Open Access

Due to the high damping mechanical properties of fiberboard materials, corrugated fiberboard boxes are widely used as transport packagings of dangerous goods. Since there is risk of vertical impact within the distribution system, drop tests are performed as design type tests to assess a package’s ability to withstand damage. In this context, however, little is known regarding the transient mechanical response of a filled fiberboard box. The reason is that the nature of the packaging material presents challenges in identifying the deformation mechanisms experimentally. The aim of this work is to provide a framework for predicting the damage resistance of complete, filled corrugated fiberboard boxes which are ready for transportation. Therein, drop test finite-element simulations are used and validated by experimental results. These numerical calculation models are a valuable tool for virtual product development and contribute to the optimization of the design cycle.

Bending beams and slabs are typical examples for structural elements used for reinforced concrete structures such as bridge girders, T-beams and bridge decks. Their strength related failure modes at maximum loading can be divided into bending and shear failure. The failure of beams loaded in bending can occur with or without indication. Therefore, conventional design concepts aim on failure modes with sufficient indication (e.g. large deflections or cracks), as it occurs in the case of secondary flexural compression failure. These indicating factors can also be used for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of civil infrastructure systems (e.g. bridges) to identify structural changes. In this context, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods offer different techniques for measuring deflections or crack formation and opening. However, profound knowledge on the determining failure modes of bending beams and their detection by NDT methods is required for the reliable application of SHM. Different NDT methods have been used in this study for analysing the load-bearing behaviour of a reinforced concrete beam in bending. The different measuring techniques are briefly described and their applicability is discussed by means of experimental results. For this purpose, the load-bearing behaviour of a reinforced concrete beam having a span of 2.75 m was investigated in a four-point bending flexural test at laboratory scale. The focus is on the characterization of determining failure modes by optical NDT and the comparison with classical measuring techniques (e.g. deformation measurements by displacement transducers). The bending beam was equipped with two single-mode (SM) sensor fibres. One fibre served as Distributed Optical Fibre Sensor (DOFS), whereas the other fibre contained Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. In addition, optical deformation measurements using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Stereophotogrammetry (SP) were conducted.

The performance of shock absorbers has been tested in specific regulatory drop tests onto an unyielding target at the BAM drop test facility. Optical surface digitisation methods have been used to measure, analyse and evaluate permanent deformations of shock absorbers more systematically. The measurement principle of the used fringe projection technique and its technical application to shock absorber investigations is explained in detail. Furthermore, examples of shock absorber testing results as well as final data visualisation are given in the present paper.

Ein stereo-fotogrammetrisches Messverfahren wurde zur quantitativen Analyse der Bewegungssignale eines elektrischen Multi-Sensorsystems eingesetzt. Der Vergleich von Weg- und Winkel-Zeitverläufen zeigte bereits eine recht gute Übereinstimmung, verdeutlichte jedoch auch die Notwendigkeit einer weiterzuentwickelnden Kalibriermethodik. Die Stereo-Videogrammetrie hat sich als Referenzverfahren zur Analyse und Validierung dreidimensional ausgelegter elektrischer Bewegungssensorik für den Nahbereich bewährt.

Containers for interim storage and final disposalof radioactive material (RAM) have to meet certain requirements regarding mechanical stability and integrity. The assessment procedure applied by BAM is based on a series of full-scale drop tests with different drop heights and Container Orientations. In parallel dynamic FEM calculations are performed. The Container behaviour is monitored during the drop test by a large number of simultaneously triggered biaxial electrical strain gauges and uniaxial accelerometers in order to measure local strains at selected positions and to determine the kinematic behaviour and Orientation of the Container during the impact. Within a research project a dynamic Stereo photogrammetry approach was applied in a high-speed camera configuration to investigate the kinematic rigid body behaviour, relative local movements of the Container or its structural parts in 3D, respectively. In the following the results of this approach are presented. A comprehensive description how to use optica) methods in drop tests can be found in.