Weldability and liquation cracking behavior of ZhS6U superalloy during electron-beam welding

The weldability of the ZhS6U nickel-based superalloy, which is prone to solidification cracking during electron-beam welding(EBW) repair processes, was investigated. The effects of two different pre-weld heat-treatment cycles on the final microstructure before and after welding were examined. Welds were made on flat coupons using an EBW machine, and the two heat-treatment cycles were designed to reduce γ′ liquation before welding. Microstructural features were also examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the change in the morphology and size of the γ′ precipitates in the pre-weld heat-treatment cycles changed the ability of the superalloy to release the tensile stresses caused by the matrix phase cooling after EBW. The high hardness in the welded coupons subjected to the first heat-treatment cycle resulted in greater resistance to stress release by the base alloy, and the concentration of stress in the base metal caused liquation cracks in the heat-affected zone and solidification cracks in the weld area.

Fracture characteristics and ductility of cracked concrete beam post-strengthened with CFRP Sheet

The present paper concerns the fracture characteristics and ductility of cracked concrete beam externally bonded with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheet as well as the integration behaviors between CFRP/concrete interfacial debonding and concrete cracking.Three-point bending tests were carried out on the CFRP-strengthened cracked concrete beams with varying specimen depth and initial crack length.A straingauge method was developed to monitor the crack initiation and propagation in concrete,and the CFRP/concrete interfacial bonding behaviors,respectively.Clip gauges were used to measure crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) and the deflection at midspan.Experimental results revealed that CFRP-strengthened specimen shows a higher load capacity under the same deformation level and a better inelastic deformation capacity compared with the unstrengthened one.For there are two manifest peak values in the obtained load versus displacement curve,the ductility of CFRP-strengthened concrete beams were investigated using index expressed as area ratio on the load versus displacement curve.The calculated results indicated that the contribution from CFRP sheet to the ductility improvement of specimen is notable when the deflection at midspan exceeded 10.5 times the first-crack deflection.

Modelling and Simulation on the Effect of Hot Forming Damage on Three-Point Bending Performance of Beam Components

The effects of forming damage are analyzed,which occur during hot stamping process,on the load-carrying capacity and failure mode of hot stamped beams.A damage-coupled pre-forming constitutive model was proposed,in which the damage during hot stamping process was introduced into the service response.The constitutive model was applied into the three-point bending simulation of a hot stamped beam,and then the influences of forming damage on the load-carrying capacity and cracks propagation were investigated.The results show that the forming damage reduces the maximum load capacity of the hot stamped beam by 7.5%.It also causes the crack to occur earlier and promotes crack to propagate along the radial direction of the punch.

Microstructure control and hot cracking behavior of the new Ni-Co based superalloy prepared by electron beam smelting layered solidification technology

The prevention of hot cracking formation is of utmost importance in the production of the new Ni-Co based superalloys through the utilization of the electron beam smelting layered solidification technique(EBSL),as it ensures exceptional homogeneity and dependable consistency of the specimens.In contrast to previous studies that focused on minimizing the liquid film and solidification range,our methodology adopts a distinct approach.In this research,a novel methodology was employed to mitigate internal stresses through the implementation of equiaxed grain layers via an alternately reduced cooling method.This ultimately resulted in the elimination of hot cracking.To be more specific,the transition from a columnar to an equiaxed structure was observed during the layer-by-layer construction process in the fabrication of the new Ni-Co based superalloy in EBSL.The EBSL-Ni-Co superalloy,when subjected to the alternating reduction cooling method,exhibited an internal stress of 49 MPa.This value represents a significant reduction of 83.8%compared to the internal stress observed when employing the linear reduction cooling method.Additionally,the solvus temperature of theγ-γ’eutectic phases in EBSL-Ni-Co superalloys produced by the alternating reduction cooling method is significantly higher.Intriguingly,the Nth layer of the EBSL-Ni-Co based superalloys produced by EBSL simultaneously heats treated with the preceding layers.And the low melting point phase gradually dissolved back into the matrix.The implementation of an alternating reduced cooling method successfully mitigated the formation of the liquid film in theγ-γ’eutectic phase and the buildup of internal stresses in the EBSL-Ni-Co superalloy during its manufacturing process.These discoveries open up a novel preparation procedure pathway for the manufacture of crack-free superalloys with superior mechanical characteristics using EBSL.

MODIFICATON AND RESEARCH ON BENDING RIGIDITY FORMULA OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM

Beam stiffness degrades with its age in service and its service performance is weakened.According to the fundamental characteristics of the reinforced concrete,the influence of stiffness degradation caused by different kinds of damage is obtained.Among them,the crack is the most direct and obvious factor.Furthermore,according to the analysis of bending rigidity formula presented in current standard,an influence parameter of crack development on the stiffness degradation,i.e.,nonuniformity coefficient of tensile steel strain φ,is extracted.Average crack distance and crack depth are taken as crack statistic parameters.Based on analysis and modeling with ANSYS,the modified bending rigidity formula related to crack is obtained.

Liquation cracking in laser beam welded joint of ZK60 magnesium alloy

The ZK60 magnesium alloy plates were welded by laser beam welding (LBW) and the microstructures in the partially melted zone (PMZ) of welded joints were investigated. For the as-cast alloy, the eutectoid mixtures along grain boundaries (GBs) in the PMZ are liquefied during welding, and their re-solidified materials present hypoeutectic characters, which lead to more severe segregation of the Zn element along GBs, and thus enhance the cracking tendency of the PMZ. The main reasons for liquation cracking of PMZ are described as that the absence of liquid at the terminal stage of solidification leads to the occurrence of shrinkage cavities in PMZ, from which liquation cracking initiates, and propagates along the weakened GBs under the tensile stress originating from solidification shrinkage and thermal contraction. Lower heat input can reduce the cracking tendency, and the plastic processing such as rolling also contributes to the mitigation of PMZ liquation cracking by reducing the size of eutectoid phases and changing their distribution in the base metal.

Floor stress evolution laws and its effect on stability of floor roadway

According to the distribution of abutment stress in a stope,this research established the mechanical model of mining abutment pressure transmission in floor base on the theory of semi-infnite plate body in elasticity.This study takes the 762 working face of Haizi Coal Mine as a case in point,and analyzed the dynamic evolution law of seam floor stress during the mining process.With an organic combination of the mining floor stress and surrounding rock stress,the study obtained the change laws of the maximum principle stress and the minimum one for the floor roadway surrounding rock when mining the upper working face.Considering the non-constant pressure force state and the cracks revolution mechanisms of floor roadway surrounding rock,the research built the mechanical model of roadway stress.Simulation results verify the reliability of the above conclusions.Moreover,this model could provide the theoretical basis and technical support for controlling floor roadway surrounding rock.

Tensile Strength Characteristics of GFRP Bars in Concrete Beams with Work Cracks under Sustained Loading and Severe Environments

To investigate the effect of different environmental conditions of GFRP bars in concrete beams with work cracks subjected to sustained loads, the beams were exposed in indoor, freeze/thaw cycles and immersed in alkaline solution at elevated temperature. The bars were carefully extracted from the beams and tested in order to evaluate residual tensile properties. The results show that the tensile strength decreased significantly in the highly aggressive conditions but not in the natural conditions. The effect of GFRP bars casting in concrete beams demonstrated approximately 2.5% decrease of tensile strength caused by pore water environment in concrete beams on basis of those of the original bars. The effect of sustained loading plus work cracks demonstrated about 10.5% tensile strength decrease on basis of those of the bars only casted in concrete beams. The effect of environments under sustained loading plus work cracks demonstrated about 17% tensile strength decrease caused by a saturated solution of Ca（OH）2 and 60-2 ℃ tap water （pH=12-13） and about 8% tensile strength decrease caused by freezing and thawing cycle （F/T）, both on basis of those of the bars of the indoor beams only under sustained loading plus work cracks. The results demonstrate the effects of the tensile strengths under different environmental conditions of GFRP bars in concrete beams with work cracks subjected to sustained loads.

Mechanism of reheat cracking in electron beam welded Ti2Al Nb alloys

In order to clarify the characteristics and formation mechanism of the reheat cracking in Ti2AlNb weldments,a series of heat treatment conditions were performed to the circular joints welded by electron beam,and then the macrostructures and microstructures were investigated using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffractometry,and transmission electron microscopy.The results show that the reheat cracking occurs primarily along the grain boundaries in the weld when the Ti2AlNb circular welded joints are heated up to about 700℃.During the heat treatment,an almost complete transformation of B2→O happens while the temperature goes up through the O single-phase region.Then,O→B2+O phase transformation occurs primarily along the grain boundaries as the weld metal continues to heat up to the B2+O dual-phase region.Under the high tension stress consisting of welding residual stress and phase transformation stress,reheat cracking occurs at the interface between the B2+O dual-phase layer and the O-phase matrix.

Crack elongation and its width of large depth reinforced concrete beams

In order to meet the requirement of structural inspection,the crack spacing and crack width at various heights in the tensile zone of six large depth reinforced concrete beams were measured under several loading levels of serviceability state.The effects of the depth of normal section beams on the crack spacing and crack width were analyzed,and the modified model is proposed for calculating the average crack spacing by thinking about the depth of normal section,the reinforcement arrangement and the effective reinforcement ratio.The relationships of crack widths at any position in the tensile zone and at the reinforcement level on the side surface of beam were studied.By theoretical and statistical analysis,a method is proposed to calculate the ratios of crack widths between any position and the reinforcement level on the side surface of large depth reinforced concrete beams.

Modal and Fatigue Life Analysis on Beam with Multiple Cracks Subjected to Axial Force

Based on the transfer matrix method and Forman equation,a new method is proposed to conduct the modal and fatigue life analysis of a beam with multiple transverse cracks.In the modal analysis,the damping loss factor is introduced by the complex elastic modulus,bending springs without mass are used to replace the transverse cracks,and the characteristic transfer matrix of the whole cracked beam can be derived.In the fatigue life analysis,considering the interaction of the beam vibration and fatigue cracks growth,the fatigue life of the cracked beam is predicted by the timing analysis method.Numerical calculation shows that cracks have a significant influence on the modal and fatigue life of the beam.

Microstructure and crack sensitivity of electron beam welded titanium aluminide joints

Microstructural characterization and crack formed mechanism during electron beam welding of titanium aluminide Ti-45Al-1.7Cr-1.7Nb were investigated. The results show that the welded microstructure exhibits columnar and dendritic structure. Microstructural constituents in the fusion zone are a massive gamma structure and some lamellar structure consists of alternating platelets of α2 and γ. The major contributing factor of the susceptibility to solidstate cracking is thermally induced stress. The import role of the suppression of the α phase decomposition, the difference of α2/γ phases thermal expansion coefficient and the lamellar spacing changes of lamellar structure with cooling rate all play effect on the crack forming mechanism.

AN IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS FOR CRACK DETECTION IN THE TIMOSHENKO BEAM BASED ON THE ANTI-RESONANCE TECHNIQUE

An alternative technique for crack detection in a Timoshenko beam based on the first anti-resonant frequency is presented in this paper. Unlike the natural frequency, the anti-resonant frequency is a local parameter rather than a global parameter of structures, thus the proposed technique can be used to locate the structural defects. An impedance analysis of a cracked beam stimulated by a harmonic force based on the Timoshenko beam formulation is investigated. In order to characterize the local discontinuity due to cracks, a rotational spring model based on fracture mechanics is proposed to model the crack. Subsequently, the proposed method is verified by a numerical example of a simply-supported beam with a crack. The effect of the crack size on the anti-resonant frequency is investigated. The position of the crack of the simply-supported beam is also determined by the anti-resonance technique. The proposed technique is further applied to the ＂contaminated＂ anti-resonant frequency to detect crack damage, which is obtained by adding 1-3% noise to the calculated data. It is found that the proposed technique is effective and free from the environment noise. Finally, an experimental study is performed, which further verifies the validity of the proposed crack identification technique.

Behavior and Flexural Prediction of Special Cementitious Bonding Material for Fiber Reinforced Strengthening Systems

Strengthening of RC structures with externally bonded FRP （fiber reinforced polymers） has become an important challenge in civil engineering. Epoxy is the main bonding agent used so far, but in the case of a fire, it is subjected to complete loss of his bonding capabilities. Mineral based composites strengthening systems consist of FRPs and a cementitious bonding agent which form a repair or strengthening system that is more compatible with the concrete substrata, and roved its efficiency. The current research introduces the use of a special cementitious material ＂Grancrete＂ as a bonding agent. Test results of 32 T-section RC beams strengthened with various FRG （fiber reinforced Grancrete） strengthening systems are presented. The results demonstrated that most of the specimens were likely to fail by debonding of the FRP from the concrete either at the ends or at intermediate flexural cracks. This paper presents an in-depth study aimed at the development of a better understanding of debonding failures in RC beams strengthened with externally bonded FRP systems. Different analytical models, published in the literature for plate end debonding, are reviewed and compared to test results. The results also demonstrated that when using U-wraps, the specimens were likely to fail by FRP sheet rupture.

Non Linear Dynamic Crack Model Applied to State Observers Methodology for Fault Detection, Localization and Evaluation in a Cantilever Beam

The purpose of this work is the study of a mathematical model to discretize cracks at continuous mechanical systems, applying all the available properties at computational algorithm using the methodology of state observers to detect, localize and evaluate the crack conditions, seeking the model limitations through an experiment developed at the mechanical department of UNESP, llha Solteira, S^o Paulo-Brazil. Three different notch sizes were placed, one by one, at the top surface of a cantilever beam （to be considered as a crack at the mechanical system） and harmonic forces were applied at the tip of the beam with three different frequencies, for each notch size, to obtain experimental data to run the diagnosis algorithm. From the results it was possible to infer that the observation system performance increases with the raising of the crack size, which can be explained by the model, that gets more accurate with bigger crack sizes, however, when the propagation of the crack is considered at the model, the diagnosis of the crack presence tends to be more difficult. It was also possible to conclude that the developed algorithm works properly for systems which excitation frequencies are higher than 20 Hz and different from the natural frequencies of the system, due to influence of dynamic response of the crack at the model.

Bridging microstructure and crystallography with the crack propagation behavior in Ti-6Al-4V alloy fabricated via dual laser beam bilateral synchronous welding

The microstructure evolution and crack propagation behavior were systematically and thoroughly inves-tigated inα/βTi-6Al-4V alloy obtained under the inhomogeneous heating effect of a coupled dual laser beam via a combination of postmortem electron backscattering diffraction analyses and numerical sim-ulations.The effect of microstructural attributes(grain size,grain boundary,dislocation)on the fracture property and crack propagation behavior was investigated based on thermodynamic and crystallographic analyses,as well as the examinations of dislocation density and the Burgers vector.By quantifying the degree of variant selection using the degree of variant selection(DVS)equation,it was found that the higher the energy input,the weaker the variant selection,as the secondaryαphase suppresses further dislocation-induced variant selection via autocatalytic nucleation and growth.The proportion of high an-gle grain boundaries(HAGBs)concentrated around 60°gradually increases with improving cooling rate,mainly due to the change in the tendency of martensite transformation to be induced.The grain refine-ment was the primary mechanism for the enhancement of Ti-6Al-4V alloy T-joints,while the suppression of crack propagation by HAGBs also played a crucial role in improving strength and ductility.The crack propagation direction frequently changes when the order is approximately parallel to the short axis ofαmartensite grains,forming a zigzag propagation path.The above findings should shed light on optimiz-ing dual laser beam bilateral synchronous welding(DLBSW)technology to tailor the microstructure and improve the mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy T-joints.

Bending of Timoshenko beam with effect of crack gap based on equivalent spring model

Considering the effect of crack gap, the bending deformation of the Timoshenko beam with switching cracks is studied. To represent a crack with gap as a nonlinear unidirectional rotational spring, the equivalent flexural rigidity of the cracked beam is derived with the generalized Dirac delta function. A closed-form general solution is obtained for bending of a Timoshenko beam with an arbitrary number of switching cracks. Three examples of bending of the Timoshenko beam are presented. The influence of the beam＇s slenderness ratio, the crack＇s depth, and the external load on the crack state and bending performances of the cracked beam is analyzed. It is revealed that a cusp exists on the deflection curve, and a jump on the rotation angle curve occurs at a crack location. The relation between the beam＇s deflection and load is bilinear, each part corresponding to an open or closed state of crack, respectively. When the crack is open, flexibility of the cracked beam decreases with the increase of the beam＇s slenderness ratio and the decrease of the crack depth. The results are useful in identifying non-destructive cracks on a beam.

Support technology of deep roadway under high stress and its application

Roadway instability has been a major concern in the fields of mining engineering. This paper aims to provide practical and efficient strategy to support the roadways under high in-situ stress. A case study on the stability of deep roadways was carried out in an underground mine in Gansu province, China. Currently,the surrounding rock strata is extremely fractured, which results in a series of engineering disasters, such as side wall collapse and severe floor heave in the past decades. Aiming to solve these problems, an improved support method was proposed, which includes optimal bolt parameters and arrangement, floor beam layout by grooving, and full length grouting. Based on the modeling results by FLAC3D, the new support method is much better than the current one in terms of preventing the large deformation of surrounding rock and restricting the development of plastic zones. For implementation and verification, field experiments, along with deformation monitoring, were conducted in the 958 level roadway of Mining II areas. The results show that the improved support can significantly reduce surrounding rock deformation, avoid frequent repair, and maintain the long-term stability of the roadway. Compared to the original support, the new support method can greatly save investment of mines, and has good application value and popularization value.

Microstructural characterization of electron beam welded joints of TiAl-based intermetallic compound

The feasibility to use electron beam welding to join the nominal compositionTi-48Al-2Cr-2Nb (at. percent) alloy was assessed. The microstructure characterization and crackingsusceptibility of the joints were evaluated by means of OM, SEM, XRD, and microhardness. It wasfound that the welded microstructure exhibited columnar and dendritic structures. Microstructuralconstituents in the fusion zone were a massive gamma structure and some amount of lamellar structureconsisting of alternating platelets of alpha_2 and gamma. The major contributing factor to thesusceptibility to solidification cracking was microsturctural change in this study for thesuppression of a phase decomposition leading to produce more retained alpha_2 brittle phase.Compared with transgranular cleavage fracture in the base metal, the weld metal exhibited mainlytranslamellar fracture.

Four-Beam Model for Vibration Analysis of a Cantilever Beam with an Embedded Horizontal Crack

As one of the main failure modes, embedded cracks occur in beam structures due to periodic loads. Hence it is useful to investigate the dynamic characteristics of a beam structure with an embedded crack for early crack detection and diagnosis. A new four-beam model with local flexibilities at crack tips is developed to investigate the transverse vibration of a cantilever beam with an embedded horizontal crack; two separate beam segments are used to model the crack region to allow opening of crack surfaces. Each beam segment is considered as an Euler-Bernoulli beam. The governing equations and the matching and boundary conditions of the four-beam model are derived using Hamilton＇s principle. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of the four-beam model are calculated using the transfer matrix method. The effects of the crack length, depth, and location on the first three natural frequencies and mode shapes of the cracked cantilever beam are investigated. A continuous wavelet transform method is used to analyze the mode shapes of the cracked cantilever beam. It is shown that sudden changes in spatial variations of the wavelet coefficients of the mode shapes can be used to identify the length and location of an embedded horizontal crack. The first three natural frequencies and mode shapes of a cantilever beam with an embedded crack from the finite element method and an experimental investigation are used to validate the proposed model. Local deformations in the vicinity of the crack tips can be described by the proposed four-beam model, which cannot be captured by previous methods.