Piezoelectric-based Crack Detection Techniques of Concrete Structures:Experimental Study

Feasibility of a wave propagation-based active crack detection technique for nondestructive evaluations （NDE） of concrete structures with surface bonded and embedded piezoelectric-ceramic （PZT） patches was studied. At first, the wave propagation mechanisms in concrete were analyzed. Then, an active sensing system with integrated actuators/sensors was constructed. One PZT patch was used as an actuator to generate high frequency waves, and the other PZT patches were used as sensors to detect the propagating wave. Scattered wave signals from the damage can be obtained by subtracting the baseline signal of the intact structure from the recorded signal of the damaged structure. In the experimental study, progressive cracked damage inflicted artificially on the plain concrete beam is assessed by using both lateral and thickness modes of the PZT patches. The results indicate that with the increasing number and severity of cracks, the magnitude of the sensor output decreases for the surface bonded PZT patches, and increases for the embedded PZT patches.

Piezoelectric Actuator/Sensor Wave Propagation Based Nondestructive Active Monitoring Method of Concrete Structures

In order to monitor the basic mechanical properties and interior damage of concrete structures,the piezoelectric actuator/sensor based wave propagation method was investigated experimentally in the laboratory using a specifically designed test setup.The energy attenuation of stress waves was measured by the relative index between the output voltage of sensors and the excitation voltage at the actuator.Based on the experimental results of concrete cube and cylinder specimens,the effect of excitation frequencies,excitation amplitude,wave propagation paths and the curing age on the output signals of sensors are evaluated.The results show that the relative voltage attenuation coefficient RVAC is an effective indicator for measuring the attenuation of stress waves through the interior of concrete.

Preliminary Design of a Submerged Support Structure for Floating Wind Turbines

Cost-effective floating wind turbines with efficient installations are highly desired in deep waters(>50 m).This paper presents a submerged floating offshore wind turbines(SFOWT)concept for intermediate water depths(50-200 m).The performance of SFOWTs can be improved through a judicious choice of configuration,pretension,and mooring line layout.Four SFOWTs with different configurations and a similar mass,named Cyl-4,Cub-4,Cyl-3,and Hex-3,were designed and analyzed.The responses of the four SFOWTs were predicted under operational condition and extreme condition.The results show that the four SFOWTs exhibited good performance under both conditions.The effect of platform configurations on power output was negligible under the operational condition.Under the extreme condition,among the four SFOWTs,the mean bending moments at the tower base were very close,while the maximum values differed by up to 21.5%,due to the configurations.The effect of wind-wave misalignment under the extreme condition was further analyzed.In general,the motion performances of the four-pontoon SFOWTs,Cyl-4 and Cub-4,were superior to those of the three-pontoon SFOWTs,Cyl-3 and Hex-3.Optimization studies of the mooring system were carried out on Cub-4 with different mooring line pretensions and four mooring layouts.The optimized Cub-4 could reduce the maximum motion responses in the surge,heave,and yaw by 97.7%,91.5%,and 98.7%,respectively.

One-Step-Installation of Offshore Wind Turbine on Large-Scale Bucket-Top-Bearing Bucket Foundation

In 2010,the first offshore wind turbine with integrated installation was established in Qidong sea area of Jiangsu Province,China,which led to the implementation phase of one-step-installation technique based on the design and construction of large-scale bucket-top-bearing (LSBTB) bucket foundation.The critical technique of LSBTB bucket foundation included self-floating towing,penetration with adjustment of horizontal levelness,removability and one-step-installation.The process of one-step-installation included the prefabrication of LSBTB bucket foundation in onshore construction base,installation and debugging of wind power,overall water transportation of foundation and wind power system,and installation of foundation and offshore wind turbine on the appointed sea area.The cost of one-step-installation technique was about 5 000 Yuan/kW,which was 30%-50% lower than that of the existing technique.The prefabrication of LSBTB bucket foundation took about two months.During the one-step-installation process,the installation and debugging of wind power and overall water transportation need about one to two days in sea area within 35 m depth.After the proposed technique is industrialized,the cost will be further reduced,and the installation capacity is expected to be up to 500 wind turbines per year.

Seismic Behavior of Diaphragm-Through Connections of Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubular Columns and H-Shaped Steel Beams

Based on the introductions of a type of diaphragm-through connection between concrete-filled square steel tubular columns (CFSSTCs) and H-shaped steel beams,a finite element model of the connection is developed and used to investigate the seismic behavior of the connection.The results of the finite element model are validated by a set of cyclic loading tests.The cyclic loading tests and the finite element analyses indicate that the failure mode of the suggested connections is plastic hinge at the beam with inelastic rotation angle exceeding 0.04 rad.The suggested connections have sufficient strength,plastic deformation and energy dissipation capacity to be used in composite moment frames as beam-to-column rigid connections.

Dynamic Simulation on Collision Between Ship and Offshore Wind Turbine

By using ABAQUS/Explicit, the dynamic process of an offshore wind turbine(OWT) stricken by a ship of 5000DWT in the front direction is simulated. The OWT is located on a large-scale prestressing bucket foundation constructed by an integrated installation technique. According to the simulation results, under the ship collision, a certain range of plastic zone appears within a local area of arc transition structure of the bucket foundation, and the concrete plastic zone is seriously damaged. As the stress level of OWT tower is relatively low, the OWT tower is less affected. A great inertial force is generated at the top of the OWT tower as the mass of nacelle and blades is up to 400 t. The displacement of the tower is in the opposite direction of the ship collision at the end of 1 s under the action of inertial force. There is only a minor damage in the ship bow. Most of the kinetic energy is transformed into the plastic dissipation and absorbed by the arc transition structure of bucket foundation.

Factors Influencing Strength of Super Absorbent Polymer(SAP)Concrete

Super absorbent polymers (SAPs) are gradually being applied in concrete production as internal curing agents.SAP can effectively reduce early age autogenous shrinkage of concrete,alleviate the hazards caused by concrete cracking and improve its freeze–thaw resistance.However,the relationships between SAP dosage,SAP particle size and the water–cement ratio of concrete have certain influences on the evolution of the compressive strength of SAP-incorporated concrete.In this study,experiments were conducted to investigate the relationships between the water–cement ratio of concrete,the SAP dosage and SAP particle size.The significant factors influencing concrete strength are determined and equations are proposed for predicting the strength of SAP-incorporated concrete at 3,7 and 28 days.The findings from this study,such as the SAP dosage should not be larger than 0.2%,are expected to form a theoretical basis for the rational use of SAP as an additive to concrete.

Diffraction of SH-waves by topographic features in a layered transversely isotropic half-space

Abstract： The scattering of plane SH-waves by topographic features in a layered transversely isotropic （TI） half-space is investigated by using an indirect boundary element method （IBEM）. Firstly, the anti-plane dynamic stiffness matrix of the layered TI half-space is established and the free fields are solved by using the direct stiffness method. Then, Green＇s functions are derived for uniformly distributed loads acting on an inclined line in a layered TI half-space and the scattered fields are constructed with the deduced Green＇s functions. Finally, the free fields are added to the scattered ones to obtain the global dynamic responses. The method is verified by comparing results with the published isotropic ones. Both the steady-state and transient dynamic responses are evaluated and discussed. Numerical results in the frequency domain show that surface motions for the TI media can be significantly different from those for the isotropic case, which are strongly dependent on the anisotropy property, incident angle and incident frequency. Results in the time domain show that the material anisotropy has important effects on the maximum duration and maximum amplitudes of the time histories.

Axial Compression Behavior and Analytical Method of L-Shaped Column Composed of Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubes

Based on the characteristics of an L-shaped column composed of concrete-filled square steel tubes, the axial compression experiment and nonlinear finite element analysis were carried out to study the mechanical property of the L-shaped column. The load-displacement curve for the L-shaped column, the deflection and load-strain curves for the mono columns were obtained by the axial compression experiment. The results show that the L-shaped column exhibits a flexural-torsional buckling failure mode. The numerical simulation by the finite element analysis shows that the bearing capacity and failure mode are in accordance with those of the axial compression experiment and the feasi- bility of the finite element analysis is proved. For the calculation of the bearing capacity of the L-shaped column com- posed of concrete-filled square steel tubes, an analytical method is proposed based on the theory of the elastic stability and spatial truss model. The results of the analytical method are in good agreement with those of the axial compression experiment and the finite element analysis.

Assessing the deformation response of double-track overlapped tunnels using numerical simulation and field monitoring

The unprecedented rate of metro construction has led to a highly complex network of metro lines.Tunnels are being overlapped to an ever-increasing degree.This paper investigates the deformation response of double-track overlapped tunnels in Tianjin,China using finite element analysis(FEA)and field monitoring,considering the attributes of different tunneling forms.With respect to the upper tunneling,the results of the FEA and field monitoring showed that the maximum vertical displacements of the ground surface during the tail passage were 2.06 mm,2.25 mm and 2.39 mm obtained by the FEA,field monitoring and Peck calculation,respectively;the heaves on the vertical displacement curve were observed at 8 m(1.25D,where D is the diameter of the tunnel)away from the center of the tunnel and the curve at both sides was asymmetrical.Furthermore,the crown and bottom produce approximately0.38 mm and 1.26 mm of contraction,respectively.The results of the FEA of the upper and lower sections demonstrated that the tunneling form has an obvious influence on the deformation response of the double-track overlapped tunnel.Compared with the upper tunneling,the lower tunneling exerted significantly less influence on the deformation response,which manifested as a smaller displacement of the strata and deformation of the existing tunnel.The results of this study on overlapped tunnels can provide a reference for similar projects in the future.

Study on Seepage Characteristics of Composite Bucket Foundation Under Eccentric Load

Under the effect of eccentric loads,when the suction pressure of the composite bucket foundation is leveled,the seepage failure is very easy to occur.The seepage failure occurrence causes the foundation to settle unevenly and impairs the bearing performance.This study uses ABAQUS finite element software to establish a composite bucket foundation model for finite element analysis.The model simulates the seepage of the foundation penetrating process under eccentric load to reveal the induced seepage characteristics of the bucket foundation.The most vulnerable position of seepage failure under the eccentric loading is elucidated.Critical suction formulas for different offset eccentric moment strategies are derived and compared with existing literature formulas.Then the derived formula is supplemented and corrected according to the pressure difference between adjacent cabins.Conclusions can be drawn:(1)Under eccentric loads,the critical suction decreases about 7%−10%.(2)The pressure difference between adjacent cabins impacts significantly on the seepage field,and the critical suction,at most,can be reduced by 17.56%.(3)the offset strategies have little effect on the seepage field.Efficient and appropriate strategies can be selected to meet the requirement of leveling in engineering project.

Numerical Simulation for Progressive Collapse of Continuous Girder Bridge Subjected to Ship Impact

The three-stage simulation method based on LS-DYNA was introduced in this study to simulate the progressive collapse of a continuous girder bridge after a ship-bridge collision. The pile-soil dynamic interaction and the initial stress and deformation of the whole bridge before the collision were considered. By analyzing the damage, deformation, stress distribution and collapse process of the whole bridge, the results show that the displacement response of the cap beam lags behind the pile cap. The response order of the whole bridge's components depends on their distances from the collision region. The plastic deformation of soil around piles has a positive effect on delaying the further increase in the displacement of piles. The impacted pier's losing stability and its superstructure's excessive deformation are the main reasons leading to the progressive collapse of the continuous girder bridge.

Influence of Axial Load Ratio on Shear Behavior of Through-Diaphragm Connections of Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubular Columns

Nonlinear finite element analysis and parametric studies were carried out to study the influence of axial load ratio on the shear behavior of the through-diaphragm connections of concrete-filled square steel tubular columns. The analysis reveals that smaller axial load ratio can improve the shear bearing capacity and ductility while larger axial load ratio will decrease the shear behavior of the through-diaphragm connections. The parametric studies indicate that the axial load ratio should be limited to less than 0.4 and its influence should be considered in the analysis and design of such connections.

Influential Factors of Bucket Foundation for Offshore Wind Turbine

In this paper, the influential design factors of wide-shallow composite bucket foundation for 3 MW offshore wind turbine are systematically studied by numerical simulation. The results show that the bucket diameter is larger than 27 m in general, and the range of 7—12 m is appropriate for cylinder height. In particular, the bucket foundation with diameter of 30 m and cylinder height of 10 m is suitable for most soils. Under ultimate loads, the bucket diameter and elasticity modulus of soil have major effects on the deformability of bucket foundation, while the influence of friction coefficient between the bucket and soil is relatively slight.

Cellular Automata-based Chloride Ion Diffusion Simulation of Concrete Bridges under Multi-factor Coupling Actions

In order to accurately simulate the diffusion of chloride ion in the existing concrete bridge and acquire the precise chloride ion concentration at given time, a cellular automata （CA）-based model is proposed. The process of chloride ion diffusion is analyzed by the CA-based method and a nonlinear solution of the Fick＇s second law is obtained. Considering the impact of various factors such as stress states, temporal and spatial variability of diffusion parameters and water-cement ratio on the process of chloride ion diffusion, the model of chloride ion diffusion under multi-factor coupling actions is presented. A chloride ion penetrating experiment reported in the literature is used to prove the effectiveness and reasonability of the present method, and a T-type beam is taken as an illustrative example to analyze the process of chloride ion diffusion in practical application. The results indicate that CA-based method can simulate the diffusion of chloride ion in the concrete structures with acceptable precision.

Negative Pressure Consolidation of Silt Inside Bucket Foundation

A series of model experiments of bucket foundations concerning suction installation and negative pressure consolidation in saturated silt were carried out in a cube steel bin at Tianjin University. The experimental results show that the silt inside the bucket has been strengthened by negative pressure, and the strengthening effect decreases with the increase of the distance from the bucket. A three-dimensional numerical model of the experiments was built by means of finite element software ABAQUS with fluid-solid coupling method. The results show that the bearing capacity of the silt inside the bucket foundation increases significantly at the former stage of negative pressure consolidation, while the increasing trend slows down over time. The rotation centers of the bucket foundation and the inner soil region tend to be closer to each other based on the consolidation. The bearing capacity of the bucket foundation is improved effectively with the increase of soil strength. The effects of negative pressure consolidation on the bearing capacity of bucket foundation were also illustrated by an actual offshore wind power project case.

Numerical Simulation on Floating Behavior of Buoyancy Tank Foundation of Anemometer Tower

The intact stability and damage stability of a model of an anemometer tower with buoyancy tank foundation are computed by the finite element software MOSES in this paper. The natural period of the anemometer tower is discussed through frequency domain analysis. The influence of a single factor, such as towing point position, wave height, wave direction and wave period, on towing stability is discussed through time domain analysis. At the same time, the towing stability under the condition of various combinations of many factors is analyzed based on the measured data of the target area. Computer simulation results show that the intact stability is preferable and the damage stability is sufficient under the condition of plenty of subdivisions. Within the scope of the buoyancy tank foundation,the higher the towing point position is, the better the stability is. Wave height has a great impact on the motion amplitude of buoyancy tank foundation, but the effect on the acceleration is not obvious; wave period has a great impact on the acceleration, while the effect on the motion amplitude is not obvious; following-waves towing is more conducive to safety than atry.

The Abrasion-resistance Investigation of Rubberized Concrete

The abrasion resistance properties of rubberized concrete were comparatively studied by taking silica fume and crumb tire rubber as the additives. The abrasion tests were conducted in accordance with the Chinese standard test method DL/T 5150 - 2001, two recommended test methods： under water method and ring method, were used. The crumb tire rubbers with the sieve size of 8-mesh and 16-mesh were incorporated into the concrete by replacing same volume of sand and as an additive. The abrasion resistance of concrete was evaluated according to the abrasion resistance strength and the mass loss. Test results show that the addition of silica fume enhanced both compressive strength and abrasion resistance of concrete, and the addition of crumb rubber reduced the compressive strength but increased notably the abrasion resistance of the concrete. Silica fume concrete performed a better abrasion resistance than control concrete, and the rubberized concrete performed a much better abrasion resistance than silica fume concrete. The abrasion resistance of rubberized concrete increased with the increase of rubber content.

Scattering and diffraction of plane SH-waves by periodically distributed canyons

A new method is presented to study the scattering and diffraction of plane SH-waves by periodically distributed canyons in a layered half-space. This method uses the indirect boundary element method combined with Green＇s functions of uniformly distributed loads acting on periodically distributed inclined lines. The periodicity feature of the canyons is exploited to limit the discretization effort to a single canyon, which avoids errors induced by the truncation of the infinite boundary, and the computational complexity and the demand on memory can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the total wave fields are decomposed into the free field and scattered field in the process of calculation, which means that the method has definite physical meaning. The implementation of the method is described in detail and its accuracy is verified. Parametric studies are performed in the frequency domain by taking periodically distributed canyons of semi-circular and semi-elliptic cross-sections as examples. Numerical results show that the dynamic responses of periodically distributed canyons can be quite different from those for a single canyon and significant dynamic interactions exist between the canyons.

3D seismic response of a 2D hill-valley staggered topography modeled by a 2.5D multi-domain IBEM

A two and a half dimensional(2.5D)multi-domain indirect boundary element method(IBEM)is developed to study the wave scattering of obliquely incident P-,SV-and SH-waves by a hill-valley staggered topography in a multi-layered half-space.The IBEM algorithm includes using 2.5D full-space and half-space Green’s functions to construct scattered fields in decomposed closed and opened half-space regions,respectively,and using the dynamic stiffness method to solve the free fields.All regions are finally integrated by introducing the compatibility conditions to obtain the total wave fields.The proposed 2.5D IBEM has the flexibility in dealing with complex boundaries by directly applying the fictitious loads on the regions’boundaries,with a less storage requirement compared to the full 3D models.Besides,by combining the specific advantages of the two kinds of Green’s functions,the method is well suitable for handling coupled topographies with high accuracy.The method is validated by comparison with published results for a single valley as well as a single hill topography.The effects of height-to-width ratio of hill and layering on dynamic responses are further parametrically investigated by numerical implementations in frequency domain.Results show that the interaction between valley and hills can lead to a more significant amplification within the valley region,and dynamic responses are deeply influenced by the height-to-width of hill,simultaneously depending on incident angle and frequency.Besides,the site effects become more complex when the stratification feature is taken into account.