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.

Mechanical properties of monodirectional Gutou mortise-tenon joints of the traditional timber buildings in the Yangtze River region

The mechanical properties of the monodirectional Gutou mortise-tenon joints of the ancient Chinese traditional timber buildings in the Yangtze River region were studied using the experimental method. Three monodirectional Gutou mortise-tenon joints were designed according to the actual configurations. The failure modes,the hysteretic curves,the skeleton curves, the rotation rigidities, and the energy dissipation capacity of this type of mortise-tenon joints under the low cyclic reversed loading were obtained. The results show that the hysteretic curves of the monodirectional Gutou mortise-tenon joints appear to be Z shape and have obvious pinch effects. During the process of the test,these mortisetenon joints pass orderly through the elastic stage,the yield stage and the failure stage. The energy dissipation capacity of these mortise-tenon joints generally decreases with the increase in the rotation angle. The equivalent viscous damping coefficients of the monodirectional Gutou mortise-tenon joints are between 0. 161 and 0. 193. The results can provide the theoretical base for the computing analysis and repair design of Chinese traditional timber buildings in the Yangtze River region.

Field testing of stiffened deep cement mixing piles under lateral cyclic loading

Construction of seaside and underground wall bracing often uses stiffened deep cement mixed columns （SDCM）. This research investigates methods used to improve the level of bearing capacity of these SDCM when subjected to cyclic lateral loading via various types of stiffer cores. Eight piles, two deep cement mixed piles and six stiffened deep cement mixing piles with three different types of cores, H shape cross section prestressed concrete, steel pipe, and H-beam steel, were embedded though soft clay into medium-hard clay on site in Thailand. Cyclic horizontal loading was gradually applied until pile failure and the hysteresis loops of lateral load vs. lateral deformation were recorded. The lateral carrying capacities of the SDCM piles with an H-beam steel core increased by 3-4 times that of the DCM piles. This field research clearly shows that using H-beam steel as a stiffer core for SDCM piles is the best method to improve its lateral carrying capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity.

Study of a new-type of steel buckling-restrained brace

The rectangle core plate of all-steel buckling-restrained braces(BRBs) usually exhibit obvious local buckling, due to the lack of longitudinal restraint from the encasing tube. To eliminate the undesirable effects, a novel steel BRB is proposed. In this new-type steel BRB, two T-shaped steels are adopted as the minor restraint elements to restrain the core plate instead of infilled concrete or mortar. Meanwhile, the ingot-iron material with low yielding strength and high elongation is applied to the steel core to study the mechanical properties of steel BRBs. To validate the theoretical requirements for the width-to-thickness ratio of the steel core and the thickness of angle steel, quasi-static tests of eight specimens were conducted. The tests focused on the energy dissipation capacity and failure modes of the proposed steel BRBs. Nonlinear finite element analysis was also carried out to validate the experimental results. Both the aforementioned results imply that appropriately designed steel BRBs can meet the performance requirements for BRB components.

Cooling System Design and Thermal Analysis of Modular Stator Hybrid Excitation Synchronous Motor

Hybrid excitation synchronous motor has the advantages of uniform and adjustable electromagnetic field, wide speed range and high power density. It has broad application prospects in new energy electric vehicles, wind power generation and other fields. This paper introduces the basic structure of hybrid excitation motor with modular stator, and analyzes the operation principle of hybrid excitation motor. The cooling structure of the water-cooled plate is designed, and the effects of the thickness of the water-cooled plate and the number of water channels in the water-cooled plate on the heat dissipation capacity of the water-cooled plate are analyzed by theoretical and computational fluid dynamics methods. The effects of different water cooling plate structures on water velocity, pressure drop, water pump power consumption and heat dissipation capacity were compared and analyzed. The influence of different inlet flow velocity on the maximum temperature rise of each part of the motor is analyzed, and the temperature of each part of the motor under the optimal water flow is analyzed. The influence of the traditional spiral water jacket cooling structure and the water-cooled plate cooling structure on the maximum temperature rise of the motor components is compared and analyzed. The results show that the water-cooled plate cooling structure is more suitable for the modular stator motor studied in this paper. Based on the water-cooled plate cooling structure, the air-water composite cooling structure is designed, and the effects of the air-water composite cooling structure and the water-cooled plate cooling structure on the maximum temperature rise of each component of the motor are compared and analyzed. The results show that the maximum temperature rise of each component of the motor is reduced under the air-water composite cooling structure.

Effect of strata restraint on seismic performance of prefabricated sidewall joints in fabricated subway stations

A disadvantage of the conventional quasi-static test method is that it does not consider the soil restraint effect.A new method to test the seismic performance of prefabricated specimens for underground assembled structures is proposed,which can realistically reflect the strata restraint effect on the underground structure.Laboratory work combined with finite element(FE)analysis is performed in this study.Three full-scale sidewall specimens with different joint forms are designed and fabricated.Indices related to the seismic performance and damage modes are analyzed comprehensively to reveal the mechanism of the strata restraint effect on the prefabricated sidewall components.Test results show that the strata restraint effect effectively improves the energy dissipation capacity,load-bearing capacity,and the recoverability of the internal deformation of the precast sidewall components.However,the strata restraint effect reduces the ductility of the precast sidewall components and aggravates the shear and bending deformations in the core region of the connection joints.Additionally,the strata restraint effect significantly affects the seismic performance and damage mode of the prefabricated sidewall components.An FE model that can be used to conduct a seismic performance study of prefabricated specimens for underground assembled structures is proposed,and its feasibility is verified via comparison with test data.

Hysteretic behavior of cambered surface steel tube damper:Theoretical and experimental research

A novel cambered surface steel tube damper(CSTD)with a cambered surface steel tube and two concave connecting plates is proposed herein.The steel tube is the main energy dissipation component and comprises a weakened segment in the middle,a transition segment,and an embedded segment.It is believed that during an earthquake,the middle weakened segment of the CSTD will be damaged,whereas the reliability of the end connection is ensured.Theoretical and experimental studies are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed CSTD.Formulas for the initial stiffness and yield force of the CSTD are proposed.Subsequently,two CSTD specimens with different steel tube thicknesses are fabricated and tested under cyclic quasi-static loads.The result shows that the CSTD yields a stable hysteretic response and affords excellent energy dissipation.A parametric study is conducted to investigate the effects of the steel tube height,diameter,and thickness on the seismic performance of the CSTD.Compared with equalstiffness design steel tube dampers,the CSTD exhibits better energy dissipation performance,more stable hysteretic response,and better uniformity in plastic deformation distributions.

Progress in graphene-based magnetic hybrids towards highly efficiency for microwave absorption

Nowadays, the yearning for microwave absorption materials(MAMs) are more and more urgent for dealing with the increasingly serious electromagnetic pollution and the demand of modern military security.Among potential candidates, the graphene(GE) based magnetic hybrids have advantages in structural controllable and designing flexibility, providing opportunities for achieving highly efficiency of microwave absorption(MA). Thus, the structural regulation and MA performances of GE-based magnetic hybrids arouse great attention in related fields. In this review, we summarize the recently progress in MA performance of GE-based magnetic hybrids. Typical absorption process and corresponding mechanism are firstly introduced, for guiding the design of GE-based magnetic MAMs. Then, the magnetic components, synthesis methods, structural features and regulation strategies of these GE-related magnetic materials are reviewed, and their influences on MA performances have also been discussed. Challenges, and prospects of the GE-based magnetic MAMs are suggested. This review provides a brief but systematic introduction to GE-based magnetic MAMs, which may pave the way for the design of MAMs with highly efficient MA performances.