Axial compression physical testing of traditional and bird beak SHS T-joints

The static tests of nine traditional and bird beak square hollow structure(SHS) T-joints with different β values and connection types under axial compression at brace end were carried out. Experimental test schemes, failure modes of specimens, jack load-vertical displacement curves, jack load-deformation of chord and strain intensity distribution curves of joints were presented. The effects of β and connection types on axial compression property of joints were studied. The results show that the ultimate axial compression capacity of common bird beak SHS T-joints and diamond bird beak SHS T-joints is larger than that of traditional SHS T-joint specimens with big values of β. The ultimate axial compression capacity of diamond bird beak SHS T-joints is larger than that of common bird beak SHS T-joints. As β increases, the increase of the ultimate axial compression capacity of diamond bird beak SHS T-joints over that of common bird beak joints grows. The ultimate axial compression capacity and the initial axial stiffness of all kinds of joints increase as β increases, and the initial axial stiffness of the diamond bird beak SHS T-joints is the largest. The ductilities of common bird beak and diamond bird beak SHS T-joints increase as β increases, but the ductility of the traditional SHS T-joints decreases as β increases.

Regional Tectonic Deformation Background and Medium- and Short-Term Precursors to the Minle-Shandan Earthquakes1

Using GPS observations of horizontal movement from 2001 to 2003 and the cross-fault mobile short-levelling data of 1988～2003, and with the aid of the improved negative dislocation model and the time-varying curve of strain intensity ratio of fault deformation, the regional tectonic deformation background and medium- and short-term precursors related to the preparation of the Minle-Shandan earthquakes of M S6.1 and M S5.8 on October 25, 2003 are investigated. The results reveal that, under the background of the wide-range deformation adjustment, short-term relaxation and recovery caused by the Kunlun Mountains earthquake of M S8.1, the hypocenters of the earthquakes are located on the north edge of the shear stress enhancement zone between the compressional locked segments of block boundary fault, a place which may represent an accelerated strain accumulation. An obvious anomaly of strain intensity ratio appeared in short-levelling measurements crossing over the fault at the Shihuiyaokou site, the closest to the epicenters, 3 months before the occurrence of the earthquakes. In addition, the variation in number of anomalies from 10-odd days to months before the earthquakes in the entire monitoring area and the anomaly concentration and local enhancement relative to near source in the 3 months before the earthquakes are regarded to be precursors to the two events.

Calculation of stress intensity factor in two-dimensional cracks by strain energy density factor procedure

In order to calculate the stress intensity factor(SIF) of crack tips in two-dimensional cracks from the viewpoint of strain energy density, a procedure to use the strain energy density factor to calculate the SIF is proposed. In this paper, the procedure is presented to calculate the SIF of crack tips in mode I cracks, mode II cracks and I+II mixed mode cracks. Meanwhile, the results are compared to those calculated by traditional approaches or other approaches based on strain energy density and verified by theoretical solutions. Furthermore, the effect of mesh density near the crack tip is discussed, and the proper location where the strain energy density factor is calculated is also studied. The results show that the SIF calculated by this procedure is close to not only those calculated by other approaches but also the theoretical solutions, thus it is capable of achieving accurate results.Besides, the mesh density around the crack tip should meet such requirements that, in the circular area created, the first layer of singular elements should have a radius about 0.05 mm and each element has a circumferential directional meshing angle to be15°–20°. Furthermore, for a single element around the crack tip, the strain energy density factor is suggested to be calculated in the location where half of the sector element's radius from the crack tip.