The current paper concerns the investigation of CC (Concrete Canvas), a unique building material from the GCCM (geosynthetic cementitious composite mat) product group. The material is suitable for trench lining, trench paving, or even military construction activities, while the authors’ purpose is to investigate the application of the material to road and railway substructure improvement. This research was carried out to verify the material’s suitability for transport infrastructure and its beneficial effects. The authors’ previous study reported that the primary measurements were puncture, compression, and the parameters evaluated in four-point bending (laboratory) tests. However, based on the results, finite element modeling was not feasible because the testing of the composite material in a single layer did not provide an accurate indication. For this reason, the material characteristics required for modeling were investigated. A unique, novel testing procedure and assembly were performed, wherein the material was loaded under quasi-realistic conditions with a crushed stone ballast sample and other continuous particle size distribution samples in a closed polyethylene tube. In addition, the deformation of the material following deformed bonding was measured by computed tomography scanning, and the results were evaluated.
This paper summarizes the results of laboratory tests in which the authors investigated the effects of extremely high vertical load to a railway track segment. The segment consisted of a cut concrete sleeper (contact area: 290×390 mm) with a pair of direct-elastic rail fasteners; the sleeper pieces had a standard, full height; the structure had a typical 350 mm depth railway ballast, underneath approx. 200 mm sandy gravel supplementary layer. The whole assembly was built in a 2.00×2.20 m area wooden rack. The deformations due to the approx. 150 kN static concentrated vertical force were measured and recorded by Digital Image Correlation Method (DICM), ensuring the GOM ATOS technology. The 150 kN peak load meant 1326 kPa vertical stress at the sleeper-ballast interface. The 3D geometry was scanned before the loading and after the collapse. In this way, the comparison was able to be executed. The maximum vertical deformation was 115 mm. The DICM technique is a relatively new methodology in civil engineering; however, it has been applied for more than ten years in mechanical engineering. Therefore, the authors investigated the applicability of DICM in this field. As a result, the pre and the post-states were determined in 3D. The displacement of the ballast particles was able to be defined with the possibility of drawing the displacement trajectories of given points. The DICM can be a valuable methodology in railway engineering, e.g., laboratory tests and field test applications.
Most existed researches consider deterministic numerical analysis when dealing with structural models. However, the test results reveal that uncertainties are existing in most cases regarding some considerations such as material randomness and the lack of experience. Therefore, proposing a probabilistic design models have got attention of researchers according to its important role in predicting accurate performance of the structures. The aim of the proposed work is to consider reliability-based analysis in numerical modelling of glulam beams reinforced with CFRP plates as well as unreinforced glulam beams by considering the properties of used timber material as random variables having mean value and standard deviation taking into consideration that the findings of this study have shown that the reliability index is worked efficiently as a limit which controls the process. Hill yield criterion model is adopted with respect to the data which is obtained from the experimental tests in order to validate the models. Furthermore, a detailed comparison between the reinforced and unreinforced glulam beams are proposed to see the effect of introducing the CFRP plates as a reinforcement material. The results of this study have successfully given a deep understanding of how the uncertainties plays a crucial role on the resulted deformations and stresses in which it was founded by making a comparison between deterministic and probabilistic numerical analysis.
Structural simulations of electric motors require precise material models. Laminate stacks that are made of several identical steel sheets are particularly challenging to simulate using FEA. The structural stiffness of laminate stacks usually follows transversal isotropic behavior. Measuring a complete laminate stack used in passenger cars is challenging due to its size and the high testing load needed to reach real loads experienced while in operation. A new method capable of performing such measurements is presented in this article, with the help of equipment normally used for testing structures used in civil engineering. Two sets of exemplary results are presented utilizing this measurement procedure, that were performed on a real automotive rotor laminate stack: axial compression stiffness from a cyclic test, and shear stiffness at various axial preload levels. In the axial compression load case, the loading and unloading curves form a hysteresis, that changes in every test cycle. Shear stiffness shows high dependance on the axial compression preload. After loading and unloading the stack with shear loads, significant plastic deformations remain.
The current paper deals with the numerical investigation of a unique designed pre-stressed reinforced concrete railway sleeper for the design speed of 300 km/h, as well as an axle load of 180 kN. The authors applied different methodologies in their research: traditional hand-made calculations and two types of finite element software. The latter were AxisVM and ABAQUS, respectively. During the calculations, the prestressing loss was not considered. The results from the three methods were compared with each other. The hand-made calculations and the finite element modeling executed by AxisVM software are adequate for determining the mechanical inner forces of the sleeper; however, ABAQUS is appropriate for consideration of enhanced and sophisticated material models, as well as the stress-state of the elements, i.e., concrete, pre-stressed tendons, etc. The authors certified the applicability of these methodologies for performing the dimensioning and design of reinforced concrete railway sleepers with pre-stressing technology. The research team would like to continue their research in an improved manner, taking into consideration real laboratory tests and validating the results from FE modeling, special material models that allow calculation of crackings and their effects in the concrete, and so that the real pattern of the crackings can be measured by GOM Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technology, etc.
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