Numerical studies have been conducted based on the recently published Deformation Field Theory. Effects of pulling rates on displacement waves and volume expansion waves are analyzed in a finite element model (FEM) of a solid experiencing a uni-axial tensile load. Without relying on empirical data, the model’s numerical results demonstrate empirically known concepts that a fracture occurs more easily when the pulling rate is high, and the direction of external load is reversed. Full article

To characterize the mechanical behaviour at high temperature close to the melting point, a tensile test machine has been developed through resistive heating by Joule effect. A closed chamber is designed to control the working environment. By the two windows in the chamber, the temperature and displacement fields can be measured directly. For the machine, both temperature and tensile force can be controlled by the proportional-integral-derivative controller. In this paper, the main features of the machine’s design and development will be discussed, with a specific section dedicated to the optimization of the specimens’ shape, which is of utmost importance in the context of Joule heating. Full article

This paper presents the results of a series of reverse geometry normal plate impact experiments designed to investigate the onset of incipient plasticity in commercial purity polycrystalline magnesium (99.9%) under weak uniaxial-strain shock compression loading and elevated temperatures up to the melting point of magnesium. To enable the characterization of dynamic material behavior under extreme conditions, i.e., ultra-high strain rates (~10⁶/s) and test temperatures up to sample melt (1000 °C), strategic modifications were made to the single-stage gas-gun facility at the Case Western Reserve University. In this configuration, thin metal samples (also representing the flyer plate), carried by a specially designed heat-resistant sabot, are heated uniformly across the diameter in a 100 mTorr vacuum prior to impact by a resistance coil heater at the breech end of the gun barrel. Moreover, a compact fiber-optics-based heterodyne normal displacement interferometer is designed and implemented to measure the normal component of the particle velocity history at the free surface of the target plate. Similar to the standard photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV), this diagnostic tool is assembled using commercially available telecommunications hardware and uses a 1550-nm wavelength 2 W fiber-coupled laser, an optical probe and single mode fibers to transport light to and from the target. Using this unique approach, normal plate impact experiments are conducted on preheated (room temperature to near the melting point of magnesium) 99.9% polycrystalline magnesium using Inconel 718 target plates at impact velocities of 100–110 m/s. As inferred from the measured normal particle velocity history, the stress at the flyer/target interface shows progressive weakening with increasing sample temperatures below the melting point. At higher test temperatures, the rate of material softening under stress is observed to decrease and even reverse as the sample temperatures approach the melting point of magnesium samples. Scanning electron microscopy is utilized to understand the evolution of sample material microstructure including twinning following the impact event. Full article

In the present paper, fatigue fracture behaviour of cold-formed High Strength Steel (HSS) S690QL are investigated. S690QL is often employed, in a pre-deformed state, for load-bearing applications, where cyclic service loads can be critical. Bending processes can induce residual plastic strain in bent areas and this changes the fatigue behaviour significantly. Traditional uniaxial dogbone testing cannot represent this multi-axial phenomenon properly and for this purpose a benchmark specimen is proposed, that is first bent and after subjected to fatigue loading. The bending process is modelled with a quasi-static Finite Element (FE) model, performed in the commercial code Abaqus. To validate the numerical model, a stereo Digital Image Correlation (DIC) set-up is used, capable of measuring the residual plastic strains in the specimen. The present article covers the validation of a cold-forming process followed by a preliminary fatigue analysis of S690QL. Full article

The use of composite materials, like glass- and carbon- fiber reinforced polymers, is expected to increase exponentially in the coming years. Consequently, in order to monitor the structural health of these materials, the development of new sensing devices is rapidly accelerating. For this purpose, our research groups have recently developed new ultra-thin polymer waveguide sensors which can be exploited to measure both uniaxial and multiaxial strains occurring in composite components. These sensing foils are manufactured by creating Bragg gratings in waveguides realized in flat polymeric substrates, which makes their placement and alignment easier compared to traditional fiber optic sensors. Moreover, using a non-straight waveguide it is possible to spatially multiplex the sensing gratings in such a way that an optical strain rosette can be created. This paper investigates the suitability of the proposed polymer waveguide sensors for the estimation of the modal parameters of composite components. Full article

For the prediction of long term behavior several methods are known. This paper focuses on creep in dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and in a tensile setup. The investigated material was Polyamide 6 (PA6). As a pre-study for the DMA, Polypropylene (PP) was tested considering five different factors. To determine the significant influences, the results were interpreted statistically. Full article

While surgical techniques have been improving during last decades to the benefit of patients’ safety, infections are still recorded. It is in part due to airborne particles entering the wound during surgery, as a result of the disturbance of the unidirectional flow of clean air (LAF) by the presence of a surgical luminaire system. To prevent this negative interaction, an integrated system of light and ventilation has been designed. However, this system is still conceptual and a mechanical design is needed to prototype the system. Compliance with the European standard on surgical luminaires and the Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) guidelines for operating rooms (OR) have to be checked for this prototype. We thus perform a structural analysis of the air chamber using Autodesk Inventor and SCIA Engineer considering different partitioning scenarios. The impact of each configuration is then assessed by considering the optical performance in the optical simulation TracePro. By comparing shifts in the results to a reference scenario an optimized configuration can be chosen. By consequence, a good balance between optical performance and mechanical strength is determined and leads to an optimized supporting solution. This mechanical design further enables us to build the integrated concept that aims to suppress the negative interaction between light and ventilation in the operating theater. Full article

A long-term SCC crack growth kinetics study, using precracked WOL samples, was performed. The samples were exposed in a mild steel storage tank containing a solution with high levels of ammonium and carbonate ions. Some samples were fully immersed in the tank content, while in other cases, intermittent drying took place in the tank upper regions. At short times, the highest (intergranular) crack growth rates were obtained at immersed regions and initially, the region with intermittent drying showed considerably slower growth rates. With pronounced exposure times, the trend however reversed and the growth in the intermittent drying region accelerated while the samples in the immersed location experienced a retardation in the SCC growth velocities. It was found that the SCC mechanism progressed through a process where small cracks first formed at the fatigue crack front and thereafter merged to form a continuous SCC crack front. Full article

Abstract: In this paper, the MLMM modal parameter estimation method (Maximum Likelihood estimation of a Modal Model) and its new variant will be introduced. The MLMM method tackles some of the remaining challenges in modal analysis (e.g., modal analysis of highly-damped cases where a large amount of excitation locations is needed such as the modal analysis of a trimmed car body). Another big advantage of the MLMM method is its capability to fully integrate, within the estimated modal model, some important physical constraints, which are required for the intended applications, e.g., realness of the mode shape and FRFs reciprocity. More classical modal parameter estimation methods have rarely the possibility to fully integrate these constraints and the obtained modal parameters are typically altered in a subsequent step to satisfy the desired constraints. It is obvious that this may lead to sub-optimal results. The MLMM method uses the Levenberg-Marquardt optimization scheme to directly fit the modal model to the measured FRFs. The applicability of MLMM to estimate an accurate constrained modal model will be demonstrated using two challenging industrial applications. Full article

Pathein suspension bridge situated in Pathein City in the south of Myanmar has shown various symptoms of damage, and the safety of the bridge is questionable. The authorities concerned reported that the bridge has undergone severe deterioration since its construction, involving the towers’ inclination, excessive deflections, bearing failure, heavy corrosion of main cables and hangers, hangers’ inclination, and slippage of clamps. The deformed shape of the stiffening girder was found to be unusual, with maximum deflection nearer to the towers; however, in a single span bridge, such as Pathein Bridge, the maximum deflection is expected to be at mid-span. This paper will explain the possible reasons for the unusual excessive deformations in the stiffening girder and bearing failure. The tension force of hangers was estimated based on vibration measurements, and the distribution of hangers’ tension force along the bridge’s span was found to be non-uniform with low-tension force in hangers closer to the towers. The non-uniform distribution of the hangers’ tension force is possibly due to shortcomings of the design of the cable system. The towers’ inclination has caused the road level to drop down; however, the unusual deformations in stiffening girder are attributed to the non-uniform distribution of the tension force in the hangers. Low-tension force in the hangers near the towers caused the bearing to carry excessive force, which eventually caused the bearing to fail; the bearing was rehabilitated by adding steel rollers. Full article

A three-dimensional grain mapping technique for polycrystalline materials, called X-ray diffraction contrast tomography (DCT), was developed at SPring-8, which is the brightest synchrotron radiation facility in Japan. The developed technique was applied to an austenitic stainless steel. The shape and location of grains could be determined by DCT using the apparatus in a beam line of SPring-8. To evaluate the dislocation structure in fatigue, the total misorientation of individual grains was measured by DCT. The average value of the total misorientation over one sample was increased with the number of cycles. In a grain, the change of the total misorientation was largest for the primary slip plane. The maximum change of the total misorientation in fatigue was larger for planes with larger Schmid factor, and the first fatigue crack initiation was occurred in a grain, which had the greatest change of the total misorientation. Full article

Dynamic properties at intermediate strain rate are inherently difficult due to the dynamic interactions between the test specimen and the test machine. These effects obscure the interpretation of test results and therefore can make the derivation of the material properties difficult and unprecise. Soft materials can be used within load introduction devices to mitigate the inertia effect that typically occurs in dynamic tests. In this paper, dynamic tensile tests were performed within the strain rate range of 0.1 s⁻¹ to 400 s⁻¹ on high strength steels. With the aim of evaluating the performance of damping materials in the slack adaptor, copper and acrylic tapes were used. Experimental results show that both damping materials may be used to effectively reduce the oscillations in the measured force signal. The outcome of this project will provide the test procedure for dynamic testing at intermediate strain rates, which can produce reliable test results for materials with low failure to strain. Full article

Finite Element Model Updating (FEMU) is an intuitive inverse technique enabling to efficiently characterize plastic material behavior. Although, conclusive proof of concept for this method can be found in literature, a thorough understanding of the key FEMU-ingredients and their impact on the identification of plastic anisotropy is currently missing. In this paper, we aim at minimizing the experimental work associated with yield locus identification of sheet metal via homogeneous biaxial tensile tests. To this end, a biaxial tension apparatus with link mechanism is used to generate a heterogeneous deformation field within a perforated cruciform specimen. The experimentally measured force and displacement field are used in the FEMU procedure to identify an anisotropic yield criterion. The FEMU approach is assessed by comparing the results with experimental data acquired from state-of-the-art stress-controlled biaxial tensile test in the first quadrant of stress-space. Full article

In the present work, dynamic stress-strain response of compact basalt is tested under high loading rates using 38 mm split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device. The physical and static mechanical properties of compact basalt, e.g., density, specific gravity, static compressive strength and elastic modulus values are also determined. Petrological studies of compact basalt are carried out through X-ray diffraction (XRD) test and scanning electron microscope (SEM) test. In the SHPB tests, it is observed from the stress-strain response that the dynamic peak stress increases with increasing strain rate however the elastic modulus is nearly constant with increase in strain rate. Dynamic force equilibrium at the incident and transmission bar ends of the rock samples is attained in all tests till the failure of the rock samples. Dynamic increase factor (DIF) for the rock is determined at a particular strain rate by comparing the dynamic to static peak compressive stress. Correlation equation for dynamic strength increase factor with respect to strain rate has been proposed herein. Full article

This paper shows an overview of different analyses regarding current challenges at self-pierce riveting with solid rivets as well as semi-tubular rivets of lightweight materials like aluminum die casting, carbon fiber reinforced plastic and 7xxx series aluminum alloy. The joining process analyses will demonstrate the cause and the development as well as the influence on joint quality of individual joining process-induced defects. In addition, methods are described how these imperfections can be avoided or reduced. Full article

Up until today, mode-I fatigue delamination testing has not been standardized, because no consensus exists on best practices to reduce the observed scatter in data, and on the proper parameter describing similitude. A dominant contributor to the scatter seems the fibre bridging observed in the tests. This paper proposes a straightforward experimental and analysis approach to derive zero-bridging delamination resistance curves from each tested specimen without requiring a theoretical model. Full article

Experimental data from full-scale experiments with reinforced concrete buildings exposed to blast loading are limited. As full-scale experiments are expensive, numerical simulations of the global response of structures exposed to blast loading may be an attractive substitute. A full-scale experiment on a three-story reinforced concrete building exposed to air-blast is employed to evaluate the performance of FE simulations to represent global response of reinforced concrete structures. The building experienced close to elastic response in the load bearing walls and columns, while cracks were observed in the front wall facing the charge. FE simulations of the global response of the building are performed with a solid element model and a structural element model (shell elements) to compare accuracy to computational cost. The results show that the FE simulations with solid and structural elements give an adequate representation of the global response of the building to a relatively low cost. Full article

The use of a spray application elastomer coating as an effective retrofit strategy for blast and impact mitigation has gained increasing attention in recent years. Despite some encouraging studies in the literature, there remains a great deal yet to be understood, particularly regarding the coating’s impact mitigating capabilities when applied to structural elements. In this work, we consider the application of a spray-on elastomer coating to the impacted face of a concrete cube. High-speed, gas gun experiments are performed on concrete cubes in their uncoated and coated configurations and it is observed that the coating provides a significant protective benefit across the range of test velocities, 45–150 m/s. Quasi-static compression and indentation experimental tests are performed on uncoated and coated concrete cubes to inform the development of a numerical model. Despite a number of modelling challenges, we validate our model against experimental measurements and conclude it provides accurate predictions of behaviour at early time steps, before the concrete becomes severely damaged. Future work will focus on using this validated numerical model as an analysis tool for understanding the mechanism by which the elastomer alters the damage response of the underlying concrete substrate. Full article

The inflammation and lipid accumulation in the arterial wall represents a progressive disease known as atherosclerosis. In this study, a numerical model of atherosclerosis progression was developed. The wall shear stress (WSS) and blood analysis data have a big influence on the development of this disease. The real geometry of patients, and the blood analysis data (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides), used in this paper, was obtained within the H2020 SMARTool project. Fluid domain (blood) was modeled using Navier-Stokes equations in conjunction with continuity equation, while the solid domain (arterial wall) was modeled using Darcy’s law. For the purpose of modeling low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and oxygen transport, convection-diffusion equations were used. Kedem-Katchalsky equations were used for coupling fluid and solid dynamics. Full article

Digital image correlation has been used, in conjunction with Mode I and Mode II fracture mechanics tests under static and dynamic loading conditions, to determine the position of the crack front during interlaminar testing. A MATLAB code has been developed to post process the digital image correlation analysis to determine the experimentally measured crack position and these results have been compared to compliance-based predictions of crack position which do not use a physical measure of the crack length. Results have shown that the digital image correlation analysis has successfully tracked the crack position providing a physical measure of the crack front during static and dynamic testing for the calculation of fracture toughness values. This methodology, incorporating digital image correlation for crack position monitoring, was then expanded to analyses for fatigue tests showing that the physical crack length has a varied growth rate in comparison to the steady change in specimen compliance. Full article

We report an easy-to-use Lab-on-Chip (LoC) device able to detect soluble, circulating biomarkers in plasma that are relevant to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). The LoC prototype is developed within the SMARTool European project and is intended to be used for Point-of-Care (PoC) testing of patients with CAD, facilitating more rapid and efficient monitoring and treatment decisions. A LoC prototype is presented, enabling chemiluminescent assays to be performed on chip targeting biomarkers relevant to CAD. In parallel, a robust technology for electrostatically actuated, capillary burst valve for PoC applications, integrated in potentially disposable, thermoplastic devices is reported. The devices were fabricated using easily scalable fabrication techniques and can be used to perform multistep assays on single-use microfluidic devices. Full article

Imaging systems for measuring surface displacement and strain fields such as stereoscopic Digital Image Correlation (DIC) are increasingly used in industry to validate model simulations. Recently, CEN has published a guideline for validation that is based on image decomposition to compare predicted and measured data fields. The CEN guideline was evaluated in an inter-laboratory study that demonstrated its usefulness in laboratory environments. This paper addresses the incorporation of the CEN methodology into an industrial environment and reports progress of the H2020 Clean Sky 2 project MOTIVATE. First, while DIC is a well-established technique, the estimation of its measurement uncertainty in an industrial environment is still being discussed, as the current approach to rely on the calibration uncertainty is insufficient. Second, in view of the push towards virtual testing it is important to harvest existing data in the course of the V&V activities before requesting a dedicated validation experiment, specifically at higher levels of the test pyramid. Finally, it is of uttermost importance to ensure compatibility and comparability of the simulation and measurement data so as to optimize the test matrix for maximum reliability and credibility of the simulations and a quantification of the model quality. Full article

In the current work, a combined non-destructive methodology is proposed in order to investigate the static and fatigue damage of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Flat angle-ply laminates are used in order to examine the influence of multiaxial stress states on the mechanical performance using different non-destructive techniques. Acoustic emission is combined with an online microscope and digital image correlation and this combination is used to comprehend the performance of composites with unequal stress states. Full article

Prefabricated and non-load bearing sandwich façade elements were developed using Textile Reinforced Reactive Powder Concrete (TRRPC) along with low density Foamed Concrete (FC) and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) continuous connecting devices. Four-point bending tests were performed on large-scale TRRPC sandwich element beams to characterize the structural performance, which included the flexural capacity, level of composite action, resulting deformation, crack propagation and failure mechanisms. Optical measurements based on Digital Image Correlation (DIC) were taken simultaneously to enable a detailed analysis of the underlying composite action. The structural behavior of the developed elements was found to be highly dependent on the stiffness and strength of the connectors to ensure composite action between the two TRRPC panels. Full article

The objective of this work is to build a quantitative relationship between the fiber break as source of Acoustic Emission (AE) and the detected signal by unravelling the effect of each stage of the AE acquisition chain. For this purpose, an AE modelling is carried out using the Finite Element Method and then the simulation is compared to experimental results of Single Fiber Fragmentation Test (SFFT). The SFFT is used in order to produce preferential fiber break. It is carried out on specimens made from a long carbon fiber embedded in epoxy/amine matrix. Two different types of sensor are used in order to gather information on a wider frequency bandwidth. For the modeling part, the entire geometry of the specimen is modelled using Finite Element Method. There is a good agreement between experiment and modeling results. Full article

A fast adoption of innovative composite materials such as textile reinforced concrete (TRC) in practice is hindered by the lack of efficient and standardized characterization and design procedures. In this paper, we discuss results of uniaxial tensile tests and double sided pullout tests. The analysis of the tests is done with a modelling framework for tensile behavior developed at IMB RWTH Aachen. The overall goal is to simulate the tensile response of composite specimen based on the reinforcement and matrix characteristics. Thus, the need for cost-intensive composite tensile tests could be reduced, which facilitates the material development and adoption of TRC in engineering practice. Full article

This research aims to investigate the monotonic and cyclic pull-out behavior of steel fibres by means of advanced non-destructive testing methods (NDT). Forty individually embedded steel fibres in a concrete matrix are tested in a pull-out setup with continuous acoustic emission monitoring and X-ray microfocus computed tomography is applied before, during and after testing. The developed setup allows to improve and to better control the experiments. The combination of NDT methods leads to a deeper insight compared to the traditional pull-out tests, by inspection of deviating results, detection of the pull-out stages, and localization of internal damage combined with visualization of the internal structure. Full article

Textile reinforced cements (TRC), combining a cementitious matrix with fibre textiles, are a well-researched subject in literature. The material offers several advantages such as the design of low-weight, slender structures. However, one of the main drawbacks of this composite material is the time consuming manufacturing process using two dimensional fibre textiles. Three dimensional fibre textile architectures offer a solution to this problem, while retaining the TRC advantages. Most 3D fibre textiles use distance holders to bridge two, or more textile layers at a certain distance from each other. The influence of this distance holder on the mechanical properties of the whole TRC remains relatively unstudied in literature and will be the research topic of this paper. This research will present the results of three point bending experiments, performed on short TRC beams with a length to thickness ratio of approximately 4 to 1. A comparison is drawn between 3D TRC with fully operational 3D fibre textiles and 2D TRC with the same textile geometry and orientation, but without distance holders. A positive influence on the flexural response is witnessed for the 3D fibre textile, with an increased flexural stiffness up to 35%. Full article

Poly(urethane-urea) (PUU) has been infused into ultrahigh volume fraction carbon nanotube (CNT) forests using a heat-curable polymer formula. Polymer nanocomposites with carbon nanotube volume-fractions of 1%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30% were fabricated by overcoming densification and infusion obstacles. These polymer nanocomposites were nanoindented quasi-statically and dynamically to discern process-structure-(mechanical) property relations of polymerizing PUU in such densely-packed CNT forests. A 100× increase in indentation modulus has been observed, which is attributed not only to CNT reinforcement of the matrix, but also to molecular interactions in the matrix itself. Quasi-static elastic moduli ranging from 10 MPa–4.5 GPa have been recorded. Storage modulus for all materials is found to track well at loadings of 200 Hz, with little effect observed from increasing CNT volume fraction. Full article

Nowadays, high performance concrete is used more frequently because of the many advantages compared to traditional concrete. The higher mechanical properties (e.g., compressive strength, flexural strength, and Young’s modulus) allow for larger spans and slender cross-sections. Despite the use of advanced material, standards for structural design do not fully use materials’ potential. This can be minimized by using fracture mechanical properties in structural analysis. The fracture mechanical properties help to perform advanced structural analysis, especially when some of the structural elements have a crack. The load presence on the structure can be divided into tensile—mode I, shear—mode II, and combination of tension and shear—mixed mode I/II load. Therefore, it is necessary to perform test, which covers mixed mode loading conditions. One of the tests usually used for the evaluation of fracture resistance of concrete is Brazilian disc test. This contribution compares fracture resistance of two types of structural concrete (normal and high strength) under the mixed mode I/II. The generalized maximum tangential stress (GMTS) criterion was used for the evaluation of the fracture resistance. Full article

The validity of material properties obtained from uniaxial tension tests using different specimen types and measurement techniques is investigated in this paper. Four different specimen geometries were tested, including round axisymmetric and rectangular flat samples of different sizes. This gave a significant variation in both size and shape of the specimens. The specimens were strained in tension to fracture, and different measurement techniques were applied to measure the deformation of the specimens during loading. This involved an extensometer, a laser micrometre, digital image correlation (DIC) and edge tracing. Cauchy stress versus logarithmic strain curves were obtained from the experimental data, and little spread was seen between the different test series. The data were further used to calibrate a work-hardening relation for the material, and it was found that the fitted curves differed mainly for strains beyond diffuse necking. Full article

Pull-out mechanisms for different common steel fibers were investigated using adapted pull-out tests performed in-situ in an X-ray micro tomograph (µXRT). High-resolution volume images from the µXRT scans enable clear visualization of aggregates, pores, the fiber and the fiber-matrix interface. Furthermore, the natural density speckle pattern from aggregate distribution and pores was found suitable for Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) analysis. From the DVC results it was possible to visualize and quantify the strain distribution in the matrix around the fiber at the different load levels up to final failure, being marked by either pull-out or fiber rupture. This study demonstrates that strain measurements within the concrete matrix can be obtained successfully using µXRT imaging and DVC analysis, which leads to an increased understanding of the interaction mechanisms in fibre reinforced concrete under mechanical loading. Full article

Analysis of failure mechanisms under high strain rate loading in engineering materials is a key point for the design of structures submitted to accidental overloads. We are here interested in the crack arrest capability under impact loading of polymers used as structural and/or protection materials. In the present work, crack arrest capability is defined by how an engineering structure which is initially weakened by a pre-crack behaves when dynamically reloaded. The Kalthoff and Winkler (KW) impact test, consisting in impacting the edge of a double notched plate, is retained for that purpose. An experimental investigation of the dynamic crack arrest capability of shock-resistant PMMA under high strain rate loading is presented, evidencing the brittle feature of the material failure. A high-speed camera is used to record the chronology of the failure mechanisms. It is notably shown that the higher the impact velocity (in the range 50–100 m/s) the larger the number of fragments. Moreover, depending on the impact velocity, changes in the crack path and thus in the mechanisms controlling the PMMA dynamic fracture can be seen. Full article

The dynamic response and spall characteristics of a double-layer TC4 titanium alloy thin target under intense impulse loading was investigated experimentally using electric gun technique. A velocity-measuring instrument, known as VISAR (velocity interferometer system for any reflector), measured the free surface velocity of targets. Typical characteristic parameters of the velocity were calculated by the obtained data. The deformation/failure modes of the samples were analyzed, and based on stress wave propagation theory, the spall thickness was derived. Furthermore, it was found that the oscillation period of the free surface velocity can be used to estimate the location of spalling damage, but cannot directly reflect the full spallation of the target. Full article

The bridges will be in service in a complex environment for over 100 years under the increasing traffic loading. So the long-term performance determines their safety and durability. Limited by the test condition and ability, present researches are mostly focused on the natural environment exposure tests and artificial environment acceleration tests for materials and components. According to the service conditions and load characteristics of the bridges, the accelerated test system was developed for bridge structure under combined environment and loading. This test system consists of three parts, including a large environment box, loading system and monitoring system. The environment box is 32 m long, 4 m wide and 3/10 m high. It is divided into 5 working bins which can be used alone or in combination. The simulation environment includes high temperature drying, low temperature freezing and thawing, damp cold, high temperature cycle, salt fog, rain, carbonation, temperature and humidity alternating and optical spectrum light aging environment. The servo static and dynamic loading system adopts Servotest actuators with loading tonnage from 400 tons to 50 tons. And the total tonnage is 1200 tons. Aided by the prestressed concrete reaction wall, steel structure frames and the anchor system, the external loading system can exert dynamic and static loads on the bridge structure in the environment box. And the non-contact nondestructive monitoring system can real-time monitor and measure their long-term deformation, internal force, cracking and other damage. This artificial acceleration test system can support the Chinese Long Term Bridge Program, and improve the safety, durability, reliability and long service life of bridges and other civil engineering. Full article

The effect of synchronization on the test results is explored by performing dynamic tensile tests on several continuous-fibre composite laminates. The results show that synchronization is key, because a delay of a single microsecond significantly affects the test outcome at high strain rates. Additionally, several upper limits on the maximum achievable strain rate of the experimental set-up are determined with the aid of a finite element model. These limits depend on the characteristics of the used equipment, the properties of the tested material and the chosen specimen dimensions. Full article

Local defect resonance (LDR) makes use of high frequency vibrations to get a localized resonant activation of a defective region. In this study, the LDR behavior of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) coupons with three different types of damages is investigated using broadband measurements obtained with a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV). First, the LDR response of flat bottom holes of different depths and sizes is evaluated using a signal-to-noise ratio. Next, results are obtained for ETFE inserts where the difference between (artificial) delaminations and inserts is outlined. At last, the vibrational response of a CFRP coupon with barely visible impact damage is investigated. This type of damage has a more complex structure, and it is shown that frequency band data (an alternative to the single frequency LDR) performs well in identifying such complex damage. Full article

This paper presents an inverse analysis method for estimating the temperature and thermal residual stress distributions in the pipe from the temperature history measured on the outer surface. A regularization method was introduced. It is found from numerical simulations that the proposed inverse analysis method with regularization is useful for obtaining a reasonable estimate of the inner surface temperature and thermal stress. Full article

The two-dimensional (2D) delamination behavior of composite laminates under quasi-static out-of-plane opening loads has been experimentally investigated. A novel design and experimental set-up for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminated plates with a circular embedded pre-crack was developed. Increasing load-displacement curves were obtained due to the increasing crack front length during propagation. Throughout the loading process, stiffening and softening mechanisms were activated. The stretching of delaminated part of the laminates constituted the main stiffening mechanism. Once the crack started growing, a corresponding softening due to crack propagation occurred together with a secondary stiffening mechanism, fiber-bridging. These stiffness-related mechanisms were reflected in the compliance. Full article

The effect of the nitrogen diffusion layer formed by gas blow induction heating nitriding on the wear resistance and the fatigue properties of a titanium alloy was investigated. The nitrogen diffusion layer deteriorated the wear resistance of a titanium alloy. This is probably because hard abrasive particles worn from the diffusion layer accelerates the wear of the material. In contrast, the diffusion layer improved the fatigue properties of a titanium alloy. This is due to the high hardness of the diffusion layer, and because the layer and the substrate share the same elastic modulus, the surface stress concentration is inhibited. Full article

The main aim of this paper was to computationally simulate the cardiac ischemia employing Finite Element Method (FEM) and detect its presence and localization using data mining approach. A simplified heart-torso model was created based on computed tomography (CT) images, with performed segmentation of the heart (17 zones). Ischemic and non-ischemic cardiac beats were simulated in different zones with aim to create a virtual database which was used for data mining. Using the virtual database, we trained several classifiers and tested them for the purpose of ischemic beat detection based on the body surface potentials map (BSPM). If the ECG is classified as ischemic by the first stage classifier, potentials were processed by the second stage data mining model, which predicted the location of the ischemic area. The use of the second stage classifier, which located the ischemia in one of the heart’s segments created in the FEM model, goes beyond the current state of the art. Thus, the proposed approach is improved solution which can instantly allow clinicians to implement an adequate treatment strategy in future. Full article

This proceedings paper presents the investigation of different cruciform specimen designs for the characterization of Sheet Molding Compounds under biaxial loading. Biaxial tensile tests allow the investigation of damage evolution under multiaxial stress states, which is particularly interesting due to the different damage phenomena in composite materials. A key challenge is to find a suitable specimen shape, because typical cruciform specimens fail in the arms before damage occurs in the area of interest which is the area of the biaxial stress state in the center region of the specimen. For all of the introduced designs the stiffness degradation is analyzed more in detail and compared to that of a uniaxial bone specimen. For the best performing specimen which is reinforced by unidirectional reinforced tapes on the arms, the strain field is analyzed by finite element simulations, taking into account the mechanical properties of the different layers of the specimen. Especially in the center area and at critical points, strain concentrations and non-symmetrical strain distributions are analyzed and evaluated. Full article

Considering the Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic model, a semi-analytical approach is introduced to analyze the rigid–flexible contact behavior of an inflated membrane balloon between two plates with various interface conditions. This approach is based on differential formulation, and the coupling properties of equilibrium equations are well-solved. In order to verify the reliability of the proposed theoretical model, an experimental test was designed, by which some important contact characteristics and patterns (no-slip condition) were obtained. Two special phenomena were observed for the meridian stretch ratio with different friction coefficients. One is that the intersection points of all curves fall in a small interval, and the intersection of any two curves represents the same changing rate of the horizontal ordinate, resulting in the maximum difference. The other is the dividing point, where the stretch ratio decreases on the left and increases on the right due to the introduction of friction. These results provide solid guidance and support for our understanding of the rigid–flexible contact behavior of inflated membrane balloons. Full article

In this paper the potential application of experimental modal testing of railway bridges by application of the forced vibration excitation method is proposed to identify reliable and reproduceable values of the natural frequencies and damping coefficients. It will be shown, that the damping values that are determined by in-situ experimental modal testing are in most cases significant higher than the values given in EN 1991-2 and that the normative damping values are quite conservative. The measuring results of a framed concrete bridge with 16.1 m span length are presented and the dependence of dynamic parameters to seasonable temperature changes and to the size of bridge vibration amplitude will be discussed in detail. Full article

Clinch joining or clinching is a mechanical joining technique for sheet material. In this paper, the mechanical behaviour of multiple clinched joints under mixed-mode loads (peel, shear and pull-out) is investigated using a modified Arcan test. The experimental results are compared with a proposed equivalent model for clinched joints to validate if the model can reproduce the deformation behaviour up to maximum force. The theoretical maximum resistance force of the configurations are then compared to the experimental maximum resistances to investigate the influence of interaction effects on the maximum strength of the configuration. This study is part of a global design strategy for clinched joints in large structures. Full article

Numerical fatigue assessment of welded joints can be done using several approaches. The structural hot spot stress (SHSS) method based on finite element (FE) analysis is considered an effective approach when complex geometries or loading conditions exist. However, in the case of numerical evaluation of the SHSS, the results can differ significantly depending on the FE modelling parameters. In the present paper, the sensitivity of the SHSS to several of these parameters is investigated numerically on one selected critical fatigue-prone detail, namely a transverse weld attachment, in a stainless steel bridge. In parallel a static tensile test performed on the same welded stainless steel detail is presented to measure the SHSS. The strain field near the welded area is measured with digital image correlation (DIC). The experimentally measured and numerically computed SHSS as well as the deduced fatigue lives are then compared and the sources of discrepancy discussed. Full article

The integrity of composite structures gradually degrades due to the onset of damage such as matrix cracking, fiber/matrix debonding, and delamination. Over the last two decades, great strides have been made in structural health monitoring (SHM) community using various sensing techniques such as acoustic emission, eddy current, strain gages, etc., to diagnose damage in aerospace, mechanical and civil infrastructures. Embedded sensing offers the prospects of providing for real-time, in-service monitoring of damage were weight savings is a major factor in Aerospace Industry. In this present work, magnetostrictive particles such as Terfenol-D were embedded in a composite structure, along with multiple SHM techniques, to capture the damage in an IM7-carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite system undergoing fatigue loading. As the internal stress state increases, the change in the magnetization flux intensity was captured using a non-contact magnetic field sensor. A damage diagnosis system was established along with an acoustic emissions technique to further validate the damage captured by the embedded system. The goal of this project is to identify the change in the mechanical and magnetic property within a composite material during the evolution of damage. Several characterization techniques were used to determine interfacial fiber-matrix interactions which will provide for a more comprehensive understanding of the composite interfaces. Full article

Realistic characterization of fatigue loading resistance is a paramount for an economical and reliable structural design of reinforced concrete (RC) and prestressed concrete (PC) structures. The need for innovative experimental methods for the characterization of fatigue behavior is driven by the current aims to construct wind turbine towers that must resist up to N = 10⁷ loading cycles corresponding to 25 years of service life. Considering the number of possible configurations with regard to structural geometries, cross-sectional layout of reinforcement and loading scenarios, experimental data are required that capture the key mechanisms driving the fatigue damage between the reinforcement and concrete matrix. Experimental investigations of bond behavior under fatigue loading have been reported in the literature in the 90′s of last century. Since then, no systematic investigation of bond fatigue behavior has been published. As a consequence, no assessment rules are available for the bond fatigue, only separate assessment rules for concrete and steel. The present paper will report on the ongoing research of bond fatigue behavior using the beam-end test setup. The test campaign includes the push-in loading with the goal to provide data characterizing the compressive behavior of reinforced cross sections in wind turbine towers. Full article

Bridges in Japan, especially those managed by municipalities, deteriorate over time. Due to lack of civil engineers in municipalities, appropriate and automated assistance for degradation judgement is thought to be important for the concerned authorities. Automated judgement systems for some types of damage (e.g., cracks) started to be developed by geometrical approaches. Yet, there is no comprehensive method to detect more complicated types of damage, such as delamination, for regular inspection. This research aims to develop a delamination-detection system which identifies the location of the damage. Images with delaminated parts were provided by Niigata Prefecture (in Japan), and annotation of the location of delamination and/or rebar exposure was conducted. Fully Convolutional Network (FCN), one of the deep learning networks for pixel-to-pixel segmentation, was used to detect the areas of the delamination and rebar exposure. The result of the training aided by FCN showed a good agreement with the result with the naked eye. The soundness, judged based on the FCN result according to the inspection code of Niigata Prefecture, was close to the soundness judgement at the site. These outcomes support the reliability of the system to detect delamination and rebar exposure in manual inspection. This technology is expected to be used in bridges’ inspection at municipalities, which have a lack of inspection engineers. Full article

Loadbearing sandwich panels used as wall elements are a promising development since they combine structural and energy efficiency. Composite behaviour needs to be ensured so that the sandwich panel works as one element under a flexural load (meaning that the shear forces due to bending are transferred from one face to the other). To assure this full composite behaviour, an investigation of the bond strength between the faces and the core of the sandwich panel is necessary. Therefore, two different bond test set-ups were performed on sandwich panels with Textile Reinforced Cement (TRC) faces and an Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) insulating foam core. The two bond test set-ups were compared and revealed that one of the set-ups showed a combination of bond and shear failure of the core so that a clear conclusion on the bond strength couldn’t be obtained. The second set-up showed clear bond failure and gave a good estimation of the bond strength between TRC and XPS. Full article

A biaxial compression Hopkinson bar set-up bas been designed. It consists in a projectile, an input bar and two co-axial output bars. After the projectile impact on the input bar, the internal output bar measures the axial loading of the cross sample whereas the external output bar measures its transversal loading via a mechanism with sliding surfaces. Gauges glued on the bars enable stain measurements which lead to the forces and to the displacements on the interfaces between the bars and the mounting. The displacement field of the sample is obtained by high-speed imaging and by digital image correlation. Experiments show that the set-up works despites two disadvantages. Firstly, the transversal force in the sample is over-estimated because of the friction in the mechanism. Moreover, comparisons between the displacements on the bars interfaces and the sample displacement field display that the clearance have an influence on the sample loading. Full article

This paper studies a novel geometry for the in-plane shear test performed with an axial electromechanical testing machine. In order to investigate the influence of the triaxiality rate on the mechanical behavior, different tests will be performed on the studied material: simple tensile tests, large tensile tests and shear tests. For the whole campaign, a common equipment should be employed to minimize the impact of the testing device. As a consequence, for the shear tests, the geometry of the specimen must be carefully designed in order to adapt the force value and make it comparable to the one obtained for the tensile tests. Like most of the existing shear-included tensile test specimens, the axial loading is converted to shear loading at a particular region through the effect of geometry. A symmetric shape is generally preferred, since it can restrict the in-plane rotation of the shear section, keep shear increasing in a more monotonic path and double the force level thanks to the two shear zones. Due to the specific experimental conditions, such as dimensions of the furnace and the clamping system, the position of the extensometer or the restriction of sheet thickness (related to the further studies of size effect at mesoscale and hot temperature), several geometries were brought up and evaluated in an iterative procedure via finite element simulations. Both the numerical and experimental results reveal that the final geometry ensures some advantages. For instance, a relatively low triaxiality in the shear zone, limited in-plane rotation and no necking are observed. Moreover, it also prevents any out-of-plane displacement of the specimen which seems to be highly sensitive to the geometry, and presents a very limited influence of the material and the thickness. Full article

The IET was used to determine the macroscopic elasticity constants of the multiphase coating. In order to determine the macroscopic elasticity constants of the film firstly, a critical assessment of Young’s modulus determination was done by comparing all the models proposed in the literature. The best model was identified and a study was performed to identify and quantify the most influent factors on the global uncertainty. Secondly, an enhanced formulation to determine the shear modulus of coating by IET was developed. The methodology was applied on a tungsten thin film deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. Full article

The drop tests of the experimental structure with explosive substitute material were carried out to study the dynamic deformation and failure of the explosive substitute. The PBX simulation material was designed as a cylindrical flat head structure, with the support structure of the PBX simulation material as an aluminum support ring, and with an affixed counterweight to the upper part of the PBX simulation material. The PBX simulation materials, the counterweight and the support ring, were glued together to form the drop test pieces. A special drop test system was designed, which realized the non-deflection of the falling posture of the drop test pieces and that the drop was pure free. The results show that in the drop impact tests, the critical height of the explosive simulant failure is about 600 mm to 700 mm when the counterweight of 19.62 kg is used. Full article

The present article describes an experimental analysis of a robotized Gas Metal-arc Welding (GMAW) in aluminum alloy, using Metal Inert Gas (MIG) in its transfer method variation Standard and pulsed Cold Metal Transfer (CMT+P), developed in order to optimize the penetration depth, width and reinforcement of the weld bead. The base metal was the aluminum alloy 6082-T6 and the filler metal was aluminum alloy 5754. Full article

In order to obtain an optimal combination of welding parameters to weld an aluminum alloy (6082-T6) with MIG (Metal Inert Gas) it was used an L27 Taguchi orthogonal array. The array originated 27 different combinations that gives rise to 27 welding programs for the metal pulsed spray mode. The welds were made in aluminum bars using an industrial robot. All welds were repeated three times to ensure string repeatability. Metallographic tests were performed on the weld beads for measuring the width bead, penetration and reinforcement. Measurement data was analyzed for signal/noise and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Applying the Taguchi’s method, an optimal combination of welding parameters was reached. Full article

In recent decades, polymer-carbon nanotube (CNTs) composite materials have drawn much attention for their potential applications as nanofiller in unique lightweight materials with superior mechanical properties. For structural engineering applications, high strength and stiffness can be delivered and conveniently tuned in nanocomposites by ensuring and effective load-transfer at the CNT/polymer interfaces. To achieve such an improvement, conventional approaches are based on complex chemical functionalization processes. In this work, the mechanical properties of nickel-coated carbon nanotube (Ni-CNT) reinforced polyamic acid-nanocomposites (Ni-CNTs /PAA) are presented and compared to those of pristine CNT nanocomposites (CNTs/PAA) in terms of stiffness, strength and damping capacity. The Ni nanoparticles decorating the CNTs outer walls induce an interlocking mechanism at the CNTs/matrix interface. A significant increase in the elastic modulus is thus observed for this kind of materials. On the other hand, the Ni-CNTs/PAA nanocomposite, decreases its damping capacity when compared with pristine CNTs/PAA nanocomposite. It is worth noting that the two investigated nanocomposites were conceived with the same total weight fraction of nanofiller, by assuming as nanofiller the pristine CNTs and the Ni-coated CNTs, respectively. The recorded stiffness enhancement and damping reduction are reached despite the significantly smaller amount of CNTs contained in the Ni-coated CNT nanocomposite samples. Indeed, for these nanocomposites, Ni nanoparticles, with their higher mass density, represent the 60 wt% of the total nanofiller weight. The results proved the concept that when metal nanoparticles coat the CNTs outer walls, better CNTs/matrix adhesion can be achieved without the need to undergo complex CNTs functionalization procedures. This is an advantage since chemical functionalization typically shows the drawback of damaging the CNTs, by introducing defects on their outer walls. Full article

The E39 coastal highway route in Norway is envisioned a future without ferries. A submerged floating tunnel built in concrete has been suggested as a means of crossing wide and deep fjords. Blast loading against this type of structure could have disastrous consequences, and potentially cause the collapse of the entire structure. To investigate the response of tubular concrete structures subjected to blast loading, standard off-the-shelf unreinforced concrete pipes were tested using live explosives. A plastic explosive was used to generate the load, and the tests were filmed by two synchronised high-speed cameras. Three pressure sensors equidistant from the charge position logged the pressure. Further, three different positions for the charges were used to investigate the effect of charge position. The charge size was varied for each position to find the amount of explosives needed to breach the pipe. It was found that a contact charge detonated from the outside requires almost twice the explosive amount to breach the pipe than a contact charge detonated from the inside, suggesting a significant confinement effect. Numerical simulations using finite elements produced good qualitative results. Full article

It is well-known that failure of unreinforced, pre-notched concrete beams in bending is mainly governed by the tensile strength (“ductile” behaviour) or by the fracture toughness (brittle behaviour) depending on the geometrical scale (beam size), and the value of the relative notch depth. In particular, relatively large beams made of high-strength concrete and with a small relative notch depth, show a brittle structural behaviour (unstable crack propagation); whereas relatively small beams made of low-strength concrete and with a large relative notch depth, show a relatively ductile structural behaviour (stable crack propagation). In this contribution, the damage progress, due to crack formation and propagation, in unreinforced, pre-notched concrete beam specimens, tested in three-point bending, is analysed by the Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques. Beams with rectangular cross-section were considered. A relative notch depth (a/d) equal to 0.5 is assumed in all cases. The loading process was operated by controlling the vertical displacement. The specimens were instrumented by four transducers measuring the vertical displacements in correspondence to the supports and at mid-span, and the Crack Mouth Opening Displacement (CMOD). In addition, two AE transducers were located near the notch to acquire the AE signals originated by material damage. Moreover, the evolution of the deformation process was monitored around the notch by a DIC system, therefore obtaining the time evolution of strains. By analysing the acquired data, a correlation between the AE signals registered and the displacements/strains measured at several points was looked for. Furthermore, the fracture energy of each specimen was evaluated, according to RILEM recommendation, based on the measured load–deflection curves. Scale effects on fracture energy, bending strength, and AE energy per unit area were investigated. Full article

A Digital Image Correlation (DIC) based method is proposed to characterize Mode I fatigue delamination onset and propagation in laminated composites. With the help of DIC, the displacement field around a delamination crack is obtained and further processed to determine the position of the crack tip. With this method the delamination length can be measured automatically in each cycle with a precision on the order of few hundreds of micrometers. The fatigue delamination onset life is then determined by detecting the increase of the delamination length, and the fatigue delamination propagation rate is calculated. The proposed method produces more conservative fatigue life measurements in comparison with the compliance increase method in ASTM D6115. Full article

This paper describes 18 tensile tests performed on welded specimens made of 3 stainless steel grades: EN 1.4307 (304L) and EN 1.4404 (316L) austenitic grades and EN 1.4062 duplex grade. For each grade, 3 tests were carried out parallel to the weld causing shear stresses (in the weld throat plane, parallel to the weld throat axis) and 3 tests along the transverse direction, perpendicular to the weld, causing a combination of normal (perpendicular to the weld throat plane) and shear (in the weld throat plane, perpendicular to the weld throat axis) stresses. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was used to measure the fracture surface. Based on these experiments, an assessment of the current design rules was made. Full article

The seismic events that struck central Italy in 2016 caused severe damage to a wide range of buildings and infrastructures. Masonry buildings were particularly affected, even for low values of peak ground acceleration. In this paper, the data recorded for three masonry buildings belonging to the Seismic Observatory of Structures (OSS) network are used to detect their seismic damage by means of Spectral Entropy (SE). However, entropy measures are sensitive to the energy inserted in the system, since an input of energy can lead to a more deterministic behavior of the structure and thus to a reduction of the entropy indicator. When non-stationary time series are used to evaluate the presence of damage (e.g. mild seismicity) the entropy of the system could be underestimated, leading to misleading results. For these reasons, in this paper an indicator based on SE is proposed to assess the occurrence of damage also in the presence of mild seismicity. Full article

Three reinforced concrete (RC) slab-panels are repaired by using the crack injection method. This is because web-shaped crack networks are observed after 46 years in service. In the present research, an attempt is made to confirm the effectiveness of the repair by comparing the velocity distribution of elastic waves obtained from Acoustic Emission (AE) tomography analysis, before and after the repair. Thus, the velocity recoveries due to injection are found in all of the slab panels, and it is confirmed that the elastic wave velocities obtained using this technique can serve as an indicator for examining the state of crack and void filling with injected material. Further, a good correlation is found between the low-velocity region before repair and the amount of injection. These results show the potential of the AE tomography technique to be used as a method for estimating the effect of injection repair. Full article

In this research, a feasibility study to measure the magnitude and cycle of the time-varying stress of a specimen using the natural frequency was carried out. An experiment was conducted. We used a round bar with 8 mm diameter and 290 mm span length as a specimen, which was fixed at both ends. A sinusoidal axial stress was applied to the bar. The deflection of the bar in free vibration was measured using a laser beam displacement device. To collect more information on the deflection, a device was made, which hit the bar periodically. The fast Fourier transform method, short-time Fourier transform method and wavelet analysis were applied to the deflection. The methods gave us relations among time, frequency and magnitude of the signal, with complicated representations. Applying the analyses to the experimental data, we tried to evaluate the magnitude and cycle of a time-varying load. Full article

The ever-increasing use of composite materials in the industry has resulted in the need for new, intricate approaches to not only properly characterize their anisotropic mechanical properties (i.e., the visco-elastic tensor), but also to detect various types of internal flaws. Both goals can be achieved by the Ultrasonic Polar Scan (UPS). During an UPS experiment, a material spot is insonified at many oblique incidence angles Ψ(θ,φ), with θ the vertical incident angle and φ the in-plane polar angle, after which the reflected or transmitted ultrasound signal is recorded. The resulting dataset provides an integral view of the angle-dependent reflection (R) and transmission (T) scatter coefficients, and can be employed to infer the material properties. Although the current UPS scanner provides highly accurate experimental data, it is impractical for in-situ measurements. In order to create a more compact and practical measuring device, we propose the use of a hemispherical phased array, consisting of small piezoelectric elements, to generate a broadband, quasi plane wave signal. It will be shown, based on simulations, that a circular phased array concept allows for the determination of the reflection coefficients in θ − f space, from which the dispersion curves can be immediately inferred. Comparison of these results with the plane wave theoretical results show an excellent agreement. Full article

The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) as an externally bonded reinforcement (EBR) for the strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) structures loaded by a blast wave is confirmed as an efficient solution. This observation is complementary to other advantages of CFRP such as high tensile strength, light weight and durability. This paper discusses the behavior of CFRP as EBR in the event that two successive independent blast loads are applied on the same target. The main problems are the lack of knowledge regarding the failure modes of the CFRP strips under high strain rate and the blast response of the retrofitted structures when total debonding of the CFRP strips occurs. Four simply supported slabs with different EBR but with the same bond contact surface are tested using an explosive driven shock tube (EDST) to generate the blast wave. Digital image correlation (DIC) is used to measure the strain evolution in the concrete and the CFRP strips during the first explosion. The results show that for the first explosion, EBR increases the flexural strength and stiffness of the RC slabs. In the second explosion, total debonding of the CFRP strips occurs which initiates from the midspan of the slabs towards the supports. When the total debonding of the CFRP strips occurs, the strain distribution in the steel rebars are the same for all slabs regardless of the quantity of applied EBR. Full article

This research focused on the assessment of the damaged area on aramid/epoxy composites subjected to high velocity impact. Digital X-ray radiography and active pulsed thermography techniques were used for performing post-mortem analysis of the impacted specimens (8 to 28 aramid layers). Two types of projectiles were used: 9 mm Luger FMJ and 0.357 Magnum FMJ. Two types of dedicated algorithms were developed to post-process the thermograms obtained and the results are compared with the damaged diameter measured directly on the X-ray radiographs. The output of the three methods are therefore compared and discussed. Full article

The effect of load interruptions on the fatigue behavior of (±45)_2s angle-ply glass/epoxy composite laminates was investigated in this work. Constant amplitude fatigue experiments were performed at different stress levels to derive base line fatigue data. In addition, interrupted-fatigue experiments were performed by removing the cyclic loading for two hours repetitively, after cycling for 20% of the fatigue life achieved under continuous loading at the same maximum cyclic stress level. The specimens loaded under interrupted fatigue exhibited longer fatigue live than those continuously loaded until failure. Full article

In active thermography, the use of an optimised excitation source can simplify the interpretation of measurement results. Our custom designed source, especially designed for dynamic line scanning thermography, minimises the needed excitation power and the biasing side effects generated by a wide-range heat source. The source is redesigned, starting from a regular heat source, to focus the available energy such that the needed heating power is provided in a small band. Ray tracing software is used to design absorbers and reflectors to focus the electromagnetic radiation as well as the heat in a thin line. The most optimal design is manufactured and validated on a laminated test sample. The acquired thermographic data are then compared to the data captured in the old-fashioned way with widely available excitation sources. The redesign is also tested on durability and practical use to make sure that it is easy to handle and that it can be used as a long-term solution. Experienced inspectors evaluated the ease of use of it in comparison to the existing sources. A redesigned excitation source minimises the generated biasing side-effects resulting in more energy efficient and safer measurements. Full article

Geothermal bore holes and steam pipes are often in remote locations where normal powering methods for monitoring systems are difficult due to distance from the electrical grid. Solar power options are limited during the winter months, and colder temperatures are detrimental to stand-alone batteries. The authors have successfully field tested their patented thermoelectric generator in Hveragerdi at the Agricultural University of Iceland. It was retrofitted directly to the surface of a geothermal steam pipe in less than 30 minutes. The generator can produce more than 5 watts (W) in steady state in an environment which has a delta T of 130 °C between the ambient air temperature and the surface of the steam pipe. Cellular video surveillance systems, rudimentary control systems, and small robotic systems have been powered while trickle charging 12 volt (V) 9 ampere-hour (Ah) lead acid batteries. Recent applications use a standard commercially available 3G mobile broadband connection with a low power modem for a web cam. The charged batteries can be used for peak power applications. Reliability studies are in progress and additional options will be investigated. Full article

The paper firstly focuses on selected results obtained by continuously monitoring the dynamic response of three ancient masonry towers in Italy in order to highlight the possible effects of changing temperature on the resonant frequencies; subsequently, the removal of environmental effects (needed for an effective performance assessment and damage detection) is addressed and discussed using the data acquired on a challenging historic tower. Full article

This study focuses on characterizing the transient deformation of test plates which have been exposed to air blasts arising from air-backed and metal-backed explosive detonations. Four charge masses are considered, namely 10 g, 15 g, 20 g and 25 g masses of PE4 plastic explosive which were moulded into cylindrical charges of a constant 38 mm diameter. The transient deformation of the test plates was captured using high speed Digital Image Correlation (DIC), which utilized two high speed cameras to record the experiments. The experimental plates exhibited plastic deformation with no tearing. The impulse imparted to the test plates increased fivefold when the charge was metal-backed. The permanent deflections from the metal-backed detonations were larger than for air, but not to the same degree as the impulse increase. Full article

Indentation test has been widely used to determine the mechanical properties of materials. In the present work, based on our previous developed inverse computation approach, we investigated the identifiability of the plastic properties of metal materials using solely the residual imprint in instrumented indentation. The indentation experiment was implemented on the Al 2024-t3 alloy, and result shows the experiment error exists unavoidably. To quantitatively investigate the influence of experiment error on the inverse derived material properties, the indentation simulation models were built, of which three different indenter shapes (conical, flat and spherical) and two different simulation set-ups (load or displacement control types) are considered. The sensitivity of the inverse problem in the relevant questions are systematically investigated. Results show the inverse problem formulated by the force control using a non-self-similar indenter is able to give more robust solution of the inverse derived material parameters. Besides, the numerical protocol was verified by application on the Al 2024-t3 alloy, and the plastic properties (yield stress and strain hardening exponent) obtained from indentation and uniaxial tests show good agreement. Full article

In this paper digital image correlation (DIC) has been applied to study the deformation process of cementitious material at very early age. After mixing of cement-based materials, the cement hydration process begins. Consequently, the ongoing chemical reactions result in a 3D deformation process (shrinkage). The mechanism affecting the very early age hydration as well as specifically the deformation behavior of cementitious materials is a challenging topic. In view of that, it is essential to determine the significant effect of concrete hardening process on the deformation progression at different stages. The technique of DIC is highly sensitive and allows for the first time in literature an accurate and non-contact optical monitoring of the shrinkage of fresh cementitious material. The displacement of the surface is measured by correlating the different digital images taken at different ages after mixing of the material. The system enables a 3D observation that allows a deeper understanding of the deformation progression. The surface displacement determined by DIC-software (Vic-Snap 2010) is compared to the displacement measured by Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) sensors for calibration purposes. DIC system realizes a more precise method avoiding the effect of self-weight of the traditional sensor. The purpose of this work is to check the sensitivity as well as the effectiveness of DIC technique, to characterize and better understand the 3D deformation process of fresh cementitious materials. Full article

The study seeks to investigate a failure of laminated composite structure subjected to a thermomechanical loading. Failure analysis of composite structures is an important design requirement. The stacking sequence of the structure investigated is restricted to ten thin layers. The fiber orientation, stacking sequence and material properties influence the response from the composite structure. Formulas are presented which are used to estimate the response of multi-layered composite structure to thermomechanical loads. A failure analysis is performed based on some known failure criteria. The values of the engineering properties for multi-layered composite structure and the results of the stress and strain distributions subjected to the forces and bending moments are presented. The numerical results were computed by using MATLAB script. Selected results of the numerical analysis have been presented. Full article

The Local Defect Resonance (LDR) approach is a technique which is used to detect and localize defects in structural components in a non-invasive way. In this contribution, we will assess whether the local resonance frequencies changes by altering a set of experimental testing conditions (i.e., imposed boundary condition, number of excitation points and excitation location). The specimen is made of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer and contains multiple flat bottom holes. However, here, we will focus on three detectable defects. The measured response analyzed through a parametric data-processing approach confirms that the local resonance frequencies are independent of the proposed changes. Full article

The first-generation of autonomously healed concrete elements is under construction: beams (SIM-SECEMIN project, Flanders Belgium), one-way flat slabs (MeMC, VUB, Belgium) and wall panels (Materials4Life project, UK) are designed with the embedment of encapsulated repair agent. In the presence of cracks, capsules rupture releasing the agent that fills the crack void. The released agent seals and mechanically restores the crack discontinuity. This automatic process can be repeatable using vascular networks that carry the agent and release it at different locations into concrete. The innovative design is built up following several series of laboratory-scale beam tests configured over the last decade. This paper discusses the application of numerous experimental techniques that assess the mechanical performance of autonomously healed concrete: Acoustic Emission, Ultrasound Pulse Velocity, Optical Microscopy, Digital Image Correlation, Capillary Water Absorption, Computed Tomography. The study focuses on the performance and efficiency of each method on laboratory and real-scale tests. The techniques with the most promising output are selected and combined in order to design a sensing tool that evaluates healing on real applications. Full article

Creep life prediction is very important to maintain safe operation of thermal power plants for a long-term period. In this study, an alternative creep life prediction method was proposed based on a relationship between creep exponent n and creep coefficient k. A high temperature indentation creep test was conducted to identify the creep exponent and creep coefficient for each specimen with different creep damage ratio. Subsequently, the relationship between the creep coefficient and creep exponent for each creep damage ratio was focused on. As a result, it was confirmed that a new parameter B introduced based on both creep coefficient and creep exponent linearly increase as the creep damage ratio increases. Furthermore, the B is uniquely determined by the creep damage ratio regardless of the temperature and stress conditions. These results indicate that the creep life can be predicted with a high accuracy using the B. Full article

The subsurface nature of Crack Tip Opening Displacement (CTOD) makes its direct measurement very difficult, if not impossible. During fracture toughness testing, CTOD is commonly calculated by applying a plastic hinge model using externally applied clip gauges. However, clip gauge CTOD calculations merely provide information relating to the center of the defect (which is typically the most critical point, but not always). For the case of a finite-length surface defect, CTOD will be variable over the defect front. Exact knowledge of CTOD over the entire front is useful for detailed calculations, such as crack profile evolution due to ductile tearing or calculations involving interacting defects. To experimentally measure the CTOD at locations other than the center of the crack, the authors propose a technique based on full field three-dimensional profile measurement of the notched surface by means of stereoscopic Digital Image Correlation (3D-DIC). The method is based on the plastic hinge model assuming that the crack flanks rotate in a rigid manner around a plastic hinge point in the un-cracked ligament. Having measured full-field out-of-plane displacement at the surface of the specimen around the crack using the 3D-DIC method, CTOD can be inferred over the entire crack front. Results show that, due to the acceptable agreement between the DIC based calculation and CTOD measured from cast replicas, the proposed technique has a sufficient accuracy to measure CTOD on the entire crack front in plastically deforming specimens. Full article

This paper presents the experimental results obtained with a post-peak loading device of hydraulic fracture controlled by setting circumferential deformation of a specimen to be a closed-loop feedback signal during servo-water-driven and monitored with the optical technique of speckle-shearing interferometry (SSI). The macro-scale complete loading curve obtained by the post-peak loading system indicate the stiffness, peak strength and post-peak behavior of quasi-brittle material subjected to borehole water pressure. The micro-scale out-of-plane displacement (OPD) obtained by SSI corresponding to complete loading curve was exhibited where the internal crack tip was located. The complete hydrofracture evolution from displacement continuity to displacement discontinuity was investigated. The test results provide a better understanding of the hydraulic fracture mechanism which is helpful for the development of theoretical and numerical solutions related to hydraulic fractures. Full article

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is used to track the deformation of a cantilever beam at a measurement-point located away from the loading-point. A baseline test is run using the assumption of a linear relationship between the measurement point and the loading point. A second test is run that introduces a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control based on the DIC measurements. This second method showed an improved ability to follow a cyclic command signal, with the X displacement improving from 14.1% to 6.1% error, the Y displacement from 3.8% to 1.25%, and the Z rotation from 3.2% to 2.0%. Full article

This paper, prepared in the framework of the COST Action SARCOS WG2 activities (http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA15202), provides an overview of the main concepts underlying the experimental characterization of the self-sealing capacity of cement-based materials. This effort intends to pave the way towards standardization of such experimental methods for a comparative assessment of the self-healing capacity of different cement-based materials and of the effectiveness of different techniques, in order to incorporate self-healing concepts and outcomes into durability-based predictive models and design approaches. Full article

We present the development of a contactless laser ultrasound system for nondestructive inspection of CFRP complex structures. Ultrasound are generated by a thermoelastic effect resulting from a green pulsed laser insulating a point of the inspected part. The resulting displacement of the surface point is probed by a two-wave mixing based interferometer working in the near infrared. The system is flexible and completely fiber-coupled. It is able to provide C-scans on complex shaped CFRP aeronautical structures. Full article

In this paper, a device with high accuracy capacitive sensor (with the error of 0.1 micrometer) is constructed to measure the axial thermal expansion coefficent of the twisted carbon fibers and yarns of Kevlar. A theoretical model based on the thermal elasticity and the geometrical features of the twisted structure is also presented to predict the axial expansion coefficient. It is found that the twist angle, diameter and pitch have remarkable influences on the axial thermal expansion coefficients of the twisted carbon fibers and Kevlar strands, and the calculated results are in good agreement with experimental data. We found that, with the increase of the twist angle, the absolute value of the axial thermal expansion coefficient increases. For the Kevlar samples, the expansion coefficient will grow by about 46% when the twist angle increases from 0 to 25 degrees, while the carbon fiber samples will grow by about 72% when the twist angle increases from 0 to 35 degrees. The experimental measurements and the model calculations reveal important properties of the thermal expansion in the twisted structures. Most notably, the expansion of the strand during heating or cooling can be zero when the twist angle is around β = arcsin(αL/αT)^1/2, where β denotes twist angle of the strand and αL, αT are the longitute and the transverse thermal expansion coefficient of the strand, respectively. According to the present experiments and analyses, a method to control the axial thermal expansion coefficient of this new kind of twisted structure is proposed. Moreover, the mechanism of this tunable thermal expansion is discussed. Based on the model, a method that can be used to rectify the thermal expansion properties of the twist structures is established. This may be a new way of fabricating zero expansion composite materials in the future. Full article

This paper treats an experimental study that focusses on optical infrared thermography for non-destructive testing of composites through lock-in and flash excitation. Different fiber reinforced plastics with various artificial defects have been investigated. Three different post-processing techniques are applied, namely fast Fourier transform (FFT), principal component analysis (PCA) and thermographic signal reconstruction (TSR). A comparison between the different excitation and post-processing methods is performed, and their strengths and weaknesses in detecting artificial defects in composites are evaluated and discussed. Full article

A combination of Fringe Projection (FP) and 2D Digital Image Correlation (2D DIC) using a single camera has been employed to simultaneously measure in-plane and out-of-plane displacements during different dynamic events such an impact and a vibration analysis. This approach has been adopted in the past by several authors, including Mares et al. who highlighted that if a telecentric lens are not employed the combination of both techniques is not straightforward since the in–plane displacements measured with 2D DIC are sensitive to the out-of-plane displacements. Thus, in-plane displacements measured using 2D DIC should be corrected using the out-of-plane displacements inferred using the FP technique. In the current work, an easy method for in-plane displacement correction using Fringe Projection is adopted when measuring the 3D displacements during an impact on an aluminum plate and the vibration of a composite component which have not been studied by other authors previously. Full article

In this paper the pressure waves generated in a test rig previously presented by the authors for the experimental analysis of concrete slabs subjected to blast loading are analysed. To this aim, the concrete samples are replaced by one single aluminium slab instrumented with pressure gauges. In order to analyze the experimental scatter, the test set-up is repeated four times, with the only variation of the location of the aluminium slab within the four available positions in the test rig. The pressure histories registered show good agreement with the typical patterns expected in open-air explosions and demonstrates the quasi-planar shape of the pressure wave acting on the slabs. By comparing between the results obtained in different detonations, the explosive charge seems to be among the main sources of experimental scatter in this kind of tests. Full article

It’s difficult to directly measure the pressure on the surface of the material in the impact process. PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride) gauges may help to solve this problem. In this paper, some split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) experiments were carried out with the PVDF gauges as specimens, with the strain gauges pasted on the bars being used as the measurement method. By comparing the results of the strain gauges and the PVDF gauges, it is proved that there is a stress concentration when the PVDF gauges were sandwiched directly in the solid interface. Then, two methods to eliminate the stress concentration are verified by experiments. The first method is adding a cushion, such as electrical tape. The second method is using 502 glue, which is evenly coated on the interface. Full article

In an aircraft engine, some pieces are describing a rotating movement. These parts are in contact with rotating and non-rotating parts through the bearings and gears. The different contact patches are lubricated with oil. During the lifetime of the engine, mechanical wear is produced between the contacts. This wear of the bearings and gears will produce some debris in the oil circuit of the engine. To ensure the effective operation of the aircraft engines, the debris monitoring sensors play a significant role. They detect and collect the debris in the oil. The analysis of the debris can give an indication of the overall health of the engine. The aim of the paper is to develop, design and model an oil test bench to simulate the oil lubrication circuit of an aircraft engine to test two different debris monitoring sensors. The methodology consists of studying the oil lubrication system of the aircraft engine. The first step is to build the oil test bench. Once the oil test bench is functional, tests are performed on the two debris monitoring sensors. A test plan is followed, three sizes of debris, like the type and sizes of debris found in the aircraft engine oil, are injected in the oil. The test parameters are the oil temperature, the oil flow rate and the mass of debris injected. Each time debris is injected, it is detected and caught by the two sensors. The test results given by the two sensors are similar to the mass debris injected into the oil circuit. The two sensors never detect the total mass of debris injected in the oil. On average, 55%–60% of the mass injected is detected and caught by the two sensors. The sensors are very efficient at detecting debris whose size corresponds to the design range parameters of the sensors, but the efficiency falls when detecting debris whose size lies outside this range. Full article

Vibration-based damage identification can constitute a successful approach for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of civil structures. It is a non-destructive condition assessment method, dependent on the identification of changes in the modal characteristics of a structure that are related to damage. However, the damage identification from the modal characteristics of existing structures currently suffers from a low sensitivity of eigenfrequencies and mode shapes to certain types of damage. Furthermore, the sensitivity of eigenfrequencies to environmental influences may be sufficiently high to completely mask the effect even of severe damage. Modal strains and curvatures are more sensitive to local damage, but the direct monitoring of these quantities is challenging when the strain level is very low. In the present work, the identification of the modal strains of a pre-stressed concrete beam, subjected to a progressive damage test, is performed. Dynamic measurements are conducted on the beam at the beginning of each cycle and its response is recorded with multiplexed Fiber-optic Bragg Grating (FBG) strain sensors. Bending, lateral and torsional modes are accurately identified from dynamic strains of the sub-microstrain level. The evolution of the modal characteristics of the beam after each loading cycle is investigated. Changes of the eigenfrequency values, the amplitude and the curvature of the strain mode shapes are observed. The changes in the strain mode shapes appear at the locations where the damage is induced, and are already identified from an early damaged state. Full article

This contribution presents the results of an experimental and numerical campaign evaluating the influence of cut-outs on the strength and stiffness of composite timber I-joists. These cut-outs are often introduced in the webs during the instalment of utility lines. The presence of these cut-outs will have an impact on the structural behaviour of the element. However, these influences are not taken into account in the current design standards. In order to evaluate the impact of the cut-outs, an experimental campaign was set up in which the structural behaviour of seven composite I-joist beam was analysed. The geometry and spacing of the cut-outs were varied along these seven beam elements. The experimental results clearly show the reduction in stiffness and the influence on the failure mechanism of the beam elements caused by the cut-outs. Additional to the experimental study, a numerical campaign in which the structural response of these I-joists is modelled is also performed. Nonlinear material behaviour is taken into account in the numerical models through the use of a gradient-enhanced damage model. Overall, good agreement is reached between the experimental and numerical data for the beam elements in the linear elastic regime. The ultimate load was also represented well by the numerical model for those elements which fail due to failure of the hardboard web. Full article

The shear properties evaluation on existing unreinforced masonry structure is usually performed through destructive tests. However, these tests have the characteristics of being very expensive and result in significant damage, not only to the samples but also on the portion of wall surrounding them. The present work illustrates the design of a new testing procedure for the characterisation of the shear properties in masonry panels for application in routine testing. In the aim of preserving the integrity of the area under testing, and to reduce the cost of the new testing procedure, it has been decided to use flat jacks. The numerical analyses used to design the test are presented, as well as the results of a first application of the procedure. Full article

A shape-adaptable Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite (CFRC) is proposed to derive a material with tunable mechanical properties in order to optimize its response to external excitations. The composite is bi-stable thanks to internal stresses arising in the manufacturing process and is characterized by a built-in heating system that can control the temperature of the material. This approach allows to gradually change the actual curvature of the material as well as tuning its natural frequencies and damping properties. Full article

Due to their superior physical and electro-mechanical properties, Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most promising composite fillers to realize ultralight and flexible strain sensors that can be used, among others, to monitor strain concentrations within a structure when damage occurs. In this study, sensors are made of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWNTs) embedded in a Polymide (PI) matrix. Nanocomposites are characterized under no-load conditions to study the electrical properties, and under tensile loading conditions, to evaluate the electromechanical and piezoresistive response. The results highlight a two orders of magnitude decrease in electrical resistivity if compared with previous studies, the capability to instantaneously respond to unpredictable deformations and to easily adapt to three-dimensional shapes. The beauty of the as conceived nanocomposite film, if compared with the commercially available strain gages, is its unprecedented potential expandability to monitor larger areas without the loss of ultra-low local (in scale) detection. Local detection is in fact allowed by nanoscale morphology changes that induce changes in local electrical conduction. The selected polyimide matrix allows the use of the proposed sensor to harsh and high temperature environments while keeping high flexibility and excellent mechanical properties, key parameters for the realization of reliable electromechanical films. Full article

The Milan Cathedral, built between 1386 and 1813, is one of the largest masonry monuments ever built. After a brief description of the Cathedral, the paper presents the conceptual design of the monitoring system aimed at assisting the condition-based structural maintenance of the historic building. To the authors’ knowledge, the presented monitoring system is the largest ever implemented in a Cultural Heritage monument; in addition, appropriate strategies of Structural Health Monitoring have been developed for the continuous interrogation of sensors installed in the structure and the extraction from measured data of features which are representative of the current state of structural health. Full article

In order to assess the integrity of welded structures, it is important to accurately know the material characteristics of the weld regions. A weldment is heterogeneous i.e., strength properties vary at different locations within the weld. This influences the behavior of the structure when it is subjected to loading. Hence, the evaluation of material properties within the weld region plays a pivotal role in structural integrity assessment. Traditionally, tensile tests provide constitutive properties like tensile strength and yield strength along with stress (σ)—strain (ε) curves. Alternatively, hardness indentations are also used to procure strength properties of a material. Several transfer functions have been formulated to convert hardness values to strength properties. The validity of these transfer functions with the presence of strength variations is questionable, as these relations do not consider the aspect of heterogeneity. Accordingly, in this research, a heterogeneous weld was considered to assess the relation between Vickers hardness (HV5) and strength properties. Two tensile test configurations were considered—All Weld Metal Tensile Tests (AWMTT) and Micro Tensile Tests (MTT). While AWMTT provides average weld stress-strain properties, MTT provide local properties. These results help to validate the hardness transfer functions and thus calibrate them appropriately. Hardness maps were obtained on polished weld macrographs. The material properties obtained from three methods were compared and significant variations were observed. Based on these differences, an experimentally calibrated transfer function is implemented. With this relation, it is possible to predict weld behavior more accurately and appropriately using hardness maps and tensile tests. Full article

Friction which happens between plants and soil particles with the agricultural machine parts leads to substantial losses due to wear these parts. Nowadays, polymer matrix composites are playing a great role as a replacement of some critical fast-wearing steel due to their high properties, and this replacement leads to increase the machine reliability besides better corrosion resistance and lighter construction. Five types of composite materials were suggested to replace these steel parts. We chose ESD PA6 G, HD1000, PA6E, PA6G and PA66GF30 as test materials. And two kinds of testing methods were done to test these materials. First one is a pin-on-plate test with sliding abrasive clothes, the second one is a sand slurry test which uses standard abrasive particles. In the pin-on-plate abrasive wear system, we found that PA6G was the best choice of the used polymers because it had the lowest wear rate. Full article

The use of high strength steels (HSS) allows designing lighter, slenderer and simpler structures with high structural performance. In general, the use of HSS leads to weight reduction of the whole structure, which compensates the higher cost of such a material comparing to the conventional construction steels. Knowledge of the fatigue resistance of material plays the key role during design and maintenance of the bridge structures. This contribution brings a comparison of the fatigue crack growth resistance of S355 J0 steel. Differences in microstructure and the texture of material structure could generally play a role in the fatigue crack growth. This study shows that in the case of studied steel texture of material structure has an influence on material fatigue behavior in Paris’ law regime. Full article

The accurate characterisation of pressure loads imposed on structural members following the detonation of a high explosive is critical to our ability to design protective systems. This poses serious challenges for experimentalists, due to the high magnitude and short duration of loading. If the distance from the detonation to the target is relatively large, the loading is imparted through the interaction of a shock wave travelling away from the detonation through the surrounding medium, say air. Here, pressure magnitudes are typically in the range 10³–10⁶ Pa and are measurable using conventional, commercially available piezo-electric or piezo-resistive pressure transducers. A considerable effort has been expended on experimentally characterizing these “far-field” loads and consequently, we have a strong understanding of the mechanisms and magnitudes of loading. However, we are also interested in the loading when the target is very close to the detonation, for a range of protection applications, from aviation security to the design of personnel protection. Here, very different physical processes dominate. At these so-called “near-field” distances from a detonation (<~1 m/kg_TNT^1/3) the high temperature gaseous detonation products are still violently expanding, and loading on a target is generated by the impingement of both the shocked surrounding material and these products themselves. Blast pressures are often higher that the yield strength of structural materials and temperatures can reach several thousand Kelvin. Furthermore, loading can vary by an order of magnitude over very short distances and timescales. This paper will describe experimental work conducted at University of Sheffield on developing approaches to accurately measure and predict near-field blast loading and gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of loading. The challenges inherent to this field of work will be discussed and an attempt made to identify some of the emerging themes for future research. Full article

The flexure inspection of printed circuit boards during assembly and operation is the object of the article. The goal is to identify high stresses which can lead to destruct especially the soldered connections during final product operation using strain gauge technique. This is demonstrated on some examples. It is shown how important is the proper wires installation leading from strain gauges to measurement unit. The tests are performed according IPC guidelines but some remarks are given to guidelines specification. Full article

Accurate determination of the mechanical properties of asphalt concrete is very important in Road Engineering. The traditional method to calculate these properties is to run experiments using a hydraulic/pneumatic actuator and strain gauges to apply stress and measure the strain. However, in the last decade optical measurement techniques have become popular for strain calculation on the surface of the specimen and detecting the cracks on the surface. In this study, digital image correlation is used to estimate the strain map on the surface of an asphalt specimen, predict the location of crack initiation, and investigate the healing phenomenon in asphalt concrete. Full article

In this paper, the specificity and/or the common features of materials coming from such new additive manufacturing processes will be compared to more classical one, like casting process. Fatigue properties of Ti-6Al-4V specimens built by EBM and SLM are first compared depending on several process parameters. Then, at the microstructure scale, it is shown that surface defects and unmelted zones seem to be the dominant features. It will be shown that similarities can then be drawn with casting processes where shrinkage and pores are also associated to damage mechanisms. Full article

Direct current resistivity measurements are performed at Reykjanes geothermal reservoir in southwest Iceland to investigate the possibility of using steel casings as electrodes to transfer electric current deep into the ground during cross-well resistivity surveys. Various wells are studied including well IDDP-2 that has been deepened by the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) to a depth of 4.7 km. Electrical resistance measured between two well casings is compared to the resistance between a well casing and an electrode on the surface. The results indicate that the current travels deeper into the ground and through water channels from one casing to another when using the well casings as electrodes instead of traveling closer to the surface as when surface electrodes are used. Steel casings provide good conduction into the ground in resistivity studies and cross-well resistivity measurements can be used to gain information about the subsurface such as the fracture connectivity between wells. Full article

Carbon reinforced concrete (in short: carbon concrete) allows thin cross sections and lightweight, high-strength structures. This is demonstrated in this article using the example of a lightweight, prefabricated ceiling girder. In addition to the new building material carbon concrete, another innovative cement-bonded composite material is used: concrete-impregnated nonwovens. The ceiling element is a very light, slim construction that is curved in the transverse direction. In addition to the material and construction, the article describes the experimental investigation and the possibility of calculation using an analytical approach. Full article

A new source localization technique is proposed in this study. The proposed source localization technique considers heterogeneity of elastic wave velocity distribution that is generally caused by local deteriorations or damages of structures on the basis of ray-trace technique. Resolutions of identified source locations are raised by installing extra source candidates near a roughly identified source location with a half of an interval of nodal and relay points in the technique. Further, the extra source candidates are installed in the vicinity of the identified source locations with a half of the previous interval, and source locations are identified again. The resolution consequently rises up to the requirement with limited computational cost by performing the procedure iteratively in the proposed technique. A series of numerical investigations were performed for verification of the proposed technique, and it was confirmed that the proposed technique identified the source locations in required resolution in a limited computational cost. Full article

In this study, a single-pulse laser technique was applied to repair the cracked plate. The idea of this technique is based on delaying fatigue crack propagation by irradiating the area ahead of the crack tip by using a single-pulse laser with a high power of 1500 W. In order to verify the capability of this technique, fatigue tests were conducted on specimens with a hole on the center to induce fatigue cracks at the edge of the hole. A single-pulse laser irradiation was then applied ahead of this natural crack tip, and fatigue tests were subsequently conducted. The fatigue crack propagation behavior was monitored during cycling loading by using a digital microscope. It was confirmed that the crack irradiated by a pulse-laser is not almost progressed or is deflected around the irradiated area in subsequent cyclic loading after the repairing treatment, which means that the pulse laser technique could be located as an alternative to existing repairing techniques. Full article

Using large lightweight prefabricated sandwich panels offers great possibilities for the renovation of existing dwellings. By facilitating the installation process it reduces the total renovation time to a couple of days. During their life-time, these panels will be subjected to wind loading, equivalent to a repeated loading. The effect of this loading condition on the structural behavior of the sandwich panels was verified experimentally. Four-point bending tests were conducted, both static and cyclic. Results showed that the subjection to different loading-unloading cycles resulted in a residual deformation and a decreased stiffness. After being subjected to a repeated loading, the residual ultimate capacity was lowered with 30%. Full article

The rupture process in brittle materials is associated with tensile stresses at microscopic flaw scale inside their volume. Acoustic emission monitoring of diametral compression tests is an adequate option to assess the progression of damage. An improved algorithm for AE sources localization with P-wave velocity, v_p, calculation and an enhanced methodology for P-wave onset time, called CLAPWaVe (Rodríguez 2015), is applied to analyze the distribution of damage and the evolution of stiffness within monzogranite specimens. Complementary analyses allowed the identification of four zones of damage accumulation within the specimen volume, each of them with different cracking levels, absolute energy release, E_A, associated v_p values, induced by different phenomena occurring during the loading process. The observed non-homogeneous damage distribution confirms that using a unique v_p value to perform the localization of all AE sources, as usually adopted, is not representative of the real condition of the specimen. Full article

We have investigated several full-field contactless techniques, such as thermography and shearography, with several excitation methods for inspecting hybrid composite-metal sandwich structures. The latter are made of a core with epoxy reinforced by carbon and glass fibers and skins of titanium. Several calibrated defects are incorporated at different places in depth and are made of air gaps and inserts. Full article

Through the life cycle of civil infrastructures, quality assessments shall be implemented when construction, in-service, before/after repair and so forth; however, there are no decisive techniques to evaluate inside of structures non-destructively. The authors have developed an advanced measurement method using tomographic approaches. With these advanced technologies, internal damage or defects can be visualized as a distribution of elastic wave parameters such as velocities so that damage identification consisting of locations and damage degree would be possible. In the paper, fracture processes of concrete decks are visualized by the acoustic approaches. Specifically, RC slabs with/without water supply subject to wheel loads are cyclically damaged with monitoring acoustic approaches. As a result, depending on the water condition, different pattern of fracture progress can be confirmed. Full article

Auxetic materials represent a relatively new class of materials that are characterized by a cellular structure and a negative Poisson coefficient. Auxetics are extremely useful for morphing applications thanks to their synclastic deformation capability. Most of these materials have been developed with macro-scaled cellular units. However there are some applications (e.g., micro-air vehicles or biomedical applications) for which polymeric morphing materials need to be applied in relatively small areas. In these cases, a material scale reduction that leads to lightweight auxetic films with a miniaturized cellular structure could be of great interest. With this in mind, an experimental study was conducted to analyze the response of films that are characterized by a miniaturized cellular structure. The unit cells in this study were made of an aggregation of microwires and micronodes that were strategically interconnected to form auxetic expansions and contractions. The reduction in scale of the cellular units has a significant impact on the material characterization and properties. The response of polymeric micro-scaled cells is in fact here demonstrated to be strongly influenced by surface forces and dramatic changes in gaseous or liquid environment. This represents the most critical aspect and key variation when comparing these films with standard macro-auxetics. The extremely challenging (at this length-scale) fabrication and testing processes were optimized. Single cells, were thus successfully tested in different environments with programmed and digital micro-stages while being monitored under a microscope with a video camera. Digital image correlation techniques were used to highlight the deformation. The expansion/contraction process was found to be fully reversible after several cycles and at different deformation speeds. Full article

The wind energy is one of the most important alternatives for renewable and clean electricity generation. During the last decade the number of wind farms has largely increased in South America. Qollpana is only one case of an on-shore wind farm but it is located at 2900 m above sea level over a complex terrain. Due to high altitude, the air density is reduced by 27% compared with sea level and the topographic characteristics induce a high level of turbulence. Qollpana wind farm has ten wind turbines reaching 27 MW of installed capacity. October is the month of highest wind average velocity and February with the lowest one. This work analyses the capacity factor of the wind farm, also the air density and the turbulence effects on wind turbine efficiency. The main results show that monthly capacity factor varies between 0.08 and 0.67 in the wind farm. Moreover, the results have shown a considerable effect of the turbulence intensity on the turbines efficiency. Full article

A wide range of bulk materials with different physical properties are nowadays handled in the packaging industry using different material conveying techniques. Nevertheless, experimental methodologies to characterise flowability of granular materials in actual handling conditions are still under development. This paper presents a new fully instrumented device for flowability assessment by granular column collapse of bulk materials. The generated granular flow is monitored by load cells that register the flow heights and by a high-speed video camera that captures the bulk flow kinematics through particle image velocimetry analysis. The 3D surface morphology of the final condition is determined with a 2D laser profile scanner. Results show the effect of varying the initial column aspect ratio on flow response. Full article

This work aims at developing a machine learning-based model to detect cracks on concrete surfaces. Such model is intended to increase the level of automation on concrete infrastructure inspection when combined to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The developed crack detection model relies on a deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) image classification algorithm. Provided a relatively heterogeneous dataset, the use of deep learning enables the development of a concrete cracks detection system that can account for several conditions, e.g., different light, surface finish and humidity that a concrete surface might exhibit. These conditions are a limiting factor when working with computer vision systems based on conventional digital image processing methods. For this work, a dataset with 3500 images of concrete surfaces balanced between images with and without cracks was used. This dataset was divided into training and testing data at an 80/20 ratio. Since our dataset is rather small to enable a robust training of a complete deep learning model, a transfer-learning methodology was applied; in particular, the open-source model VGG16 was used as basis for the development of the model. The influence of the model’s parameters such as learning rate, number of nodes in the last fully connected layer and training dataset size were investigated. In each experiment, the model’s accuracy was recorded to identify the best result. For the dataset used in this work, the best experiment yielded a model with accuracy of 92.27%, showcasing the potential of using deep learning for concrete crack detection. Full article

Early-stage damage detection could provide better reliability and performance and a longer lifetime of materials while reducing maintenance time of a variety of structures and systems. We investigate the early-stage damage formation and damage evolution in advanced multi-functional laminated aerospace composites embedded with a very small amount of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the matrix material and short carbon fibers along the Z-direction to reinforce the interlaminar interfaces. The three-dimensional (3-D) conductive network formed by the CNTs and the flocked carbon fibers allows for sensitive in-situ damage detection in materials in addition to providing improved mechanical properties such as superior fracture toughness for damage tolerance. We optimize several parameters such as fiber length, diameter, and density to generate an effective 3-D electrical conductive network, and characterize the responses of these composites under mechanical loading to investigate damage formation and evolution, advancing science and technology towards superior damage-tolerant and zero-maintenance structural materials. Full article

Ultrasonic transducers are used in many fields of application, including medical imaging/treatment, non-destructive testing and material characterization. To assure the quality of the ultrasonic investigation transducers require regular checks for possible deterioration and accurate calibration. Current methods rely on point-by-point scanning of the ultrasound field with a needle hydrophone, which is expensive and time consuming. Recently, we have developed a new concept, in which a fast full-field visualization of the radiation field is achieved through Acoustically induced PiezoLuminescence (APL). Here, we report on an improved ultrasonic beam visualization and provide further insights into the mechanism underlying APL and mechanoluminescence. Full article

The monitoring of stress changes in structural components under various kinds of dynamical loading is crucial for the assessment of their integrity and lifetime. In addition to many methodologies available, such as strain gauges, optical fiber sensors, X-Ray diffraction and digital image correlation, we introduce a novel non-contact method to visualize stress distributions based on mechanoluminescence (ML). ML is a phenomenon occurring in some materials that emit light upon an applied stress level. In this paper, we develop the ML material (Ca_0.4Sr_0.6)Al₂Si₂O₈:1%Eu²⁺,1%Ho³⁺, a glow-in-the-dark material, to visualize stress distribution in a disc, as well as the stress field of an ultrasonic transducer. The properties of defects in the ML phosphors, which are responsible for ML in this material, are vital for stress visualization. Full article

Metals with a fine-grained microstructure have exceptional mechanical properties. Severe plastic deformation (SPD) is one of the most successful ways to fabricate ultrafine-grained (UFG) and nanostructured (NC) materials. Most of the SPD techniques employ very low processing speeds. However, the lowest steady-state grain size which can be obtained by SPD is considered to be inversely proportional with the strain rate at which the severe deformation is imposed. In order to overcome this limitation, methods operating at higher rates have been envisaged and used to study the fragmentation process and the properties of the obtained materials. However, almost none of these methods, employ hydrostatic pressures which are needed to prevent the material from failing at high deformation strains. As such, their applicability is limited to materials with a high intrinsic ductility. Additionally, in some methods the microstructural changes are limited to the surface layers of the material. To circumvent these restrictions, a novel facility has been designed and developed which deforms the material at high strain rate under high hydrostatic pressures. Using the facility, commercially pure aluminum was processed and analysis of the deformed material was performed. The microstructure evolution in this material was compared with that observed in static high pressure torsion (HPT) processed material. Full article

The use of nickel electroless plating to enhance the mechanical properties of stainless steel micro lattice structures manufactured using selective laser melting is described. A coating thickness of 17 μm is achieved, and this increases micro lattice specific stiffness by 75% and specific strength by 50%. There is scope for improving the coating process, and hence improving micro lattice mechanical performance. The methodology described here provides a new potential for optimizing micro lattice mechanical performance and can be extended to other cellular materials with different coating technology. Full article

Three different experimental set-ups were employed in the investigation of the fracture strength of annealed float glass. These included four-point bending tests on three different specimen sizes, and quasi-static and dynamic pressure tests. The latter tests were conducted in a shock tube, i.e., a device that produces pressure loadings similar to that from a far-field blast event. The experimental work demonstrated that the fracture strength of glass varies largely within the same test set-up. It also revealed that the fracture strength and its scatter are dependent on the size of the specimen, the boundary conditions and the loading situation. By employing a newly proposed strength prediction model, which relies on the physical fracture behaviour of glass, the trends observed in the experiments were correctly recreated. Full article

A new experimental technique has been developed to investigate the confined shear behavior of concrete under dynamic conditions. The technique is based on the ‘Punch through shear test’ and consists in pre-stressing a concrete sample prior to testing it under shear. The pre-confinement is applied by means of a metallic cell instrumented with gages to register the stresses during the test; it consists in deforming the cell with a compressive load and then inserting the specimen into the cell. When the load is released, the cell applies a confinement to the sample. Two notches are performed from each side of the specimen and a displacement is applied to the central part in order to produce shear inside the vertical ligament. Dynamics tests are done with the Split Hopkinson Bar setup where a striker, an incident and two output bars are used. Two sets of specimens have been tested, saturated and dry concrete. Full article

The objectives of the work are to increase the direct use of geothermal resources for circular food production systems. The focus is on circular agricultural production processes: combining recirculating aquaculture systems and hydroponics into one system, including water treatment and waste recovery processes. The main outputs are vegetables, fish, fertilizers and potentially, algae and biogas. These outputs can generate revenue streams that can cover the costs of heat extraction while supporting viable businesses. The results and conclusions from a pilot case that was conducted in Iceland in recent years are presented, and the next steps are discussed. The pilot setup is now in the process of expansion to a semi-commercial production unit. However, there are still scientific, technical and commercial challenges to be solved. The scientific challenges are interdisciplinary and relate mainly to the optimization of the overall production system. Optimization involves creating good environmental conditions for each production unit while maintaining optimal oxygen, carbon dioxide, relevant pH and temperature levels and supplying all necessary nutrients. Additionally, accumulation of salts or other unwanted substances must be prevented. The primary technical challenges are to develop the circular food production system for optimized production while controlling the expenditure of energy, water, nutrients and manpower resources. Optimization also involves careful choices of species and the integration of new ideas into the value chain, both of which increase the synergy between the different components of the system. Furthermore, energy efficiency needs to be improved through using excess heat for other parts of the system and developing enhanced heating and cooling cycles. The aim is to transform the semi-commercial unit into a showcase model for solving commercial challenges while presenting a feasible business model for installing and operating a geothermal well for circular food production, making the most use of all available resources, securing optimum production conditions and minimizing waste. Full article

Fatigue performance of additively manufactured (AM) components is still uncertain and inconsistent. Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems offer a solution to continuously monitor the structural integrity of a structure. The effective Structural Health Monitoring (eSHM) system is the first SHM principle developed with the principal purpose to monitor AM components. The eSHM principle exploits the design freedom offered by AM to integrate a capillary inside the component. The capillary is put under low vacuum and the pressure is monitored during the operation of the component. As-built AM surfaces report elevated surface roughness and are one of the principle causes of premature fatigue initiation and fatigue failure. The current study will investigate the effect of a chemical etching (CE) post-process on the capillary surface and evaluate its effect on the fatigue performance. Full article

Additive manufacturing (AM) has proven in a number of demonstrators its tremendous potential for structural components. AM has gone beyond being a prototyping process and is now firmly being explored as production process in numerous domains. The objective of the paper is to provide an overview of remaining challenges in the field of AM and structural health monitoring. A symbiotic solution, a smart structure, for some of the challenges in both fields will be presented. The development progress made in these domains by the Acoustics and Vibration Research Group (AVRG) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel will be discussed and the future outlook. Full article

One of the major challenges for the realization of ultra-light weight and intelligent materials with advanced sensing/actuation capabilities, is related to, among other things, the integration in the material of non-invasive but indeed highly performing sensors and actuators. The reduction in scale, weight, and flexibility of the sensing devices represents a critical aspect to reach this goal. These unique properties are here reached by using flexible piezoelectric polymer (Polyvinylidene fluoride, PVDF) nanofibers as sensing elements. The nanofibers, that in this case study are randomly distributed, form an ultra-thin nanostructured porous mat that was deposited through a far field electrospinning approach. The process was optimized to obtain a dominant β phase in the polymer to enhance the piezoelectric response. The electrospun fibers were characterized at different scales: at the molecular level to understand the β phase content (FTIR spectroscopy), as well as at the macroscopic level to investigate the resulting ferroelectric and electromechanical response The results presented in this paper show the great capability of the nanostructured porous mat to work as ultra-light weight dynamic sensing system. Its scalable size and intrinsic properties make it an ideal solution for the development of advanced intelligent materials that can work at different length-scales. Full article