Health diagnosis of ultrahigh arch dam performance using heterogeneous spatial panel vector model

Currently,more than ten ultrahigh arch dams have been constructed or are being constructed in China.Safety control is essential to long-term operation of these dams.This study employed the flexibility coefficient and plastic complementary energy norm to assess the structural safety of arch dams.A comprehensive analysis was conducted,focusing on differences among conventional methods in characterizing the structural behavior of the Xiaowan arch dam in China.Subsequently,the spatiotemporal characteristics of the measured performance of the Xiaowan dam were explored,including periodicity,convergence,and time-effect characteristics.These findings revealed the governing mechanism of main factors.Furthermore,a heterogeneous spatial panel vector model was developed,considering both common factors and specific factors affecting the safety and performance of arch dams.This model aims to comprehensively illustrate spatial heterogeneity between the entire structure and local regions,introducing a specific effect quantity to characterize local deformation differences.Ultimately,the proposed model was applied to the Xiaowan arch dam,accurately quantifying the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of dam performance.Additionally,the spatiotemporal distri-bution characteristics of environmental load effects on different parts of the dam were reasonably interpreted.Validation of the model prediction enhances its credibility,leading to the formulation of health diagnosis criteria for future long-term operation of the Xiaowan dam.The findings not only enhance the predictive ability and timely control of ultrahigh arch dams'performance but also provide a crucial basis for assessing the effectiveness of engineering treatment measures.

Experimental and numerical study on structural performance of reinforced concrete box sewer with localized extreme defect

An experimental and numerical investigation into the structural performance of reinforced concrete box sewers with typical corrosion-related extreme defects localized at the ceiling was conducted.Firstly,during the large-scale laboratory test,some key struc-tural responses were captured and evaluated,including the crack width development process(via digital image correlation measurement),ceiling deflection,and material strains of both complete and typical defective boxes.The failure modes and load-carrying mechanism throughout the specimen loading phases were analyzed.Furthermore,the specimen failure process was simulated using a damage-basedfinite element method,and a related parameter sensitivity analysis was performed.The results indicate that the defective ceiling cracked at mid-span under a low load value,but the bending capacity loss can be substituted by two shoulders and carry three tofive times more load before completely collapsing.The simulation matched the lab test qualitatively,and with the suggested set strategy of material parameters,the load-deflection feature curve could provide a practical prediction of the ultimate bearing capacity of the defec-tive sewers,with a 10–15%error on the safe side.

Evaluation of the static and dynamic structural performance of segmental pre-stressed concrete box girder bridge after repairing and strengthening

The objectives of this study are to explain the repairing and strengthening methods which are used to improve the structural performance of the bridge structure,to analyze the static and dynamic responses after strengthening,and to evaluate the performance of the bridge structure after repairing and strengthening.The methods of repairing and strengthening include reconstruction the deck of the bridge by casting 10 cm layer of concrete,strengthening the web and bottom floor of box girders of middle spans and side spans by sticking the steel plates,strengthening the whole bridge structure by using external pre-stressing tendons,and treatment the cracks.The results of theoretical analysis show that the values of tensile stress and vertical deflection are decreased and the compressive stress is increased after strengthening.There are not tensile stresses are appeared in the sections of the bridge structure.The modal analysis results show that the value of natural frequency is equal to 2.09 Hz which is more than the values before strengthening which is equal to 1.64 Hz,indicating that the stiffness of the bridge structure is improved and the strengthening process is effective to improve the cracks resistance and bearing capacity of the bridge structure.

Effect of Molecular Structure on the Performance of Polyacrylic Acid Superplasticizer

The effects of structure parameters, such as molecular structure, segment kinds, molecular weight, and organic functional groups, on the performance of polyacrylic acid superplasticizer were discussed. According to the differences of chain sections, functional groups, eic, polyacrylic acid superplasticizer could be divided into A, B, C three parts. Among them, A chain section included sulfonic acid groups, B chain section carboxyl groups, C chain section polyester. Polyacrylic acid superplasticizers with different matching of A, B, C chain sections, different length of C chain section and different molecular weights were synthesized by acrylic acid, polyethylene glycol, sodium methyl allylsulfonate; the relation between the molecular structure and perfolxnance was also studied. The expetimental results indicate that the water-reduction ratio increases obviously with the increment of the proportion of sodium methyl allylsulfonate chain section in the molecular; the slump retention increases greatly with the increment of the proportion of acrylic acid chain section; the dispersion of cement particles increases with the increment of the chain length of polyethylene glycol; when the molecular weight is in the range of 5000, the dispersion and slump retentibity increase with the increment of the average molecular weight of polymers.

Microscopic properties and sealing performance of new gas drainage drilling sealing material

The geological condition of Chinese coal mines are complex and high gassy,which account for ffty percent to seventy percent.Because of the abundant pores and cracks around the drainage drilling hole,the gas concentration attenuates rapidly,and the effective gas drainage period is short.The traditional sealing materials of yellow mud and cement-sand grout will readily shrink after the drilling hole is sealed,the sealing length is short and the sealing quality is not satisfactory.Currently widely used polyurethane material will shrink when it comes into contact with water,and the price is also very high.In this study,taking cement as a base material,a novel composite sealing material mixed by expansion admixture,additive,and fbrin and coupling agent was developed and the sealing performance and expansion property of the material were also studied and analyzed.The FEI Quanta TM 250 environmental scanning electron microscope was used to investigate the microstructure of material.The results revealed that the new composite sealing material had a desirable expansion performance and a defnite fluidity convenient for grouting.The solidifed material,combining closely with the drilling wall,possessed an adequate strength and was not easy to shrink.Compared to the conventional polyurethane,the gas drainage concentration by drilling sealing exceeded 40 percent,and the sealing capacity improves5 times,the sealing effect increases signifcantly.

THE STRUCTURE AND PERFORMANCES OF THE LARGE DIMEMENSION STEEL BALL MADEOF 45 STEEL QUENCHED AFTER FORGING

The structure and performances of the large dimension steel ball made of 45 steel quenched after forging have been researched. The experiments indicate that the optimum results can be obtained under proper processes.

Li Storage Performance for the Composite Structure Of Graphene and Boron Fullerene

We study the stability and performance of Li absorption on the composite structure （B80 C72） of boron fullerene and graphene by first-principles calculations. Our results show that the Li storage capacity of the composite structure is estimated to be at least Li54B80C72, which is steady with improved dispersibility and electronic conductivity. The composite structure could have the potential application as the anode material of Li-ion batteries with high Li storage capacity and great mechanical property.

DEVELOPMENT OF BRAIDED－PULTRUSION PROCESS AND STRUCTURE－PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS FOR TUBULAR COMPOSITES

In order to realize the potential of composite materials, it is imperative to develop a manufacturing process, to understand the microstructures, and to assess the structural performance of the composite. The braided-pultrusion process, which combines the pultrusion process with the braiding technology, has been developed by utilizing a novel resin impregnation device. The goal of the development is to achieve both costeffectiveness and performance of the composite. The tubular composites of diameter 5.3 mm have been produced using Kevlar 49 fiber and polyester resin. In order to assess the mechanical performance of the composites, an analytical method for predicting the elastic constants has been developed. The analysis includes the geometric model of a unit cell, coordinate transformation, and averaging of stiffness and compliance constants of the constituent materials. The analytic predictions compared favorably with experimental results.

Analysis and Research on the Load of the Box Girder Locomotive Turntable

The locomotive turntable is an essential device for the steering operation of the railway locomotive. This paper has introduced the structural composition and characteristics of the box girder locomotive turntable, has ana- lyzed its vertical load, horizontal load and torsional load, and has established a mechanical model for the symmet- rical structure of the box girder locomotive turntable under the action of positive and negative symmetric vertical loads. Furthermore, it has also demonstrated the safe and reliable structural performance of this type of locomotive turntable on the basis of the practical example of a 35 m box girder locomotive turntable.

Effect of Steel Slag and Granulated Blast-furnace Slag on the Mechanical Strength and Pore Structure of Cement Composites

Reuse of solid industrial wastes is an effective approach to develop low-carbon construction materials. This paper examines how two materials, steel slag（ST） and granulated blast-furnace slag（SL） impact the mechanical performance and pore structure of cement-based systems. Analysis was done on the variations of the porosity, pore size, and pore volume distribution with the curing age and replacement content, and the fractal dimensions of pore surfaces. The results suggested that systems with both supplementary materials had lower early strengths than pure cement, but could generally surpass pure cement paste after 90 d; higher SL content was particularly helpful for boosting the late strengths. The addition of ST increased the porosities and mean pore sizes at each age, and both increased with ST content; SL was helpful for decreasing the system＇s late porosity（especially harmless pores below 20 nm）; The lowest porosity and mean pore size were obtained with 20% SL. Both systems had notably fractal characteristics on pore surfaces, with ST systems showing the highest dimensions at 10% ST, and SL systems at 20% SL. Compressive strength displayed a significant linear increase with fractal dimension.

Application and Properties of Organic Emulsion Coated Phosphogypsum in Aluminous Rock Based Mineral Polymer Composite

A polarizing microscope,X-ray diffraction(XRD),fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR),scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometer(SEM-EDS),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),and micro computed tomography(Micro CT)were used to investigate the relation between the structure and properties of the composite.Meanwhile,the physical properties,mechanical properties and strength mechanism were researched.The experimental results show that the structure and morphology of coated phosphogypsum remain intact in the composite,which shows good compatibility and forms a clear interface layer of transition zone between the coated phosphogypsum and the matrix,conforming to the structure of particle reinforced inorganic composites.The emulsion coated phosphogypsum has a certain strengthening effect on the aluminous rock mineral polymer composite.The compressive strength of the composite can reach 16.5 MPa when the amount of coated phosphogypsum is 40%,and the apparent density is 1.75 g·cm^(-3),which is significantly lower than that of common concrete;the thermal stability of the composite is also improved to a certain extent.Some certain chemical reactions occur in the process of forming the matrix of aluminous rock mineral polymer materials,with a structure of three-dimensional network.The research will provide a new way for the comprehensive utilization of phosphogypsum and low-grade aluminous rock.

Recent progresses on designing and manufacturing of bulk refractory alloys with high performances based on controlling interfaces

Refractory alloys such as tungsten and molybdenum based alloys with high strength,thermal/electrical conductivity,low coefficient of thermal expansion and excellent creep resistances are highly desirable for applications in nuclear facilities,critical components in aerospace and defense components.However,the serious embrittlement limits the engineering usability of some refractory alloys.A lot of research results indicate that the performances of refractory alloys are closely related to the physical/chemical status,such as the interface dimension,interface type,interface composition of their grain boundaries(GBs),phase boundaries(PBs)and other interface features.This paper reviewed the recent progress of simulations and experiments on interface design strategies that achieve high performance refractory alloys.These strategies include GB interface purifying/strengthening,PB interface strengthening and PB/GB synergistic strengthening.Great details are provided on the design/fabrication strategy such as GB interface controlling,PB interface controlling and synergistic control of multi-scaled interfaces.The corresponding performances such as the mechanical property,thermal conductivity,thermal load resistance,thermal stability,irradiation resistance,and oxidation resistance are reviewed in the aspect to the effect of interfaces.In addition,the relationships between these interfaces and material properties are discussed.Finally,future developments and potential new research directions for refractory alloys are proposed.

Recent advances in cathode materials for Li-S battery:structure and performance

Li–S battery is one of the most promising candidates for next-generation energy storage technology.However, the rapid capacity fading and low-energy-density limit its large-scale applications. Scholars invest a lot of effort to introduce new materials. A neglected problem is that reasonable structure is as important as new material. In this review, four kinds of cathode structures were analyzed through morphology and electrochemical properties. The relationship between structures and properties was elaborated through reaction mechanism. The advantages and disadvantages of each structure were discussed. We hope the summary and discussion provide inspiration for structure design in Li–S battery cathode materials.

Electrochemical performance of La_(2–x)Sm_xMg_(16)Ni+200 wt.% Ni(x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) alloys

Nanocrystalline and amorphous La_（2–x）Sm_xMg_（16）Ni＋200wt.% Ni（x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4） alloys were prepared by mechanical milling technology. The structures of as-cast and milled alloys were investigated by X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）. Electrochemical performance of the alloy was studied by using an automatic galvanostatic system. The electrochemical impedance spectra（EIS） and Tafel polarization curves were measured by electrochemical workstation. The results indicated that the structures of the as-cast and milled alloys presented a multiphase structure with nanocrystalline and amorphous phase, moreover, transforming from nanocrystalline to amorphous phase with Sm doping. With the increase of Sm content, the maximum discharge capacity of the alloy was decreased from 922.6 to 649.1 m Ah/g, the high-rate discharge ability（HRD） was decreased, the cycle stability was strengthened, and the alloy exhibited excellent electrochemical kinetics. In addition, the charge-transfer resistance（R_（ct）） of alloy was lessened from 0.05874 to 0.02953 ？ and the limiting current density（I_L） was descended from 2.08366 to 1.04592 A/g with increasing Sm content.

Electrochemical Performance of Nanocrystalline and Amorphous Mg–Nd–Ni–Cu-Based Mg_2Ni-type Alloy Electrodes Used in Ni-MH Batteries

Nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg2Ni-type（Mg24Ni10Cu2）100–xNdx（x = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20） alloys were prepared by melt-spinning technology. The structures of as-cast and spun alloys were characterised by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Electrochemical performance of the alloy electrodes was measured using an automatic galvanostatic system. The electrochemical impedance spectra and Tafel polarisation curves of the alloy electrodes were plotted using an electrochemical work station. The hydrogen diffusion coefficients were calculated using the potential step method. Results indicate that all the as-cast alloys present a multiphase structure with Mg2 Ni type as the major phase with Mg6 Ni, Nd5Mg41 and Nd Ni as secondary phases. The secondary phases increased with the increasing Nd content. The as-spun Nd-free alloy exhibited nanocrystalline structure, whereas the as-spun Nd-doped alloys exhibited nanocrystalline and amorphous structures. These results suggest that adding Nd facilitates glass formation of Mg2Ni-type alloys. Melt spinning and Nd addition improved alloy electrochemical performance, which includes discharge potential characteristics, discharge capacity, electrochemical cycle stability and high-rate discharge ability.

A surrogate model for uncertainty quantification and global sensitivity analysis of nonlinear large-scale dome structures

Full-scale dome structures intrinsically have numerous sources of irreducible aleatoric uncertainties.A large-scale numerical simulation of the dome structure is required to quantify the effects of these sources on the dynamic performance of the structure using the finite element method(FEM).To reduce the heavy computational burden,a surrogate model of a dome structure was constructed to solve this problem.The dynamic global sensitivity of elastic and elastoplastic structures was analyzed in the uncertainty quantification framework using fully quantitative variance-and distribution-based methods through the surrogate model.The model considered the predominant sources of uncertainty that have a significant influence on the performance of the dome structure.The effects of the variables on the structural performance indicators were quantified using the sensitivity index values of the different performance states.Finally,the effects of the sample size and correlation function on the accuracy of the surrogate model as well as the effects of the surrogate accuracy and failure probability on the sensitivity index values are discussed.The results show that surrogate modeling has high computational efficiency and acceptable accuracy in the uncertainty quantification of large-scale structures subjected to earthquakes in comparison to the conventional FEM.

Horizontal convergence reconstruction in the longitudinal direction for shield tunnels based on conditional random field

Tunnel horizontal convergence monitoring is essential to ensure the operation safety.However,only a few representative tunnel sec-tions are chosen for monitoring due to the cost limitation.It is difficult to capture the horizontal convergence of each tunnel ring with limited measurements.Confronted with this difficulty,the paper proposes a horizontal convergence reconstruction method based on the measurements of deployed sensors.The tunnel horizontal convergence along the longitudinal direction is seen as a one-dimensional sta-tionary and ergodic random field.The reconstruction problem is then transformed into the generation of conditional random fields.Monte Carlo simulation is adopted to generate possible realizations and the mean of realizations is considered as the maximum likeli-hood reconstruction.Error analysis proves the effectiveness of the proposed reconstruction method.The proposed method is proved to be applicable in reconstructing the time-variant horizontal convergence and is verified by the monitoring results of the shield tunnel of Shanghai Metro Line 2.The effect of sensor numbers is parametrically studied,and an optimal sensor placement scheme is decided.Additional sensors placed at the deformation drastically changed location can significantly improve the performance of the proposed method.

The Classification of Carbon Dots and the Relationship between Synthesis Methods and Properties

Comprehensive Summary,The carbon dots(CDs),as emerging carbon based nanomaterials,are a kind of fluorescent materials with wide application prospects.Highly luminous CDs can simply be synthesized by a wide variety of easily accessible precursors.CDs have excellent optical properties,high biocompatibility and low toxicity,which makes them be used in the fields of optics,biology,energy,and so on.In this review,the classification,nomenclature,photoluminescence mechanism and property regulation of CDs are reviewed.Finally.

High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) Steels in Building Construction

Majority of the buildings,including industrial buildings,are constructed using either structural steel (plates and structural shapes) or deformed bar steel reinforced concrete.Such buildings,however,must be designed to be safe and serviceable during construction and during use and occupancy.These objectives can be easily achieved by the use of steels having superior mechanical properties,ductility,weldability,fire resistance,etc.Over the years,the steel industry has made improvements in steel making technologies resulting in high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels with superior steel properties well suited for building construction.First part of this paper presents the structural design considerations,and the constructional considerations associated with the building structures in general,and steel structures in particular.This second part of the paper looks at the acceptance criteria for HSLA steels for North American building codes and construction.The third part of the paper presents the structural properties of currently available HSLA steels for building construction.The discussion focuses on hot-rolled structural steel shapes as well as deformed steel bars for concrete reinforcement.The paper argues that Niobium microalloying is the key to achieving superior properties in such steels.