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In structural parts under vibrational loading fatigue cracks can initiate and grow, which can lead to structural failure. Conventional non-destructive testing methods for crack detection provide just a snapshot of fatigue crack evolution, whereas crack luminescence coating realizes clear visibility of the entire crack formation. Fatigue causing cyclic tensile tests and examinations on special test bodies allowing control of the crack opening width demonstrate a high sensitivity of the coating.
Repair is an indispensable part of the maintenance of structures over their lifetimes. Structural grouting is a widely used remediation technique for concrete components, trenches, mine subsidence, dam joints, restoration of masonry structures, and geological stabilizations. A structural grout system should be injectable in narrow spaces and hence include ingredients with finer particles. Ultrafine cements are ideal for these type of demanding grouts due to their superior properties compared to that of the less expensive, but coarser ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are often used to replace OPC clinker based binder in order to modify certain properties and to reduce costs. The most commonly used SCMs are fly ash (FA), and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). For various special applications microsilica (MS), and metakaolin (MK) are also used. Identifying the optimum replacement contents of OPC by SCMs are a challenge during the design of such grouts. The aim of this experimental study is to investigate the effect of the selected SCMs (FA, MS and MK) on the slump flow, time of efflux, viscosity, shrinkage, and compressive and flexural strength of ultrafine cement based grouts with constant water-binder ratio and superplasticizer content. The test program was formulated using Box-Behnken design principles. Maximum percentages of replacement with ultrafine cement was 6% by volume of cement for MS and 16% for FA, and MK. The results suggest that most investigated grouts have the potential to be used for structural applications. The appropriate quadratic models are then formulated through statistical tools and presented as response surfaces. The trends indicate that fly ash improves the rheological properties, whereas microsilica and metakaolin positively affect shrinkage and mechanical properties to some extent. Based on the influence of SCMs and priorities among the properties, Decision Matrix Analysis (DMA) is carried out to select the most suitable ones among the SCMs. The analysis suggests that microsilica and fly ash are more suitable as SCMs than metakaolin without affecting the properties.
This work describes a vibration-based structural health monitoring of a prestressed-concrete box girder bridge on the A100 Highway in Berlin by applying statistical pattern recognition technique to a huge amount of data continuously collected by an integrated monitoring system during the period from 2000 to 2013. Firstly, the general condition and potential damage of the bridge is described. Then, the dynamic properties are extracted from 20 velocity sensors. Environmental variability captured by five thermal transducers and traffic intensity approximately estimated by strain measurements are also reported. Nonlinear influences of temperature on natural frequencies are observed. Subsequently, the measurements during the first year are used to build a baseline health index. The multiple linear regression (MLR) method is used to characterize the nonlinear relationship between natural frequencies and temperatures. The Euclidean distance of the residual errors is calculated to build a statistical health index. Finally, the indices extracted from the following years gradually deviate; which may indicate structural deterioration due to loss of prestress in the prestressed tendons.
Bei Monopfahlgründungen von Offshore-Windenergieanlagen wird die Verbindung zwischen Monopfahl und Übergangsstück als geschraubter Ringflansch ausgeführt. Die zunehmende Leistungsfähigkeit der Windenergieanlagen führt zu immer größeren Schnittgrößen in diesem Anschluss. In der Folge erhöhen sich nicht nur die Querschnittsabmessungen, sondern es kommen auch zunehmend größere Schrauben zum Einsatz. Da die einschlägigen Regelwerke zur Bemessung dieser Verbindungen nicht für Schrauben der Größen M64 oder M72 konzipiert wurden, stellt sich die Frage der Übertragbarkeit auf solche Anwendungsfälle.
Im Rahmen des Aufsatzes werden Einflüsse diskutiert, die eine Herabsetzung der Schraubentragfähigkeit verursachen könnten. Diese Einflüsse, vornehmlich geometrische Imperfektionen, werden systematisch untersucht und ergänzend in praxisrelevanten Beispielen bewertet. Die somit gewonnenen Erkenntnisse werden für die abschließende Beurteilung der großen Schrauben in Ringflanschverbindungen herangezogen.
Cerro do Jarau is a conspicuous, circular morpho‐structural feature in Rio Grande do Sul State (Brazil), with a central elevated core in the otherwise flat “Pampas” terrain typical for the border regions between Brazil and Uruguay. The structure has a diameter of approximately 13.5 km. It is centered at 30o12′S and 56o32′W and was formed on basaltic flows of the Cretaceous Serra Geral Formation, which is part of the Paraná‐Etendeka Large Igneous Province (LIP), and in sandstones of the Botucatu and Guará formations. The structure was first spotted on aerial photographs in the 1960s. Ever since, its origin has been debated, sometimes in terms of an endogenous (igneous) origin, sometimes as the result of an exogenous (meteorite impact) event. In recent years, a number of studies have been conducted in order to investigate its nature and origin. Although the results have indicated a possible impact origin, no conclusive evidence could be produced. The interpretation of an impact origin was mostly based on the morphological characteristics of the structure; geophysical data; as well as the occurrence of different breccia types; extensive deformation/silicification of the rocks within the structure, in particular the sandstones; and also on the widespread occurrence of low‐pressure deformation features, including some planar fractures (PFs). A detailed optical microscopic analysis of samples collected during a number of field campaigns since 2007 resulted in the disclosure of a large number of quartz grains from sandstone and monomict arenite breccia from the central part of the structure with PFs and feather features (FFs), as well as a number of quartz grains exhibiting planar deformation features (PDFs). While most of these latter grains only carry a single set of PDFs, we have observed several with two sets, and one grain with three sets of PDFs. Consequently, we here propose Cerro do Jarau as the seventh confirmed impact structure in Brazil. Cerro do Jarau, together with Vargeão Dome (Santa Catalina state) and Vista Alegre (Paraná State), is one of very few impact structures on Earth formed in basaltic rocks.
Automated modal analysis for tracking structural change during construction and operation phases
(2019)
The automated modal analysis (AMA) technique has attracted significant interest over the last few years, because it can track variations in modal parameters and has the potential to detect structural changes. In this paper, an improved density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) is introduced to clean the abnormal poles in a stabilization diagram. Moreover, the optimal system model order is also discussed to obtain more stable poles. A numerical Simulation and a full-scale experiment of an arch bridge are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Subsequently, the continuous dynamic monitoring system of the bridge and the proposed algorithm are implemented to track the structural changes during the construction phase. Finally, the artificial neural network (ANN) is used to remove the temperature effect on modal frequencies so that a health index can be constructed under operational conditions.
A combined finite-element boundary-element method for the dynamic interaction of the soil with flexible structures such as single piles or complete wind energy towers has been developed. Flexible piles in different soils are analysed in frequency domain. The different parameters such as the stiffness of the soil, the bending stiffness and the radius of the hollow pile are analysed for their influence on the complex compliances. The results have been determined as specific power laws which are different for the different load cases (horizontal, rocking, coupling) and for the different soil models (Winkler, continuum with constant, root-parabolic and proportional-linear stiffness variation). The strongest influence of the soil stiffness can be found for the homogeneous soil and the horizontal component. Winkler soils have a weaker influence than the corresponding continuous soils. An offshore wind energy tower has been modeled and calculated for wind and wave loads.
Within the presented research project, experimental and numerical investigations were performed to develop a thin-shelled, modular, mobile element system made of a micro-reinforced ultra-high-performance ductile concrete (DUCON®). Material parameters were experimentally determined to adapt the material model within the numerical analysis applying the Drucker-Prager relationship. Afterwards, for validation of the numerical models, quasi-static and high-velocity impact tests were performed on plate-like structures. Finally, a suitable geometry of transportable barrier elements will be designed, which provides a maximum of resistance against impact by a minimum of weight and a maximum of mobility.
Damage detection and localization in civil or mechanical structures is a subject of active development and research. A few vibration‐based methods have been developed so far, requiring, for example, modal parameter estimates in the reference and damaged states of the investigated structure, and for localization in addition a finite element model. For structures in operation, temperature has been shown to be a major nuisance to the efficiency of such methods because the modal parameters are varying not only with damage but also due to temperature variations. For detection, a few rejection approaches have been developed. Besides the increased complexity, environmental variation is hardly taken into account in localization approaches. In this paper, we propose a sensitivity‐based correction of the identified modal parameters in the damaged state with respect to the temperature field in the reference state, on the basis of a sensitivity analysis with respect to temperature dependent Parameters of the finite element model in the reference state. The approach is then applied to the stochastic dynamic damage locating vector method, where its improved performance under nonuniform temperature variations is shown in a numerical application on a beam.
Grouts have numerous applications in construction industry such as joint sealing, structural repair, and connections in precast elements. They are particularly favoured in rehabilitation of structures due to penetrability and convenience of application. Grouts for repair applications typically require high-performance properties such as rapid strength development and superior shrinkage characteristics. Sometimes industrial by-products referred as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) are used with neat cement due to their capabilities to provide binding properties at delayed stage. Micro silica, fly ash and metakaolin are such SCMs, those can modify and improve properties of cement products. This study aims at investigating long-term mass loss and linear shrinkage along with long-term compressive and flexural strength for grouts produced from ultrafine cement and SCMs. A series of mixtures were formulated to observe the effect of SCMs on these grout properties. Properties were determined after 365 days of curing at 23oC and 55% relative humidity. The effect of SCMs on the properties are characterised by statistical models. Response surfaces were constructed to quantify these properties in relation to SCMs replacement. The results suggested that shrinkage was reduced by metakaolin, while micro silica and fly ash had positive effects on compressive and flexural strength, respectively.
Three measurement campaigns of train-induced ground vibrations are evaluated for the vehicle-track-soil interaction. Ground vibrations, track vibrations and vehicle vibrations have been measured for train passages and impulse excitation and compared with theoretical results.
The soil and the track-soil system are calculated by wavenumber integrals. The influence of the vehicle is introduced by a substructure method. By comparing theory and measurement the different components of excitation force and ground vibration can be analysed, the quasi-static excitation, track-alignment errors, the out-of-roundness of wheels, the wheel and rail roughness, and moreover, scattered axle impulses and ineffective high-frequency parts of the wheelset accelerations and forces.
The surface erosion of soil samples caused by an impinging jet can be analyzed using the jet erosion test (JET), a standard experimental test to characterize the erosion resistance of soils. This paper specifically addresses the flow characteristics of a laminar impinging jet over the irregular surface of granular beds to discuss the pertinence and relevance of commonly used empirical estimations based on a selfsimilar model of a free jet. The JET is here investigated at the microscale with a coupled fluid-particle flow numerical odel featuring the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for the fluid phase combined with the discrete element method (DEM) for the mechanical behavior of the solid particles. The hydrodynamics of a laminar plane free jet are confronted with the results from a parametric study of jet impingement, both on solid smooth and fixed granular surfaces, that take into account variations in particle size, distance from jet origin, and jet Reynolds number. The flow characteristics at the bed surface are here quantified, including the maximal values in tangential velocity and wall shear stress, which can be regarded as the major cause of particle detachments under hydrodynamic solicitation. It is shown that the maximal velocity at the impinged surface can be described by the free jet self-similar model, provided that a simple empirical coefficient is introduced. Further, an expression is proposed for the maximal shear stress in laminar conditions, including a Blasius-like friction coefficient that is inversely proportional to the square root of the jet Reynolds number. To conclude, finally, the JET erosion of different cohesionless granular samples is analyzed, confirming that the threshold condition at the onset of granular motion is consistent with the Shields diagram and in close agreement with previous experimental results.
Reliability analysis of deteriorating structural systems requires the solution of time-variant reliability problems.
In the general case, both the capacity of and the loads on the structure vary with time. This analysis can be approached by approximation through a series of time-invariant reliability problems, which is a potentially effective strategy for cases where direct solutions of the time-variant reliability problem are challenging, e.g. for structural systems with many elements or arbitrary load processes. In this contribution, we thoroughly Review the formulation of the equivalent time-invariant reliability problems and extend this approximation to structures for which inspection and monitoring data is available. Thereafter, we present methods for efficiently evaluating the reliability over time. In particular, we propose the combination of sampling-based methods with a FORM (first-order reliability method) approximation of the series system reliability problem that arises in the computation of the lifetime reliability. The framework and algorithms are demonstrated on a set of numerical examples, which include the computation of the reliability conditional on inspection data.
Due to the wide range of applications, the easy production and the large field of use, reinforced concrete (RC) is a widespread building material. This variety of applications is reflected in a wide range of physical material properties. Not only therefor it still is a technical challenge to provide all necessary test conditions for experimentally reproducing dynamic effects under impact loading of RC structures. In this paper we present investigations on the thicknesses of RC plates under low and medium high velocity impact loading by a flat-tipped impactor. The planar tomography setup at BAM is used to visualize the impact damage and to characterize the damage features such as cracks, scabbing and spalling. Further, the comparison of tomography results with those of an applied numeric simulation analysis is used to verify the numeric models for future damage prognosis under impact loading. Using the results of both, the tomographic as well as the FE analysis, different damage features were investigated and compared regarding their validity. Crack damage plays a leading part and the significance of summarized crack values as well as their distribution is analyzed. The total damage value but also the determined damage distribution both provide an input for describing damage as a function of the impactor velocity and plate thickness.
Planar tomography and numerical analysis for damage characterization of impact loaded RC plates
(2020)
The damage analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) is of high interest for reasons of effective maintenance and structural safe-ty of buildings. The damage structures of RC plates loaded by an impact were investigated, applying X-ray planar tomogra-phy and finite element method (FEM). Planar tomography allows getting three-dimensional information of the RC elements and the damage including crack, spalling and scabbing. The FEM model validated on the tomography data justifies the appli-cation for further predictions of the damage description. In this study, we investigated concrete plates of three different thick-ness subjected to impacts at different low- and medium-velocity, whereby the used impactor had a flat tip, which resulted in small penetrations on the front side and scabbing on the rear side. In order to quantify the damage, the damage volume and its distribution through the plate were computed and the correlations between degree of damage and impact velocity were found out.
This article deals with two topics of vehicle-track-soil interaction, the mitigation of railway induced ground vibration by soft track elements, and the identification of track damage. Theoretical results have been achieved by a combined finite-element boundary-element method (FEBEM). The theoretical results are confronted with measurements at four sites. Improved mitigation effects have been found for soft rail pads under heavy sleepers. The insertion loss, however, can be too optimistic if a strong vehicle track resonance occurs for the un-isolated reference track. Two measurement sites show this strong vehicle-track resonance at about 80 Hz, which has been approximated by using the results of a wide parameter study including the rail pad, ballast, and soil stiffness, as well as the ballast model and the soil layering. – The detection of slab track damage is mainly based on the differences of the receptance or compliance functions. Theoretical results have been confirmed by measurements at one site where a loss of contact between track plate and base layer was visible. Measurements at a second site with a hidden damage have been compared with the theoretical results of a loose sleeper. The differences between intact (or repaired) and damaged tracks are strong enough to encourage the further development of this method for the identification of track damages.
Classic non-destructive fatigue crack detection methods reveal the state of the fatigue damage evolution at the moment of application, generally not under operational conditions. The here introduced crack luminescence method realizes a clear visibility of the occurred and growing crack in loaded components during operation. Different established experiments show that due to the sensitive coating a crack Formation can be detected even in early stage under the premise the crack reached the surface. The coating consists of two layers with different properties and functions. The bottom layer emits light as fluorescence under UV radiation. The top layer covers the fluorescing one and prevents the emitting of light in case of no damage at the surface. In case of surface crack occurrence, the luminescent light is clearly noticeable by visual observations and also by standard camera equipment which makes automated crack detection possible as well. It is expected that crack luminescence can increase structural safety as well as reduce costs and time for inspections and preventive maintenance.
A strain-based automated operational modal analysis algorithm is proposed to track the long-term dynamic behavior of a horizontal wind turbine under operational conditions.
This algorithm is firstly validated by a scaled wind turbine model, and then it is applied to the dynamic strain responses recorded from a 5 MW wind turbine system. We observed variations in the fundamental frequency and 1f, 3f excitation frequencies due to the mass imbalance of the blades and aerodynamic excitation by the tower dam or tower wake. Inspection of the Campbell diagram revealed that the adverse resonance phenomenon and Sommerfeld effect causing excessive vibrations of the wind tower.
A simple and fast prediction scheme is presented for train induced ground and building vibrations. Simple models such as (1-dimensional) transfer matrices are used for the vehicle-track-soil interaction and for the building-soil interaction. The wave propagation through layered soils is approximated by a frequency-dependent homogeneous half-space. The prediction is divided into the parts “emission” (excitation by railway traffic), “transmission” (wave propagation through the soil) and “immission” (transfer into a building). The link between the modules is made by the excitation force between emission and transmission, and by the free-field vibration between transmission and immission. All formula for the simple vehicle-track, soil and building models are given in this article. The behaviour of the models is demonstrated by typical examples, that is the mitigation of train vibrations by elastic track elements, the low- and high-frequency cut-offs characteristic for layered soils, and the interacting soil, wall and floor resonances of multi-storey buildings. It is shown that the results of the simple prediction models can well represent the behaviour of the more time-consuming detailed models, the finite-element boundary-element models of the track, the wavenumber integrals for the soil, and the three-dimensional finite-element models of the building. In addition, measurement examples are given for each part of the prediction confirming that the methods provide reasonable results. As the prediction models are fast in calculation, many predictions can be done, for example to assess the environmental effect along a new railway line. The simple models have the additional advantage that the user needs to know only a minimum of parameters. So, the prediction is fast and user-friendly, but also theoretically and experimentally well-founded.
Today, short- and long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) of bridge infrastructures and their safe, reliable and cost-effective maintenance has received considerable attention. From a surveying or civil engineer’s point of view, vibration-based SHM can be conducted by inspecting the changes in the global dynamic behaviour of a structure, such as natural frequencies (i. e. eigenfrequencies), mode shapes (i. e. eigenforms) and modal damping, which are known as modal parameters. This research work aims to propose a robust and automatic vibration analysis procedure that is so-called robust time domain modal parameter identification (RT-MPI) technique. It is novel in the sense of automatic and reliable identification of initial eigenfrequencies even closely spaced ones as well as robustly and accurately estimating the modal parameters of a bridge structure using low numbers of cost-effective micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers. To estimate amplitude, frequency, phase shift and damping ratio coefficients, an observation model consisting of: (1) a damped harmonic oscillation model, (2) an autoregressive model of coloured measurement noise and (3) a stochastic model in the form of the heavy-tailed family of scaled t-distributions is employed and jointly adjusted by means of a generalised expectation maximisation algorithm. Multiple MEMS as part of a geo-sensor network were mounted at different positions of a bridge structure which is precalculated by means of a finite element model (FEM) analysis. At the end, the estimated eigenfrequencies and eigenforms are compared and validated by the estimated parameters obtained from acceleration measurements of high-end accelerometers of type PCB ICP quartz, velocity measurements from a geophone and the FEM analysis. Additionally, the estimated eigenfrequencies and modal damping are compared with a well-known covariance driven stochastic subspace identification approach, which reveals the superiority of our proposed approach. We performed an experiment in two case studies with simulated data and real applications of a footbridge structure and a synthetic bridge. The results show that MEMS accelerometers are suitable for detecting all occurring eigenfrequencies depending on a sampling frequency specified. Moreover, the vibration analysis procedure demonstrates that amplitudes can be estimated in submillimetre range accuracy, frequencies with an accuracy better than 0.1 Hz and damping ratio coefficients with an accuracy better than 0.1 and 0.2 % for modal and system damping, respectively.
This contribution intends to give an overview on the vibration behaviour of slab tracks in comparison of measurements and calculations and also by comparison of different track types at more than ten different measuring sites.
In theory, tracks on continuous soil are calculated by the frequency-wavenumber domain method. In experiment, geophone measurements are transformed to displacement results. Two aspects of track behaviour are considered, the frequency-dependant compliance of the track, measured by hammer impact, and the deflection under a passing axle load. In theory, the response to a single axle can be calculated, whereas in experiment, only the passage of the whole train can be measured. For comparison of theory and experiment, the calculated deflection under a single axle is superposed to get the response of the whole train. As a result, the slab track characteristics are completely different from the ballast track characteristics where each axle can be seen in the time histories. The slab track has a more global behaviour where only a whole bogie can be found in the track response and moreover, the two neighbouring bogies are not completely separated. The measurement of the different track elements (rail, sleeper, track plate, base layer) and the frequency-dependant compliances with possible resonances yield further information About the properties of the track elements. The calculations show that the soil has the dominant influence on the amplitudes and the width of the track-plate displacements. In the measurement results, the following
parameters are analysed: slab track vs. ballast track, different types of slab tracks, damaged slab tracks, different trains, switches at different measuring points, voided sleepers, an elastic layer, the mortar layer, and different soils at different places. Finally, a good agreement between measured and calculated results is found for the normal and some special (damaged, floating) slab tracks.
The erosion of natural sediments by a superficial fluid flow is a generic situation in many usual geological or industrial contexts. However, there is still a lack of fundamental knowledge about erosional processes, especially concerning the role of internal cohesion and adhesive stresses on issues such as the critical flow conditions for the erosion onset or the kinetics of soil mass loss. This contribution investigates the influence of cohesion on the surface erosion by an impinging jet flow based on laboratory tests with artificially bonded granular materials. The model samples are made of spherical glass beads bonded either by solid bridges made of resin or by liquid bridges made of a highly viscous oil. To quantify the intergranular cohesion, the capillary forces of the liquid bridges are here estimated by measuring their main geometrical parameters with image-processing techniques and using well-known analytical expressions. For the solid bonds, the adhesive strength of the materials is estimated by direct measurement of the yield tensile forces and stresses at the particle and sample scales, respectively, with specific traction tests developed for this purpose. The proper erosion tests are then carried out in an optically adapted device that permits a direct visualization of the scouring process at the jet apex by means of the refractive index matching technique. On this basis, the article examines qualitatively the kinetics of the scour crater excavation for both scenarios, namely, for an intergranular cohesion induced by either liquid or solid bonds. From a quantitative perspective, the critical condition for the erosion onset is discussed specifically for the case of the solid bond cohesion. In this respect, we propose here a generalized form of the Shields criterion based on a common definition of a cohesion number from yield tensile values, derived at both micro- and macroscales. The article finally shows that the proposed form manages to reconcile the experimental data for cohesive and cohesionless materials, the latter in the form of the so-called Shields curve along with some previous results of the authors which have been appropriately revisited.
This paper proposes a novel method to estimate the lateral displacement of high-rise structures under wind loads. The coefficient β(x) is firstly derived, reflecting the relation between the structural lateral dynamic displacement and the inclination angle at the height x of a structure. If the angle is small, it is the ratio between the structural fundamental mode shape and its first-order derivative without influence of external loads. Several dynamic experiments of structures are performed based on a laser remote sensing vibrometer and an inclinometer, which shows that the fundamental mode is dominated in the structural displacement response under different types of excitations. Once the coefficient β(x) is curve-fitted by measuring both the structural lateral dynamic displacement and the inclination angle synchronously, the real-time structural lateral displacement under operational conditions is estimated by multiplying the coefficient β(x) with the inclination angle. The advantage of the proposed method is that the coefficient β(x) can be identified by lateral dynamic displacement measured in high resolution by the remote sensing vibrometer, which is useful to reconstruct the displacement accurately by the inclination angle under operational conditions
This article deals with the relevance and practical feasibility of micromechanical simulations for their application to general geomechanical problems involving fluid-saturated granular assemblies, whether frictional or cohesive. A set of conceptual and numerical tools is here presented, advocating for a parallel computation using graphical processing units (GPUs) to treat large numbers of degrees of freedom with conventional Desktop computers. The fluid phase is here simulated with a particle-resolved approach in the frame of the Lattice Botzmann Method (LBM) while the granular solid phase is modelled as a collection of discrete particles from a Molecular Dynamics DEM perspective. The range of possible material behaviours for the solid granular phase is intended here to cover a broad spectrum from purely frictional to viscous cohesive materials with either brittle or transient debonding features. Specific details of the implementation and some validation cases are put forward.
Finally, some exemplary applications in the fields of soil erosion and geotechnical profile installation are provided along with a discussion on the parallel performance of the presented models. The results show that a micromechanical approach can be feasible and useful in practice, providing meaningful insights into complex engineering problems like the erosion kinetics of a soil under an impinging jet or the penetration resistance of a deep foundation in a layered soil profile.
The train passages over intact or damaged slab tracks on different soils have been calculated by the finite-element boundary-element or the wavenumber-domain method. The influence of track and soil parameters on the distribution of the track displacements and the soil forces has been analysed. The measured and calculated displacement time histories of train passages could be used to identify track damages such as lose sleepers or a lose track plate. The time histories and spectra of the soil forces can explain the measured ground vibration reduction of slab tracks. The calculated displacement and force distributions of slab tracks on continuous soils do not fulfil the Winkler hypothesis and Winkler models should not be used for track analysis.
The dynamic behaviour of slab and ballast tracks has been investigated by measurements and calculations. Hammer impacts and train passages have been analysed. Measurements have been performed by geophones (velocity transducers) which have been time-integrated to displacements. The calculations are done in frequency-wavenumber domain for multi-beam-on-continuous soil models. The characteristics of the different tracks and track elements have been established in theory and experiment. The frequency-dependent compliances (displacement transfer functions) show clear rail-on-rail-pad resonances or highly damped track-soil resonances. Compared to the rail and sleeper, the track plate has much lower amplitudes. The slab track has usually the highest rail amplitudes due to soft rail pads. The train passage yields track displacements which are a superposition of the axle loads from the two neighbouring axles of a bogie and from the two bogies of two neighbouring carriages. This global behaviour is characteristic for the track plate of the slab track whereas the rails of the slab and the ballast track behave more local with only one bogie of influence. The measurements agree very well with the theory of the continuous soil in case of the six measured slab tracks and acceptably well for the six measured ballast tracks. The measurements allow to find appropriate model parameters and to check the models, for example the Winkler model of the soil has been found less appropriate as it reacts more locally.
Grouted connections are intensively used in offshore rigs, platforms as well as jacket and monopile offshore wind turbine structures. Being located in remote offshore conditions, these connections can experience considerable adverse loading during their lifetimes. Degradation was reported inside similar connections, which were installed in the last three decades. Grouting in the offshore sites may often be proven difficult, which eventually leads to reduced load-bearing capacity of connections in the long run. Thus, repair and rehabilitation of such connections should be planned ahead to minimize operational delays and costs. In this study, scaled grouted connections were manufactured using a novel mould, whose integrity were monitored using digital image correlation (DIC). The connections were loaded under static load to visualize the main failure pattern using distributed fibre optic sensors and acoustic emission (AE) analysis. Grouted connections were then repaired using a cementitious injectable grout. The effectiveness of the grout injection was monitored using dye penetration technique. Finally, specimens are reloaded to identify the potential of such repair for grouted connections.
Many measurements of train induced ground vibrations show high amplitudes for a certain mid-frequency range. This ground vibration component cannot be well explained by dynamic loads of the train. Many characteristics indicate that the axle impulses, which are scattered by an irregular soil, are the excitation. This new understanding of railway-induced ground vibration is verified by numerical analysis. The response of the regular homogeneous and irregular inhomogeneous soils has been calculated by the finite-element method in frequency domain. A specific superposition of the impulse responses has been invented including time shift, axle sequence, track filter and hanning filter. The superposition yields the quasi-static component of the ground vibration which is restricted to very low frequencies and to the close near-field of the track. In case of an irregular soil of which the stiffness varies randomly in space, the superposition yields a mid-frequency ground vibration component from the scattering of the axle impulses. The existence and the importance of this component can thus be demonstrated by the calculations. Some rules of the influence of distance, train speed, soil stiffness, strength and width of the stiffness variation have been derived from the calculations. Many measurements show the unique explanation of the mid-frequency ground vibration component by the scattered axle impulses.
In this article, the passage of different trains over different bridges will be studied for resonant excitation. The intensity of the resonance will be estimated in frequency domain by using three separated spectra. At first, the excitation spectrum of the modal forces is built by the mode shape and the passage time of the train over the bridge. The second spectrum is the frequency response function of the bridge which include the modal frequency, damping and mass. The third part is the spectrum of the axle sequence of the train. The influences of train speed, bridge length, bridge support, track irregularities, and train type on the resonance amplitudes will be analysed for each of these spectra separately for getting a better insight. A variety of axle-sequence spectra and corresponding rules will be presented for different vehicles and trains. As examples, the passage of a slow freight train over a long-span bridge, a normal passenger train over a medium-span bridge, and a high-speed train over a short bridge will be analysed. Corresponding measurements show the amplification, but also the cancellation of the subsequent axle responses. Namely in one of the measurement examples, the first mode of the bridge was amplified and the second mode was cancelled at a low speed of the train and vice versa at a higher speed.
Irregularities of the track are a main cause of train-induced ground vibration, and track maintenance is of great importance. Although geometric irregularities at the wheel-rail contact are widely used, other types of irregularities, such as stiffness irregularities, irregularities from different track positions and irregularities in the wave propagation, were analysed in the present study. The track behaviour was investigated by a multi-beam-on-soil model. This track model is coupled with a vehicle model to calculate the vehicle–track interaction. The track model was also used for the track filtering, which transfers a track support error to the equivalent rail irregularity or, conversely, the sharp axle pulse on the rail to a smoother pulse on the soil. In the case in which this filtering varies randomly along the track, the pulses of the moving static load induce a certain ground Vibration component (“the scatter of axle pulses”). This effect was calculated by the superposition of axle pulses in the frequency domain and by a stochastic simulation. Simultaneous vehicle, track and soil measurements at a certain site were used to evaluate the different excitation and ground Vibration components. The agreement between calculations and axle-box and soil measurements is good. The ground vibrations calculated from rail irregularities and corresponding dynamic loads, however, clearly underestimate the measured ground vibration amplitudes. Only the static load that is moving over a varying track support stiffness can produce the important mid-frequency ground Vibration component by the scatter of axle pulses.
Die moderne Gesellschaft in Deutschland und Europa profitiert von der hervorragenden baulichen Infrastruktur, die für uns viele Aspekte aus den Bereichen Mobilität, Energieversorgung, Transport, Umweltschutz, (Nah-)Erholung und Gefahrenabwehr zur Alltäglichkeit werden lassen und uns ein hohes Gefühl der technischen Sicherheit vermitteln. Viele der Annehmlichkeiten, wie beispielweise ein Hochgeschwindigkeitseisenbahnverkehrsnetz, zuverlässige Stromversorgung im europäischen Verbundsystem und ein immenser Personen-, Güter- und Warenverkehr auf der Straße, zu Wasser und in der Luft ist ohne eine leistungsfähige, resiliente und zuverlässige bauliche Infrastruktur undenkbar.
Aim of this study is to provide information about moisture dependent material behaviour of unstabilised loadbearing earth blocks and mortars. Compressive strength and Young’s modulus were investigated after conditioning in varying relative humidity reaching from 40 % up to 95 %. The material composition and physical properties were investigated to understand the influence of relative humidity onto the mechanical properties. A normalisation of strength and stiffness by the values obtained at 23 ◦C and 50 % relative humidity reveals a linear dependence of compressive strength and Young’s modulus that is regardless of the material composition.
Thus, it is possible to describe the influence of relative humidity onto the load-bearing behaviour of unstabilised earth masonry materials in a generally valid formulation.
The statistical subspace-based damage detection technique has shown promising theoretical and practical results for vibration-based structural health monitoring. It evaluates a subspacebased residual function with efficient hypothesis testing tools, and has the ability of detecting small changes in chosen system parameters. In the residual function, a Hankel matrix of Output covariances estimated from test data is confronted to its left null space associated to a reference model. The hypothesis test takes into account the covariance of the residual for decision making. Ideally, the reference model is assumed to be perfectly known without any uncertainty, which is not a realistic assumption. In practice, the left null space is usually estimated from a reference data set to avoid model errors in the residual computation. Then, the associated uncertainties may be non-negligible, in particular when the available reference data is of limited length. In this paper, it is investigated how the statistical distribution of the residual is affected when the reference null space is estimated. The asymptotic residual distribution is derived, where its refined covariance term considers also the uncertainty related to the reference null space estimate. The associated damage detection test closes a theoretical gap for real-world applications and leads to increased robustness of the method in practice. The importance of including the estimation uncertainty of the reference null space is shown in a numerical study
and on experimental data of a progressively damaged steel frame.
The fatigue process of concrete under compressive cyclic loading is still not completely explored. The corresponding damage processes within the material structure are especially not entirely investigated. The application of acoustic measurement methods enables a better insight into the processes of the fatigue in concrete. Normal strength concrete was investigated under compressive cyclic loading with regard to the fatigue process by using acoustic methods in combination with other nondestructive measurement methods. Acoustic emission and ultrasonic signal measurements were applied together with measurements of strains, elastic modulus, and static strength. It was possible to determine the anisotropic character of the fatigue damage caused by uniaxial loading based on the ultrasonic measurements. Furthermore, it was observed that the fatigue damage seems to consist not exclusively of load parallel oriented crack structures. Rather, crack structures perpendicular to the load as well as local compacting are likely components of the fatigue damage. Additionally, the ultrasonic velocity appears to be a good indicator for fatigue damage beside the elastic modulus. It can be concluded that acoustic methods allow an observation of the fatigue process in concrete and a better understanding, especially in combination with further measurement methods.
Die Infrastruktursysteme der Industriestaaten erfordern heute und in Zukunft ein effizientes Management bei alternder Bausubstanz, steigenden Lasten und gleichbleibend hohem Sicherheitsniveau. Digitale Technologien bieten ein großes Potenzial zur Bewältigung der aktuellen und künftigen Herausforderungen im Infrastrukturmanagement. Im BMBF-geförderten Projekt Bewertung alternder Infrastrukturbauwerke mit digitalen Technologien (AISTEC) wird untersucht, wie unterschiedliche Technologien und deren Verknüpfung gewinnbringend eingesetzt werden können. Am Beispiel der Maintalbrücke Gemünden werden ein sensorbasiertes Bauwerksmonitoring, bildbasierte Inspektion mit durch Kameras ausgestatteten Drohnen (UAS) und die Verknüpfung digitaler Bauwerksmodelle umgesetzt. Die aufgenommenen Bilder dienen u. a. als Grundlage für spätere visuelle Anomaliedetektionen und eine 3D-Rekonstruktion, welche wiederum für die Kalibrierung und Aktualisierung digitaler Tragwerksmodelle genutzt werden. Kontinuierlich erfasste Sensordaten werden ebenfalls zur Kalibrierung und Aktualisierung der Tragwerksmodelle herangezogen. Diese Modelle werden als Grundlage für Anomaliedetektionen und perspektivisch zur Umsetzung von Konzepten der prädiktiven Instandhaltung verwendet. Belastungsfahrten und historische Daten dienen in diesem Beitrag der Validierung von kalibrierten Tragwerksmodellen.
Structural health monitoring is a promising technology to automatically detect structural changes based on permanently installed sensors. Vibration-based methods that evaluate the global system response to ambient excitation are suited to diagnose changes in boundary conditions, i.e., changes in member prestress or imposed displacements. In this paper, these changes are evaluated based on sensitivity-based statistical tests, which are capable of detecting and localizing parametric structural changes. The main contribution is the analytical calculation of sensitivity vectors for changes in boundary conditions (i.e., changes in prestress or support conditions) based on stress stiffening, and the combination with a numerically efficient algorithm, i.e., Nelson’s method. One of the main advantages of the employed damage diagnosis algorithm is that, although it uses physical models for damage detection, it considers the uncertainty in the data-driven features, which enables a reliabilitybased approach to determine the probability of detection. Moreover, the algorithm can be trained and the probability of detecting future damages can be predicted based on data and a model from the undamaged structure,
in an unsupervised learning mode, making it particularly relevant for unique structures, where no data from the damaged state is available. For proof of concept, a numerical case study is presented. The study assesses the loss of prestress in a two-span reinforced concrete beam and showcases suitable validation approaches for the sensitivity calculation.
block and mortar types is analysed with particular regard to the influence of varying relative humidity. The uniaxial compressive strength and deformation characteristics of unstabilised earth blocks and mortars as well as of unstabilised earth block masonry are studied in detail and compared to conventional masonry to evaluate whether the structural design can be made accordingly. An increase of 30 % points in relative humidity leads to a reduction of the masonry´s compressive strength between 33 % and 35 % whereas the Young´s modulus is reduced by 24–29 %. However, the ratio between the Young´s modulus and the characteristic compressive strength of earth block masonry ranges between E33/fk = 283–583 but is largely independent of the relative humidity. The results show that the mechanical properties of the investigated unstabilised earth block masonry are sufficient for load-bearing structures, yielding a masonry compressive strength between 2.3 MPa and 3.7 MPa throughout the range of moisture contents
investigated. In general, the design concept of conventional masonry can be adapted for unstabilised earth masonry provided that the rather low Young´s modulus as well as the moisture dependence of both, compressive strength and Young´s modulus, are sufficiently taken into
account.
The train passages over intact or damaged slab tracks on different soils have been calculated by two methods. The finite element method (FEM) uses a Winkler soil under the track model by adding a thin “soil layer”. The combined finite element boundary element method has a continuous soil model which is included by the boundary element method. The basic results are the distributions of the track (rail, track plate, and base layer) displacements along the track for a single axle laod. These solutions are superposed to a complete train load and transformed to time histories. The influence of track and soil parameters has been analysed. The main interest is the influence of the track damage. A gap between track plate and base layer of different lengths has been studied for changes in amplitudes and widths of deflection. A best fit to measured track displacements has been found so that the track damage can be identified and quantified. The FEM model with Winkler soil cannot be fitted to the amplitude and width with the same soil parameters. Therefore, the FEBEM model is preferable for these railway track problems.
Train-induced ground vibrations are all generated by the vehicle, by static or dynamic vehicle loads. The most important and most accepted excitation are the dynamic wheel loads from the passage over track irregularities. Dynamic wheel loads will be compared from parallel axle-box and ground vibration measurements at more than seven sites. Some low-frequency excitation of ground vibrations, typically between 10 and 30 Hz, cannot be found in the axle-box measurements. Therefore, other vehicle modes, such as rigid bogie modes, flexible carriage modes, rigid and flexible wheelset modes, have been analysed for additional excitation forces. These vehicle dynamics analyses give an explanation for higher axle-box results at high frequencies, but not for the excitation of the higher low-frequency ground-vibration component. Finally, the effect of the moving static train loads will be analysed. For a regular track and soil, the moving static train loads yield the quasi-static response which exists only in the low-frequency nearfield of the track. If the support stiffness is randomly varying along the track, the pulses on the track generate an additional low-frequency component which is called the irregular pulse responses.
This component will be demonstrated by numerical analysis where all axle pulses are superposed in frequency domain.
The Perfectly Matched Layer (PML) method is an efficient approach to imposing radiation conditions at the bounded region of interest in case of wave propagation in unbounded domains. This paper presents and validates 3D FE/PML numerical schemes based on two different PML formulations for homogeneous and inhomogeneous geological media exhibiting discrete or continuous inhomogeneity. In the equation of motion for the PML domain the applied stretching behavior is expressed either as complex material properties or as complex coordinates. Both PML formulations are implemented in the FEM and verified against analytical solutions. Three different types of material inhomogeneity are considered: layered half-space, continuously inhomogeneous half-space with linear velocity profile and continuously inhomogeneous half-space with nonlinear velocity profile. Sensitivity analyses are conducted, and the performance of the developed numerical schemes is investigated taking into account a broad variation of the PML parameters. Recommendations are given for the optimal values of the PML parameters for the case of homogeneous and inhomogeneous geological media.
This paper presents an erosion interpretation of cohesive granular materials stressed by an impinging jet based on the results of a micromechanical simulation model. The numerical techniques are briefly described, relying on a two-dimensional Lattice Boltzmann Method coupled with a Discrete Element Methods including a simple model of solid intergranular cohesion.
These are then used to perform a parametric study of a planar jet in the laminar regime impinging the surface of granular samples with different degrees of cohesive strength. The results show the pertinence of using a generalized form of the Shields criterion for the quantification of the erosion threshold, which is valid for cohesionless samples, through empirical calibration, and also for cohesive ones. Furthermore, the scouring kinetics are analysed here from the perspective of a selfsimilar expansion of the eroded crater leading to the identification of a characteristic erosion time and the quantification of the classical erosion coefficient. However, the presented results also challenge the postulate of a local erosion law including erodibility parameters as intrinsic material properties. The paper then reviews the main limitations of the simulation and current interpretation models, and discusses the potential causes for the observed discrepancies, questioning the pertinence of using time-averaged macroscopic relations to correctly describe soil erosion. The paper concludes addressing this question with a complementary study of the presented simulations re-assessed at the particle-scale. The resulting local critical shear stress of single grains reveals a very wide dispersion of the data but nevertheless appears to confirm the general macroscopic trend derived for the cohesionless samples, while the introduction of cohesion implies a significant but systematic quantitative deviation between the microscopic and macroscopic estimates. Nevertheless, the micro data still shows consistently that the critical shear stress does actually vary approximately in linear proportion of the adhesive force.
The mechanical properties of unstabilised earthen building materials are distinctively influenced by changes in material moisture content. However, this moisture-dependency often remains unconsidered in the calculation of the load-bearing capacity of earth constructions. This paper aims to derive a convenient way to sufficiently consider the impact of different material moisture contents on the mechanical properties of unstabilised earth masonry. Therefore, the influence of relative humidity and temperature on the strength and deformation characteristics of unstabilised earth blocks, earth mortar and earth masonry is evaluated by conducting compression tests under various climate conditions. The results show that the compressive strength and the modulus of elasticity are linearly correlated with the relative humidity, whereas changes in temperature at constant relative humidity have no significant influence. To account the distinct moisture-dependency, a general applicable modification factor for unstabilised earthen materials is provided, which enables the adjustment of the compressive strength and the modulus of elasticity in dependency of arbitrary hygroscopic material moisture contents.
Ground vibrations near railway lines are generated by the forces that are acting between wheel and rail. It seems to be a straight forward assumption that the vehicle dynamics are important for the level and the frequencies of the excitation forces. Different vehicle dynamics phenomena are analysed for their role in the excitation of ground vibrations: rigid body modes of the bogies, elastic (bending) modes of the car body, and elastic modes of the wheelset. The theoretical analyses use rigid body models, simplified elastic models, and detailed elastic models. Some of these problems are vehicle–track interaction problems where 3D finite‑element boundary‑element models have been used for the track and soil. It is shown that the rigid or flexible vehicle modes are well in the frequency range of ground vibrations (4 to 100 Hz). They have an influence on the excitation force but the additional forces are rather small and can be neglected in ground vibration prediction. The theoretical results are checked by experimental results of a simultaneous measurement of vehicle,
track, and ground vibrations.
Messtechnische Systeme zur Dauerüberwachung von Bauwerken ermöglichen Einblicke in deren reale Trag- und Verformungsverhalten. Die Planung und technische Umsetzung solcher Maßnahmen erfordern für die erfolgreiche Erfüllung der Aufgabenstellungen eine hohe Fachkompetenz, sowohl auf der planerischen Seite, als auch für die fachliche Bewertung von angebotenen Monitoringlösungen. Als Hilfestellung dafür wurde von der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung (DGZfP) das Merkblatt „Dauerüberwachung von Ingenieurbauwerken“ erarbeitet, welches nun verfügbar ist. In diesem Beitrag werden die Inhalte des neuen Merkblatts vorgestellt und dieses in die vorhandene Literatur eingeordnet.
Using digital twins for decision making is a very promising concept which combines simulation models with corresponding experimental sensor data in order to support maintenance decisions or to investigate the reliability. The quality of the prognosis strongly depends on both the data quality and the quality of the digital twin. The latter comprises both the modeling assumptions as well as the correct parameters of these models. This article discusses the challenges when applying this concept to realmeasurement data for a demonstrator bridge in the lab, including the data management, the iterative development of the simulation model as well as the identification/updating procedure using Bayesian inference with a potentially large number of parameters. The investigated scenarios include both the iterative identification of the structural model parameters as well as scenarios related to a damage identification. In addition, the article aims at providing all models and data in a reproducibleway such that other researcher can use this setup to validate their methodologies.
We evaluate masked block-structured grids for ocean domains which allow to represent small-scale geometric features without resorting to very small blocks or excessive mesh resolution. The considered approach aims to combine the geometric flexibility of unstructured meshes with the computational efficiency of stencil-based discretizations and is implemented and tested in a quadrature-free discontinuous Galerkin shallow water solver. We investigate the accuracy and the computational performance of the scheme on a range of realistic ocean domains meshed with blocks of different size and provide some comparisons to results obtained on unmasked block-structured grids and unstructured meshes.
Brücken müssen laufend überwacht werden, damit die Unsicherheiten hinsichtlich ihres Zustands, ihrer Beanspruchung und ihrer Leistungsfähigkeit verringert werden können. Diese Aufgabe soll künftig mit digitalen Methoden erleichtert werden. Im folgenden Beitrag werden deshalb die digitale Bauwerksmodellierung und die Entscheidungsfindung beleuchtet. Dazu wird gezeigt, wie Zustandsdiagnosen und -prognosen digital ermöglicht werden und wie durch diagnostische und prognostische Modelle eine wissenschaftliche Basis für risikobasierte Entscheidungen über Erhaltungsmaßnahmen und für den Übergang vom reaktiven zum vorausschauenden Brückenmanagement gebildet werden kann. Dabei wird klar: Jede Brücken-Überwachung bedarf einer Gesamtmethodik, ihre wichtigsten Elemente sind: Datenerfassung, Datenmanagement, Datenanalyse, Bauwerksmodellierung, Bauwerksbewertung und die letztendlichen Entscheidungen über notwendige Erhaltungsmaßnahmen.
Impact resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures can be significantly improved by strengthening RC members with thin composite layers featuring high damage tolerance. Indeed, to limit the well-known vulnerability of cement-based materials against impact loading, the synergistic effects of short fibres and continuous textile meshes as hybrid reinforcement has been proved to be highly beneficial. This paper addresses the characterisation of novel cement-based hybrid composites through accelerated drop-weight impact tests conducted on rectangular plates at different impact energies. Two distinct matrices are assessed, with particular interest in a newly developed limestone calcined clay cement (LC3)-based formulation. Important parameters quantifying energy dissipation capability, load bearing capacity and damage are cross-checked to compute the ballistic limit and estimate the safety-relevant characteristics of the different composites at hand. Although textiles alone can improve the damage tolerance of fine concrete to some extent, the crack-bridging attitude of short, well-dispersed fibres in hybrid composites imparts a certain ductility to the cement-based matrices, allowing a greater portion of the textile to be activated and significantly reducing the amount of matrix spalling under impact.
Information on the condition and reliability of an offshore jacket structure provided by a vibration-based structural health monitoring system can guide decisions on inspection and maintenance. When selecting the sensor setup, the designer of the monitoring system must assess its overall benefit compared to its costs before installation. The potential benefit of continuously monitoring the dynamic response of a jacket structure can be formally quantified through a value of information analysis from Bayesian decision theory. In this contribution, we present a framework for optimizing the placement of vibration sensors on offshore jacket structures by maximizing the value of information of the monitoring system. To solve the resulting discrete optimization problem, we adapt a genetic algorithm. The framework is demonstrated in a numerical example considering a redundant jacket-type steel frame. The numerical study shows that monitoring the vibration response of the frame is beneficial. Good sensor setups consist of relatively few sensors located towards the upper part of the
frame. The adapted genetic algorithm performs similarly well as established sequential sensor placement algorithms and holds substantial promise for application to real jacket structures.