Structural Engineering Commons^™

Smart Sensing Skin For Detection And Localization Of Fatigue Cracks, Sari Kharroub, Simon Laflamme, Chunhui Song, Daji Qiao, Brent M. Phares, Jian Li

Daji Qiao

Fatigue cracks on steel components may have strong consequences on the structure's serviceability and strength. Their detection and localization is a difficult task. Existing technologies enabling structural health monitoring have a complex link signal-to-damage or have economic barriers impeding large-scale deployment. A solution is to develop sensing methods that are inexpensive, scalable, with signals that can directly relate to damage. The authors have recently proposed a smart sensing skin for structural health monitoring applications to mesosystems. The sensor is a thin film soft elastomeric capacitor (SEC) that transduces strain into a measurable change in capacitance. Arranged in a network configuration, …

In-Plane Loading Of Brick Veneer Over Wood Shear Walls, Elias Anis Toubia, James M. Lintz

Elias Toubia

In the design of wood stud walls with brick veneer, current design building codes specify that the wood stud wall should resist all in-plane and out-of-plane loads (IBC 2009). For out-of-plane loads, this assumption is entirely justified as the brittle brick veneer will crack and lose its capacity to resist bending. For in-plane loads, the brick veneer is significantly stiffer than the wood shear wall, and the veneer is unlikely to crack before the wood shear wall reaches its allowable capacity. The assumption that the wood shear wall resists the entire load is based on the further assumption that the …

Use Of Coconut Shell As An Aggregate In Concrete: A Review, Sourav Ghosal, S. C. Moulik

Innovative Research Publications IRP India

Now-a-days, the rising cost of building materials for construction purposes is a factor of great concern. The price of building materials is rising day by day. Now, most of the researchers are paying much attention on the suitable materials which can reduce the cost of construction as well as increase the strength properties of concrete. Mainly gravel and sand are used in the preparation of conventional concrete. While the use of an agricultural by-product i.e. coconut shell as a partial replacement with conventional coarse aggregates is expected to serve the purpose of encouraging housing developers in building construction. Environmental impact …

A Computer Program For Optimal Control Of Water Supply Pump Stations: Development And Testing, Donald V. Chase

Donald V. Chase

This report presents an optimal control methodology designed to reduce the electrical consumption and operating costs at Army water supply pumping stations. The methodology, contained in a computer program called Optimal Control of Pumping Stations (OCOPS), enables water utility managers and operators to reduce the electrical consumption at pumping stations while maintaining adequate storage and system pressures for fire protection. OCOPS can be applied to any water distribution system and is not limited to any number of pumps, pump stations, or storage tanks within the system. The optimal control strategy developed is based on electricity unit charges, but can be …

Water Distribution Modeling, Thomas M. Walski, Donald V. Chase, Dragan A. Savic

Donald V. Chase

To effectively use water distribution models, the engineer must be able to link knowledge of basic hydraulic theory and the mechanics of the program with that of the operation of real-world systems. Water Distribution Modeling does just that. Written by industry experts, it provides a practical resource for engineers and modelers that goes well beyond being a how-to guide for typing data into a computer program. It contains straightforward answers to common questions related both to modeling and to distribution systems in general. This textbook walks the practicing engineer or student through the modeling process from start to finish — …

Performance Comparison Of A Roundabout Versus Two-Way Stop Controlled (Twsc) Intersections, Deogratias Eustace

Deogratias Eustace

The superior safety record of modern roundabouts is well known in Western Europe, Australia and in most British-influenced countries around the world. The experience from a single modern roundabout installed in the City of Manhattan, Kansas, some three years ago, also shares the same experience. A major study of the performance of Manhattan, Kansas, modern roundabout was conducted at Kansas State University (KSU) and was co-sponsored by Mac-Blackwell National Rural Transportation Study Center, Kansas State University, and the City of Manhattan. The study examined three intersections, one modern roundabout and two Two-Way Stop Controlled (TWSC) intersections with similar traffic conditions. …

A Simplified Method For Analyzing Factors Contributing To Motorcyclists’ Fatal Injuries In Ohio, Deogratias Eustace, Vamsi Krishna Indupuru

Deogratias Eustace

The aim of this paper was to analyze traffic crash data by using a simplified method in determining significant factors that increase the risk of a motorcyclist being fatally injured once involved in a motorcycle crash in Ohio. The concept of overrepresentation, which is similar to relative risk, was used in identifying significant variables associated with the elevated risk of a motorcycle crash resulting into a fatality. The overrepresentation factor (ORF) was calculated for each variable of interest. The ORF offers a simple but powerful procedure of determining whether a certain factor significantly occurs more or less frequently in one …

International Conference On Short And Medium Span Bridges, Calgary, July 15-18, 2014, Barry A. Palynchuk Phd, Christophe Deniaud Phd

Barry A. Palynchuk PhD

The Jean River near Wabush, Labrador is crossed by two railways and an access road by twin 6m diameter culverts . They are heavily strutted inside their barrels to counteract some significant shape deformation, and are deemed not suitable to sustain the increased volume of rail traffic serving the development of the Bloom Lake mines. The owner requested the design and construction of a replacement scheme for an additional design life of 20 years with a time sensitive schedule for completion of the work during the 2013 construction season. This VE concept for the design of live load relief spans …

No Admixture, Sustainable, Self-Consolidating Grout, Craig V. Baltimore Dr

Craig V. Baltimore

ABSTRACT: The consolidation of grout in concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls is labor-intensive. Also, the grout’s Portland cement content has a high embodied energy demand – a non-sustainable characteristic. For the labor-intensive issue, chemical admixture self-consolidating grouts have been used in walls 12.67 ft. (3.86 m) tall, however the chemical additive can impose new limitations on the grout (non-robust characteristics). No admixture self-consolidating grout with high percentage Portland cement replacement have potential for robust and sustainable application.

This paper reports on the consolidation of no admixture self-consolidating grout made by substituting high percentages of Portland cement with Type-F fly ash …

Bridge-Track Interaction Under Elevated Temperatures, Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

This paper presents the adaptability to short-term climate variability and extreme events of existing infrastructures in Australia, especially railway track bridges. The main objective of this research was to analyse the interaction between the track and bridge under elevated temperatures. The scope of work was to evaluate the behaviour of the track and bridge interaction throughout temperature ranges experienced in summer periods whereas the expansion and contraction of materials are different in nature. This investigation was emphasised on the differential longitudinal behaviours of railway track and bridge structure. A nonlinear 3D finite element model of a railway bridge (ballast top) …

Decorative Ferrocement Elements, Letitia Nadasan, Traian Onet, Ana Ioana Petean, Marian Sabau

Marian Sabau

Ferrocement has the versatility that can be 'sculptured' or shaped into numerous fascinating structures and objects for very wide applications. The exposure of this technology to engineers in general is rather minimal in Romania and many are skeptical about it. The potential is not exploited for it being unconventional in nature. Its ability to compete or use as a cheaper alternative and yet a promising technology in ensuring improved living standard and environmental quality must not be neglected. The paper discusses about the applicability of ferrocement in the Romanian scene with respect to recreation and home use. The ferrocement elements …

Acoustic And Dynamic Characteristics Of A Complex Urban Turnout Using Fibre-Reinforced Foamed Urethane (Ffu) Bearers, Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Sakdirat Kaewunruen

A special track system used to divert a train to other directions or other tracks is generally called ‘railway turnout’. A traditional turnout system includes rails, switches, crossings (special track components), steel plates, fasteners, screw spikes, timber bearers, ballast and formation. The wheel rail contact over the crossing transfer zone has a dip-like shape and can often cause detrimental impact loads on the railway track and its components. The large impact also emits disturbing noises (either impact or ground-borne noise) to railway neighbors. In a brown-field railway track where an existing aged infrastructure requires renewal or maintenance, some physical constraints …

Efectul Confinării Asupra Conlucrării Betonului Autocompactant Cu Armătura, Marian Sabau

Marian Sabau

Experimental Determination On Bond Strength Of Rebar In Self-Compacting Concrete, Marian Sabau, Traian Onet, Ana Ioana Petean

Marian Sabau

Experimental results of the local bond stress-slip relationship of deformed reinforcing bars embedded in confined self-compacting concrete are presented. A total of 58 pull-out specimens were tested. Each one of these specimens simulated the confined region of a beam-column joint. The main analyzed parameters were the concrete type, the confining reinforcement, the reinforcement bar diameter, the embedded length of bars. The results showed that in order to ensure that the bond failure is caused by pull-out, a restraining reinforcement must be provided. The paper also presents a comparison between self-compacting concrete (SCC) and normally vibrated concrete (NVC).

Economia De Energie Realizată Prin Folosirea Betonului Autocompactant, Marian Sabau, Traian Onet, Ana Ioana Petean, Letitia Nadasan

Marian Sabau

Betonul autocompactant (BAC) este un beton inovativ care nu necesită vibrare în momentul punerii în operă, acesta fiind capabil să curgă sub propia greutate, poate să umple complet cofrajele şi să ajungă la o compactare corespunzătoare fără a fi nevoie de o compactare mecanică. Această lucrare prezintă avantajele acestui nou tip de beton, materialele constituente, metodele de testare, precum şi dezavantajele care le aduce compactarea prin vibrare asupra betonului obişnuit. Eliminarea vibrării are de asemenea efecte benefice asupra condițiilor de muncă în procesul de producere al betonului.

Effect Of Confinement On Bond Strength Between Self-Compacting Concrete And Reinforcement, Marian Sabau, Traian Onet, Ana Ioana Petean

Marian Sabau

Slippage of the beam reinforcement at beam–column connections is an important cause of damage of reinforced frames under static and dynamic loads. This paper presents the effects of confinement in self-compacting concrete (SCC), on the local bond stress vs. slip characteristics of deformed bars in reinforced concrete joints. Prismatic specimens with deformed steel bars embedded for a fixed length equal to three and five equivalent diameters were tested under monotonic loading. The specimens represented the confined region of a beam–column connection. The obtained results indicated that as far as the bond splitting cracks are restrained by reinforcing bars crossing these …

Active Tuned Mass Damper Control Of Wind Turbine Nacelle/Tower Vibrations With Damaged Foundations, Breiffni Fitzgerald

Breiffni Fitzgerald

The aim of this paper is to develop an active structural control scheme to control wind turbine nacelle/tower out-of-plane vibration. An active tuned mass damper (ATMD) is designed an placed inside the turbine nacelle. An EulerLagrangian wind turbine model based on energy formulation is developed for this purpose, which considers the structural dynamics of the system and the interaction between in-plane and out-of-plane vibrations. Also, the interaction between the blades and the tower including the ATMD is considered. The wind turbine is subjected to gravity and turbulent aerodynamic loadings. A three-dimensional (3D) model of a wind turbine foundation is designed …

Bond Between Self-Compacting Concrete And Reinforcement, Marian Sabau, Traian Onet, Ioan Pop

Marian Sabau

This paper study the bond behaviour of self-compacting concrete (SCC) in comparison to normal vibrated concrete (NVC). In this paper are presented the following parameters: the influence of bar diameter, the influence of concrete quality, the top-bar effect, the influence of active and passive confinement. In literature, different test results are found for the bond strength in SCC, which deliver contradictory results, but internationally it seems to be agreed that bond strength in SCC is slightly higher than NVC.

Hardened Properties Of Self-Compacting Concrete, Marian Sabau, Traian Onet, Ana Ioana Petean

Marian Sabau

This paper presents the properties of hardened self-compacting concrete (SCC) and compare them to those reported for normally vibrated concrete (NVC). The mechanical properties evaluated are: compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, creep, shrinkage and bond with reinforcement. The very wide range of materials and mixes already used for SCC produced a significant scatter of data, but clear conclusions have been obtained. The compressive strength of SCC was likely to be the same or greater than that of NVC by using the same content of cement and water. Modulus of elasticity of SCC was lower than that of NVC …

Simulating Gpr For Diagnosis Of Civil Infrastructure, Laura Carey, Kimberly Belli, Carey M. Rappaport, Sara J. Wadia-Fascetti

Sara J. Wadia-Fascetti

At the present, a large proportion of our nation's bridges and roadways are falling into disrepair. About 27.5% of U.S. bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete (ASCE, 2001, 2003). Nondestructive testing methods, such as GPR, are becoming more and more important in diagnosing the condition of such concrete structures. GPR is a high-resolution electromagnetic technique used to investigate the immediate subsurface of the earth, building materials, roads, and bridges. This poster shows my work in GPR modeling during a summer undergraduate experience through CenSSIS. A specialized MATLAB toolbox designed by Kim Belli created all data presented here. The use …

Simulating Gpr For Diagnosis Of Civil Infrastructure, Laura Carey, Kimberly Belli, Carey M. Rappaport, Sara J. Wadia-Fascetti

Kimberly Belli

At the present, a large proportion of our nation's bridges and roadways are falling into disrepair. About 27.5% of U.S. bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete (ASCE, 2001, 2003). Nondestructive testing methods, such as GPR, are becoming more and more important in diagnosing the condition of such concrete structures. GPR is a high-resolution electromagnetic technique used to investigate the immediate subsurface of the earth, building materials, roads, and bridges. This poster shows my work in GPR modeling during a summer undergraduate experience through CenSSIS. A specialized MATLAB toolbox designed by Kim Belli created all data presented here. The use …

Simulating Gpr For Diagnosis Of Civil Infrastructure, Laura Carey, Kimberly Belli, Carey M. Rappaport, Sara J. Wadia-Fascetti

Carey Rappaport

At the present, a large proportion of our nation's bridges and roadways are falling into disrepair. About 27.5% of U.S. bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete (ASCE, 2001, 2003). Nondestructive testing methods, such as GPR, are becoming more and more important in diagnosing the condition of such concrete structures. GPR is a high-resolution electromagnetic technique used to investigate the immediate subsurface of the earth, building materials, roads, and bridges. This poster shows my work in GPR modeling during a summer undergraduate experience through CenSSIS. A specialized MATLAB toolbox designed by Kim Belli created all data presented here. The use …

Central Philippines Earthquake, February 06, 2012, Md. Nurul Alam

Md. Nurul Alam

No abstract provided.

Application Of Gis In Seismic Risk Assessment For The City Of Kelowna, Md. Nurul Alam

Md. Nurul Alam

No abstract provided.

State Dependent Properties Of Rail Pads, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alexander Remennikov

Alex Remennikov

Rail pad is one of the main components in ballasted railway track systems. It is inserted between the rail and the sleeper to attenuate dynamic wheel/rail interaction forces, preventing the underlying railway track components from excessive stresses. Generally, the dynamic design of tracks relies on the available data, which are mostly focused on the structural condition at a specific toe load. Recent findings show that track irregularities could significantly amplify the loads on railway tracks. This phenomenon gives rise to a concern that the rail pads may experience higher deterioration rate than anticipated in the past. On this ground, an …

Relationship Between Impact Energy And Fracture Toughness Of Prestressed Concrete Railway Sleepers, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alexander Remennikov

Alex Remennikov

The prestressed concrete sleepers (or railroad ties), which are installed in railway track systems as the crosstie beam support, are designed to carry and transfer the wheel loads from the rails to the ground. It is well known that railway tracks are subject to impact loading conditions, which are attributable to the train operations with either wheel or rail abnormalities such as flat wheels, dipped rails, etc. These loads are of very high magnitude but short duration. In addition, there exists the potential of repeated load experience during the design life of prestressed concrete sleepers. Prestressed concrete has played a …

Dynamic Design Guidelines For Prestressed Concrete Sleepers, Alexander Remennikov, Martin H. Murray, Sakdirat Kaewunruen

Alex Remennikov

Current design philosophy, outlined in AS 1085.14, is based on the analysis of permissible stresses resulting from quasi-static wheel loads and essentially the static response of concrete sleepers. In general, cracking can incur when the bottom fibre stress is larger than tensile strength of concrete. Premature cracking of prestressed concrete sleepers has been detected in railway tracks. The major cause of cracking is the infrequent but high-magnitude wheel loads produced by a small percentage of “out-of-round” wheels or railhead surface defects, which are crudely accounted for in AS 1085.14 by a single load factor. Based on the current design method, …

Dynamic Properties Of Railway Track And Its Components : A State-Of-The-Art Review, Sakdirat Kaewunruen, Alexander Remennikov

Alex Remennikov

Recent findings indicate one of major causes of damages, which is attributed to the resonant behaviours, in a railway track and its components. Basically, when a railway track is excited to generalised dynamic loading, the railway track deforms and then vibrates for certain duration. Dynamic responses of the railway track and its components are the key to evaluate the structural capacity of railway track and its components. If a dynamic loading resonates the railway track’s dynamic responses, its components tend to have the significant damage from excessive dynamic stresses. For example, a rail vibration could lead to defects in rails …

Nonlinear Concrete Behaviour, Marian Sabau, Traian Onet

Marian Sabau

This paper presents an overview of nonlinear behaviour in reinforced concrete structures. Structural concrete is a nonlinear material both at strength limit states and service loads. Are presented terms of effects that are primarily observed in concrete, steel or a combination of the two. When considering nonlinear behaviour, an important aspect is whether or not strain localization will occur as size effects. The model must first be validated by experiments and benchmark tests to ensure the safety and reliability criteria. In nonlinear finite element procedures, engineers must check their finite element discretization and modelling assumptions used in their analyses. Advanced …

Application Of Event Tree Analysis In Wildfire Risk Assessment For The City Of Kelowna, Md. Nurul Alam

Md. Nurul Alam

The devastating inferno of the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire of 2003, which caused significant damage to infrastructure, home, private properties and caused evacuation of affected people from the City of Kelowna. Consequently, it raised the importance of conducting a risk assessment for the City. This study focused on analyzing the existing risks from wild fire, and the estimation of loss and damage with the help of proposed event tree method for the City of Kelowna. Finally, the risky areas have been represented spatially with the help of geographic information system (GIS) to provide a basis for an effective decision making …