A review on evaluation of crack resistance of asphalt mixture by semi-circular bending test

Although there are many kinds of fracture tests to choose from in evaluating the crack resistance of asphalt mixture,the semi-circular bending(SCB)test has attracted a lot of attention in the academic road engineering community because of its simplicity,stability,and flexibility in testing and evaluation.The SCB test has become a common method to study the cracking resistance of asphalt mixture in recent years.This paper mainly summarizes the overview of the SCB test,summarizes some research results and common characterization parameters of the SCB test method in monotone test and fatigue test in recent years,and predicts and suggests the research direction of the SCB test in the future.It is found that the research on the monotonic SCB test is more comprehensive,and the research on the SCB fatigue test needs to be further improved in the aspects of loading mode,characterization parameter selection,and so on.Researchers can flexibly adjust the geometric dimensions and the test parameters of semi-cylindrical specimens,and conduct comprehensive analysis combined with the results of numerical simulation.The crack resistance of asphalt mixture can be comprehensively evaluated by fracture energy,fracture toughness,stiffness,flexibility index and other fracture indicators,combined with the crack propagation of the specimen.The analysis of numerical simulation can confirm the test results.In order to standardize the setting of fatigue parameters for future application,it is necessary to standardize the setting of bending performance.

Stiffness Degradation Modeling for Composite Wind Turbine Blades Based on Full-Scale Fatigue Testing

In order to provide more insights into the damage propagation composite wind turbine blades(blade)under cyclic fatigue loading,a stiffness degradation model for blade is proposed based on the full-scale fatigue testing of a blade.A novel non-linear fatigue damage accumulation model is proposed using the damage assessment theories of composite laminates for the first time.Then,a stiffness degradation model is established based on the correlation of fatigue damage and residual stiffness of the composite laminates.Finally,a stiffness degradation model for the blade is presented based on the full-scale fatigue testing.The scientific rationale of the proposed stiffness model of blade is verified by using full-scale fatigue test data of blade with a total length of 52.5 m.The results indicate that the proposed stiffness degradation model of the blade agrees well with the fatigue testing results of this blade.This work provides a basis for evaluating the fatigue damage and lifetime of blade under cyclic fatigue loading.

Numerical analysis of bending property of bi-modulus materials and a new method for measurement of tensile elastic modulus

In nature,there are widely distributed bi-modulus materials with different deformation characteristics under compressive and tensile stress states,such as concrete,rock and ceramics.Due to the lack of constitutive model that could reasonably consider the bi-modulus property of materials,and the lack of simple and reliable measurement methods for the tensile elastic parameters of materials,scientists and engineers always neglect the effect of the bi-modulus property of materials in engineering design and numerical simulation.To solve this problem,this study utilizes the uncoupled strain-driven constitutive model proposed by Latorre and Montáns(2020)to systematically study the distributions and magnitudes of stresses and strains of bi-modulus materials in the three-point bending test through the numerical method.Furthermore,a new method to synchronously measure the tensile and compressive elastic moduli of materials through the four-point bending test is proposed.The numerical results show that the bi-modulus property of materials has a significant effect on the stress,strain and displacement in the specimen utilized in the three-point and four-point bending tests.Meanwhile,the results from the numerical tests,in which the elastic constitutive model proposed by Latorre and Montáns(2020)is utilized,also indicate that the newly proposed measurement method has a good reliability.Although the new measurement method proposed in this study can synchronously and effectively measure the tensile and compressive elastic moduli,it cannot measure the tensile and compressive Poisson’s ratios.

Full-scale multi-functional test platform for investigating mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems of high-speed railways

Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure,a fullscale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway track–subgrade system is developed in this paper,and its main functions for investigating the mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems are elaborated with three typical experimental examples.Comprising the full-scale subgrade structure and all the five types of track structures adopted in Chinese high-speed railways,namely the CRTS I,the CRTS II and the CRTS III ballastless tracks,the double-block ballastless track and the ballasted track,the test platform is established strictly according to the construction standard of Chinese high-speed railways.Three kinds of effective loading methods are employed,including the real bogie loading,multi-point loading and the impact loading.Various types of sensors are adopted in different components of the five types of track–subgrade systems to measure the displacement,acceleration,pressure,structural strain and deformation,etc.Utilizing this test platform,both dynamic characteristics and long-term performance evolution of high-speed railway track–subgrade systems can be investigated,being able to satisfy the actual demand for large-scale operation of Chinese high-speed railways.As examples,three typical experimental studies are presented to elucidate the comprehensive functionalities of the full-scale multi-functional test platform for exploring the dynamic performance and its long-term evolution of ballastless track systems and for studying the long-term accumulative settlement of the ballasted track–subgrade system in high-speed railways.Some interesting phenomena and meaningful results are captured by the developed test platform,which provide a useful guidance for the scientific operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure.

An Advanced Control Strategy for Dual-Actuator Driving System in Full-Scale Fatigue Test of Wind Turbine Blades

A new dual-actuator fatigue loading system of wind turbine blades was designed.Compared with the traditional pendulum loading mode,the masses in this system only moved linearly along the loading direction to increase the exciting force.However,the two actuators and the blade constituted a complicated non-linear energy transferring system,which led to the non-synchronization of actuators.On-site test results showed that the virtual spindle synchronous strategy commonly used in synchronous control was undesirable and caused the instability of the blade’s amplitude eventually.A cross-coupled control strategy based on the active disturbance rejection algorithm was proposed.Firstly,a control system model was built according to the synchronization error and tracking error.Furthermore,based on arranging the transition process,estimating the system state and error feedback,and compensating disturbance,an active disturbance rejection controller was designed by adopting the optimal control function.Finally,on-site test results showed that the cross-coupled control strategy based on the active disturbance rejection algorithm could ensure the synchronization of two actuators.The maximum speed synchronization error of the two motors was less than 16 RPM,the displacement synchronization error of the two actuators was less than 0.25 mm and approaching zero after 4 seconds,and the peak value of vibration of the blade was less than 5 mm,which satisfied the fatigue test requirement.

Evaluation of Contact Pressure in Bending under Tension Test by a Pressure Sensitive Film

The contact pressure acting on the sheet/tools interface has been studied because of growing the concern about the wear of tools. Recent studies make use of numerical simulation software to evaluate and correlate this pressure with the friction and wear generated. Since there are many studies that determine the coefficient of friction in sheet metal forming by bending under tension (BUT) test, the contact pressure between the pin and the sheet was measured using a film that has the ability to record the applied pressure. The vertical force applied to pin was also measured. The results indicate that the vertical force is more accurate to set the contact pressure that using equations predetermined. It was also observed that the contact area between the sheet and the pin is always smaller than the area calculated geometrically. The friction coefficient was determined for the BUT test through several equations proposed by various authors in order to check if there is much variation between the results. It was observed that the friction coefficient showed little variation for each equation, and each one can be used. The material used was the commercially pure aluminum, alloy Al1100.

Spring-back deformation in tube bending

The spring-back of a bending metal tube was studied through extensive experiments and finite element method （FEM） analysis. An approximate equation for the spring-back angle of bending was deduced. It is noted that the mechanical properties of the material （in a tubular form） are quite different from those found in the standard tensile tests （when the materials are in bar forms）. This is one of the major reasons that result in the discrepancies in the outcomes of experimental study, FEM calculations, and spring-back analysis. It is therefore of crucial importance to study the mechanical properties of the materials in their tubular forms. The experiments and FEM simulations prove that the spring-back angle is significantly affected by the mechanical properties of the materials. The angle decreases accordingly with plastic modulus, but changes inversely with the hardening index and elastic modulus The spring-back angle is also affected by the conditions of tube deformation： it increases accordingly with the relative bending radius but changes inversely with the relative wall thickness. In addition, the spring-back angle increases nonlinearly with the bending angle.

Influence of Characteristics on Bending Strength of Layered Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete

The influence of two main characteristics of steel fiber, the aspect ratio （Df） and volume fraction （ρf）, on the bending strength of Layered Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete （LSFRC） is investigated by using orthogonal test. Via the variance analysis on the experimental results and trend analysis on the two characteristics, Df is found significantly related to the bending strength of LSFRC. The influence ratio is 63.3%. The bending strength of LSFRC increases if Df increases, makes better when Df reaches 100. ρf has ordinary influence on the bending strength of LSFRC. The influence ratio is 29.2%. Other characteristics, such as the shape of steel fiber and the mix proportion, have less influence. The best ρf contributing to the bending strength of LSFRC is 1.5 %. If ρf is greater than 1.5%, it has negative influence on the bending strength of LSFRC. So, ρf makes a limited contribution to the bending strength of LSFRC.

Effect of bending temperatures on the microstructure and springback of a TRIP steel sheet

Transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)steel possesses high strength and formability,enabling the use of a thinner gauge material and allowing for the fabrication of complex shapes.In this research,we measured the effect of bending temperatures on the microstructure and air-bending springback angle of TRIP steel at temperatures from 25 to 600
C.Real-time in situ X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were used for pre-and postbending analysis.As the prebending temperature increased from 25
C to 600
C,the retained austenite(RA)volume fraction decreased,and the RA transformed to bainite at temperatures above 400
C.The springback angle was positively correlated with the prebending RA volume fraction,with the smallest springback angle achieved at 400
C.Additionally,the springback angle was positively correlated with the bending angle,because the RA transformation ratio contributed to increased strain hardening.Further microstructure analysis revealed that the RA became elongated in the tension direction as the bending temperatures increased.

Strain localization and damage development in 2060 alloy during bending

The microstructure evolution and damage development of the third-generation Al-Li alloy 2060 （T8） were studied using in situ bending tests. Specimens were loaded with a series of punches of different radii, and the microstructure evolution was studied by scanning electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and digital image correlation （DIC） methods. The evolution of the microscopic fracture strain distribution and microstructure in 2060 alloy during bending was characterized, where the dispersion distribution of precipitates was recorded by backscattered electron imaging and later inputted into a DIC system for strain calculations. The experimental results showed that strain localization in the free surface of bent specimens induced damage to the microstructure. The region of crack initiation lies on the free surface with maximum strain, and the shear crack propagates along the macro-shear band in the early stages of bending. Crack propagation in the later stages was interpreted on the basis of the conventional mechanism of ductile fracture.

Experimental and analytical study on design performance of full-scale viscoelastic dampers

Viscoelastic（VE） dampers, with their stiffness and energy dissipation capabilities, have been widely used in civil engineering for mitigating wind-induced vibration and seismic responses of structures, thus enhancing the comfort of residents and serviceability of equipment inside. In past relevant research, most analytical models for characterizing the mechanical behavior of VE dampers were verified by comparing their predictions with performance test results from small-scale specimens, which might not adequately or conservatively represent the actual behavior of full-scale dampers, especially with regard to the ambient temperature, temperature rise, and heat convection effects. Thus, in this study, by using a high-performance testing facility with a temperature control system, full-scale VE dampers were dynamically tested with different displacement amplitudes, excitation frequencies, and ambient temperatures. By comparing the analytical predictions with the experimental results, it is demonstrated that adopting the fractional derivative method together with considering the effects of excitation frequencies, ambient temperatures, temperature rises, softening, and hardening, can reproduce the design performance of full-scale VE dampers very well.

Nodes Effect on the Bending Performance of Laminated Bamboo Lumber Unit

This research studied the ultimate bearing capacity of laminated bamboo lumber(LBL)unit and thereby calculated the maximum bending moment.The load-displacement chart for all specimens was obtained.Then the flexural capacity of members with and without bamboo nodes in the middle section was coMPared.The bending experiment phenomenon of LBL unit was concluded.Different failure modes of bending components were analysed and concluded.Finally,the bending behaviour of LBL units is coMPared with other bamboo and timber products.It is shown that the average ultimate load of BS members is 866.1 N,the average flexural strength is 101 MPa,the average modulus of elasticity is 8.3 GPa,and the average maximum displacement is 17.02 mm.The average ultimate load of BNS members is 1008.1 N,the average flexural strength is 118.02 MPa,the average modulus of elasticity is 9.9 GPa,and the average maximum displacement is 18.26 mm.Laminated bamboo lumber(LBL)unit without bamboo nodes(BNS)has relatively higher flexural strength coMPared with LBL unit with bamboo nodes(BS).The presence of bamboo nodes reduces the strength of the entire structure.Three failure modes were concluded for BS members,and two failure modes were observed for BNS members during the experimental process.According to a coMParison between the LBL unit and other products,the flexural strength and bending modulus of elasticity of the LBL unit are similar as bamboo scrimber and raw bamboo components,which is much higher than timber components.

Experimental Study on the Influence of Cross-Section Type of Marine Cable Conductors on the Bending Performance

Through the development of marine energy,marine cables are the key equipment for transmission of electrical energy between surface platforms and underwater facilities.Fatigue failure is a critical failure mode of marine cables.The bending performance of the cable conductor has a major influence on both bending and fatigue performances of the overall cable structure.To study the influence of different types of the conductor cross-section on the bending performances of marine cable conductors,three types of copper conductors with the same cross-sectional area,i.e.,noncompressed round,compressed round,and shaped wire conductors,were selected.The experimental results demonstrated that the cross-section type significantly affects the bending performances of copper conductors.In particular,the bending stiffness of the shaped wire conductor is the highest among the three conductor types.Four key evaluation parameters,i.e.,the bending stiffness,maximum bending moment,envelope area,and engineering critical slip point,were selected to compare and analyze the bending hysteresis curves of the three copper conductors.The differences in the key evaluation parameters were analyzed based on the structural dimensional parameters,processing methods,and classical bending stiffness theoretical models of the three copper conductor types.The results provide an important theoretical guidance for the structural design and engineering applications of marine cable conductors.

Failure analysis of polycrystalline diamond compact cutters for breaking rock by bending waves theory

The breakage mechanism of the polycrystalline diamond compact(PDC) cutters was analyzed by the energy theory of bending waves. The cutting tests of granite block were conducted on a multifunctional testing device by using the cutter at three kinds of negative fore angles of 30°, 45° and 60°. The results show that, when the edge of the PDC layer is broken, the layer of tungsten cobalt is broken a little under the angle of 30°, while the layer of tungsten cobalt is broken continuously under the angle of 60°, their maximum depths are about 2 and 7 mm respectively in the two cases. The eccentric distance mainly depends on the negative fore angle of the cutter. When the cutter thrusts into the rock under an attack angle of 60°, the energy of bending waves reaches the maximum since the eccentric distance is the maximum. So the damage of cutter is the most serious. This test result is consistent with the conclusion of theoretical analysis well. The eccentric distance from the axial line of cutter to the point of action between the rock and cutter has great effect on the breakage of the cutter. Thus during the process of cutting, the eccentric distance should be reduced to improve the service life of PDC cutters.

Dynamic Fracture Behaviors of Selected Aluminum Alloys Under Three-point Bending

The dynamic fracture behaviors of the extruded 2024-T4 and 7075-T6 aluminum alloys are investigated by using an instrumented drop tower machine.The specimens are made from a 25 mm diameter extruded circular rod.The dynamic three-point bending tests of each alloy are carried out at different impact velocities.The initiation fracture toughness and average propagation fracture toughness of 2024-T4 and 7075-T6 are determined at different loading rates.The results show that both the initiation toughness and the propagation toughness increase with the loading rate.Further,the difference between the fracture toughness behaviors of 2024-T4 and 7075-T6 is found to be dependent on the variation of fracture mechanism.The comprehensive fractographic investigations of the fracture surfaces clearly demonstrate that the fracture mode of 2024-T4 is predominantly transgranular fracture with high density small-sized dimples,and the fracture mode of 7075-T6 is mainly intergranular fracture with many intermetallic particles in the bottom of voids located in the fracture surface.

STRAIN-GRADIENT STRESS ANALYSIS IN SAINT-VENANT BENDING

Light beam deflections caused by stress or strain gradients are inves- tigated analytically and experimentally in homogeneous beam specimens which are subjected to a particular case of flexure with shear. This study is a generalization of the prior an alytical-experimental examination of strain-gradient light deflections produced in stressed plates, which had concentrated on the simplest case where in- formation of interest is collected along a line of symmetry of the stress field. Main purpose of the present investigation is to document the efficacy of the strain-gradient method in analysis of the general case of stress state. The most interesting stress state is that in a beam subjected to the Saint-Venant bending, where the transversal and the longitudinal axes of the beam are in pure shear. The obtained results are compared with the predictions of the developed analytical models and with the pre- dictions of Filon's stress function. The procedures of evaluating the photoelastic and material coefficients using strain-gradient techniques were tested positively.

Research on Bending Behavior of Aluminum Members

This paper describes the four-point bending test for hollow rectangular aluminum alloy beams.Test samples vary from 6061-T6 and 6063-T heat treatment of aluminum alloys,and the width-to-thickness ratios range from 2.8 cm to 20.5 cm.According to the report,measurement of geometric and material properties is the complete sample of load-deflection history.Local buckling failure modes were observed,including material yield and tensile failure.Further experimental data were collected from the literature.The finite element(FE)model was developed and validated with the test results,then used to perform a parameter study.Experimental and numerical results were used to evaluate the flexural performance according to standards in Australia and New Zealand,Europe,and China.