Mathematical framework of nonlinear elastic waves propagating in pre-stressed media

Acoustic nonlinearity holds potential as a method for assessing material stress.Analogous to the acoustoelastic effect,where the velocity of elastic waves is influenced by third-order elastic constants,the propagation of nonlinear acoustic waves in pre-stressed materials would be influenced by higher-order elastic constants.Despite this,there has been a notable absence of research exploring this phenomenon.Consequently,this paper aims to establish a theoretical framework for governing the propagation of nonlinear acoustic waves in pre-stressed materials.It delves into the impact of pre-stress on higher-order material parameters,and specifically examines the propagation of one-dimensional acoustic waves within the contexts of the uniaxial stress and the biaxial stress.This paper establishes a theoretical foundation for exploring the application of nonlinear ultrasonic techniques to measure pre-stress in materials.

Resilient performance of self-centering hybrid rocking walls with curved interface under pseudo-static loading

Frame and rocking wall(FRW)structures have excellent resilient performance during earthquakes.However,the concrete at interfacial corners of rocking walls(RWs)is easily crushed due to local extreme compression during the rocking process.An innovative RW with a curved interface is proposed to prevent interfacial corners from producing local damage,enhancing its earthquake resilient performance(ERP).The precast wall panel with a curved interface is assembled into an integral self-centering hybrid rocking wall(SCRW)by two post-tensioned unbonded prestressed tendons.Moreover,two ordinary energy dissipation steel rebars and two shear reinforcements are arranged to increase the energy dissipation capacity and lateral resistance.Two SCRW specimens and one monolithic reinforced concrete(RC)shear wall(SW)were tested under pseudo-static loading to compare the ERPs of the proposed SCRW and the SW,focusing on studying the effect of the curved interface on the SCRW.The key resilient performance of rocking effects,failure modes,and hysteretic properties of the SCRW were explored.The results show that nonlinear deformations of the SCRW are concentrated along the interface between the SCRW and the foundation,avoiding damage within the SCRW.The restoring force provided by the prestressed tendons can effectively realize self-centering capacity with small residual deformation,and the resilient performance of the SCRW is better than that of monolithic SW.In addition,the curved interface of the SCRW makes the rocking center change and move inward,partially relieving the stress concentration and crush of concrete.The rocking range of the rocking center is about 41.4%of the width of the SCRW.

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.

Test and simulation of full-scale self-centering beam-to-column connection

A new type of beam-to-column connection for steel moment flames, designated as a ＂self-centering connection,＂ is studied. In this connection, bolted top-and-seat angles, and post-tensioned （PT） high-strength steel strands running along the beam are used. The PT strands tie the beam flanges on the column flange to resist moment and provide self-centering force. After an earthquake, the connections have zero deformation, and can be restored to their original status by simply replacing the angles. Four full-scale connections were tested under cyclic loading. The strength, energy-dissipation capacity, hysteresis curve, as well as angles and PT strands behavior of the connections are investigated. A general FEM analysis program called ABAQUS 6.9 is adopted to model the four test specimens. The numerical and test results match very well. Both the test and analysis results suggest that： （1） the columns and beams remain elastic while the angles sustain plastic deformations for energy dissipation when the rotation of the beam related to the column equals 0.05 tad, （2） the energy dissipation capacity is enhanced when the thickness of the angle is increased, and （3） the number of PT strands has a significant influence on the behavior of the connections, whereas the distance between the strands is not as important to the performance of the connection.

Mechanical properties and reinforcement effect of jointed rock mass with pre-stressed bolt

Pre-stressed bolt anchorage is the key technology for jointed rock masses in rock tunnelling,slope treatment and mining engineering.To investigate the mechanical properties and reinforcement effect of jointed rock masses with pre-stressed bolts,in this study,uniaxial compression tests were conducted on specimens with different anchoring types and flaw inclination angles.ABAQUS software was used to verify and supplement the laboratory tests.The laws of the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)obtained from the numerical simulations and laboratory tests were consistent.The results showed that under the same flaw angle,both the UCS and elastic modulus of the bolted specimens were improved compared with those of the specimens without bolts and the improvements increased with an increase in the bolt pre-stress.Under the same anchoring type,the UCS and elastic modulus of the jointed specimens increased with an increase in the flaw angle.The pre-stressed bolt could not only restrain the slip of the specimens along the flaw surface but also change the propagation mode of the secondary cracks and limit the initiation of cracks.In addition,the plot contours of the maximum principal strain and the Tresca stress of the numerical models were influenced by the anchoring type,flaw angle,anchoring angle and bolt position.

Shake-table testing of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete frame with shear walls

The seismic performance of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete （RC） frame with shear walls was investigated in this paper. The lateral force resistance was provided by self-centering precast RC shear walls （SPCW）, which utilize a combination ofunbonded prestressed post-tensioned （PT） tendons and mild steel reinforcing bars for flexural resistance across base joints. The structures concentrated deformations at the bottom joints and the unbonded PT tendons provided the self-centering restoring force. A 1/3-scale model of a five-story self-centering RC frame with shear walls was designed and tested on a shake-table under a series of bi-directional earthquake excitations with increasing intensity. The acceleration response, roof displacement, inter-story drifts, residual drifts, shear force ratios, hysteresis curves, and local behaviour of the test specimen were analysed and evaluated. The results demonstrated that seismic performance of the test specimen was satisfactory in the plane of the shear wall; however, the structure sustained inter-story drift levels up to 2.45%. Negligible residual drifts were recorded after all applied earthquake excitations. Based on the shake-table test results, it is feasible to apply and popularize a self-centering precast RC frame with shear walls as a structural system in seismic regions.

Self-centering seismic retrofit scheme for reinforced concrete frame structures:SDOF system study

This paper presents the results of a parametric study of self-centering seismic retrofit schemes for reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings. The self-centering retrofit system features flag-shaped hysteresis and minimal residual deformation. For comparison purpose,an alternate seismic retrofit scheme that uses a bilinear-hysteresis retrofit system such as buckling-restrained braces (BRB) is also considered in this paper. The parametric study was carried out in a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system framework since a multi-story building structure may be idealized as an equivalent SDOF system and investigation of the performance of this equivalent SDOF system can provide insight into the seismic response of the multi-story building. A peak-oriented hysteresis model which can consider the strength and stiffness degradation is used to describe the hysteretic behavior of RC structures. The parametric study involves two key parameters -the strength ratio and elastic stiffness ratio between the seismic retrofit system and the original RC frame. An ensemble of 172 earthquake ground motion records scaled to the design basis earthquake in California with a probability of exceedance of 10% in 50 years was constructed for the simulation-based parametric study. The effectiveness of the two seismic retrofit schemes considered in this study is evaluated in terms of peak displacement ratio,peak acceleration ratio,energy dissipation demand ratio and residual displacement ratio between the SDOF systems with and without retrofit. It is found from this parametric study that RC structures retrofitted with the self-centering retrofit scheme (SCRS) can achieve a seismic performance level comparable to the bilinear-hysteresis retrofit scheme (BHRS) in terms of peak displacement and energy dissipation demand ratio while having negligible residual displacement after earthquake.

Strength weakening effect of high static pre-stressed granite subjected to low-frequency dynamic disturbance under uniaxial compression

This study aimed to elucidate the strength weakening effect of high static pre-stressed rocks subjected to low-frequency disturbances under uniaxial compression.Based on the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of granite under static loading,70%,80%,and 90%of UCS were selected as the initial high static pre-stress(σ_(p)),and then the pre-stressed rock specimens were disturbed by sinusoidal stress with amplitudes of 30%,20%,and 10%of UCS under low-frequency frequencies(f)of 1,2,5,and 10 Hz,respectively.The results show that the rockburst failure of pre-stressed granite is caused by low-frequency disturbance,and the failure strength is much lower than UCS.When theσp or f is constant,the specimen strength gradually decreases as the f or σ_(p) increases.The experimental study illustrates the influence mechanism of the strength weakening effect of high static pre-stress rocks under low-frequency dynamic disturbance,that is,high static pre-stress is the premise and leading factor of rock strength weakening,while low-frequency dynamic disturbance induces rock failure and affects the strength weakening degree.

RC beam strengthened with pre-stressed CFP under the secondary load

Feasibility of using pre-stressed carbon fiber plates to strengthen reinforced concrete beams was studied. Based on the characteristics of carbon fiber plates, we developed a pre-stress clamp and a device for applying the pre-stress. Contrast tests were conducted between ordinary carbon fiber plates and a pre-stressed carbon fiber plate and between secondary loaded carbon fiber plates and a concrete beam strengthened with a secondary loaded carbon fiber plate. On this basis, we analyzed the failure pattern, the width of cracks and their distribution, the cracking load, the yield load, the limit load and the relation between load and deflec- tion. The results indicate that using pre-stressed carbon fiber plates to strengthen concrete beams is feasible and effective.

Seismic performance evaluation of a self-centering precast reinforced concrete frame structure

The seismic performance of a five-story,four-bay,self-centering precast reinforced concrete frame(SC-RCF),which was redesigned using the direct displacement-based design method,was analytically investigated.The analytical model of the overall structure was developed in OpenSees.The multi-spring contact element was adopted to simulate gap open-close behavior at connection interfaces.The limit states of external mild steel dampers and unbonded post-tensioning strands were considered.Static pushover analyses were performed up to the roof drift of 10%.The nonlinear dynamic responses under four groups of ground motions(with different fault distances and site conditions)at six hazard levels(from the service to the very rare earthquake(VRE))were compared.Incremental dynamic analyses were implemented to quantify the structural collapse risk.The results showed that the structural responses of SC-RCF were satisfactory under all levels of earthquakes.The collapse safety of the structure under earthquakes up to VRE1 was adequate,while the structure would collapse to a large extent under VRE2 and VRE3.

OPTIMIZING DESIGN OF MECHANICAL SELF-CENTERING DEVICE FOR SUSPENSION HEIGHT

Firstly, in view of the respective defects of existing self-centering devices for vehicle suspension height, the design scheme of the proposed mechanical self-centering device for suspension height is described. Taking the rear suspension of a certain light bus as a research example, the structures and parameters of the novel device are designed and ascertained. Then, the road excitation models, the performance evaluation indexes and the half-vehicle model are built, the simulation outputs of time and frequency domain are obtained with the road excitations of random and pulse by using MATLAB/Simulink software. So the main characteristics of the self-centering suspension are presented preliminarily. Finally, a multi-objective parameter design optimization model for the self-centering device is built by weighted sum approach, and optimal solution is obtained by adopting complex approach. The relevant choosing-type parameters for self-centering device components are deduced by using discrete variable optimal method, and the optimal results are verified and analyzed. So the performance potentials of the self-centering device are exerted fully in condition of ensuring overall suspension performances.

Numerical simulation of the seismic behavior of self-centering steel beam-column connections with bottom flange friction devices

A new type of steel moment resisting frame with bottom flange friction devices （BFFDs） has been developed to provide self-centering capacity and energy dissipation, and to reduce permanent deformations under earthquakes. This paper presents a numerical simulation of self-centering beam-column connections with BFFDs, in which the gap opening/closing at the beam-column interfaces is simulated by using pairs of zero-length elements with compression-only material properties, and the energy dissipation due to friction is simulated by using truss elements with specified hysteretic behavior. In particular, the effect of the friction bolt bearing against the slotted plate in the BFFDs was modeled, so that the increase in lateral force and the loss of friction force due to the bolt bearing could be taken into account. Parallel elastic-perfectly plastic gap （ElasticPPGap） materials in the Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation （OpenSees） were used with predefined gaps to specify the sequence that each bolt went into the bearing and the corresponding increase in bending stiffness. The MinMax material in OpenSees is used to specify the minimum and maximum values of strains of the ElasticPPGap materials. To consider the loss of friction force due to bok bearing, a number of parallel hysteretic materials were used, and the failure of these materials in sequence simulated the gradual loss of friction force. Analysis results obtained by using the proposed numerical model are discussed and compared with the test results under cyclic loadings and the seismic loading, respectively.

Flexural Property of String Beam of Pre-Stressed Glulam Based on Influence of Regulation and Control

Applying pre-stress in glulam beam can reduce its deformation and make full use of the compressive strength of wood.However,when the glulam with low strength and the pre-stressed steel with high strength form combined members,materials of high strength can’t be fully utilized.Therefore,this study puts forward the idea of regulating and controlling string beam of pre-stressed glulam.By regulating and controlling the pre-stress,a part of the load borne by the wood is allocated to the pre-stressed tendon,which is equivalent to completing a redistribution of internal force,thus realizing the repeated utilization of the wood strength and the full utilization of the strength of the high-strength pre-stressed tendon.The bending experiments of 10 beams under 5 working conditions are carried out.The failure mode,bearing capacity and deformation of the beams are analyzed.The results show that 90%of beams are deformed under compression.The ultimate load of the regulated and controlled beam is obviously larger than that of the unregulated beam,and the ultimate load of the beam increases with the increase of the degree of regulation and control.Compared with that of the unregulated beams,the ultimate load of beams regulated by 7.5%-30%increases by 25.42%-65.08%,and the regulated and controlled effect is obvious.With the increase of the regulation and control amplitude of pre-stress,the stiffness of string beam of pre-stressed glulam increases.In addition,with the increase of the regulation and control amplitude,the compression height of the beam increases before the failure,and it reaches the state of full-section compression at the time of failure,giving full play to the compressive property of the glulam.At the end of the experiment,the constitutive relation which can reflect the anisotropy of the wood is established combined with the experimental data.The finite element analysis of the beam under 7 working conditions is carried out by using ABAQUS finite element program,and the influence of the regulation and control amplitude on the stress distribution and ultimate bearing capacity of the beam is discussed.

Design and Preparation of High Elastic Modulus Self-compacting Concrete for Pre-stressed Mass Concrete Structures

Requirements of self-compacting concrete （SCC） applied in pre-stressed mass concrete structures include high fluidity, high elastic modulus, low adiabatic temperature rise and low drying shrinkage, which cannot be satisfied by ordinary SCC. In this study, in order to solve the problem, a few principles of SCC design were proposed and the effects of binder amount, fly ash （FA） substitution, aggregate content and gradation on the workability, temperature rise, drying shrinkage and elastic modulus of SCC were investigated. The results and analysis indicate that the primary factor influencing the fluidity was paste content, and the main methods improving the elastic modulusof SCC were a lower sand ratio and an optimized coarse aggregate gradation. Lower adiabatic temperature rise and drying shrinkage were beneficial for decreasing the cement content. Further, based on the optimization of mixture, a C50 grade SCC （with binder amount of only 480 kg/ m3, fly ash substitution of 40%, sand ratio of 51% and proper coarse aggregate gradation （Vs.~0 mm： V10-16 ram： V16.20 mm= 30%： 30%：40%）） with superior workability was successfully prepared. The temperature rise and drying shrinkage of the prepared SCC were significantly reduced, and the elastic modulus reached 37.6 GPa at 28 d.

Seismic performance of a reinforced concrete building retrofitted with self-centering shape memory alloy braces

Self-centering earthquake-resistant structures have received increased attention due to their ability to reduce post-earthquake residual deformations and,thus,repair time and cost.This stimulated the development of recentering shape memory alloy(SMA)dampers that use superelastic nitinol wires to dissipate energy and self-center the structure.However,there are still a few case studies applications on full-scale RC buildings in the literature.Moreover,general guidelines or even simplified approaches for the practical design of SMA damped braces are still lacking.This paper focuses on evaluating the effect of using self-centering shape memory alloy dampers for buckling-restrained braces applied for the seismic retrofit of a complex RC building structure.A design method originally proposed for elastoplastic dampers was implemented to size the SMA dampers to be placed on selected spans and stories of a building.The effectiveness of the design procedure was demonstrated by nonlinear time-history analyses under different sets of earthquake strong ground motions.The analysis results show that the recentering shape memory alloy bracing system is effective in limiting the maximum transient inter-story drifts and reducing the residual inter-story drifts after strong seismic events,due to its excellent recentering behavior together with its not negligible energy dissipation capacity.

Pre-Stressed Rope Reinforced Anti-Sliding Pile

Pre-stressed rope reinforced anti-sliding pile is a composite anti-sliding structure. It is made up of pre-stressed rope and general anti-sliding pile. It can bring traditional anti-sliding pile＇s retaining performance into full play, and to treat with landslide fast and economically. The difference between them is that the pre-stressed rope will transfix the whole anti- sliding pile through a prearranged pipe in this structure. The working mechanics, the design method and economic benefit are studied. The results show that the pre-stressed rope reinforced anti-sliding pile can treat with the small and middle landslides or high slopes well and possess the notable advantage of technology and economic.

Dynamic analysis of double-layer and pre-stressed multi-limb six-axis force sensor

In order to adapt to the specific task, the six-axis dynamic contact force between end-effectors of intelligent robots and working condition needs to be perceived. Therefore, the dynamic property of six-axis force sensor which is installed on the end-effectors of intelligent robots will have influence on the veracity of detection and judgment to working environment contact force by intelligent robots directly. In this paper, dynamic analysis to double-layer and pre-stressed multi-limb six-axis force sensor is conducted. First, the structure of the sensor is introduced, and the limb number is confirmed by introducing the related definitions of convex analysis. Then, based on vibration of multiple-degree-of-freedom system, a mechanical vibration simplified model of double-layer and pre-stressed multiple limb six-axis force sensor is set up. After that, movement differential equations of sensor and the response of analytical expression are deduced, and the movement differential equations is solved. Finally, taking the double-layer and pre-stressed seven limb six-axis force sensor as an example, numerical calculation and simulation of deriving result is conducted, which verify the correctness and feasibility of the theoretical analysis.

Experimental study on seismic behavior of circular RC columns strengthened with pre-stressed FRP strips

Bonding fiber reinforced polymer （FRP） has been commonly used to improve the seismic behavior of circular reinforced concrete （RC） columns in engineering practice. However, FRP jackets have a significant stress hysteresis effect in this strengthening method, and pre-tensioning the FRP can overcome this problem. This paper presents test results of 25 circular RC columns strengthened with pre-stressed FRP strips under low cyclic loading. The pre-stressing of the FRP strips, types of FRP strips and longitudinal reinforcement, axial load ratio, pre-damage degree and surface treatments of the specimens are considered as the primary factors in the tests. According to the failure modes and hysteresis curves of the specimens, these factors are analyzed to investigate their effect on bearing capacity, ductility, hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation capacity and other important seismic behaviors. The results show that the initial lateral confined stress provided by pre-stressed FRP strips can effectively inhibit the emergence and development of diagonal shear cracks, and change the failure modes of specimens from brittle shear failure to bending or bending-shear failure with better ductility. As a result, the bearing capacity, ductility, energy dissipation capacity and deformation capacity of the strengthened specimens are all significantly improved.

A Statistical Analysis of the Modulus of Elasticity and Compressive Strength of Concrete C45/55 for Pre-stressed Precast Beams

Random behavior of concrete C45/55 XF2 used for prefabricated pre-stressed bridge beams is described on the basis of evaluating a vast set of measurements. A detailed statistical analysis is carried out on 133 test results of cylinders 150 ~ 300 mm in size. The tests have been running in laboratories of the Klokner Institute. A single worker took all specimens throughout the period, and the subsequent measurements of the static modulus of elasticity and the compressive strength of the concrete were performed. The measurements were made at the age of 28 days after specimens casting, and only one testing machine with the same capping method was used. Suitable theoretical models of division are determined on the basis of tests in good congruence, with the use of Z2 and the Bernstein criterion. A set of concrete compressive strength （carried out on 133 test results of cylinders 150 ~ 300 mm after test of static modulus of elasticity） shows relatively high skewness in this specific case. This cause that limited beta distribution is better than generally recommended theoretical distribution for strength the normal or lognormal. The modulus of elasticity is not significantly affected due to skewness because the design value is based on mean value.

Stress Analysis of New Type Pre-Stressed Anchor Bearing Plate Combining Stamping with Welding Forming and Its Anchorage Zone

An anchor bearing plate transfers the anchoring force from anchor plate to the concrete and the pre-stress is formed in the concrete structure. Currently, the main type of anchor bearing plate is cast iron. It is brittle during transportation and tension process. This paper presents a new type of anchor bearing plate combined stamping with welding forming. The structure of the new type anchor bearing plate is introduced. The stress states of the anchor bearing plate and anchorage zone under work are studied. Various specifications of anchor bearing plate are studied by ANSYS finite element analysis software following the AASHTO specification. The analysis results are compared with the results of the same type of OVM round-shaped anchor plate. The study results show that the new pre-stressed anchor plates combined stamping with welding forming are feasible and more sturdy which can meet the engineering demand.