• International Journal of Highway Engineering
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.135-147
• /
• 2007

Segregation in asphalt pavements occurs as a result of the non-uniform distribution of coarse and fine aggregates and causes premature distresses, such as cracking, raveling, and stripping. The effect of segregation on rutting, however, has not been clearly identified. Experimental and analytical work performed in this study indicates that rutting performance is affected by segregation of mixtures. However, the aggregate structure of mixtures appears to be a more critical factor that determines the rutting performance, rather than the level of segregation. Based on the field mixtures evaluated, an increase of coarse aggregate volume in an asphalt mixture is an important factor that results in good rutting performance. This effect holds true for mixtures with lower levels of air voids, but for mixtures with higher levels of air voids, the air voids effect becomes dominant, resulting in a reduction in rutting performance. An air void content of 10% appears to be a threshold that determines the rutting performance of Superpave mixtures. Once the air void content exceeds 10%, the rutting performance of Superpave mixtures decreases significantly, despite the coarse aggregate volume.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.445-455
• /
• 2022

Steel anchor bolts are installed in concrete using a variety of methods. One of the most common methods of anchor bolt installation is using epoxy resin as an infill material injected into the drilled hole to act as a bonding material between the steel bolt and the surrounding concrete. Typical design standards assume uniform stress distribution along the length of the anchor bolt accompanied with single crack leading to pull-out failure. Experimental evidence has shown that the steel anchor bolts fail owing to the multiple failure patterns, hence these design assumptions are not realistic. In this regard, the presented research work details the analytical model that takes into consideration multiple micro cracks in the infill material induced via impact loading. The impact loading from the Schmidt hammer is used to evaluate the bond condition bond condition of anchor bolt and the epoxy material. The added advantage of the presented analytical model is that it is able to take into account the various type of end conditions of the anchor bolts such as bent or U-shaped anchors. Through sensitivity analysis the optimum stiffness and shear strength properties of the epoxy infill material is achieved, which have shown to achieve lower displacement coupled with reduced damage to the surrounding concrete. The accuracy of the presented model is confirmed by comparing the simulated deformational responses with the experimental evidence. From the comparison it was found that the model was successful in simulating the experimental results. The proposed model can be adopted by professionals interested in predicting and controlling the deformational response of anchor bolts.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.151-163
• /
• 2020

Grouting method is an effective way of reinforcing cracked rock masses and plugging water gushing. Current grouting diffusion models are generally developed for horizontal cracks, which is contradictory to the fact that the crack generally occurs in rock masses with irregular spatial distribution characteristics in real underground environments. To solve this problem, this study selected a cement-sodium silicate slurry (C-S slurry) generally used in engineering as a fast-curing grouting material and regarded the C-S slurry as a Bingham fluid with time-varying viscosity for analysis. Based on the theory of fluid mechanics, and by simultaneously considering the deadweight of slurry and characteristics of non-uniform spatial distribution of viscosity of fast-curing grouts, a theoretical model of slurry diffusion in an oblique crack in rock masses at constant grouting rate was established. Moreover, the viscosity and pressure distribution equations in the slurry diffusion zone were deduced, thus quantifying the relationship between grouting pressure, grouting time, and slurry diffusion distance. On this basis, by using a 3-d finite element program in multi-field coupled software Comsol, the numerical simulation results were compared with theoretical calculation values, further verifying the effectiveness of the theoretical model. In addition, through the analysis of two engineering case studies, the theoretical calculations and measured slurry diffusion radius were compared, to evaluate the application effects of the model in engineering practice. Finally, by using the established theoretical model, the influence of cracking in rock masses on the diffusion characteristics of slurry was analysed. The results demonstrate that the inclination angle of the crack in rock masses and azimuth angle of slurry diffusion affect slurry diffusion characteristics. More attention should be paid to the actual grouting process. The results can provide references for determining grouting parameters of fast-curing grouts in engineering practice.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.409-416
• /
• 2021

Dimensionally stable electrodes are one of the important components in electrochemical water treatment processes. In the manufacturing of the dimensionally stable electrodes, the type of metal catalyst coated on the surface of the metal substrate, the coating and sintering methods substantially influence their performance and durability. In this study, using Ir-Ru-Ta ternary metal coating, various electrodes were prepared depending on the coating method under the same pre-treatment and sintering conditions, and its performance and durability were studied. As a coating method, brush and spray coating were used. As a result, the reduction in the amount of catalyst ink was achieved because more amount of metal could be coated for the electrode using spraying with the same amount of catalyst ink. In addition, the spray_2.0_3.0 electrode prepared by a specific spray coating method shows the phenomenon of cracking and the uniform coating of the ternary metal on the surface of the coating layer, and results in a high electrochemically active specific surface area, and the decomposition performance of 4-chlorophenol was superior to the other electrodes. However, it was found that there was no significant difference in durability depending on the coating method.