Engineering Commons^™

An Investigation And Understanding Of The Mechanical Response Of Palmyrah Timber, Hatim Sobier, Craig Menzemer, Tirumalai Srivatsan

Craig Menzemer

The Palmyrah tree flourishes in tropical areas around South East Asia, and particularly in Sri Lanka. Palmyrah is an important economic resource for the region, and has found use in structural applications for both residential dwellings and commercial buildings. While there is a great deal of local field experience with Palmyrah, the mechanical properties have not been well characterized or understood. In an effort to assist engineers with the design and efficient use of the timber, a study was undertaken to evaluate the mechanical response of Palmyrah and develop estimates of design allowable properties. Properties evaluated include static bending strength, …

Numerical Analysis Of Free-Edge Effect On Size-Influenced Mechanical Properties Of Single-Layer Triaxially Braided Composites, Chao Zhang, Wieslaw Binienda

Wieslaw K. Binienda

The mechanical properties of triaxially braided composites under transverse loads are found to be size-dependent, due to the presence of free-edge effect. Numerical studies of the mechanical behaviors of straight-sided coupon specimens and an infinitely large plate under both axial and transverse tension loads were conducted using a meso-scale finite element model. The numerical model correlates well with experimental results, successfully capturing the free-edge warping phenomena under transverse tension. Free-edge effect is observed as out-of-plane warping, and it can be correlated to the premature damage initiation in the affected area. The numerical results characterize the impact of free-edge effects on …

Doping Dependence Of Electronic And Mechanical Properties Of Gase1−XTeX And Ga1−XInXSe From First Principles, Zs. Rak, S. D. Mahanti, K. C. Mandal, N. C. Fernelius

Krishna C. Mandal

No abstract provided.

Modeling Of Electromechanical Behavior Of Woven Sic/Sic Composites, Xhenhai Xia, Thanyawalai Sujidkul, Jianbing Niu, Craig Smith, Gregory Morscher

Dr. Gregory N. Morscher

A coupled electro-mechanical model was developed to predict the mechanical behavior of woven SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites and electrical resistance response to mechanical damages in the composites. The matrix is explicitly included in the model such that the matrix cracking and fiber break can be linked to the electrical resistance change during loading. The results show that the electrical resistance increases linearly with an increase of matrix crack density and the number of fiber breaks. The predictions are compared to the experimental results on 2D woven SiC/SiC ceramic composites. With proper materials parameters input, the models can accurately predict the …

Conductive Concrete Overlay For Bridge Deck Deicing: Mixture Proportioning, Optimization, And Properties, Sherif Yehia, Christopher Tuan

Christopher Y. Tuan

Bridge pavement surfaces are prone to ice accumulation, making winter travel hazardous. Current practice is to use road salt and deicing chemicals, that cause damage to concrete and corrosion of reinforcing steel. A thin conductive concrete overlay can generate enough heat to prevent ice formation on a bridge deck. Conductive concrete is a cementitious admixture containing electrically conductive components that attain stable and high electrical conductivity. Due to the electrical resistance and impedance in conductive concrete, heat is generated when connected to a power source, and can be used for deicing or anti-icing. Conductive concrete is a relatively new material …

Effect Of Applied Uniaxial Stress On Rate And Mechanical Effects Of Cross-Linking In Tissue-Derived Biomaterials, Debbie Chachra, Paul Gratzer, Christopher Pereira, J. Lee

Debbie Chachra

Conformational changes in collagen fibrils, and indeed the triple helix, can be produced by application of mechanical stress or strain. We have demonstrated that the rate of cross-linking in glutaraldehyde and epoxide homobifunctional reagents can be modulated by uniaxial stress (strain). Two poly(glycidyl ether) epoxides were used: Denacol^® EX-810 (a small bifunctional reagent), and Denacol EX-512 (a large polyfunctional reagent). To prevent any possible effect from being masked by saturation of cross-linking sites, bovine pericardium was cross-linked to such an extent that the increase in collagen denaturation temperature, T_d, was one-half of the maximal rise achievable with …

Lumbar Vertebral Density And Mechanical Properties In Aged Ovariectomized Rats Treated With Estrogen And Norethindrone Or Norgestimate, Carla Vanin, Neil Maclusky, Debbie Chachra, Mehran Kasra, Marc Grynpas, Robert Casper

Debbie Chachra

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the effects of estrogen alone or combined with two different progestins, norethindrone or norgestimate, on bone density and compressive mechanical properties in an aged rat model.

STUDY DESIGN: Twenty 11-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were sham operated (intact control) and 80 wee overiectomized. Three groups of 20 ovariectomized rats were implanted with Silastic silicon rubber (Dow Corning, Midland, Mich.) capsules containing 5% estradiol (wt/wt) in cholesterol. All rats in the intact control (group 1) and the ovariectomized (group 2) and the first of the overiectomized plus estrogen (group 3) groups were injected subcutaneously daily …

The Effect Of Different Hormone Replacement Therapy Regimens On The Mechanical Properties Of Rat Vertebrae, Debbie Chachra, M. Kasra, Carla Vanin, N. Maclusky, R. Casper, Marc Grynpas

Debbie Chachra

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of estrogen replacement, in concert with three different progestin regimens, on the mechanical properties of rat lumbar vertebrae. Ninety-two Sprague-Dawley rats (11 months old) were divided into six groups for treatment. The first group was an intact control, the second group (OVX) was ovariectomized only, and the third group (estrogen-only) was ovariectomized and received continuous estrogen through a 17-estradiol implant. The remaining groups were ovariectomized and received estrogen and progestin (norethindrone, NET) therapy; 3 g of NET was injected daily (estrogen plus continuous NET), or 6 g of NET was …

A New Tool To Assess The Mechanical Properties Of Bone Due To Collagen Degradation, C. Wynnyckyj, S. Omelon, K. Savage, M. Damani, Debbie Chachra, Marc Grynpas

Debbie Chachra

Current clinical tools for evaluating fracture risk focus only on the mineral phase of bone. However, changes in the collagen matrix may affect bone mechanical properties, increasing fracture risk while remaining undetected by conventional screening methods such as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS). The mechanical response tissue analyzer (MRTA) is a non-invasive, radiation-free potential clinical tool for evaluating fracture risk. The objectives of this study were two-fold: to investigate the ability of the MRTA to detect changes in mechanical properties of bone as a result of treatment with 1 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) and to evaluate …

A New Method Of Producing High Strength Oil Palm Shell Lightweight Concrete, Zamin Jumaat

Zamin Jumaat

This paper presents a new method to produce high strength lightweight aggregate concrete (HSLWAC) using an agricultural solid waste, namely oil palm shell (OPS). This method is based on crushing large old OPS. Crushed OPS are hard and have a strong physical bond with hydrated cement paste. The 28 and 56 days compressive strength achieved in this study were about 53 and 56 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that it was possible to produce grade 30 OPS concrete without the addition of any cementitious materials. Compared to previous studies, significantly lower cement content was used to produce this grade …

Influence Of Co2 Laser Radiation On The Mechanical Properties Of Portland Cement Pastes, Maria Del Rosario Moreno-Virgen, Juan José Soto-Bernal, José A. Ortíz-Lozano, Adrian Bonilla-Petriciolet, José Vega-Duran, Rosario González-Mota, José Pineda-Piñon

Adrian Bonilla-Petriciolet

Structural And Mechanical Properties Of Nanostructured Tio2 Thin Films Deposited By Rf Sputtering

A.S. Md Abdul Haseeb

This study mainly aims to evaluate the effects of substrate temperatures on the mechanical properties of TiO2 thin films deposited on glass substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. All titania films possess anatase structure having a nodular morphology. AES results reveal that Si and Na ions from glass diffuse into TiO2 films at higher substrate temperatures. Micro-scratch and wear tests were conducted to evaluate their mechanical and tribological properties. The adhesion critical loads of TiO2 films deposited at room temperature, 200 and 300°C are found to be 1.51, 1.54 and 1.08N, respectively. Scratch hardness also increases from 11.5 to 13.6GPa …

Photo-Cross-Linked Pdmsstar-Peg Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization, And Potential Application For Tissue Engineering Scaffolds, Yaping Hou, Cody Schoener, Katherine Regan, Dany Munoz Pinto, Mariah Hahn, Melissa Grunlan

Dany J. Munoz Pinto

Inorganic−organic hydrogels with tunable chemical and physical properties were prepared from methacrylated star polydimethylsiloxane (PDMSstar-MA) and diacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-DA) for use as tissue engineering scaffolds. A total of 18 compositionally unique hydrogels were prepared by photo-cross-linking, varying weight ratios of PEG-DA and PDMSstar-MA of different molecular weights (Mn): PEG-DA (Mn = 3.4k and 6k g/mol) and PDMSstar-MA (Mn = 1.8k, 5k, and 7k g/mol). Introduction of PDMSstar-MA caused formation of discrete PDMS-enriched microparticles dispersed within the PEG matrix. The swelling ratio, mechanical properties in tension and compression, nonspecific protein adhesion, controlled introduction of bioactivity, and cytotoxicity of hydrogels were …

Comparison Of Mechanical And Bond Properties Of Oil Palm Kernel Shell Concrete With Normal Weight Concrete, Zamin Jumaat

Zamin Jumaat

The comparison of the fresh, mechanical and bond properties of grade 30 lightweight concrete, namely oil palm kernel shell concrete (OPKSC) with normal weight concrete (NWC) of similar strength is presented in this paper. Oil palm kernel shell (OPKS), an industrial waste has been used as lightweight aggregates (LWA) in the OPKSC. In addition, mineral admixtures, 10% of silica fume and 5% fly ash have been used. The OPKSC produced a density reduction of about 20% compared to NWC. The addition of silica fume enhanced the compressive strength and thus OPKSC produced 28-day compressive strength up to 37 MPa. The …

Local Mechanical Spectroscopy With Nanometer-Scale Lateral Resolution, Nancy Burnham, F Oulevey, G Gremaud, A Semoroz, Aj Kulik, E Dupas, D Gourdon

Nancy A. Burnham

A new technique has been developed to probe the viscoelastic and anelastic properties of submicron phases of inhomogeneous materials. The measurement gives information related to the internal friction and to the variations of the dynamic modulus of nanometer-sized volumes. It is then the nanoscale equivalent to mechanical spectroscopy, a well-known macroscopic technique for materials studies, also sometimes called dynamic mechanical (thermal) analysis. The technique is based on a scanning force microscope, using the principle of scanning local-acceleration microscopy (SLAM), and allows the sample temperature to be changed. It is called variable-temperature SLAM, abbreviated T-SLAM. According to a recent proposition to …

Interpretation Issues In Force Microscopy, Nancy Burnham, Richard Colton, Hubert Pollock

Nancy A. Burnham

In this paper, we will discuss force microscopy (FM) and its potential for determining mechanical properties of thin films. We will introduce the basic principles of FM, and demonstrate how FM can be used to determine materials properties as well as image surface topography, both with nanonewton or sub‐nanonewton force resolution and sub‐nanometer position resolution. As FM is still a new field, not all of the questions concerning interpretation have been fully answered. We will elucidate four current issues that must be resolved before the full potential of FM can be realized. They are: (1) the role of water vapor …