Seismic performance of double- skin steel- concrete composite box piers: Part Ⅰ——Bidirectional quasi-static testing

To study the seismic performance of double-skin steelconcrete composite box（ DSCB） piers, a total of 11 DSCB pier specimens were tested under bidirectional cyclic loading. The effects of the loading pattern, the steel plate thickness, the axial load ratio, the slenderness ratio and the aspect ratio were taken into consideration. The damage evolution process and failure modes of the tested specimens are presented in detail. Test results are also discussed in terms of the hysteretic curve, skeleton curve, ductility and energy dissipation capacity of DSCB pier specimens. It can be concluded that the hysteretic performance of DSCB piers in one direction is affected and weakened by the cyclic loading in the other direction. DSCB piers under bidirectional cyclic loading exhibit good performance in terms of load carrying capacity, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity. Overall, DSCB piers can meet the basic aseismic requirements. The research results can be taken as a reference for using DSCB piers as high piers in bridges in strong earthquakeprone areas.

Design,Development and Testing of the JTech Bolt for Use in Static,Quasi-Static and Dynamic Domains

Designing a rock reinforcement element requires knowledge of:geomechanical behaviour,interaction of the reinforcement element with rock mass and the element’s mechanistic response in static and dynamic environments.Using this knowledge the JTech bolt was developed and subjected to a thorough program to test,gather data and validate the bolt performance in varying domains.By conducting FE(finite element)modeling,the simulation reviews the JTech bolt design evaluating the effects of threadbar geometric variation,threadbar and nut engagement results under high stress,coating friction response and effects of thread tolerance extremes on the failure mode.These results determine safety factors,tolerances and quality management criteria.Once manufactured,in-situ system testing,laboratory and underground short encapsulation testing,resin mixing testing,double shear testing and dynamic testing at varying velocity and mass,determine the system’s capacity and effectiveness in static,quasi-static and dynamic mining environments.In this paper,the process and results are described.

Seismic performance evaluation of an infilled rocking wall frame structure through quasi-static cyclic testing

Earthquake investigations have illustrated that even code-compliant reinforced concrete frames may suffer from soft-story mechanism.This damage mode results in poor ductility and limited energy dissipation.Continuous components offer alternatives that may avoid such failures.A novel infilled rocking wall frame system is proposed that takes advantage of continuous component and rocking characteristics.Previous studies have investigated similar systems that combine a reinforced concrete frame and a wall with rocking behavior used.However,a large-scale experimental study of a reinforced concrete frame combined with a rocking wall has not been reported.In this study,a seismic performance evaluation of the newly proposed infilled rocking wall frame structure was conducted through quasi-static cyclic testing.Critical joints were designed and verified.Numerical models were established and calibrated to estimate frame shear forces.The results evaluation demonstrate that an infilled rocking wall frame can effectively avoid soft-story mechanisms.Capacity and initial stiffness are greatly improved and self-centering behavior is achieved with the help of the infilled rocking wall.Drift distribution becomes more uniform with height.Concrete cracks and damage occurs in desired areas.The infilled rocking wall frame offers a promising approach to achieving seismic resilience.

Sandwich structures with tapered tubes as core:A quasi-static investigation

In this article,the experimental and finite element analysis is utilized to investigate the quasi-static compression features of sandwich constructions built with tapered tubes.3D printing technology was utilized to create the hollow centers of the tapering tubes,with and without corrugations.The results demonstrate that the energy absorption(EA)and specific energy absorption(SEA)of the single corrugated tapered tube sandwich are 51.6% and 19.8% higher,respectively,than those of the conical tube sandwich.Furthermore,the results demonstrate that energy absorbers can benefit from corrugation in order to increase their efficiency.Additionally,the tapered corrugated tubes'resistance to oblique impacts was studied.Compared to a straight tube,the tapered tube is more resistant to oblique loads and has a lower initial peak crushing force(PCF),according to numerical simulations.After conducting a parametric study,it was discovered that the energy absorption performance of the sandwich construction is significantly affected by the amplitude,number of corrugations,and wall thickness.EA and SEA of DTS with corrugation number of 8 increased by 17.4%and 29.6%,respectively,while PCF decreased by 9.2% compared to DTS with corrugation number of 10.

Quasi-static and dynamic compressive behaviour of additively manufactured Menger fractal cube structures

This paper presents the first-ever investigation of Menger fractal cubes'quasi-static compression and impact behaviour.Menger cubes with different void ratios were 3D printed using polylactic acid(PLA)with dimensions of 40 mm×40 mm×40 mm.Three different orders of Menger cubes with different void ratios were considered,namely M1 with a void ratio of 0.26,M2 with a void ratio of 0.45,and M3with a void ratio of 0.60.Quasi-static Compression tests were conducted using a universal testing machine,while the drop hammer was used to observe the behaviour under impact loading.The fracture mechanism,energy efficiency and force-time histories were studied.With the structured nature of the void formation and predictability of the failure modes,the Menger geometry showed some promise compared to other alternatives,such as foams and honeycombs.With the increasing void ratio,the Menger geometries show force-displacement behaviour similar to hyper-elastic materials such as rubber and polymers.The third-order Menger cubes showed the highest energy absorption efficiency compared to the other two geometries in this study.The findings of the present work reveal the possibility of using additively manufactured Menger geometries as an energy-efficient system capable of reducing the transmitting force in applications such as crash barriers.

Experimental crushing behavior and energy absorption of angular gradient honeycomb structures under quasi-static and dynamic compression

The high variability of shock in terrorist attacks poses a threat to people's lives and properties,necessitating the development of more effective protective structures.This study focuses on the angle gradient and proposes four different configurations of concave hexagonal honeycomb structures.The structures'macroscopic deformation behavior,stress-strain relationship,and energy dissipation characteristics are evaluated through quasi-static compression and Hopkinson pressure bar impact experiments.The study reveals that,under varying strain rates,the structures deform starting from the weak layer and exhibit significant interlayer separation.Additionally,interlayer shear slip becomes more pronounced with increasing strain rate.In terms of quasi-static compression,symmetric gradient structures demonstrate superior energy absorption,particularly the symmetric negative gradient structure(SNG-SMS)with a specific energy absorption of 13.77 J/cm~3.For dynamic impact,unidirectional gradient structures exhibit exceptional energy absorption,particularly the unidirectional positive gradient honeycomb structure(UPG-SML)with outstanding mechanical properties.The angle gradient design plays a crucial role in determining the structure's stability and deformation mode during impact.Fewer interlayer separations result in a more pronounced negative Poisson's ratio effect and enhance the structure's energy absorption capacity.These findings provide a foundation for the rational design and selection of seismic protection structures in different strain rate impact environments.

Life-Cycle Bearing Capacity for Pre-Stressed T-beams Based on Full-Scale Destructive Test

To investigate the evolution of load-bearing characteristics of pre-stressed beams throughout their service life and to provide a basis for accurately assessing the actual working state of damaged pre-stressed concrete T-beams,destructive tests were conducted on full-scale pre-stressed concrete beams.Based on the measurement and ana-lysis of beam deflection,strain,and crack development under various loading levels during the research tests,combined with the verification coefficient indicators specified in the codes,the verification coefficients of bridges at different stages of damage can be examined.The results indicate that the T-beams experience complete,incom-plete linear,and non-linear stages during the destructive test process.In the complete linear elastic stage,both the deflection and bottom strain verification coefficients comply with the specifications,indicating a good structural load-bearing capacity no longer adheres to the code’s requirements.In the non-linear stage,both coefficients exhi-bit a sharp increase,resulting in a further decrease in the structure’s load-bearing capacity.According to the pro-visions of the current code,the beam can be in the incomplete linear stage when both values fall within the code’s specified range.The strain verification coefficient sourced from the compression zone at the bottom of theflange is not recommended for assessing the bridge’s load-bearing capacity.

Seismic performance of precast bridge columns connected with grouted corrugated-metal duct through biaxial quasi-static experiment and modeling

In this paper,the seismic behaviors of precast bridge columns connected with grouted corrugated-metal duct(GCMD)were investigated through the biaxial quasi-static experiment and numerical simulation.With a geometric scale ratio of 1:5,five specimens were fabricated,including four precast bridge columns connected with GCMD and one cast-in-place(CIP)bridge column.A finite element analysis model was also established by using OpenSees and was then calibrated by using the experimental results for parameter analysis.The results show the biaxial seismic performance of the precast bridge columns connected with GCMD was similar to the CIP bridge columns regarding ultimate bearing capacity and hysteresis energy,and further,that it could meet the design goal of equivalent performance.The seismic performance of the precast bridge columns connected with GCMD deteriorated more significantly under bi-directional load than under uni-directional load.A proper slenderness ratio(e.g.,7.0-10.0)and longitudinal reinforcement ratio could significantly improve the energy dissipation capacity and deformation capacity of the precast bridge columns,while the axial load ratio and concrete strength had little influence on the above properties.The research results could bring insights to the development of the seismic design of precast bridge columns connected with GCMD.

Quasi-static and dynamic tensile behaviors in electron beam welded Ti-6Al-4V alloy

The quasi-static and dynamic tensile behaviors in electron beam welded（EBW） Ti-6Al-4V alloy were investigated at strain rates of 10-3 and 103 s-1,respectively,by materials test system（MTS） and reconstructive Hopkinson bars apparatus.The microstructures of the base metal（BM） and the welded metal（WM） were observed with optical microscope.The fracture characteristics of the BM and WM were characterized with scanning electronic microscope.In Ti-6Al-4V alloy joint,the flow stress of WM is higher than that of BM,while the fracture strain of WM is less than that of BM at strain rates of 103 and 10-3 s-1,respectively.The fracture strain of WM has apparent improvement when the strain rate rises from 10-3 to 103 s-1,while the fracture strain of BM almost has no change.At the same time,the fracture mode of WM alters from brittle to ductile fracture,which causes improvement of the fracture strain of WM.

The asymptotic field of mode Ⅰ quasi-static crack growth on the interface between a rigid and a pressure-sensitive material

A mechanical model of the quasi-static interface of a mode I crack between a rigid and a pressure-sensitive viscoelastic material was established to investigate the mechanical characteristic of ship-building engineering hi-materials. In the stable growth stage, stress and strain have the same singularity, ie （σ, ε） ∝ r^-1/（n-1）. The variable-separable asymptotic solutions of stress and strain at the crack tip were obtained by adopting Airy＇s stress function and the numerical results of stress and strain in the crack-tip field were obtained by the shooting method. The results showed that the near-tip fields are mainly governed by the power-hardening exponent n and the Poisson ratio v of the pressure-sensitive material. The fracture criterion of mode I quasi-static crack growth in pressure-sensitive materials, according to the asymptotic analyses of the crack-tip field, can be viewed from the perspective of strain.

Quasi-static Analysis of Thrust-loaded Angular Contact Ball Bearings Part Ⅰ:Theoretical Formulation

Ball bearings play an important role in various rotating machineries,but the complicated kinematic and tribological features of ball bearings make many aspects of their operating behaviors still inconclusive.Most theoretical analyses of ball bearings up to date are based on either the hypothesis of race control or other empirical models to determine the ball motion of ball bearings,but none of these strategies can reveal and consequently employ the intrinsic coupling mechanism between the spin and the tangential traction of contacting bodies rolling upon one another.To remedy the deficiency of current analytical models for ball bearing analysis,the rolling contact theory is employed to establish an explicit link between motions and interactions within ball bearings.A differential slip model is established to precisely define the slip component due to the significant curvature of the common contact patches between the ball and inner/outer raceways.The creepage and the spin ratio are formulated to accurately define the relative rigid motion between the ball and the inner/outer raceway.Then a quasi-static analytical model is established that can accurately determine the motions of the balls and races of the ball bearing.It can also give a vivid description of the slip and traction distributions within the contact area.The analytical model can be effectively used to analyze the operational conditions and tribological features of solid-lubricated ball bearings.It can also be used optimize the construction of ball bearings for specific applications.

Theoretical research and experimental validation of quasi-static load spectra on bogie frame structures of high-speed trains

One of the major problems in structural fatigue life analysis is establishing structural load spectra under actual operating conditions.This study conducts theoretical research and experimental validation of quasi-static load spectra on bogie frame structures of high-speed trains.The quasistatic load series that corresponds to quasi-static deformation modes are identified according to the structural form and bearing conditions of high-speed train bogie frames.Moreover,a force-measuring frame is designed and manufactured based on the quasi-static load series.The load decoupling model of the quasi-static load series is then established via calibration tests.Quasi-static load–time histories,together with online tests and decoupling analysis,are obtained for the intermediate range of the Beijing—Shanghai dedicated passenger line.The damage consistency calibration of the quasi-static discrete load spectra is performed according to a damage consistency criterion and a genetic algorithm.The calibrated damage that corresponds with the quasi-static discrete load spectra satisfies the safety requirements of bogie frames.

Quasi-static Analysis of Thrust-loaded Angular Contact Ball Bearings Part Ⅱ:Results and Discussion

Ball bearings are widely employed mechanical components characterized by high precision and quality,and usually play important roles in various rotary machines and mechanisms.Many advanced applications require a deep understanding of their various kinematic and tribological characteristics that are essential to predict the fatigue endurance,relieve the vibration and minimize the power dissipation of ball bearings in particular applications.An angular contact ball bearing under a specified operating condition is simulated with the quasi-static/creepage analytical model proposed in the preceding article.The results demonstrate that the ball bearing is a statically determinate system.That the balls spin on both inner and outer races means the ball is controlled by neither the inner nor the outer raceway.The friction between the ball and raceway renders the inner and outer contact angles unequal.The larger the coefficient of friction is,the larger the angle deviation.The tangential traction perpendicular to the rolling direction due to the spin induces a gyro-like rotation of the ball with respect to the raceway even if no inertial effects are considered.The tangential elastic compliance of contacting surfaces gives rise to locked areas within the contact patch and transforms the sliding lines from circles into spirals.The differential slip due to the close conformity of the ball and raceway makes the sliding and traction distributions asymmetric,which will influence the location of the spinning center of the ball with respect to the raceway.The quasi-static/creepage model can be used to reveal the operating behaviors of ball bearings running under steady conditions and to optimize the design of ball bearings for specific applications.

Temperature Effect on the Mechanical Behavior of Acrylic Polymers under Quasi-static and Dynamic Loading

In this paper, the mechanical behavior of acrylic polymers at elevated temperature was investigated. Four acrylic polymers were tested at high strain rate by using compression Hopkinson bar and at quasi-static strain rate by using an Instron servo hydraulic axial testing machine with the testing temperature from 218K to 393K. The results show that the mechanical property of acrylic polymers depends heavily on the testing temperature. The yield stress and Young's modulus were found to decrease with increasing temperature at low strain rate. At very low temperature, the materials display typical brittle fracture; however their plasticity improves remarkably at high temperatures. The predictions of the mechanical behavior including the effect of temperature and strain rate using a proposed theoretical model have a good agreement with experimental results.

The Role of Elytra in Beetle Flight: Ⅰ.Generation of Quasi-Static Aerodynamic Forces

We conducted a comprehensive study to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics and force generation of the elytra of abeetle,Allomyrina dichotoma.Our analysis included wind tunnel experiments and three-dimensional computational fluiddynamics simulations using ANSYS-CFX software.Our first approach was a quasi-static study that considered the effect ofinduced flapping flow due to the flapping motion of the fore-wings (elytra) at a frequency of around 30 Hz to 40 Hz.The dihedralangle was varied to represent flapping motion during the upstroke and downstroke.We found that an elytron producespositive lift at 0° geometric angle of attack,negative lift during the upstroke,and always produces drag during both the upstrokeand downstroke.We also found that the lift coefficient of an elytron does not drop even at a very high geometric angle of attack.For a beetle with a body weight of 5 g,based on the quasi-static method,the fore-wings (elytra) can produce lift of less than 1%of its body weight.

Theoretical analysis on quasi-static lateral compression of elliptical tube between two rigid plates

Based on the rigid plastic theory; the load-deflection functions with and without considering the effect of strain hardening are respectively derived for an elliptical tube under quasi-static compression by two parallel rigid plates. The non-dimensional load-deflection responses predicted by the present theory and the finite element simula- tions are compared, and the favorable agreement is found. The results show that strain hardening may have a noticeable influence on the load-deflection curves of an elliptical tube under quasi-static compression. Compared with the circular counterpart, the ellip- tical tube exhibits different energy absorption behavior due to the difference between the major axis and the minor axis. When loaded along the major axis of a slightly oval tube, a relative even and long plateau region of the load-deflection curve is achieved, which is especially desirable for the design of energy absorbers.

Failure behavior of highly stressed rocks under quasi-static and intensive unloading conditions

Unloading failure of rocks,especially highly stressed rocks,is one of the key issues in construction of underground structures.Based on this,analytical models for rocks under quasi-static and intensive unloading conditions are established to study the failure behavior of highly stressed rocks.In case of rock failure under quasi-static unloading,the rock mass ahead of working face is regarded as an elasto-brittle material,and the stress-displacement curves are used to characterize the tensile fracture of peak-stress area.It is observed that,when intensive unloading happens,there is an elastic unloading wave（perturbation wave） propagating in the rock mass.If the initial stress exceeds the critical stress,there will be a fracture wave,following the elastic unloading wave.To study the propagation feature of fracture wave,the conservation laws of mass,momentum and energy are employed.Results show that the post-peak deformation,strength and energy dissipation are essential to the failure process of highly stressed rocks.

昆明烟区土壤线虫数量与环境因子的Mantel Test分析

为进一步明确昆明烟区影响线虫的环境因素,于2022年采集云南昆明烟区8个县(市、区)64个乡镇的320个植烟土壤样品,调查与测定样品采集地的海拔、土壤线虫数量以及土壤理化性质(pH值及有机质、水解性氮、速效钾和有效磷含量),并探讨土壤线虫数量与植烟土壤环境因子之间的潜在关系。结果表明,昆明烟区土壤线虫数量一定程度上受到海拔及土壤理化性质的影响,海拔与有机质、水解性氮和速效钾呈显著正相关,pH值与有效磷呈极显著负相关,相关系数为-0.850;土壤线虫数量与土壤有效磷呈正相关,与海拔、pH值、有机质、水解性氮、速效钾呈负相关,其中与海拔、有机质和水解性氮的相关系数较大,分别为-0.751、-0.651和-0.568。通过Mantel test分析确定海拔、有机质和水解性氮含量是影响昆明烟区土壤线虫数量的重要因子。本结果可为有效防治土壤线虫提供科学依据。

Analysis of Low-Frequency Vibrational Modes and Particle Rearrangements in Marginally Jammed Amorphous Solid under Quasi-Static Shear

We present the numerical simulation results of a model granular assembly formed by spherical particles with tIertzian interaction subjected to a simple shear in the athermal quasi-static limit. The stress-strain curve is shown to separate into smooth, elastic branches followed by a subsequent plastic event. Mode analysis shows that the lowest-frequency vibrational mode is more localized, and eigenvalues and participation ratios of low- frequency modes exhibit similar power-law behavior as the system approaches plastic instability, indicating that the nature of plastic events in the granular system is also a saddle node bifurcation. The analysis of projection and spatial structure shows that over 75% contributions to the non-affine displacement field at a plastic instability come from the lowest-frequency mode, and the lowest-frequency mode is strongly spatially correlated with local plastic rearrangements, inferring that the lowest-frequency mode could be used as a predictor for future plastic rearrangements in the disordered system jammed marginally.

Microstructure and Quasi-Static Mechanical Behavior of Cryoforged AA2519 Alloy

In this study, AA2519 alloy was initially processed by multi axial forging (MAF) at room and cryogenic temperatures. Subsequently, the microstructure and the mechanical behavior of the processed samples under quasi-static loading were investigated to determine the influence of cryogenic forging on alloys’ subgrains dimensions, grain boundaries interactions, strength, ductility and toughness. In addition, the failure mechanisms at the tensile rupture surfaces were characterized using scanning electron micro-scope (SEM). The results show significant improvements in the strength, ductility and toughness of the alloy as a result of the cryogenic MAF process. The formation of nanoscale crystallite microstructure, heavily deformed grains with high density of grain boundaries and second phase breakage to finer particles were characterized as the main reasons for the increase in the mechanical properties of the cryogenic forged samples. The cryogenic processing of the alloy resulted in the formation of an ultrafine grained material with tensile strength and toughness that are ~41% and ~80% higher respectively after 2 cycles MAF when compared with the materials processed at ambient temperature. The fractography analysis on the tested materials shows a substantial ductility improvement in the cryoforged (CF) samples when compared to the room temperature forged (RTF) samples which is in alignment with their stress-strain profiles. However, extended forging at higher cycles than 2 cycles led only to increase in strength at the expense of ductility for both the CF and RTF samples.