scholarly journals Predicting Behavior of Grouted Dowel Connections Using Interfacial Cohesive Elements

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2344
Author(s):  
Mohamed Elsayed ◽  
Moncef L. Nehdi ◽  
Faouzi Ghrib

Grouted dowel connections are used extensively in precast load bearing walls owing to their simple construction and forgiving tolerances. Current design guidelines do not adequately consider the composite nature of such connections. Moreover, robust numerical models for these connections are yet to be developed. Therefore, a finite element model of grouted dowel connections was developed in this paper. The model adopts a phenomenological bond–slip constitutive law to predict the load versus slip response of grouted bars and considers tensile yielding of the reinforcement. The local bond–slip law used was generated from carefully designed experiments to eliminate spurious effects associated with bond testing. The model was validated using experimental results on grouted connections, as well as data retrieved from the open literature. Excellent agreement between experimental and numerical results was observed, highlighting the accuracy of the model in depicting interfacial stresses of the assembly. The model requires simple calibration, is computationally efficient, and can accurately simulate the failure behavior of bars embedded in grouted connections.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Muhammad Bilal Adeel ◽  
Muhammad Asad Jan ◽  
Muhammad Aaqib ◽  
Duhee Park

The behavior of laterally loaded pile groups is usually accessed by beam-on-nonlinear-Winkler-foundation (BNWF) approach employing various forms of empirically derived p-y curves and p-multipliers. Averaged p-multiplier for a particular pile group is termed as the group effect parameter. In practice, the p-y curve presented by the American Petroleum Institute (API) is most often utilized for piles in granular soils, although its shortcomings are recognized. In this study, we performed 3D finite element analysis to develop p-multipliers and group effect parameters for 3 × 3 to 5 × 5 vertically squared pile groups. The effect of the ratio of spacing to pile diameter (S/D), number of group piles, varying friction angle (φ), and pile fixity conditions on p-multipliers and group effect parameters are evaluated and quantified. Based on the simulation outcomes, a new functional form to calculate p-multipliers is proposed for pile groups. Extensive comparisons with the experimental measurements reveal that the calculated p-multipliers and group effect parameters are within the recorded range. Comparisons with two design guidelines which do not account for the pile fixity condition demonstrate that they overestimate the p-multipliers for fixed-head condition.


Author(s):  
Milan Paudel ◽  
Fook Fah Yap

E-scooters are a recent trend and are viewed as a sustainable solution to ease the first and last mile problem in modern transportation. However, an alarming rate of accidents, injuries, and fatalities have caused a significant setback for e-scooters. Many preventive measures and legislation have been put on the e-scooters, but the number of accidents and injuries has not reduced considerably. In this paper, the current design approach of e-scooters has been analyzed, and the most common range of design parameters have been identified. Thereafter, validated mathematical models have been used to quantify the performance of e-scooters and relate them with the safety aspects. Both standing and seated riders on e-scooters have been considered, and their influence on the dynamic performance has been analyzed and compared with the standard 26-in wheel reference safety bicycle. With more than 80% of the accidents and injuries occurring from falling or colliding with obstacles, this paper tries to correlate the dynamics of uncontrolled single-track vehicles with the safety performance of e-scooters. The self-stability, handling, and braking effect have been considered as major performance matrices. The analysis has shown that the current e-scooter designs are not as stable as the reference safety bicycle. Moreover, these e-scooters have been found unstable within the most common range of legislated riding velocity. The results corroborate with the general perception that the current designs of e-scooters are less stable, easy to lose control, twitchy, or wobbly to ride. Furthermore, the standing posture of the rider on the e-scooter has been found dangerous while braking to avoid any disturbances such as potholes or obstacles. Finally, the front steering design guidelines have been proposed to help modify the current design of e-scooters to improve the dynamic performance, hence the safety of the e-scooter riders and the surroundings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad H. Bokhari ◽  
Martin Berggren ◽  
Daniel Noreland ◽  
Eddie Wadbro

AbstractA subwoofer generates the lowest frequency range in loudspeaker systems. Subwoofers are used in audio systems for live concerts, movie theatres, home theatres, gaming consoles, cars, etc. During the last decades, numerical simulations have emerged as a cost- and time-efficient complement to traditional experiments in the design process of different products. The aim of this study is to reduce the computational time of simulating the average response for a given subwoofer design. To this end, we propose a hybrid 2D–3D model that reduces the computational time significantly compared to a full 3D model. The hybrid model describes the interaction between different subwoofer components as interacting modules whose acoustic properties can partly be pre-computed. This allows us to efficiently compute the performance of different subwoofer design layouts. The results of the hybrid model are validated against both a lumped element model and a full 3D model over a frequency band of interest. The hybrid model is found to be both accurate and computationally efficient.


Metals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 818
Author(s):  
Jonas Richter ◽  
Moritz Kuhtz ◽  
Andreas Hornig ◽  
Mohamed Harhash ◽  
Heinz Palkowski ◽  
...  

Metallic (M) and polymer (P) materials as layered hybrid metal-polymer-metal (MPM) sandwiches offer a wide range of applications by combining the advantages of both material classes. The interfaces between the materials have a considerable impact on the resulting mechanical properties of the composite and its structural performance. Besides the fact that the experimental methods to determine the properties of the single constituents are well established, the characterization of interface failure behavior between dissimilar materials is very challenging. In this study, a mixed numerical–experimental approach for the determination of the mode I energy release rate is investigated. Using the example of an interface between a steel (St) and a thermoplastic polyolefin (PP/PE), the process of specimen development, experimental parameter determination, and numerical calibration is presented. A modified design of the Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) is utilized to characterize the interlaminar properties and a tailored experimental setup is presented. For this, an inverse calibration method is used by employing numerical studies using cohesive elements and the explicit solver of LS-DYNA based on the force-displacement and crack propagation results.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Luciano Ombres ◽  
Salvatore Verre

In the paper, the bond between a composite strengthening system consisting of steel textiles embedded into an inorganic matrix (steel reinforced grout, SRG) and the concrete substrate, is investigated. An experimental investigation was carried out on medium density SRG specimens; direct shear tests were conducted on 20 specimens to analyze the effect of the bond length, and the age of the composite strip on the SRG-to-concrete bond behavior. In particular, the tests were conducted considering five bond length (100, 200, 250, 330, and 450 mm), and the composite strip’s age 14th, 21st, and 28th day after the bonding. Test results in the form of peak load, failure modes and, bond-slip diagrams were presented and discussed. A finite element model developed through commercial software to replicate the behavior of SRG strips, is also proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed numerical model was validated by the comparison between its predictions and experimental results.


1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 363-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia R. Stovin ◽  
Adrian J. Saul

Although storage tanks provide an effective means of reducing the magnitude and frequency of combined sewer overflow discharges, and thereby of alleviating urban watercourse pollution, poorly designed storage structures frequently suffer from maintenance problems arising from sedimentation. The development of design guidelines that optimise the self-cleansing operation of storage structures is clearly a priority for urban drainage research. This paper describes a system that has been developed to study sediment deposition in laboratory model-scale storage structures. The patterns of deposition resulting from a selection of flow regimes are described, and the need for time-varying and time series storm tests is highlighted. Sedimentation patterns are shown to predominantly depend on the flow field, and the critical bed shear stresses for deposition and erosion in the model situation are identified. Hence, the potential application of numerical models to the design problem is discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya A. Walvekar ◽  
Neil Paulson ◽  
Farshid Sadeghi ◽  
Nick Weinzapfel ◽  
Martin Correns ◽  
...  

Large bearings employed in wind turbine applications have half-contact widths that are usually greater than 1 mm. Previous numerical models developed to investigate rolling contact fatigue (RCF) require significant computational effort to study large rolling contacts. This work presents a new computationally efficient approach to investigate RCF life scatter and spall formation in large bearings. The modeling approach incorporates damage mechanics constitutive relations in the finite element (FE) model to capture fatigue damage. It utilizes Voronoi tessellation to account for variability occurring due to the randomness in the material microstructure. However, to make the model computationally efficient, a Delaunay triangle mesh was used in the FE model to compute stresses during a rolling contact pass. The stresses were then mapped onto the Voronoi domain to evaluate the fatigue damage that leads to the formation of surface spall. The Delaunay triangle mesh was dynamically refined around the damaged elements to capture the stress concentration accurately. The new approach was validated against previous numerical model for small rolling contacts. The scatter in the RCF lives and the progression of fatigue spalling for large bearings obtained from the model show good agreement with experimental results available in the open literature. The ratio of L10 lives for different sized bearings computed from the model correlates well with the formula derived from the basic life rating for radial roller bearing as per ISO 281. The model was then extended to study the effect of initial internal voids on RCF life. It was found that for the same initial void density, the L10 life decreases with the increase in the bearing size.


1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-146
Author(s):  
G. Umasankar ◽  
C. R. Mischke

A simple method of computing the effect of a dimensional change at a particular element of a stepped shaft on two bearings, on bending deflections, and on slopes of the neutral axis at any of the nodes of interest is presented. The changes in deflection and slope of the neutral axis are derived as incremental quantities and as functions of the dimension change and the prior deflections and slopes of the neutral axis of the shaft. For shaft synthesis, the implications are that one can begin with a uniform diameter bar subjected to the loading and make a complete deflection analysis with superposed closed-form relations. Then the geometry can be modified element by element and the deflectional changes easily updated. This is computationally efficient. Further, deflections and deflection changes computed using the proposed method are identical to those obtained using a finite beam element model of the shaft.


Author(s):  
David Marten ◽  
Alessandro Bianchini ◽  
Georgios Pechlivanoglou ◽  
Francesco Balduzzi ◽  
Christian Navid Nayeri ◽  
...  

Interest in vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) is experiencing a renaissance after most major research projects came to a standstill in the mid 90’s, in favour of conventional horizontal-axis turbines (HAWTs). Nowadays, the inherent advantages of the VAWT concept, especially in the Darrieus configuration, may outweigh their disadvantages in specific applications, like the urban context or floating platforms. To enable these concepts further, efficient, accurate, and robust aerodynamic prediction tools and design guidelines are needed for VAWTs, for which low-order simulation methods have not reached yet a maturity comparable to that of the Blade Element Momentum Theory for HAWTs’ applications. The two computationally efficient methods that are presently capable of capturing the unsteady aerodynamics of Darrieus turbines are the Double Multiple Streamtubes (DMS) Theory, based on momentum balances, and the Lifting Line Theory (LLT) coupled to a free vortex wake model. Both methods make use of tabulated lift and drag coefficients to compute the blade forces. Since the incidence angles range experienced by a VAWT blade is much wider than that of a HAWT blade, the accuracy of polars in describing the stall region and the transition towards the “thin plate like” behaviour has a large effect on simulation results. This paper will demonstrate the importance of stall and post-stall data handling in the performance estimation of Darrieus VAWTs. Using validated CFD simulations as a baseline, comparisons are provided for a blade in VAWT-like motion based on a DMS and a LLT code employing three sets of post-stall data obtained from a wind tunnel campaign, XFoil predictions extrapolated with the Viterna-Corrigan model and a combination of them. The polar extrapolation influence on quasi-steady operating conditions is shown and azimuthal variations of thrust and torque are compared for exemplary tip-speed ratios (TSRs). In addition, the major relevance of a proper dynamic stall model into both simulation methods is highlighted and discussed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document