Review of Applications of Shape Memory Alloys in Civil Structures

Abstract

Shape memory alloy (SMA) is a novel functional material and has found increasing applications in many areas. Recently, research efforts have been extended to using SMA for control of civil structures. This paper presents a review of applications of the SMA materials for passive, active and semi-active controls of civil structures. First, an overview of the characteristics of SMA is presented. The shape memory effect (SME) and pseudoelasticity, two major properties of SMA associated with the thermal-induced or stress-induced reversible hysteretic phase transformation between austenite and martensite, are reviewed. These unique properties enable SMA to be used as actuators, passive energy dissipators and dampers for civil structure control. This paper then reviews current research using SMA-based devices for passive, semi-active or active control of civil structures. The operation mechanism, design and experimental results of these SMA-based devices are also presented in the paper.

Pseudo-elastic hysteresis damping characteristics of SMA hybrid composite lamina

“…The basic stress-strain relationship in Brinson's model can be expressed as (1) where σ f and ε f denote stress and stress of SMA; T and θ denote temperature and thermal elastic modulus of SMA; ξ denotes the martensite fraction of SMA which is composed of stress induced fraction ξ S and temperature induced fraction ξ T . D(ξ) and Ω(ξ) denote the elastic modulus and the transformation coeffi cient, as expressed by…”

“…Compared to ordinary materials, SMA has many good characteristics such as shape memory effect, pseudo-elastic effect, high capabilities of corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance, large recoverable strain etc. Among them, the pseudoelastic effect is one unique characteristic of SMA, which has received considerable attention in passive vibration control of structures in recent years [1] . The mechanism of using pseudo-elastic SMA for passive vibration control is based on the stress-induced martensite transformation of the austenite phase, which produces high pseudo-elastic hysteresis damping.…”

Tensile and fatigue behavior of superelastic shape memory rods

“…The early work on shape memory alloys focused on getting a fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics and mechanism of the phase transformations involved [3] in the SME and SE effects [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. A number of researchers have investigated the feasibility of incorporating superelastic shape memory alloys into smart structures for seismic resistance or damage tolerant structures [19][20][21][22][23]. In addition NiTi SMA's find application in medical applications such as orthodontics and maxillofacial surgeries [24][25][26][27][28], in aerospace and space applications as actuators and sensors [29][30][31][32][33].…”

Dynamic response of a high-rise chemical tower controlled by pseudo-elastic shape memory alloy cables

“…Many applications of pseudo-elastic SMA have been reported in civil engineering (Song et al, 2004) such as high-rise buildings. But few were found on the applications of SMA in the vibration control of chemical towers.…”