Search Results (7)

In the present paper, an evaluation of the damage behaviour of quasi-brittle composites exposed to mechanical, thermal, and other loads is studied by means of viscoelastic and/or viscoplastic material models, applying some non-local regularisation techniques to the initiation and development of damages. The methods above are presented as a strong tool for a deeper understanding of material structures in miscellaneous engineering disciplines like civil, mechanical, and many others. Nevertheless, all of the software packages reflect certain compromises between the need for effective computational tools, with parameters obtained from inexpensive experiments, within the possibilities and the complexity of both physical and geometrical descriptions of structure deformation within processes. The article is devoted to the mathematical aspects regarding a considerably wide class of computational modelling problems, emphasising the following ones: (i) the existence and the uniqueness of solutions of engineering problems formulated in terms of the deterministic initial and boundary value problems of partial differential equations theory; (ii) the problems of convergence of computational algorithms applied to (i). Both aspects have numerous references to possible generalisations and investigations connected with open problems. Full article

This research focuses on a mineral–cement mixture containing bitumen emulsion, designed for cold recycling procedures, the formulation of which includes 80% (m/m) of waste material. Deep cold recycling technology from the MCE mixture guarantees the implementation of a sustainable development policy in the field of road construction. The utilised waste materials include 50% (m/m) reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) from damaged asphalt layers and 30% (m/m) recycled aggregate (RA) sourced from the substructure. In order to assess the possibility of using a significant amount of waste materials in the composition of the mineral–cement–emulsion (MCE) mixture, it is necessary to optimise the MCE mix. Optimisation was carried out with respect to the quantity and type of binding agents, such as Portland cement (CEM), bitumen emulsion (EMU), and redispersible polymer powder (RPP). The examination of the impact of the binding agents on the physico-mechanical characteristics of the MCE blend was performed using a Box–Behnken trivalent fractional design. This method has not been used before to optimise MCE mixture composition. This is a novelty in predicting MCE mixture properties. Examinations of the physical properties, mechanical properties, resistance to the effects of climatic factors, and stiffness modulus were conducted on Marshall samples prepared in laboratory settings. Mathematical models determining the variability of the attributes under analysis in correlation with the quantity of the binding agents were determined for the properties under investigation. The MCE mixture composition was optimised through the acquired mathematical models describing the physico-mechanical characteristics, resistance to climatic factors, and rigidity modulus. The optimisation was carried out through the generalised utility function U^III. The optimisation resulted in indicating the proportional percentages of the binders, enabling the assurance of the required properties of the cold recycled mix while utilising the maximum quantity of waste materials. Full article

Train configurations give rise to a primary wagon pass forcing frequency and their multiples. When any one of these frequencies coincides with the natural frequency of vibration of the bridge, a resonant response can occur. This condition can amplify the dynamic response of the bridge, leading to increased levels of displacement, stresses and acceleration. Increased stress levels on critical bridge structural elements increases the rate at which fatigue damage accumulates. Increased bridge acceleration levels can affect passenger comfort, noise levels, and can also compromise train safety. For older bridges the effects of fatigue, and being able to predict the remaining life, has become a primary concern for bridge engineers. Better understanding of the sensitivity of fatigue damage to the characteristics of the passing train will lead to more accurate remaining life predictions and can also help to identify optimal train speeds for a given train–bridge configuration. In this paper, a mathematical model which enables the dynamic response of railway bridges to be assessed for different train configurations is presented. The model is based on the well established closed from solution of the Euler–Bernoulli Beam (EBB) model, for a series of moving loads, using the inverse Laplace–Carson transform. In this work the methodology is adapted to allow different train configurations to be easily implemented into the formulation in a generalised form. A generalised equation, which captures the primary wagon pass frequency for any train configuration, is developed and verified by presenting the results of the bridge response in the frequency domain. The model, and the accuracy of the equation for predicting the primary wagon pass frequency, is verified using independently obtained measured field train–bridge response data. The main emphasis of this work is to enable the practicing engineer, railway operators and bridge asset owners, to easily and efficiently make an initial assessment of dynamic amplification, and the optimal train speeds, for a given bridge and train configuration. This is visually presented in this work using a Campbell diagram, which shows dynamic amplification and compares this with those calculated based on the design code, across a range of train speeds. The diagram is able to identify train speeds at which a resonance response can occur, and the wagon pass frequency, or its multiples, which are causing the increased dynamic amplification. The model is implemented in Matlab and demonstrated by analysing a range of short- to medium-single span simply supported plate girder railway bridges, typically found on the UK railway network, using the standard BS-5400 train configurations. The model does not consider the effects of the train mass and suspension system as this would require a non-closed form numerical solution of the problem which is not practical for the purposes of an initial assessment of the train–bridge interaction problem. Full article

We study the asymptotic duration of optimal stopping problems involving a sequence of independent random variables that are drawn from a known continuous distribution. These variables are observed as a sequence, where no recall of previous observations is permitted, and the objective is to form an optimal strategy to maximise the expected reward. In our previous work, we presented a methodology, borrowing techniques from applied mathematics, for obtaining asymptotic expressions for the expectation duration of the optimal stopping time where one stop is permitted. In this study, we generalise further to the case where more than one stop is permitted, with an updated objective function of maximising the expected sum of the variables chosen. We formulate a complete generalisation for an exponential family as well as the uniform distribution by utilising an inductive approach in the formulation of the stopping rule. Explicit examples are shown for common probability functions as well as simulations to verify the asymptotic calculations. Full article

To date, the mechanical models of magnetoelectric couplings at finite strains have mainly been limited to time-independent constitutive equations. This paper enhances the literature by developing a time-dependent electromagnetic constitutive equation to characterise the mechanical behaviour of soft solids at finite strains and take into account the full form of the Maxwell equations. Our formulation introduces a symmetrical total stress and uses recently developed spectral invariants in the amended energy function; as a result, the proposed constitutive equation is relatively simple and is amenable to a finite-element formulation. Full article

The mathematical description of the charging process of time-varying capacitors is reviewed and a new formulation is proposed. For it, suitable fractional derivatives are described. The case of fractional capacitors that follow the Curie–von Schweidler law is considered. Through suitable substitutions, a similar scheme for fractional inductors is obtained. Formulae for voltage/current input/output are presented. Backward coherence with classic results is established and generalised to the variable order case. The concept of a tempered fractor is introduced and related to the Davidson–Cole model. Full article

Numerical simulations are a powerful tool to investigate turbulent flows, both for theoretical studies and practical applications. The reliability of a simulation is mainly dependent on the turbulence model adopted, and improving its accuracy is a crucial issue. In this study, we investigated the potential for an alternative formulation of the Navier–Stokes equations, based on the stochastic representation of the velocity field. The new approach, named pseudo-stochastic simulation (PSS), is a generalisation of the widespread classical eddy–viscosity model, where the contribution of the unresolved scales of motion is expressed by a variance tensor, modelled following different paradigms. The PSS models were compared with the classical ones mathematically and numerically in the turbulent channel flow at $R{e}_{\tau }=590$ . The PSS and the classical models are equivalent when the variance tensor is shaped through a molecular dissipation analogy, while it is more accurate when the tensor is defined by the way of a local variance model. A near-wall damping function derived from recent advancement in the field is also proposed and was successfully validated. The analyses demonstrate the relevance of the approach proposed and provide a basis for the development of an alternative turbulence model. Full article