The influences of the wind speed in the tests, the angle of attack, the turbulence intensity and the characteristic distance were taken into account and discussed. The spanwise root coherence of buffeting forces was also compared with that of the incidence turbulence. The signature turbulence effect on the spanwise root coherence function was decomposed and explained by a new empirical method with a double-variable model. Finally, the formula of a sum of rational fractions that accounted for the signature turbulence effect was proposed in order to fit the results of the spanwise root coherence function. The results show that, the spanwise root coherence of the drag force agrees with that of incidence turbulence in some range of the reduced frequency but disagree in the mostly reduced frequency. The spanwise root coherence of the lift force and the torsional moment is much larger than that of the incidence turbulence. The influences of the wind speed and the angle of attack are slight, and they can be ignored in the wind tunnel test. The spanwise coherence function often involves several narrow peaks due to the signature turbulence effect in the high reduced frequency zone. The spanwise coherence function is related to the spanwise separation distance and the spanwise integral length scales, and the signature turbulence effect is related to the deck-width-related reduced frequency.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.705-713
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• 2018

High-speed rail (HSR) has been in operation and development in many countries worldwide. The explosive growth of HSR has posed great challenges for operation safety and ride comfort. Among various technological demands on high-speed trains, vibration is an inevitable problem caused by rail/wheel imperfections, vehicle dynamics, and aerodynamic instability. Ride comfort is a key factor in evaluating the operational performance of high-speed trains. In this study, online monitoring data have been acquired from an in-service high-speed train for condition assessment. The measured dynamic response signals at the floor level of a train cabin are processed by the Sperling operator, in which the ride comfort index sequence is used to identify the train's operation condition. In addition, a novel technique that incorporates salient features of Bayesian inference and time series analysis is proposed for outlier detection and change detection. The Bayesian forecasting approach enables the prediction of conditional probabilities. By integrating the Bayesian forecasting approach with time series analysis, one-step forecasting probability density functions (PDFs) can be obtained before proceeding to the next observation. The change detection is conducted by comparing the current model and the alternative model (whose mean value is shifted by a prescribed offset) to determine which one can well fit the actual observation. When the comparison results indicate that the alternative model performs better, then a potential change is detected. If the current observation is a potential outlier or change, Bayes factor and cumulative Bayes factor are derived for further identification. A significant change, if identified, implies that there is a great alteration in the train operation performance due to defects. In this study, two illustrative cases are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method for condition assessment of high-speed trains.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• 제8권6호
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• pp.1463-1480
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• 2015

This research aims to develop an empirical model for simulation of time-varying frequency in earthquake ground motion so as to be used easily in engineering applications. Briefly, 10545 recordings of the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) global database of accelerograms from shallow crustal earthquakes are selected and binned by magnitude, distance and site condition. Then the wavelet spectrum of each acceleration record is calculated by using one-dimensional continuous wavelet transform, and the frequencies corresponding to the maximum values of the wavelet spectrum at a series of sampling time, named predominant frequencies, are extracted to analyze the variation of frequency content of seismic ground motions in time. And the time-variation of the predominant frequencies of 178 magnitude-distance-site bins for different directions are obtained by calculating the mean square root of predominant frequencies within a bin. The exponential trigonometric function is then use to fit the data, which describes the predominant frequency of ground-motion as a function of time with model parameters given in tables for different magnitude, distance, site conditions and direction. Finally, a practical frequency-dependent amplitude envelope function is developed based on the time-varying frequency derived in this paper, which has clear statistical parameters and can emphasize the effect of low-frequency components on later seismic action. The results illustrate that the time-varying predominant frequency can preferably reflect the non-stationarity of the frequency content in earthquake ground motions and that empirical models given in this paper facilitates the simulation of ground motions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.495-508
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• 2012

The strength theory of concrete is significant to structure design and nonlinear finite element analysis of concrete structures because concrete utilized in engineering is usually subject to the action of multi-axial stress. Experimental results have revealed that lightweight aggregate (LWA) concrete exhibits plastic flow plateau under high compressive stress and most of the lightweight aggregates are crushed at this stage. For the purpose of safety, therefore, in the practical application the strength of LWA concrete at the plastic flow plateau stage should be regarded as the ultimate strength under multi-axial compressive stress state. With consideration of the strength criterion, the ultimate strength surface of LWA concrete under multi-axial stress intersects with the hydrostatic stress axis at two different points, which is completely different from that of the normal weight concrete as that the ultimate strength surface is open-ended. As a result, the strength criteria aimed at normal weight concrete do not fit LWA concrete. In the present paper, a multi-axial strength criterion for LWA concrete is proposed based on the Unified Twin-Shear Strength (UTSS) theory developed by Prof Yu (Yu et al. 1992), which takes into account the above strength characteristics of LWA under high compressive stress level. In this strength criterion model, the tensile and compressive meridians as well as the ultimate strength envelopes in deviatoric plane under different hydrostatic stress are established just in terms of a few characteristic stress states, i.e., the uniaxial tensile strength $f_t$, the uniaxial compressive strength $f_c$, and the equibiaxial compressive $f_{bc}$. The developed model was confirmed to agree well with experimental data under different stress ratios of LWA concrete.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제6권3호
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• pp.277-290
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• 2010

Internationally the load carrying capacity of bridges is decreasing due to material deterioration while at the same time increasing live loads mean that they are often exposed to stresses for which they were not designed. However there are limited resources available to ensure that these bridges are fit for purpose, meaning that new approaches to bridge maintenance are required that optimize both their service lives as well as maintenance costs. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) provide a tool that could support such an optimized maintenance program. In many situations WSNs have advantages over conventional wired monitoring systems in terms of installation time and cost. In order to evaluate the potential of these systems two WSNs were installed starting in July 2007 on the Humber Bridge and on a nearby approach bridge. As part of a corrosion prevention strategy, a relative humidity and temperature monitoring system was installed in the north anchorage chambers of the main suspension bridge where the main cables of the bridge are anchored into the foundation. This system allows the Bridgemaster to check whether the maximum relative humidity threshold, above which corrosion of the steel wires might occur, is not crossed. A second WSN which monitors aspects of deterioration on a reinforced concrete bridge located on the approach to the main suspension bridge was also installed. Though both systems have provided useful data to the owners, there are still challenges that must be overcome in terms of monitoring corrosion of steel, measuring live loading and data management before WSNs can become an effective tool for bridge managers.

• Advances in environmental research
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.189-200
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• 2016

This study aimed at advanced oxidation of hetero tri-functional reactive dye Acid orange 7 using photo-Fenton conditions in a lab-scale experiment. Decolourisation of Acid Orange 7 dye by Fenton's process was dependent on concentration of Hydrogen peroxide, Ferrous sulphate, pH, and contact time. A $2^3$ factorial design was used to evaluate the effects of these key factors: pH, Fe(II), and $H_2O_2$ concentration, for a dye concentration of 50 mg/L with COD of 340 mg/L at pH 3.0. The response function was removal of colour under optimised conditions; pH 3.0, [Fe(II)] 40.83 mg/L, [$H_2O_2$] 4.97 mmol/L; 13.6 min. of treatment resulting in 100% colour removal. The final COD of treated wastewater was nil suggesting that AOP is a potentially useful process of color removal and dye degradation/mineralisation of effluent having AO7. Minimum contact time for complete decolourisation was at 5 mmol/l $H_2O_2$ concentration. Increase in $FeSO_4$ (mg/l) concentration resulted in decrease of time for complete decolourisation. Box-Behnken Design was used to optimize the process variables. Maximum and minimum levels of pH (3-5), $H_2O_2$ (4-6 mmol/l), $FeSO_4$ (30-46 mg/l) and contact time (5-15 minutes) were used. The statistical analysis revealed a value of 0.88 for coefficient of regression ($R^2$) indicating a good fit of model. Calculated F-value was found higher than the tabulated value confirming to significance of the model. Based on student's t-test, Ferrous sulphate, pH, and contact time have a positive effect on the percent decolourisation of Acid Orange 7.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• 제7권3호
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• pp.209-221
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• 2016

As a highly hydrophilic fibrillar mineral in nature, attapulgite (ATP) is a promising new additive for preparation of ultrafiltration (UF) hybrid membrane. In this work, ATP particles, which were grafted with a new Gemini surfactant of Ethyl Stearate-di(octadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) to detach the crystal bundles to single crystal and enhance the uniform dispersion in an organic polymer matrix, were incorporated into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix, and PVDF/Gemini-ATP hybrid membranes for adsorptive removal of Ni(II) ions from aqueous solution were prepared via a phase inversion method. Chemical composition, crystalization and morphology of the modified ATP were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The morphology of the hybrid membrane was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the performance of permeability, hydrophilicity and adsorption of Ni(II) ions were studied, and the adsorption kinetics of the PVDF/ATP hybrid membranes were particular concerned. The results showed that the hybrid membrane displayed a good thermal stability and hydrophilicity. Comparing with PVDF membrane, the hybrid membrane possessed good adsorption capacity for Ni(II) ions, and the adsorption kinetics fit well with Lagergren second-order equation.