Wissenschaftliche Artikel der BAM
Filtern
Dokumenttyp
Sprache
- Englisch (219) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Concrete (16)
- Alkali-activated materials (15)
- Corrosion (15)
- Flame retardant (9)
- Cement (7)
- Fatigue (6)
- Additive manufacturing (5)
- Durability (5)
- Flame retardancy (5)
- Rheology (5)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 7 Bauwerkssicherheit (219) (entfernen)
Paper des Monats
- ja (17)
Composition and Explosibility of Gas Emissions from Lithium-Ion Batteries Undergoing Thermal Runaway
(2023)
Lithium-based batteries have the potential to undergo thermal runaway (TR), during which mixtures of gases are released. The purpose of this study was to assess the explosibility of the gaseous emission from LIBs of an NMC-based cathode during thermal runaway. In the current project, a series of pouch lithium-based battery cells was exposed to abuse conditions (thermal) to study the total amount of gases released and the composition of the gas mixture. First, the battery cells were placed in a closed vessel, and the pressure and temperature rise inside the vessel were measured. In a second step, the composition of gases was analysed using a Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer.
We found that the amount of released gases was up to 102 ± 4 L, with a clear dependence on the battery capacity. This study showed that the concentration of gaseous emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), ethylene (C2H4), ethane (C2H6), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) increased with higher cell capacity. Of the five studied flammable gases, the maximum concentrations of carbon monoxide (16.85 vol%), methane (7.6 vol%), and ethylene (7.86 vol%) were identified to be within their explosible range. Applying Le Chatelier’s law, a calculated lower explosion limit (LEL) of 7% in volume fraction was obtained for the gas mixture. The upper explosion limit (UEL) of the gas mixture was also found to be 31% in volume. A filter comprising pyrobubbles was used for the removal of the studied gas components released during the thermal abuse. The investigation revealed that the pyrobubbles filter was highly effect in the removal of HCN (up to 94% removal) and CO2 (up to 100% removal). Herein, we report the dependency of the method of thermal runaway trigger on the measured maximum temperature.
Although fire safety regulations for buses have been adapted in recent years regarding, for example, fire detection and engine fire suppression systems, the changes in regulations for bus interior materials are minimal. A comparison of fire safety regulations for interior materials in other transport sectors for trains, ships or aircraft reveals a much lower level of requirements for bus materials. Although repeated bus accidents as well as fire statistics show the danger a bus fire can pose to passengers.
In particular, the combination of a fire incident and passengers with reduced mobility led to severe disasters in Germany and other European countries. To enhance the fire safety for passengers, the interior bus materials are crucial as the fire development in the bus cabin determines whether escape and rescue is possible. Against this background, bus interior materials were tested in different fire test scenarios. Measurement of a wide variety of parameters, for example, the mass loss, ignition time, smoke gas composition, heat release rate among others were carried out. Tested materials complied to the newest set of requirements. For this purpose, interior materials and their components had to be identified according to their chemical structure. Parts of the tests were funded by BASt (Federal Highway Research Institute) in the project 82.0723/2018. Experimental results show reaction-to-fire behaviour which lead to very limited times for escape and rescue in case of fire in a bus cabin. Based on the studies on fire behaviour and toxicity assessment, recommendations for improved fire safety regulations for interior materials could be made.
A well-defined terminology of fire-related variables is important for correct analyses and supporting knowledge-based decisions regarding the evaluation of building fires at the European level. After developing an overview of current practices for fire statistics in Part I, the terminology used and the data collected by the EU Member States and eight other countries regarding fire incidents, property damage and human losses were mapped to increase awareness of their practice and support a comprehensive assessment of several fire statistical datasets. A questionnaire was distributed to relevant authorities responsible for the collection, elaboration/analysis, and fire statistical data publications to define and select the essential variables for an appropriate fire assessment and fire incident description. Based on the results of the questionnaire able to identify the essential fire statistical variables and a detailed analysis of current definitions adopted in the fire statistics of the EU Member States and other countries, a common terminology is proposed to collect the necessary data in the EU Member States and obtain meaningful datasets based on standardised terms and definitions. The results will generate essential outputs to move towards harmonised fire statistics at the EU level and contribute to an appropriate analysis able to improve fire prevention and fire mitigation in building fires.
This study provides an analysis on the fire safety of passengers and the fire protection of coaches and buses. A brief review of major bus fire incidents, an overview of current regulations in Europe, and their limitations are presented. The study finds that the current small-scale fire test methods described in UN ECE Reg No. 118 need to be replaced by test methods that can assess the reaction to fire of materials when exposed to ignition sources of varying sizes. To address these shortcomings, the study proposed an expert recommendation to update the material fire safety requirements and testing for buses. Additional measures are proposed, derived from objectives and strategies applied in other transport sectors, and can be tested through existing European and international standards, which are widely used by several industries. These measures aim to extend the time with tenable conditions for a safe evacuation in case of fire, reduce the degree of damage to buses, reduce the risk for fast and excessive thermal exposure on modern energy carriers needed for a more sustainable transport sector.
The analysis of the current state of fire statistics and data collection in Europe and other countries is needed to increase awareness of how fire incidents affect buildings and to support pan-European fire prevention and fire mitigation measures.
The terminology and data collected regarding fire incidents in buildings in the EU Member States were mapped to obtain meaningful datasets to determine common terminology, collection methodology, and data interpretation system. An extensive literature review showed that fire data collection systems have been instrumental in informing firefighting strategies, evidence-based planning, prevention, and educational programmes. Differences and similarities between fire data collection systems were also investigated. The amount and quality of the information in fire statistical recording systems appear to be influenced by the complexity and structure with which the data are collected. The analysis also examined the existing fire statistics in the EU Member States and a few other countries. Finally, a detailed investigation of the number of fires, fire deaths, and injuries from 2009 to 2018 in several countries was examined based on data from a report by CTIF. The trends showed differences attributable to the existing fire statistical practices in terms of terminology and data
collection, and interpretation. Part II proposes a common terminology for selected fire statistical variables. The results provide relevant information regarding fire safety at the European level and should be used to guide the development of more uniform fire statistics across Europe.
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.
problem. One reason is the sensitivity to stress corrosion cracking of the prestressing steel. Failure of prestressing wires can result in collapse of the entire structure without premature indication by transverse bending cracks or considerable deformation. The response of a structure to significant number of prestressing wire breaks was studied on a bridge in Brandenburg, Germany. Two thirds of the prestressing wires in concentrated tendons of two girders were cut before the bridge was demolished. Acoustic Emission Analysis was used to detect the wire breaks. Thus, the number of wire breaks was correlated with results of other measurement techniques, in particular strain measurements on the girders. In preparation of the measurements, the acoustic properties of the bridge were determined and the suitability of Schmidt hammer impacts as an acoustic reference source was validated.
NMR is becoming increasingly popular for the investigation of building materials as it is a non-invasive technology that does not require any sample preparation nor causes damage to the material. Depending on the specific application it can offer insights into properties like porosity and spatial saturation degree as well as pore structure. Moreover it enables the determination of moisture transport properties and the (re-)distribution of internal moisture into different reservoirs or chemical phases upon damage and curing. However, as yet most investigations were carried out using devices originally either designed for geophysical applications or the analysis of rather homogeneous small scale (< 10 mL) samples. This paper describes the capabilities of an NMR tomograph, which has been specifically optimized for the investigation of larger, heterogeneous building material samples (diameters of up to 72 mm, length of up to 700 mm) with a high flexibility due to interchangeable coils allowing for a high SNR and short echo times (50 - 80 m s).
The levelized cost of energy (LCoE) is an important measure to quantify the macro-economic efficiency of an offshore wind farm and to enable a quantitative comparison with other types of energy production. The costs of the structural integrity management - which is required to ensure an adequate lifetime reliability of the turbine support structures - are part of the operational expenditures of an offshore wind farm. An optimization of the structural integrity management may reduce the operational expenditures and consequently the LCoE. However, the effect of the structural integrity management on the LCoE is hardly known. To investigate this effect, this paper presents a sensitivity analysis of the LCoE of a generic offshore wind farm. The probabilistic models of the parameters influencing the LCoE are based on a literature study including an explicit model for the structural integrity management.
The analysis reveals that LCoE may potentially be reduced if an optimization of the structural integrity management enables a service life extension.
In the present paper, an approach for updating the continuous stress range distribution of a welded connection of a wind turbine support structure with predicted information from strain measurements is presented. Environmental conditions, such as wind or, in offshore fields, waves and currents, in combination with rotor excitations generate cyclic stresses affecting the reliability of welded joints of the support structure over the service life. Using strain measurements, these conditions can be monitored, and the resulting stress ranges, under consideration of measurement, mechanical and material uncertainties, can be reconstructed. These stress ranges can be used as an input for updating the prior probability density function (PDF) of the stress ranges predicted by the overall dynamics and a detailed design analysis. Applying Bayesian probability theory and decision theoretical implications, the predicted posterior probability density of the stress ranges is calculated based on the design information and uncertainties. This approach is exemplified, and it is shown how the predicted stress ranges and the design stress ranges are distributed. The prior and the predicted posterior stress ranges are used for a reliability calculation for potentially entering a pre-posterior decision analysis
Application of electrochemical methods for studying steel corrosion in alkali-activated materials
(2023)
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are binders that can complement and partially substitute the current use of conventional cement. However, the present knowledge about how AAMs protect steel reinforcement in concrete elements is incomplete, and uncertainties exist regarding the application of electrochemical methods to investigate this issue. The present review by EFC WP11-Task Force ‘Corrosion of steel in alkali-activated materials’ demonstrates that important differences exist between AAMs and Portland cement, and between different classes of AAMs, which are mainly caused by differing pore solution compositions, and which affect the outcomes of electrochemical measurements. The high sulfide concentrations in blast furnace slag-based AAMs lead to distinct anodic polarisation curves, unusually low open circuit potentials, and low polarisation resistances, which might be incorrectly interpreted as indicating active corrosion of steel reinforcement. No systematic study of the influence of the steel–concrete interface on the susceptibility of steel to corrosion in AAMs is available. Less common electrochemical methods present an opportunity for future progress in the field.
In the processing of nanocomposites, high shear stresses at elevated tempera-tures orient two-dimensional nanoparticles like graphene. This orientationleads to anisotropic mechanical, thermal or barrier properties of the nanocom-posite. This anisotropy is addressed in this study by comparing graphene (few-layer graphene, FLG) with a nanoscaled carbon black (nCB) at a filler contentof 3 phr, by varying the vulcanization, and by comparing different FLG con-tents. Transmission electron microscopy gives insight into the qualitative ori-entation in the nanocomposite with FLG or nCB. The storage moduli paralleland normal to the orientation reveal the direction dependency of reinforce-ment through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Dimensional swellingmeasurements show a restriction of the expansion parallel to the FLG orienta-tion, and an increased expansion normal to the orientation. The vulcanizationsystem and crosslinking determine the respective level of property values, andhigher crosslinking densities increase the anisotropy in DMA resulting invalues of up to 2.9 for the quantified anisotropy factor. With increasing FLGcontent, the anisotropy increases. A comparison of the results reveals swellingmeasurements as the most suitable method for the determination of anisot-ropy. Compared to recent literature, the presented processing induces higheranisotropy, leading to higher reinforcing effects in the direction of orientation
Almost all building materials in civil engineering have an open porosity and interact with or are affected by the environmental conditions. Structures might suffer from effects such as moisture adsorption, carbonation, corrosion, penetration of salt ions and chemical substances, etc. In the hygroscopic range, these processes are mostly driven by diffusion. Due to the confinement of small pores (< 1 µm), the Knudsen effect reduces the molecular diffusion. This reduction can become more significant in case of temporal changing pore systems because of physisorption of water vapor, carbonation, or chemisorption.
In this study, unstabilised earth blocks and earth masonry are investigated. In a first step, the pore size distribution of the blocks is measured and sorption isotherms are recorded in experiments. Besides the ordinary physisorption, the involved clay minerals undergo swelling or shrinking due to chemisorption. The following two effects must be considered: first, the reduction of the available pore space by the adsorbed water layer. For this, the Hillerborg sorption theory is used, which is a combination of the well-known Brunauer-Emmett-Teller sorption theory and the Kelvin equation. This allows the computation of adsorbed water layers even in curved pore geometries. Second, the variation of the initial pore size distribution due to chemisorption needs to be modelled. Based on these two models, the effective diffusion coefficient can be predicted. For validation, arrays of relative humidity sensors were embedded into a free-standing earth masonry wall. This monitoring was carried out over more than a year to have a broad variety of environmental conditions and was located in Berlin, Germany.
The prediction of the effective diffusion coefficient can also be transferred to other processes and allows the investigation of materials having temporarily changing pore systems. Examples are the carbonation of cementitious materials, alkali silica reaction, calcium leaching of long-lasting structures, etc. This effect becomes most prominent in the meso-pore range and might alter the effective diffusion coefficient by more than 100 %.
A thorough characterization of base materials is the prereq- uisite for further research. In this paper, the characterization data of the reference materials (CEM I 42.5 R, limestone pow- der, calcined clay and a mixture of these three components) used in the second funding phase of the priority program 2005 of the German Research Foundation (DFG SPP 2005) are presented under the aspects of chemical and min- eralogical composition as well as physical and chemical properties. The data were collected based on tests performed by up to eleven research groups involved in this cooperative program.
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.
Two types of cements were selected as the reference cement in the priority program 2005 of the German Research Foundation (DFG SPP 2005). A thorough characterization of CEM I 42.5 R has been made in a recent publication. In this paper, the characterization data of the other reference cement CEM III/A 42.5 N are presented from the aspects of chemical and mineralogical compositions as well as physical and chemical properties. The characterization data of the slag, which is the second main constituent of this specific cement besides the clinker, are presented independently. For all data received, the mean values and the corresponding errors were calculated. The data shall be used for the ongoing research within the priority program. Also, researchers from outside this priority program can benefit from these data if the same materials are used.
Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) can reduce the total amount of Portland cement clinker in concrete production. Rice husk ashes (RHA) can be converted from an agricultural by-product to a high-performance concrete constituent due to a high amount of reactive silica with pozzolanic properties if they are burnt under controlled conditions. The way and duration of combustion, the cooling process as well as the temperature have an effect on the silica form and thus, the chemical and physical performance of the RHA. Various studies on the best combustion technique have been published to investigate the ideal combustion techniques. Yet, the process mostly took place under laboratory conditions. Investigating the difference between the performance of RHA produced in a rural environment and laboratory conditions is useful for the assessment and future enhancement of RHA production, and its application both as building material, for example in rural areas where it is sourced in large quantities, and as additive for high performance concrete. Thus, the paper presents a comparison between RHA produced under rudimentary conditions in a self-made furnace in the rural Bagamoyo, Tanzania and under controlled laboratory conditions at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, with different combustion methods and temperatures. In a second step, RHA was ground to reach particle size distributions comparable to cement. In a third step, cement pastes were prepared with 10%, 20% and 40% of cement replacement, and compared to the performance of plain and fly ash blended cement pastes. The results show that controlled burning conditions around 650 °C lead to high reactivity of silica and, therefore, to good performance as SCM. However, also the RHA burnt under less controlled conditions in the field provided reasonably good properties, if the process took place with proper burning parameters and adequate grinding. The knowledge can be implemented in the field to improve the final RHA performance as SCM in concrete.
Meta-analysis of heat release and smoke gas emission during thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries
(2023)
Herein a meta-analysis of 76 experimental research papers from 2000 to 2021 is given about possible effects on the thermal runaway of lithium-ion battery cells. Data on the hazards of gas emissions and released heat are related to each other and differentiated by cell properties such as, cell geometry, cathode type or state of charge. Quantitative information on the total heat release in the range of 2.0–112.0 kJ Wh−1, the peak heat release rate in the range of 0.006–2.8 kW Wh−1and the smoke gas emission were extracted, normalized in terms of cell energy (Wh), combined in a data library and compared graphically. The total amount of gas emitted (3–48 mmol Wh−1) as well as the released amount of carbon monoxide (1–161 mg Wh−1) and hydrogen fluoride (2–197 mg Wh−1) were investigated as a function of the state of charge and cell geometry. The analysis reveals that the measured values are significantly influenced by the types of calorimeters and smoke gas analyzers used as well as by the type of thermal runaway trigger. This meta-analysis can serve as an important basis for any risk assessment of lithium-ion batteries.
The impact of phosphorus-containing flame retardants (FR) on rigid polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams is studied by systematic variation of the chemical structure of the FR, including non-NCO-reactive and NCO-reactive dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepine 6-oxide (BPPO)- and 9,10 dihydro-9-oxa-10 phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO)-containing compounds, among them a number of compounds not reported so far. These PIR foams are compared with PIR foams without FR and with standard FRs with respect to foam properties, thermal decomposition, and fire behavior. Although BPPO and DOPO differ by just one oxygen atom, the impact on the FR properties is very significant: when the FR is a filler or a dangling (dead) end in the PIR polymer network, DOPO is more effective than BPPO. When the FR is a subunit of a diol and it is fully incorporated in the PIR network, BPPO delivers superior results.
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.
The corrosivity of atmospheres in Europe has changed significantly in recent decades. For the Federal Republic of Germany, no current values for the corrosion rate based on 1‐year atmospheric exposure of standard specimens can be found in the scientific literature after 2000. This paper presents results from a field exposure study in the Berlin metropolitan area and Helgoland in 2016. Based on standard specimens, values for the corrosion rate and the corresponding atmospheric corrosivity category are determined for open exposure and indirect weathering in a ventilated enclosure as sheltering after 1 year of exposure. The results prove that determined corrosivity categories are material‐specific. Sheltered exposure is a typical atmospheric situation for many building components. It allows statements on the effect of the concentration of airborne substances on the corrosivity beyond the normative requirements.
Leather is considered a luxury good when used in seating and upholstery. To improve safety, flame retardancy in leather is usually achieved through various finishing processes such as spray or roller coating. These treatments require processing steps that cost time and are laborintensive. One avenue to achieving flame retardancy in leather is to add flame retardants during the tanning process. However, the influence on flame retardancy exerted by specific intumescent additives specifically added during leather tanning has yet to be investigated. This work explores the roles played by intumescent additive compounds in flame retarding leather when they are added during tanning instead of applied as a coating. Via a systematic investigation of various compound mixtures, the flame retardant effects in the condensed and the gas phases are elucidated. The results show a strong impact of melamine in the gas phase and of polyphosphates in the condensed phase. Their impact was quantified in fire and smoke analysis, showing a 14% reduction in the peak of heat release rate, strongly reduced burning lengths, and a 20% reduction in total smoke release compared to nontreated leather. These results illuminate the key role played by specific compounds in the flame retardancy of leather, particularly when they are added specifically during the tanning process instead of being applied as a coating.
This method has great potential to reduce processing steps, lower costs, and improve material safety.
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.
Galvanic corrosion protection by embedded zinc anodes is an accepted technique for the corrosion protection of reinforcing steel in concrete. Galvanic currents flow between the zinc anode and the steel reinforcement due to the potential difference that is in the range of a few hundred mV.
The ion distribution was studied on two steel reinforced concrete specimens admixed with 3 wt.% chloride/wt. cement and galvanically protected by a surface applied EZ-anode. On both specimens, a zinc anode was embedded and glued to the concrete surface by a geo-polymer-based chloride-free binder. At one specimen, the EZ-anode was operated for 2,5 years, the EZ-anode at the other specimen was not electrically connected to the reinforcement, this specimen serves as a reference. Both specimens have been stored under identical conditions. The ion distribution between the anode (EZ-ANODE) and cathode (steel reinforcement) was studied by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years. Results of the LIBS studies on the specimen with activated EZ-anode after 7 months, 12 months, and 2,5 years and of the reference specimen after 2,5 years are reported. Results show that diffusion of ions contributes to the changes in the ion distribution but migration, especially of chlorides towards the EZ-anode is significant despite the weak electric field – several hundred millivolts - generated by the galvanic current. Results show that chloride ions accumulate near the zinc-anode as in water-insoluble zinc-hydroxy chlorides - Simonkollite.
Tailored crosslinking in elastomers is crucial for their technical applications. The incorporation of nanoparticles with high surface-to-volume ratios not only leads to the formation of physical networks and influences the ultimate performance of nanocomposites, but it also affects the chemical crosslinking reactions. The influence of few-layer graphene (FLG) on the crosslinking behavior of natural rubber is investigated. Four different curing systems, two sulfur-based with different accelerator-to-sulfur ratios, and two peroxide-based with different peroxide concentrations, are combined with different FLG contents. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), vulcametry (MDR) and swelling measurements, the results show an accelerating effect of FLG on the kinetics of the sulfur-based curing systems, with an exothermic reaction peak in DSC shifted to lower temperatures and lower scorch and curing times in the MDR. While a higher accelerator-to-sulfur ratio in combination with FLG leads to reduced crosslinking densities, the peroxide crosslinkers are hardly affected by the presence of FLG. The good agreement of crosslink densities obtained from the swelling behavior confirms the suitability of vulcameter measurements for monitoring the complex vulcanization process of such nanocomposite systems in a simple and efficient way. The reinforcing effect of FLG shows the highest relative improvements in weakly crosslinked nanocomposites.
The current understanding of the carbonation and the prediction of the carbonation rate of alkali-activated concretes is complicated inter alia by the wide range of binder chemistries used and testing conditions adopted. To overcome some of the limitations of individual studies and to identify general correlations between mix design parameters and carbonation resistance, the RILEM TC 281-CCC ‘Carbonation of Concrete with Supplementary Cementitious Materials’ Working Group 6 compiled and analysed carbonation data for alkali-activated concretes and mortars from the literature. For comparison purposes, data for blended Portland cement-based concretes with a high percentage of SCMs (≥ 66% of the binder) were also included in the database. The analysis indicates that water/CaO ratio and water/binder ratio exert an influence on the carbonation resistance of alkali-activated concretes; however, these parameters are not good indicators of the carbonation resistance when considered individually. A better indicator of the carbonation resistance of alkali-activated concretes under conditions approximating natural carbonation appears to be their water/(CaO + MgOeq + Na2Oeq + K2Oeq) ratio, where the subscript ‘eq’ indicates an equivalent amount based on molar masses. Nevertheless, this ratio can serve as approximate indicator at best, as other parameters also affect the carbonation resistance of alkali-activated concretes. In addition, the analysis of the database points to peculiarities of accelerated tests using elevated CO2 concentrations for low-Ca alkali-activated concretes, indicating that even at the relatively modest concentration of 1% CO2, accelerated testing may lead to inaccurate predictions of the carbonation resistance under natural exposure conditions.
The size effect has its origin in fracture mechanics and describes the formation as well as propagation of cracks in brittle and solid materials in dependence of the specimen size. However, the size effect in concrete spalling describes the damage behaviour on a macroscopic scale for different sized specimens in case of fire. Concrete spalling is a very complex and yet not fully understood phenomenon. To reduce the effort of fire tests to analyse the spalling behaviour of concrete mixtures, this study investigates the susceptibility to spalling for six different concrete mixtures and three specimen sizes. The sizes were divided in full scale slabs (1.8 m x 1.2 m x 0.3 m), intermediate scale cuboids (0.6 m x 0.6 m x 0.3 m) and small scale cylinders (Ø0.15 m x 0.3 m). For this purpose, a novel test set-up was built to test six intermediate scale or twelve small scale specimens simultaneously to ensure a similar heating regime for every specimen. All specimens were fire exposed on one side and remained unrestrained. A size effect occurred for four of the six concrete mixtures. Compared to the full scale specimens the spalling was reduced significantly for all smaller specimen sizes. Additionally, spalling did not occur for the small scale specimens. The results show that the specimen size is an essential parameter to investigate the susceptibility to spalling of a concrete mixture. For future investigations the testing conditions must be adjusted for the intermediate scale specimens to recreate the conditions of the slabs.
Hydrous lithium aluminosilicate (L–A–S–H) and lithium aluminate (L–A–H) gels are candidate precursors for glass-ceramics and ceramics with potential advantages over conventional processing routes. However, their structure before calcination remained largely unknown, despite the importance of precursor structure on the properties of the resulting materials. In the present study, it is demonstrated that L–A–S–H and L–A–H gels with Li/Al ≤ 1 can be produced via an organic steric entrapment route, while higher Li/Al ratios lead to crystallization of gibbsite or nordstrandite. The composition and the structure of the gels was studied by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, 27Al and 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, and Raman spectroscopy. Aluminium was found to be almost exclusively in six-fold coordination in both the L–A–H and the L–A–S–H gels. Silicon in the L–A–S–H gels was mainly in Q4 sites and to a lesser extent in Q3 sites (four-fold coordination with no Si–O–Al bonds). The results thus indicate that silica-rich and aluminium-rich domains formed in these gels.
Hybrid cements are composites made of Portland cement or Portland clinker and one or more supplementary cementitious materials like slag, fly ash or metakaolin, activated with an alkali salt. To date, their hydration mechanism and the phase formation at various temperatures is insufficiently understood, partly due to the large variability of the raw materials used. In the present study, three hybrid cements based on ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, Portland clinker and sodium sulfate, and an alkali-activated slag/fly ash blend were cured at 10 and 21.5°C, and subsequently analyzed by XRD, 27Al MAS NMR, and TGA. The compressive strength of the hybrid cements was higher by up to 27% after 91-day curing at 10°C, compared to curing at 21.5°C. The experimental results as well as thermodynamic modeling indicate that the differences in compressive strength were related to a different phase assemblage, mainly differing amounts of strätlingite and C-N-A-S-H, and the associated differences of the volume of hydration products. While the strätlingite was amorphous to X-rays, it could be identified by 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy, TGA and thermodynamic modeling. The microstructural properties of the hybrid cements and the alkali-activated slag/fly ash blend as well as the compatibility between thermodynamic modeling results and experimental data as a function of curing temperature and time are discussed.
Cementitious materials are frequently applied in environments in which they are exposed to acid attack, e.g., in sewer systems, biogas plants, and agricultural/food-related industries. Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have repeatedly been shown to exhibit a remarkably high resistance against attack by organic and inorganic acids and, thus, are promising candidates for the construction and the repair of acid-exposed structures. However, the reaction mechanisms and processes affecting the acid resistance of AAMs have just recently begun to be understood in more detail. The present contribution synthesises these advances and outlines potentially fruitful avenues of research. The interaction between AAMs and acids proceeds in a multistep process wherein different aspects of deterioration extend to different depths, complicating the overall determination of acid resistance. Partly due to this indistinct definition of the ‘depth of corrosion’, the effects of the composition of AAMs on their acid resistance cannot be unambiguously identified to date. Important parallels exist between the deterioration of low-Ca AAMs and the weathering/corrosion of minerals and glasses (dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism). Additional research requirements relate to the deterioration mechanism of high-Ca AAMs; how the character of the corroded layer influences the rate of deterioration; the effects of shrinkage and the bond between AAMs and substrates.
Introduction of a monitoring system for Bingham fluids in additive manufacturing with concrete
(2022)
Freeform additive manufacturing of concrete structures is a rising technology in civil engineering with several fascinating advantages. Nonetheless, to ensure reliability and structural integrity, standards and quality control are required in the future to bring this technology into the market. As the concrete is manufactured continuously, continuous quality control of the printing process is also required, i.e. comprehensive process monitoring. At BAM, a test rig will be installed, enabling the printing of concrete structures with a maximum size of 2 m x 1 m x 1 m (l x w x h). Here, process monitoring is the focus of the test rig. In this study, we show the results of the first pump tests, including the measurement of several parameters such as temperature and pressure along the supply system, i.e. from the concrete pump to the printer head.
Numerical models built as virtual-twins of a real structure (digital-twins) are considered the future ofmonitoring systems. Their setup requires the estimation of unknown parameters, which are not directly measurable. Stochastic model identification is then essential, which can be computationally costly and even unfeasible when it comes to real applications. Efficient surrogate models, such as reduced-order method, can be used to overcome this limitation and provide real time model identification. Since their numerical accuracy influences the identification process, the optimal surrogate not only has to be computationally efficient, but also accurate with respect to the identified parameters. This work aims at automatically controlling the Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD) surrogate’s numerical accuracy for parameter identification. For this purpose, a sequence of Bayesian model identification problems, in which the surrogate’s accuracy is iteratively increased, is solved with a variational Bayesian inference procedure. The effect of the numerical accuracy on the resulting posteriors probability density functions is analyzed through two metrics, the Bayes Factor (BF) and a criterion based on the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. The approach is demonstrated by a simple test example and by two structural problems. The latter aims to identify spatially distributed damage, modeled with a PGD surrogate extended for log-normal random fields, in two different structures: a truss with synthetic data and a small, reinforced bridge with real measurement data. For all examples, the evolution of the KL-based and BF criteria for increased accuracy is shown and their convergence indicates when model refinement no longer affects the identification results.
Recently, non-destructive testing in civil engineering (NDT-CE), in particular of concrete components, has successfully mastered the leap from research to practice. Several methods have been established for field inspections to determine the concrete cover of reinforcement or to estimate the compressive strength as well as other parameters related to the concrete material. In addition, the application of nondestructive testing is indispensable, if information about the inner structure - such as the location of rebars and tendon ducts or the damage-related condition assessment to detect grouting defects, honeycombs, delamination, or corrosion - is required. Besides the selection of a suitable NDT method and an appropriate inspection system, the reliability of the results depends largely on the person who applies the non-destructive inspection technique and evaluates the inspection results. To ensure a high quality of non-destructive concrete evaluation as well as to keep the uncertainty caused by the inspection personnel to a minimum, structured, consistent and regulated theoretical as well as practical training of inspection personnel is essential. To close this gap, the subcommittee of education (UA-A) within the committee for NDT-CE of the German Society for Nondestructive Testing (DGZfP) has been reactivated in 2018 to establish uniform training standards for nondestructive concrete inspections in the long term. The subcommittee consists of scientists, practitioners, authorities, and clients. So far, the national standard DIN 4871 “Non-destructive testing - Qualification and Certification of NDT personnel in Civil Engineering (NDT-CE)” was developed and is currently under review. This standard considers the civil-industry-specifics, for example, that standards for NDT of concrete, as well as related product standards with a few exceptions, still do not exist at the moment. Within this presentation, the concept, the connection to ISO 9712 and other standards as well as an overview of the developed German standard DIN 4871 will be presented.
A global transition towards more sustainable, affordable and reliable energy systems is being stimulated by the Paris Agreement and the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This poses a challenge for the corrosion industry, as building climate‐resilient energy systems and infrastructures brings with it a long‐term direction, so as a result the long‐term behaviour of structural materials (mainly metals and alloys) becomes a major prospect. With this in mind “Corrosion Challenges Towards a Sustainable Society” presents a series of cases showing the importance of corrosion protection of metals and alloys in the development of energy production to further understand the science of corrosion, and bring the need for research and the consequences of corrosion into public and political focus. This includes emphasis on the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions, on the lifetime of infrastructures, implants, cultural heritage artefacts, and a variety of other topics.
The phenomenon of environmental stress cracking is still a major issue in materials engineering as well as from a scientific perspective. Especially in the case of packaging materials made of high-density polyethylene, assessing the potential of premature damage due to environmental stress cracking is complex because of the large number of components in possible liquid filling goods. As a first guideline, the well-known effect of detergents and dispersants is usually considered, but the interplay with other components, such as organic solvents is often unknown. Particularly challenging in this respect are crop protection products, consisting of several different admixtures in addition to the biologically active ingredients. This study is based on two model liquids representing these admixtures that were established for testing in this context. The model liquids as well as their constituting components were used as liquid media in the Full Notch Creep Test to characterize the environmental stress cracking behavior of a typical high-density polyethylene. Complementary to the time-to failure of a notched specimen obtained from these tests, the crack opening was monitored optically, and the fracture surface was analyzed post-failure by laser scanning microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy. Based on the results, the effect of various surfactants as well as the influence of organic solvents on environmental stress cracking are discussed.
To ensure safety when transporting dangerous goods, it is important to specify the flow properties of the respective solid filling substance of the packagings. For this purpose, the angle of repose is currently used for the UN approvals in Germany. Measurements were carried out on 12 powdery or granular substances applying the angle of repose measuring methods customary in the test centres. The results of the methods differ significantly from each other. In addition, some of the techniques cannot be applied for very cohesive or coarse-grained materials. The results for the angle of repose show a strong scatter for some constellations (coefficient of variation more than 20 %). Safety during transport of dangerous goods cannot be guaranteed with this currently practiced system of measuring the angle of repose. As a consequence, an alternative parameter to characterize the flow properties of bulk materials should be used in the recognized test centers for dangerous goods packagings, such as the Hausner ratio. This approach leads to more precise test results for the substances examined (maximum coefficient of variation 2.8 %). It also has advantages in terms of applicability and occupational safety.
Since the flow properties are safety-relevant, both in terms of mechanical safety and safety against the release of dangerous substances, the testing practice in the recognized test labs should be improved and standardized.
Due to the high flammability and smoke toxicity of polyurethane foams (PUFs) during burning, distinct efficient combinations of flame retardants are demanded to improve the fire safety of PUFs in practical applications. This feature article focuses on one of the most impressive halogen-free combinations in PUFs: expandable graphite (EG) and phosphorus-based flame retardants (P-FRs). The synergistic effect of EG and P-FRs mainly superimposes the two modes of action, charring and maintaining a thermally insulating residue morphology, to bring effective flame retardancy to PUFs. Specific interactions between EG and P-FRs, including the agglutination of the fire residue consisting of expanded-graphite worms, yields an outstanding synergistic effect, making this approach the latest champion to fulfill the demanding requirements for flame-retarded PUFs. Current and future topics such as the increasing use of renewable feedstock are also discussed in this article.
In general, pH-sensitive colorants such as phenolphthalein are applied on freshly split surfaces of building structures to determine the state of carbonation. For years, it has been known that the aerosols of phenolphthalein are suspected of being carcinogenic. Hence, more work has currently being done on alternative indicators for the use in research and the use on construction sites. Over the past years, mainly pH indicators from other research areas and natural dyes were investigated for their usability to cementitious systems. This paper presents the experimental results of using phenolphthalein solution bound in agar-agar gel. This gel-bound indicator allows the future use of the already known phenolphthalein dye without the health hazards for the user. To demonstrate the flexibility of the gel-bound colorant, different application forms of the indicator were carried out and assessed. In addition, the results obtained by the different methods were statistically evaluated to ensure validity.
The accuracy of the results was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis and IR spectroscopic studies as reference methods. It has also succeeded to demonstrate the comparability of the results achieved by the gel-bound colorant with the results of the common sprayed application method. As an additional gain in knowledge, comparative results of indicator tests, TGA analysis, and FTIR investigation are shown.
Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a new composite material comprising high-performance concrete and textile reinforcement from textile yarns with a matrix, usually consisting of epoxy resins (ER). The most significant advantage of ER is the homogenization of all filaments in the yarn and full utilization of its tensile potential. Nevertheless, ER matrix is a critical part of TRC design from the perspective of the fire resistance due to its relatively low resistance at temperatures of approximately 120 C. This work expands the previously performed mechanical tests at normal temperatures with cement suspension (CS) as a non-combustible material for the yarn matrix. Here, the mechanical properties of CS matrix at elevated temperatures were verified. It was found that the addition of polypropylene fibers into HPC negatively affected the mechanical results of CS matrix specimens. Simultaneously, thermal insulation effect of the covering layers with different thicknesses did not significantly influence the residual bending strength of specimens with CS matrix and achieved similar results as reference specimens. Furthermore, all specimens with ER matrix progressively collapsed. Finally, CS as a textile reinforcement of yarn matrix appears to be a suitable solution for increasing the temperature resistance of TRC structures and for substituting synthetic resins.
The crack propagation rate of environmental stress cracking was studied on high-density polyethylene compact tension specimens under static loading. Selected environmental liquids are distilled water, 2 wt% aqueous Arkopal N100 solution, and two model liquid mixtures, one based on solvents and one on detergents, representing stress cracking test liquids for commercial crop protection products. The different surface tensions and solubilities, which affect the energetic facilitation of void nucleation and craze development, are studied. Crack growth in surface-active media is strongly accelerated as the solvents induce plasticization, followed by strong blunting significantly retarding both crack initiation and crack propagation. The crack propagation rate for static load as a function of the stress intensity factor within all environments is found to follow the Paris–Erdogan law. Scanning electron micrographs of the fracture surface highlight more pronounced structures with both extensive degrees of plasticization and reduced crack propagation rate, addressing the distinct creep behavior of fibrils. Additionally, the limitations of linear elastic fracture mechanisms for visco-elastic polymers exposed to environmental liquids are discussed.
In a laboratory test, transparent high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) jerrycans have been exposed to both UV radiation and 55 wt‐% nitric acid solution at (41 ± 2)°C, for up to 20 days. For comparison, UV radiant exposure (21 days) and nitric acid exposure (up to 6 weeks) were performed separately, at nearly equal temperatures. The damages are compared with FTIR spectroscopy in ATR and HT‐gel permeation chromatography(GPC) on a molecular level and with hydraulic internal pressure testing as a component test. For the used jerrycans, relevant oxidation can only be found after the combined exposure. This is caused by the decomposition of nitric acid into nitrous gases by UV radiation, which is also observed at lower concentrations (28 wt‐%). After 6 days of laboratory exposure, this is rated as critical, which corresponds to about 1/10 year in Central Europe, according to the UV radiant exposure. The gradual increase in oxidative damage shows the reproducibility of the test.
Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a chemical reaction within concrete which can lead over time to cracking and spalling. Due to the complexity of the problem, it still causes damage to concrete constructions worldwide.
The publication aims to illustrate the interdisciplinary research of the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) within the last 20 years, considering all aspects of ASR topics from the macro to the micro level. First, methods for characterization and assessment of ASR risks and reaction products used at BAM are explained and classified in the international context. Subsequently the added value of the research approach by combining different, preferably nondestructive, methods across all scales is explained using specific examples from a variety of research projects. Aspects covered range from the development of new test-setups to assess aggregate reactivity, to analysis of microstructure and reaction products using microscopical, spectroscopical and X-ray methods, to the development of a testing methodology for existing concrete pavements including in-depth analysis of the visual damage indicator and the de-icing salt input using innovative testing techniques. Finally, research regarding a novel avoidance strategy that makes use of internal hydrophobization of the concrete mix is presented.
Intumescent fire protection coatings are used to improve the fire resistance of steel members. Due to slender cross-sections typically used for tension members, high demands are placed on the effectiveness and reliability of the intumescent coatings. This paper describes real-scale fire tests of intumescent coatings applied to steel tension members with circular solid and hollow sections. First, the current regulations for the application of intumescent coatings on steel tension members are discussed. After that, a comparison between the foaming behaviour and failure mechanisms of intumescent coatings applied to steel tension members with different cross-sections and loading conditions is given. Next, the experimental setup and procedure of the performed fire tests are presented. In addition, the influences of various parameters on the performance of the intumescent coating are analysed, including the geometry of the steel profile, dry film thickness of the intumescent coating, load utilisation level as well as the orientation of the member. Based on the theoretical considerations and results of the fire tests, it is evidenced that mechanically loaded fire tests are essential to assess accurately the contribution of intumescent fire protection coatings to the fire resistance of steel tension members with circular solid sections.
The amount of data generated worldwide is constantly increasing. These data come from a wide variety of sources and systems, are processed differently, have a multitude of formats, and are stored in an untraceable and unstructured manner, predominantly in natural language in data silos. This problem can be equally applied to the heterogeneous research data from materials science and engineering. In this domain, ways and solutions are increasingly being generated to smartly link material data together with their contextual information in a uniform and well-structured manner on platforms, thus making them discoverable, retrievable, and reusable for research and industry. Ontologies play a key role in this context. They enable the sustainable representation of expert knowledge and the semantically structured filling of databases with computer-processable data triples.
In this perspective article, we present the project initiative Materials-open-Laboratory (Mat-o-Lab) that aims to provide a collaborative environment for domain experts to digitize their research results and processes and make them fit for data-driven materials research and development. The overarching challenge is to generate connection points to further link data from other domains to harness the promised potential of big materials data and harvest new knowledge.
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.
Novel agar-based test electrolytes are used to perform electrochemical corrosion investigations on ZnFe and ZnNi binary as well as ZnFeMo ternary zinc coatings. The objectives of the electrochemical investigations include the characterization of the corrosion behavior, the description of the protective effect of the coatings as well as the investigation of the layer formation and degradation under artificial aging. ZnFe and ZnFeMo coatings are applied with varying iron content as well as an additional passivation layer, respectively, to study the effect on corrosion resistance. The results show that the protective effect of the coatings is not negatively influenced by different iron contents or the addition of molybdenum. Additional passivation of the ZnFe-containing coatings by means of a passivating agent leads to a significant improvement in the protective effect. Artificial aging leads to slight degradation of the additional passivation layer whereas coatings without post-treatment enhance their protective effect by the formation of corrosion product layers.
To set up recommendations on how to define “reasonable minimum composition thresholds” for CO2 streams to access CO2 pipeline networks, we investigated potential impacts of CO2 streams with different and temporally variable compositions and mass flow rates along the CCS chain. All investigations were based on a generic “CCS cluster scenario” in which CO2 streams captured from a spatial cluster of eleven emitters (seven fossil-fired power plants, two cement plants, one refinery and one steel mill) are collected in a regional pipeline network. The resulting CO2 stream (19.78 Mio t impure CO2 per year) is transported in a trunk line (onshore and offshore) and injected into five generic replicate storage structures (Buntsandstein saline aquifers) offshore. Experimental investigations and modeling of selected impacts revealed beneficial as well as adverse impacts of different impurities and their combinations. Overall, no fundamental technical obstacles for transporting, injecting and storing CO2 streams of the considered variable compositions and mass flow rates were observed. We recommend to define minimum composition thresholds for each specific CCS project through limiting
i) the overall CO2 content,
ii) maximum contents of relevant impurities or elements,
iii) acceptable variability of concentrations of critical impurities, and defining impurity combinations to be avoided.
The 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio can, in principle, be used for provenancing of cement. However, while commercial cements consist of multiple components, no detailed investigation into their individual 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios or their influence on the integral 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio of the resulting cement was conducted previously. Therefore, the present study aimed at determining and comparing the conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of a diverse set of Portland cements and their corresponding Portland clinkers, the major component of these cements. Two approaches to remove the additives from the cements, i.e. to measure the conventional 87Sr/86Sr isotopic fingerprint of the clinker only, were tested, namely, treatment with a potassium hydroxide/sucrose solution and sieving on a 11-µm sieve. Dissolution in concentrated hydrochloric acid/nitric acid and in diluted nitric acid was employed to determine the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of the cements and the individual clinkers. The aim was to find the most appropriate sample preparation procedure for cement provenancing, and the selection was realised by comparing the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of differently treated cements with those of the corresponding clinkers. None of the methods to separate the clinkers from the cements proved to be satisfactory. However, it was found that the 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios of clinker and cement generally corresponded, meaning that the latter can be used as a proxy for the clinker 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio. Finally, the concentrated hydrochloric acid/nitric acid dissolution method was found to be the most suitable sample preparation method for the cements; it is thus recommended for 87Sr/86Sr isotope analyses for cement provenancing.
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.
A systematic series of flexible polyurethane foams (FPUF) with different concentrations of flame retardants, bis([dimethoxyphosphoryl]methyl) phenyl phosphate (BDMPP), and melamine (MA) or expandable graphite (EG) was prepared. The mechanical properties of the FPUFs were evaluated by a universal testing machine. The pyrolysis behaviors and the evolved gas analysis were done by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and TGA coupled with Fourier-transform infrared (TG-FTIR), respectively. The fire behaviors were studied by limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL 94 test for horizontal burning of cellular materials (UL 94 HBF), and cone calorimeter measurement. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the cellular structure's morphology and the postfire char residue of the FPUFs. LOI and UL 94 HBF tests of all the flame retarded samples show improved flame retardancy. BDMPP plays an essential role in the gas phase because it significantly reduces the effective heat of combustion (EHC). This study highlights the synergistic effect caused by the combination of BDMPP and EG. The measured char yield from TGA is greater than the sum of individual effects. No dripping phenomenon occurs during burning for FPUF-BDMPP-EGs, as demonstrated by the result of the UL 94 HBF test. EG performs excellently on smoke suppression during burning, as evident in the result of the cone calorimeter test. MA reduces the peak heat release rate (pHRR) significantly. The synergistic effect of the combination of BDMPP and EG as well as MA offers an approach to enhance flame retardancy and smoke suppression.
The microscopic diffusion and the low frequency density of states (VDOS) of PIM-EATB(CH3) are investigated by inelastic and quasi-elastic neutron scattering where also the demethylated counterpart of PIM-EA-TB(H2) is considered. These intrinsic microporous polymers are characterized by large BET surface area values of several hundred m2/g and pore sizes between 0.5 and 2 nm. Detailed comparison is made to the archetype of polymers of intrinsic microporosity, PIM-1, and polynorbornenes also bearing a microporosity. Due to the wavelength of neutrons, the diffusion and vibrations can be addressed on microscopic length and time scales. From the inelastic neutron scattering experiments the low frequency density of states (VDOS) is estimated which shows excess contributions to the Debye-type VDOS known as Boson peak. It was found that the maximum frequency of the Boson peak decreases with increasing microporosity characterized by the BET surface area. However, besides the BET surface area, additional factors such as the backbone stiffness govern the maximum frequency of the Boson peak. Further the mean squared displacement related to microscopic motions was estimated from elastic fixed window scans. At temperatures above 175 K, the mean squared displacement PIM-EA-TB(CH3) is higher than that for the demethylated counterpart PIM-EA-TB(H2). The additional contribution found for PIM-EATB(CH3) is ascribed to the rotation of the methyl group in this polymer because the only difference between the two structures is that PIM-EA-TB(CH3) has methyl groups where PIM-EA-TB(H2) has none. A detailed comparison of the molecular dynamics is also made to that of PIM-1 and the microporous polynorbornene PTCNSi1. The manuscript focuses on the importance of vibrations and the localized molecular mobility characterized by the microscopic diffusion on the gas Transport in polymeric separation membranes. In the frame of the random gate model localized fluctuations can open or close bottlenecks between pores to enable the diffusion of gas molecules.
Bitumen is a crucial building material in road construction, which is exposed to continuously higher stresses due to higher traffic loads and changing climatic conditions. Therefore, various additives are increasingly being added to the bitumen complicating the characterisation of the bituminous binder, especially concerning the reuse of reclaimed asphalt.
Therefore, this work aimed to demonstrate that the combination of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with attenuated total reflexion (ATR) technique and multivariate evaluation is a very wellsuited method to reliable identify and quantify additives in bituminous binders. For this purpose, various unmodified and modified binders, directly and extracted from laboratory and reclaimed asphalts, were investigated with FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The determined spectra, pre-processed by standard normal variate (SNV) transformation and the determination of the 1st derivation, were evaluated using factor Analysis (FA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and partial least square regression (PLSR). With this multivariate evaluation, first, a significant model with a very high hit rate of over 90% was developed allowing for the identification of styrene-butadiene copolymers (SBC), ethylene-copolymer bitumen (ECB) and different waxes (e.g. amide and Fischer-Tropsch wax) even if the additives do not show any additional peaks or the samples are multi-modified. Second, a quantification of the content is possible for SBC, ECB, and Amide wax with a mean error of RMSE B 0.4 wt% and a
coefficient of determination of R2[90%. Based on these results, FTIR identification and quantification of additives in bituminous binders is a very promising method with a great potential.
With the aim of identifying the origin and the manufacturer of a cement, a reliable procedure that provides unambiguous results is needed. Such procedure could resolve practical issues in damage research, liability issues and forensic investigations. A substantial number of attempts for fingerprinting of building materials, including cement, has already been carried out during the last decades. Most of them were based on concentration analysis of the main elements/components. This review provides an overview of provenance studies of cement and the main approaches commonly used. Provenance studies of cement via isotope techniques are also presented and discussed as representatives of the state-of-the-art in the field. Due to the characteristic properties and the occurrence of carefully selected isotope ratios, unique fingerprints of different kinds of materials can be provided by these methods. This property has largely been explored in various scientific fields such as geo- and cosmochemistry, food forensics, archaeology, geochronology, biomedical studies, and climate change processes. However, the potential of isotope techniques in cement and concrete research for provenance studies has barely been investigated.
Therefore, the review outlines a suitable approach using isotope ratios, which could lead to reliable provenancing of cementitious materials in the future.
For the successful use of lithium-ion batteries in automotive applications, reliable availability of high storage capacity and very short recharging times are essential. In order to develop the perfect battery for a certain application, structure–property relationships of each active material must be fully understood. LiFePO4 is of great interest due to its fast-charging capability and high stability regarding its thermal resistance and chemical reactivity. The anisotropic lithium-ion diffusion through the LiFePO4 crystal structure indicates a strong dependence of the electrochemical performance of a nanostructured active material on particle morphology. In this paper, the relationship of the particle morphology and fast-charging capability of LiFePO4/C core/shell nanoparticles in half-cells was studied. For this purpose, a new multistep synthesis strategy was developed. It involves the combination of a solvothermal synthesis followed by an in situ polymer coating and thermal calcination step. Monodisperse rodlike LiFePO4 nanoparticles with comparable elongation along the b-axis (30–50 nm) and a varying aspect ratio c/a (2.4–6.9) were obtained. A strong correlation of the fast-charging capability with the aspect ratio c/a was observed. When using LiFePO4 nanoparticles with the smallest aspect ratio c/a, the best electrochemical performance was received regarding the specific capacity at high C-rates and the cycling stability. A reduction of the aspect ratio c/a by 30% (3.6 to 2.4) was found to enhance the charge capacity at 10 C up to an order of magnitude (7.4–73 mA h·g–1).
Leather is among the most ancient, widely used materials worldwide. Industrial-scale leather production produces large quantities of organic waste attained during shaving and buffing steps during processing. In this study, leather wastes (LW) are used as fillers in flame retarded polymer composites. LW is investigated as a multifunctional bio-filler that enhances the fire performance of flame retarded poly(ethylene–vinyl acetate) (EVA) containing phosphorus flame retardants (P-FRs) ammonium polyphosphate (APP) or a melamine-encapsulated APP (eAPP). Using LW from tanneries as adjuvants to enhance P-FRs in EVA reduces industrial wastes that otherwise require costly waste management solutions. Materials are characterized multi-methodically via mechanical tests, electron microscopy, rheology, thermogravimetric analysis, evolved gas analysis, and condensed phase FTIR, also reaction-to-small-flames and cone calorimeter tests. EVA containing 10 wt-% LW and 20 wt-% P-FRs achieve 20% reductions in fire loads versus EVA, and up to 10% reduction in effective heats of combustion versus EVA with equal (30 wt-%) P-FR loadings. Enhanced char stabilization of EVA composites with LW and P-FRs lowered peaks of heat release rates up to 53% compared to EVA, and up to 40% compared to equal P-FRs loadings. Synergisms between LW and P-FRs in EVA are quantified. A chemical decomposition mechanism is proposed.
A three-phase transport model for high-temperature concrete simulations validated with X-ray CT data
(2021)
Concrete exposure to high temperatures induces thermo-hygral phenomena, causing water phase changes, buildup of pore pressure and vulnerability to spalling. In order to predict these phenomena under various conditions, a three-phase transport model is proposed. The model is validated on X-ray CT data up to 320 ◦C, showing good agreement of the temperature profiles and moisture changes. A dehydration description, traditionally derived from thermogravimetric analysis, was replaced by a formulation based on data from neutron radiography. In addition, treating porosity and dehydration evolution as independent processes, previous approaches do not fulfil the solid mass balance. As a consequence, a new formulation is proposed that introduces the porosity as an independent variable, ensuring the latter condition.
Fire resistance testing of components made of carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) usually demands intermediate-scale or full-scale testing. A bench-scale test is presented as a practicable and efficient method to assess how different fire protective systems improve the structural integrity of CFRPs during fire. The direct flame of a fully developed fire was applied to one side of the CFRP specimen, which was simultaneously loaded with compressive force. Three different approaches (film, non-woven, and coatings) were applied: paper with a thickness in the range of μm consisting of cellulose nanofibre (CNF)/clay nanocomposite, nonwoven mats with thickness in the range of cm and intumescent coatings with a thickness in the range of mm. The uncoated specimen failed after just 17 s. Protection by these systems provides fire stability, as they multiply the time to failure by as much as up to 43 times. The reduced heating rates of the protected specimens demonstrate the reduced heat penetration, indicating the coatings’ excellent heat shielding properties. Bench-scale fire stability testing is shown to be suitable tool to identify, compare and assess different approaches to fire protection.
The thermal gravimetric analysis (TG) is a common method for the examination of the carbonation progress of cement-based materials. Unfortunately, the thermal properties of some components complicate the evaluation of TG results. Various hydrate phases, like ettringite (AFt), C-S-H and AFm decompose almost simultaneously in the temperature range up to 200 °C. Additionally, physical bound water is released in the same temperature range. In the temperature range between 450 °C and 600 °C the decomposition of calcium hydroxide and amorphous or weakly bound carbonates takes place simultaneously. Carbonates, like calcite, from limestone powder or other additives may be already contained in the noncarbonated sample material. For this research an attempt was made to minimise the influence of these effects. Therefore, differential curves from DTG-results of non-carbonated areas and areas with various states of carbonation of the same sample material were calculated and evaluated. Concretes based on three different types of cement were produced and stored under accelerated carbonation conditions (1 % CO2 in air). The required sample material was obtained by cutting slices from various depth of previously CO2-treated specimen and subsequent grinding. During the sample preparation, a special attention was paid that no additional carbonation processes took place. As reference method for the determination of the carbonation depth the sprayed application of phenolphthalein solution was carried out. Microscopic analysis where examined to confirm the assumptions made previously. Furthermore, the observed effect of encapsulation of calcium hydroxide by carbonates caused by the accelerated carbonation conditions was examined more closely.
Several attempts have been made in the past to develop a European harmonized testing and assessment method for façades before the European commission decided to publish a call for tender on the topic. A project consortium from five countries (Sweden, UK, France, Germany and Hungary) applied to the call for tender and was contracted to develop a European approach to assess the fire performance of façades. 24 sub-contractors and 14 stakeholder entities were part of the project. The objective of the European project was to address a request from the Standing Committee of Construction (SCC) to provide EC Member States regulators with a means to regulate the fire performance of façade systems based on a European Approach agreed by SCC. The initial stages of this Project were focused on establishing a Register of the regulatory requirements in all Member States in relation to the fire Performance of façade systems, and to identify those Member States who have regulatory requirements for the fire performance façade systems which go beyond the current EN 13501 (reaction to fire and fire resistance) classification systems and to collate the details of these additional requirements. After having confirmed the regulatory needs a testing and classification methodology based on BS 8414 and DIN 4102-20 was developed to address the identified key performance and classification characteristics.
This paper is a short overview of results the two-year development work, which Final Report published by the European Commission in 2018.
The critical chloride content C(crit) is an indicator for the corrosion resistance of reinforcing steels in concrete. In this article, several experimental methods for determining the critical chloride content C(crit) of mild and an alloyed (12% Cr) steel in cementitious materials are compared. The methods used include accelerated polarization tests and tests using more natural (unpolarized) conditions in which chloride ingress occurs by diffusion and capillary uptake. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods are discussed, in particular, with the objective of reaching a compromise between applicability to practice and feasibility in laboratory testing.
The pore fluid within many concretes is highly alkaline and rich in reduced sulfur species, but the influence of such alkaline-sulfide solutions on the surface film formed on steel reinforcement is poorly understood. This study investigates the critical role of HS− in defining mild steel passivation chemistry. The surface film formed on the steel in alkaline-sulfide solutions contains Fe(OH)2 and Fe–S complexes, and the critical chloride concentration to induce corrosion increases at high sulfide concentration. However, this behavior is dependent on the duration of exposure of the steel to the electrolyte, and the nature of the sulfidic surface layer.
Support structures of offshore wind turbines are subject to cyclic stresses generated by different time-variant random loadings such as wind, waves, and currents in combinationwith the excitation by the rotor. In the design phase, the cyclic demand on wind turbine support structure is calculated and forecasted with semi or fully probabilistic engineering models. In some cases, additional cyclic stresses may be induced by construction deviations, unbalanced rotor masses and structural dynamic phenomena such as, for example, the Sommerfeld effect. Both, the significant uncertainties in the design and a validation of absence of unforeseen adverse dynamic phenomena necessitate the employment of measurement Systems on the support structures. The quality of the measurements of the cyclic demand on the support structures depends on (a) the precision of the measurement System consisting of sensors, amplifier and data normalization and (b) algorithms for analyzing and converting data to structural health information. This paper presents the probabilistic modelling and analysis of uncertainties in strain measurements performed for the purposes of reconstructing stress resultants in wind turbine towers.
It is shown how the uncertainties in the strain measurements affect the uncertainty in the individual components of the reconstructed forces and moments. The analysis identifies the components of the vector of stress resultants that can be reconstructed with sufficient precision.
Nickel‐free high‐nitrogen‐alloyed stainless steels like the P2000 (X13CrMnMoN18‐14‐3) were developed to enhance the strength and corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steels like 304 and 316 while keeping the typical high ductility. The mechanical and corrosive properties of P2000 were investigated and compared with 304 and 316 to highlight the application opportunities of this new alloy. The microstructure of the solution‐annealed condition was characterised by electron backscatter diffraction and the mechanical properties were studied by uniaxial tensile tests, Charpy impact tests and hardness measurements. The passivation behaviour was analysed using the electrochemical potentiodynamic reactivation, whereas the pitting corrosion resistance was compared by pitting potentials and pitting temperatures. However, secondary thermal influences or suboptimal heat treatment can impair the corrosion resistance due to the precipitation of secondary phases and the resulting sensitisation. Thermodynamic calculations and artificial ageing treatment in the range of 500–900°C for up to 100 h were used to determine critical time–temperature parameters for sensitisation. The microstructure of the various aged states was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and compared with the degrading corrosion resistance characterised by the KorroPad method.
About 80% of all fire fatalities in Germany occur because of fires in homes. It has been known for some time that modern materials (synonym for materials consisting mostly of synthetic polymers) tend to burn differently from older materials (synonym for materials consisting mostly of fibrous cellulosic substances) and it has been acknowledged that the amount of combustible plastics in homes has increased significantly over the last decades. To investigate the influence of modern furniture and ventilation conditions of fires in homes, a series of four large-scale tests in two Living rooms (LRs) with adjacent rooms (ARs) was performed by BAM and the Frankfurt fire service. Two LRs, one with older furniture and one with modern furniture, were tested twice each. Each test started with the ignition of a paper cushion on an upholstered chair. The influence of modern materials on the fire development was investigated, as well as the influence of the ventilation on the fire development. In all settings, an upholstered chair was the first burning item. Results of the test series show that fires in rooms with modern furniture develop faster than fires in rooms with older furniture.
This is true for temperature development in the rooms as well as for smoke production.
During the service life of structural sealant glazing (SSG) facades, the loadbearing capacity of the silicone bonds needs to be guaranteed. Laboratory Tests can assess the durability of SSG-systems based on mechanical characteristics of the bond after simultaneous exposure to both climatic and mechanical loads.
This article studies how the material characteristics of two common structural sealants are affected by laboratory and field exposure. Dynamic mechanical Analysis (DMA) confirms a reduction in the dynamic modulus of exposed Silicone samples. Results from thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and small-angle X-ray scattering/wide-angle X-ray scattering show differences between the two sealants and indicate no/minor changes in the composition and morphology of the laboratory and field exposed sealants. Mechanical characterization methods, such as DMA, and tensile and shear testing of the structural bond, are shown to be sensitive toward the combined climatic and mechanical loadings, and are hence suitable for studying degradation mechanisms of structural sealants.
Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a material consisting of high-performance concrete (HPC) and tensile reinforcement comprised of carbon roving with epoxy resin matrix. However, the problem of low epoxy resin resistance at higher temperatures persists. In this work, an alternative to the epoxy resin matrix, a non-combustible cement suspension (cement milk) which has proven stability at elevated temperatures, was evaluated. In the first part of the work, microscopic research was carried out to determine the distribution of particle sizes in the cement suspension. Subsequently, five series of plate samples differing in the type of cement and the method of textile reinforcement saturation were designed and prepared. Mechanical experiments (four-point bending tests) were carried out to verify the properties of each sample type. It was found that the highest efficiency of carbon roving saturation was achieved by using finer ground cement (CEM 52.5) and the pressure saturation method. Moreover, this solution also exhibited the best results in the four-point bending test. Finally, the use of CEM 52.5 in the cement matrix appears to be a feasible variant for TRC constructions that could overcome problems with its low temperature resistance.
Although zinc and zinc coatings have been widely used for corrosion protection for decades new zinc coatings are constantly being developed. Characterizing the corrosion protectiveness of these new coatings, however, should not be underestimated. While exposure tests are time intensive, cyclic tests can only be used for a very limited field of application. Thus, electrochemical measurements provide both an efficient and an effective alternative. Conventional aqueous bulk electrolytes influence the surface layers of a tested zinc coating and are therefore not reliable. Gel electrolytes, however, have evolved over the last few years, are minimally invasive and provide reliable results.
This work describes experiments with gel electrolytes made of agar. Unlike previous work, it proposes a composition of gel electrolyte for minimally invasive description of the protective power of naturally formed oxide layers on zinc and zinc coatings. Therefore, as a first part, the gel electrolyte made of agar is verified as a method for zinc and zinc-coated samples. Afterwards, this paper introduces the corrosion product layer resistance RL as a promising parameter to evaluate the protective power of zinc coatings. Results are verified with EIS and FTIR measurements. An example on a representative zinc coating demonstrates the practical application.
A rigid aromatic phosphorus-containing hyperbranched flame retardant structure is synthesized from 10-(2,5 dihydroxyphenyl)-10H-9-oxa-
10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO-HQ), tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)phosphine oxide (THPPO), and 1,4-terephthaloyl chloride (TPC). The resulting poly-(DOPO-HQ/THPPO-terephthalate) (PDTT) is implemented as a flame retardant into an epoxy resin (EP) at a 10 wt% loading. The effects on EP are compared with those of the monomer DOPO-HQ and triphenylphosphine oxide (OPPh3) as low molar mass flame retardants. The glass transition temperature, thermal decomposition, flammability (reaction to small flame), and burning behavior of the thermosets are investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry, UL 94-burning chamber testing, and cone calorimeter measurements.
Although P-contents are low at only 0.6 wt%, the study aims not at attaining V-0, but at presenting a proof of principle: Epoxy resinswith PDTT show promising fire performance, exhibiting a 25% reduction in total heat evolved (THE), a 30% reduction in peak heat release rate (PHRR) due to flame inhibition (21% reduction in effective heat of combustion (EHC)), and an increase in Tg at the same time. This study indicates that rigid aromatic hyperbranched polymeric structures offer a promising route toward multifunctional flame retardancy.
Al2O3 has been widely used as a coating in industrial applications due to its excellent chemical and thermal resistance. Considering high temperatures and aggressive mediums exist in geothermal systems, Al2O3 can be a potential coating candidate to protect steels in geothermal applications. In this study, γ-Al2O3 was used as a coating on martensitic steels by applying AlOOH sol followed by a heat treatment at 600 °C. To evaluate the coating application process, one-, two-, and three-layer coatings were tested in the artificial North German Basin (NGB), containing 166 g/L Cl−, at 150 °C and 1 MPa for 168 h. To reveal the stability of the Al2O3 coating in NGB solution, three-layer coatings were used in exposure tests for 24, 168, 672, and 1296 h, followed by surface and cross-section characterization. SEM images show that the Al2O3 coating was stable up to 1296 h of exposure, where the outer layer mostly transformed into boehmite AlOOH with needle-like crystals dominating the surface. Closer analysis of cross-sections showed that the interface between each layer was affected in long-term exposure tests, which caused local delamination after 168 h of exposure. In separate experiments, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed at 150 °C to evaluate the changes of coatings within the first 24 h. Results showed that the most significant decrease in the impedance is within 6 h, which can be associated with the electrolyte penetration through the coating, followed by the formation of AlOOH. Here, results of both short-term EIS measurements (up to 24 h) and long-term exposure tests (up to 1296 h) are discussed.
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.
Fault detection for linear parameter varying systems under changes in the process noise covariance
(2020)
Detecting changes in the eigenstructure of linear systems is a comprehensively investigated subject. In particular, change detection methods based on hypothesis testing using Gaussian residuals have been developed previously. In such residuals, a reference model is confronted to data from the current system. In this paper, linear output-only systems depending on a varying external physical parameter are considered. These systems are driven by process noise, whose covariance may also vary between measurements. To deal with the varying parameter, an interpolation approach is pursued, where a limited number of reference models – each estimated from data measured in a reference state – are interpolated to approximate an adequate reference model for the current parameter. The problem becomes more complex when the different points of interpolation correspond to different noise conditions. Then conflicts may arise between the detection of changes in the eigenstructure due to a fault and the detection of changes due to different noise conditions. For this case, a new change detection approach is developed based on the interpolation of the eigenstructure at the reference points. The resulting approach is capable of change detection when both the external physical parameter and the process noise conditions are varying. This approach is validated on a numerical simulation of a mechanical system.
There is an ongoing debate on European scale concerning the criticality of phosphorus. In Switzerland and Germany, phosphorus recovery from phosphorus-rich waste streams will become obligatory. Sewage sludge ash is rich in phosphorus and may become an important secondary feedstock. Thermochemical treatment of sewage sludge ash with sodium sulphate under reducing conditions was shown to remove heavy metals from the solid product and produce the fully plant available crystalline phase CaNaPO4. Pilot-scale experiments in a rotary kiln were carried out at temperatures between 750 and 1000 °C and were compared to laboratory-scale experiments with crucibles. Process upscaling was successfully demonstrated but a series of differences were noticed: In comparison to laboratory-scale, solubility of phosphorus in samples from pilot-scale experiments was lower at all chosen treatment temperatures because of shorter retention time and incomplete decomposition of sodium sulphate. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed remaining phase fractions of whitlockite (Ca3-x(Mg,Fe)x(PO4)2) and sodium sulphate from the starting materials in products and thus indicated incomplete reaction. In contrast to the results of laboratory-scale experiments, the crystalline phase CaNaPO4 was clearly absent in the products from the rotary kiln but instead a Mg-bearing phase (Ca,Mg)NaPO4 was formed. Laboratory-scale experiments confirmed (Ca,Mg)NaPO4 is an intermediate phase between whitlockite and CaNaPO4. However, both crystalline phases are characterized by high plant availability. It was shown that heavy metal removal increased at higher temperatures whereas solubility and thus plant availability of phosphorus already reached its maxima at temperatures of 950 °C in pilot-scale and 875 °C in laboratory-scale experiments.
To curtail flammability risks and improve material properties, flame retardants (FRs) and fillers are mixed into rubbers. High loadings of aluminum trihydroxide (ATH) and carbon black (CB) are the most used FRs and reinforcing additive, respectively, in rubbers. To reduce loading without losing mechanical properties, partial substitution of ATH as well as CB by low amounts of multilayer graphene (MLG) nanoparticles is investigated. The high aspect ratio MLG is made of ten graphene sheets. In polybutadiene/chloroprene (BR/CR) nanocomposites 3 phr MLG replaced 15 phr CB and/or 3 phr ATH. Material and mechanical properties as well as fire behavior of the nanocomposites are compared to BR/CR with 20 phr CB both with and without 50 phr ATH. MLG appears as a promising nanofiller to improve the functional properties: replacement of CB improved rheological, curing, and mechanical properties; substitution of ATH improved nanocomposite properties without affecting flame retardancy.
Several studies show that thermal and hydrothermal treatment can further improve the excellent properties of UHPC in terms of mechanical strength and durability. While for the thermal treatment the increase in strength is attributed to an intensified pozzolanic and hydraulic reaction, for the hydrothermal treatment previous studies accredited it mostly to the formation of tobermorite. In the presented study thermal and hydrothermal treatment of UHPC samples was systematically varied and the phase formation analysed related to the strength development of a reference sample cured for 28 days in water. For the thermal treatment the results show that the strength increase depends on the protection against desiccation and can be ascribed to an improved pozzolanic reaction of the siliceous fillers. To achieve a significant enhancement of strength, a pre-storage time of few days and a long dwell time at elevated temperature/pressure are required. For the hydrothermal treatment already heating the specimens up to 185 °C in saturated steam followed by an immediate cooling leads to a substantial increase in compressive strength. Pre-storage time did not affect the result as far as a minimum of several hours is guaranteed. The improved performance is due to an increase in the pozzolanic and hydraulic reaction. Surprisingly, tobermorite was only found within a very thin layer at the surface of the sample, but not in the bulk. Sulphate and aluminium stemming from the decomposition of the ettringite are bound in the newly formed phases hydroxylellestadite and hydrogarnet.
Optimization of the duration of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) campaigns is rarely performed.
This article provides a utility-based solution to posteriorly determine: i) optimal monitoring Durations and ii) the extension of the service life of the welds on a steel bridge deck. The approach is Illustrated with a case study focusing on remaining fatigue life estimation of the welds on the orthotropic steel deck of the Great Belt Bridge, in Denmark. The identification of the optimal monitoring duration and the decision about extending the service life of the welds are modelled by maximizing the expected benefits and minimizing the structural risks. The results are a parametric analysis, mainly on the effect of the target probability, benefit, cost of failure, cost of rehabilitation, cost of monitoring and Discount rate on the posterior utilities of monitoring strategies and the choice of service life considering the risk variability and the costs and benefits models. The results show that the decision on short-term monitoring, i.e., 1 week every six months, is overall the most valued SHM strategy. In addition, it is found that the target probability is the most sensitive parameter affecting the optimal SHM Durations and service life extension of the welds.
One of the main challenges regarding our civil infrastructure is the efficient operation over their complete design lifetime while complying with standards and safety regulations. Thus, costs for maintenance or replacements must be optimized while still ensuring specified safety levels. This requires an accurate estimate of the current state as well as a prognosis for the remaining useful life. Currently, this is often done by regular manual or visual inspections within constant intervals. However, the critical sections are often not directly accessible or impossible to be instrumented at all. Model‐based approaches can be used where a digital twin of the structure is set up. For these approaches, a key challenge is the calibration and validation of the numerical model based on uncertain measurement data. The aim of this contribution is to increase the efficiency of model updating by using the advantage of model reduction (Proper Generalized Decomposition, PGD) and applying the derived method for efficient model identification of a random stiffness field of a real bridge.”
A phenomenological criterion for an optical assessment of PE-HD fracture surfaces obtained from FNCT
(2021)
The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is a common test method to evaluate the environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior of high-density polyethylene (PE-HD), e.g. for container materials. The test procedure as specified in ISO 16770 provides a comparative measure of the resistance against ESC using the time to failure of PE-HD specimens under constant mechanical load in a well-defined liquid test environment. Since the craze-crack damage mechanism underlying the ESC phenomenon is associated with brittle failure, the occurrence of a predominantly brittle fracture surface is a prerequisite to consider an FNCT measurement as representative for ESC, i.e. a time to failure dominated by craze-crack propagation.
The craze-crack propagation continuously reduces the effective residual cross-sectional area of the specimen during the test, which results in a corresponding increase of the effective mechanical stress. Thus, a transition to ductile shear deformation is inevitable at later stages of the test, leading usually to a pronounced central ligament.
Therefore, an optical evaluation of FNCT fracture surfaces concerning their brittleness is essential. An enhanced imaging analysis of FNCT fracture surfaces enables a detailed assessment of craze-crack Propagation during ESC. In this study, laser scanning microscopy (LSM) was employed to evaluate whether FNCT fracture surfaces are representative with respect to craze-crack propagation and ESC. Based on LSM height data, a phenomenological criterion is proposed to assess the validity of distinct FNCT measurements. This criterion is
supposed to facilitate a quick evaluation of FNCT results in practical routine testing. Its applicability is verified on a sample basis for seven different commercial PE-HD container materials.
In this study, a multi-proxy approach combining 29Si, 27Al and 1H MAS-NMR, FEG-EPMA, XANES at the Cu K-edge and XRD analytics with hydrochemical tools such as ICP-OES analyses, oxygen-isotope signatures, and thermodynamic modelling was applied to K-silicate-activated metakaolin specimens - with and without CuSO4·5H2O addition - exposed to sulfuric acid at pH = 2 for 35 days. The results revealed a multistage deterioration mechanism governed by (i) acid diffusion, (ii) leaching of K-A-S-H, (iii) microstructural damage related to precipitation of expansive (K,Ca,Al)-sulfate-hydrate phases (iv) complete dissolution of the K-A-S-H framework, (v) and formation of silica gel in the outermost corroded regions. Copper ions were mainly located in layered spertiniite-chrysocolla-like phases in the as-cured materials. The results demonstrate an overall negative effect of Cu addition on chemical material durability, implying that the reported higher durability of Cu-doped AAM in biocorrosion environments can be best explained by bacteriostatic effects.
Additive manufacturing (AM) of alkali-activated materials is a promising method for producing ceramic precursors, construction elements and other parts. A recently introduced AM process is laser-induced slip casting of lithium aluminate/microsilica slurries, which yields parts with excellent mechanical strengths. To clarify the underlying mechanisms, μ-Raman spectroscopy was applied to parts produced by the process, and the dissolution and hydration of lithium aluminate was studied inter alia using conventional and in-situ X-ray diffraction. The results show that significant dissolution of lithium aluminate occurs, particularly at increased temperatures during laser interaction, which leads to an increase of pH and precipitation of an akopovaite-like Li-Al-CO3 layered double hydroxide. The increase of the pH is likely to induce dissolution of the microsilica and possibly formation of a hydrous lithium aluminosilicate gel. These observations explain the strength evolution of the studied parts and can also aid the development and improvement of related AM methods.
For reliability and safety issues of injection wells, corrosion resistance of materials used needs to be determined. Herein, representative low-cost materials, including carbon steel X70/1.8977 and low alloyed steel 1.7225, were embedded in mortar to mimic the realistic casing-mortar interface. Two types of cement were investigated: (1) Dyckerhoff Variodur commercial Portland cement, representing a highly acidic resistant cement and (2) Wollastonite, which can react with CO2 and become stable under a CO2 stream due to the carbonation process. Exposure tests were performed under 10 MPa and at 333 K in artificial aquifer fluid for up to 20 weeks, revealing crevice corrosion and uniform corrosion instead of expected pitting corrosion. To clarify the role of cement, simulated pore water was made by dispersing cement powder in aquifer fluid and used as a solution to expose steels. Surface analysis, accompanied by element mapping on exposed specimens and their crosssections, was carried out to trace the chloride intrusion and corrosion process that followed.
The durability of flame retardancy is a challenge for cables over long lifetimes. The degradation of flame retardance is investigated in two kinds of exposures, artificial weathering and humidity. In this basic study, typical mineral flame retardants in two polymers frequently used in cable jackets are investigated to get the fundamental picture. Aluminum hydroxide (ATH) and magnesium hydroxide (MDH) are compared in ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA), and further in EVA and linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) cables containing the same ATH. The changes in chemical structure at the surface are studied through attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), the formation of cracks, and changes in color are investigated. The cone calorimeter and a bench scale fire testing cable module are utilized to evaluate the fire behavior of the cables. Although the flame retardancy deteriorated slightly, it survived harsh exposure conditions for 2000 h. Compared to EVA/MDH and LLDPE/ATH, the fire behavior of EVA/ATH is the least sensitive. Taken together, all of the results converge to estimate that there will be no problem with flame retardancy performance, for materials subjected to natural exposure for several years; the durability of fire retardancy is questionable for longer periods, and thus requires further investigation.
Properties of alkali-activated mortars with salt aggregate for sealing structures in evaporite rock
(2021)
Concrete structures for sealing of tunnels in the host rock are an essential part of systems for nuclear waste storage. However, concretes based on blended cements or magnesium oxychloride cements, which are commonly considered for this application, can deteriorate severely due to a significant heat of hydration and associated deformation and cracking. Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) offer a potential solution to this problem because of their low heat release during hardening. To explore their suitability for the construction of sealing structures in evaporite rock, various AAMs with salt aggregate were studied regarding fresh properties, heat release, mechanical properties and microstructure. The heat of reaction of the AAMs was up to 55% lower than that of a blended cement designed for sealing structures, indicating significant benefits for the intended application. Other relevant properties such as mechanical strength and permeability depended strongly on the mix-design of the AAMs and curing conditions.
Durability Assessment of Structural Sealant Glazing Systems applying a Performance Test Method
(2020)
During the service life of a Structural Sealant Glazing (SSG) facade, its silicone bond is exposed to climatic, chemical, and mechanical loads. While current durability assessment methods schedule separate test programmes for accelerated weathering and fatigue, the presented test applies mechanical loading and weather cycling simultaneously to simulate 50 years of use. Specifically designed medium-scale system specimens resemble a common SSG-bond. Displacement-controlled sinusoidal load cycles in two load directions subject these specimens to tensile, compression and shear loads. Weathering comprises temperature and humidity cycles, UV-radiation, and application of water and detergent. During testing, the forces transmitted by the system specimens are continuously measured for performance assessment. The resulting system response reveals mechanical performance characteristics like elastic moduli and dissipated energies which decrease during exposure, indicating stress relaxation and degradation. Two common structural sealants were tested. After testing, sections of the system specimens were subjected to tensile and shear tests for mechanical characterisation. Strengths and moduli are notably reduced by combined loading compared to those of reference and weathered specimens. Hardness and visual inspections of the bond correlate with the performance and bond characteristics. The approach introduced in this article provides a basis for life cycle assessment of SSG-systems.
Microplastic particles are currently detected in almost all environmental compartments. The results of detection vary widely, as a multitude of very different methods are used with very different requirements for analytical validity.
In this work four thermoanalytical methods are compared and their advantages and limitations are discussed. One of them is thermal extraction-desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS), an analysis method for microplastic detection that has become established in recent years. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR) and mass spectrometry (TGA-MS) were applied, two methods that are less common in this field but are still used in other research areas. Finally, microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC) was applied, a method not yet used for microplastic detection.
The presented results are taken from a recently published interlaboratory comparison test by Becker et al. (2020). Here a reference material consisting of suspended matter and specified added polymer masses was examined, and only the results of the recoveries were presented. In the present paper, however, the results for the individual polymers are discussed in detail and individual perspectives for all instruments are shown.
It was found that TED-GC/MS is the most suitable method for samples with unknown matrix and unknown, variable kinds and contents of microplastic. TGA-FTIR is a robust method for samples with known matrix and with defined kinds of microplastic. TGA-MS may offer a solution for the detection of PVC particles in the future. MCC can be used as a very fast and simple screening method for the identification of a potential microplastic load of standard polymers in unknown samples.
The RILEM technical committee TC 247-DTA ‘Durability Testing of Alkali-Activated Materials’ conducted a round robin testing programme to determine the validity of various durability testing methods, originally developed for Portland cement based-concretes, for the assessment of the durability of alkali-activated concretes. The outcomes of the round robin tests evaluating sulfate resistance, alkali-silica reaction (ASR) and freeze–thaw resistance are presented in this contribution. Five different alkali-activated concretes, based on ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, or metakaolin were investigated. The extent of sulfate damage to concretes based on slag or fly ash seems to be limited when exposed to an Na2SO4 solution. The mixture based on metakaolin showed an excessive, very early expansion, followed by a dimensionally stable period, which cannot be explained at present. In the slag-based concretes, MgSO4 caused more expansion and visual damage than Na2SO4; however, the expansion limits defined in the respective standards were not exceeded. Both the ASTM C1293 and RILEM AAR-3.1 test methods for the determination of ASR expansion appear to give essentially reliable identification of expansion caused by highly reactive aggregates. Alkali-activated materials in combination with an unreactive or potentially expansive aggregate were in no case seen to cause larger expansions; only the aggregates of known very high reactivity were seen to be problematic. The results of freeze–thaw testing (with/without deicing salts) of alkali-activated concretes suggest an important influence of the curing conditions and experimental conditions on the test outcomes, which need to be understood before the tests can be reliably applied and interpreted.
The use of load and structural performance measurement information is vital for efficient structural integrity management and for the cost of energy production with Offshore Wind Turbines (OWTs). OWTs are dynamically sensitive structures subject to an interaction with a control unit exposed to repeated cyclic wind and wave loads causing deterioration and fatigue. This study focuses on the quantification of the value of structural and environmental information on the integrity management of OWT structures, with the focus on fatigue of welded joints. By utilizing decision analysis, structural reliability methods, measurement data, as well as the cost-benefit models, a Value of Information (VoI) analysis can be performed to quantify the most beneficial measurement strategy. The VoI assessment is demonstrated for the integrity management of a butt welded joint of a monopile support structure for a 3 MW OWT with a hub height of approximately 71m. The conditional value of three-year measured oceanographic information and one-year strain monitoring information is quantified posteriori in conjunction with an inspection and repair planning. This paper provides insights on how much benefits can be achieved through structural and environmental information, with practical relevance on reliability-based maintenance of OWT structures.
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.
In this work, which is part of a larger research program, a framework called “virtual data fusion“ was developed to provide an automated and consistent crack detection method that allows for the cross-comparison of results from large quantities of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data. A partial implementation of this method in a custom program was developed for use in research focused on crack quantification in Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR)-sensitive concrete aggregates. During the CT image processing, a series of image analyses tailored for detecting specific, individual crack-like characteristics were completed. The results of these analyses were then “fused” in order to identify crack-like objects within the images with much higher accuracy than that yielded by any individual image analysis procedure. The results of this strategy demonstrated the success of the program in effectively identifying crack-like structures and quantifying characteristics, such as surface area and volume. The results demonstrated that the source of aggregate has a very significant impact on the amount of internal cracking, even when the mineralogical characteristics remain very similar. River gravels, for instance, were found to contain significantly higher levels of internal cracking than quarried stone aggregates of the same mineralogical type.
Flexible polyurethane foams (FPUF) are easy to ignite and exhibit rapid flame spread. In this paper, the fire phenomena of two standard foam formulations containing tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (FR-2) and a halogen-freepoly (ethyl ethylene phosphate) (PNX), respectively, as flame retardants are compared. A multimethodological approach is proposed which combines standard fire tests as well as new investigatory approaches. The thermophysical properties of the foams were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), reaction to small flames was studied by means of the limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL 94 HBF test, and the burning behavior was investigated with the cone calorimeter. Further, temperature development in burning cone calorimeter samples was monitored using thermocouples, and rheological measurements were performed on pyrolyzed material, delivering insight
into the dripping behavior of the foams. This paper gives comprehensive insight into the fire phenomena of flame-retarded FPUFs that are driven by the two-step decomposition behavior of the foams. LOI and UL 94 HBF tests showed a reduced flammability and reduced tendency to drip for the flame-retarded foams. TG and cone calorimeter measurements revealed that the two-step decomposition behavior causes two stages during combustion, namely structural collapse and pool fire. The flame-retardant mode of action was identified to take place primarily during the foam collapse and be based mainly on flame inhibition. However, some condensed-phase action was been measured, leading to significantly increased melt viscosity and improved dripping behavior for foams containing PNX.
This paper presents the results of an interlaboratory study of the rheological properties of cement paste and ultrasound gel as reference substance. The goal was to quantify the comparability and reproducibility of measurements of the Bingham parameters yield stress and plastic viscosity when measured on one specific paste composition and one particular ultrasound gel in different laboratories using different rheometers and measurement geometries.
The procedures for both in preparing the cement paste and carrying out the rheological measurements on cement paste and ultrasound gel were carefully defined for all of the study’s participants. Different conversion schemes for comparing the results obtained with the different measurement setups are presented here and critically discussed. The procedure proposed in this paper ensured a reasonable comparability of the results with a coefficient of variation for the yield stress of 27% and for the plastic viscosity of 24%, despite the individual measurement series’ having been performed in different labs with different rheometers and measurement geometries.
Recycling of crosslinked fiber-reinforced polymers is difficult. Moreover, as they are often based on flammable resins, additional additives are needed. So-called “vitrimers” open the possibility of Recycling and reprocessing and repairing with dynamically crosslinked chemistries. To date, vitrimer-based composites still need flame retardant additives, such as organophosphates. An additive-free vitrimer composite has not been reported. Herein, we synthesized an intrinsic flame-retardant vitrimer, relying on vinylogous polyurethanes containing covalently installed phosphonates as flame-retardant units and prepared glassfiber-reinforced composites. We studied recycling and flame retardant properties and compared the data to phosphorus-free vitrimers and conventional epoxy resins (with and without additive flame retardant).
Our phosphonate-based vitrimer proved in first tests, a flame retardant effect comparable to commercial flame retardant resins. The bending strength and bending modulus for the phosphorus-vitrimer glass fiber composites were comparable to glass fiber composites with permanently cross-linked epoxies. In summary, we were able to prove that the covalent installation of phosphonates into vitrimers allows the preparation of recyclable and intrinsic flame retardant composites that do not need flame retardant additives. We believe this concept can be expanded to other polymer networks and additives to generate recyclable and sustainable high-performance materials.
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.
One of the most important goals in civil engineering is to guarantee the safety of the construction. Standards prescribe a required failure probability in the order of 10−4 to 10−6. Generally, it is not possible to compute the failure probability analytically.
Therefore, many approximation methods have been developed to estimate the failure probability. Nevertheless, these methods still require a large number of evaluations of the investigated structure, usually finite element (FE) simulations, making full probabilistic design studies not feasible for relevant applications. The aim of this paper is to increase the efficiency of structural reliability analysis by means of reduced order models. The developed method paves the way for using full probabilistic approaches in industrial applications. In the proposed PGD reliability analysis, the solution of the structural computation is directly obtained from evaluating the PGD solution for a specific parameter set without computing a full FE simulation. Additionally, an adaptive importance sampling scheme is used to minimize the total number of required samples. The accuracy of the failure probability depends on the accuracy of the PGD model (mainly influenced on mesh discretization and mode truncation) as well as the number of samples in the sampling algorithm. Therefore, a general iterative PGD reliability procedure is developed to automatically verify the accuracy of the computed failure probability. It is based on a goal-oriented refinement of the PGD model around the adaptively approximated design point. The methodology is applied and evaluated for 1D and 2D examples. The computational savings compared to the method based on a FE model is shown and the influence of the accuracy of the PGD model on the failure probability is studied.
In the present study, a simple approach was used to investigate the effect of UV-exposure on two high density Polyethylene materials (PE-HD), commonly used for storage tanks, on fuel sorption behavior and colonization by microorganisms. The aim was to investigate whether the sorption behavior of the fuels (diesel/biodiesel) and the colonization by microorganisms, frequently occurring in the fuel, is affected and may lead to undesirable or safety-relevant material changes. We showed that the UV-irradiation leads to significant changes of the sorption behavior due to chemi-crystallization and crosslinking. The fuel Sorption is affected by the UV-induced formation of polar carbonyl and hydroxyl groups predominantly occurring at the surface. With respect to microbial colonization behavior for Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, isolated from a contaminated diesel sample, differences of the initial adhesion could be shown depending on the initial type of polyethylene as well as on the degree of UV-induced degradation.
Alkali-activated materials are ideal for the repair of concrete structures in harsh environmental conditions due to their high durability in chemically aggressive environments. However, slag-based mortars, in particular, are prone to shrinkage and associated cracks. In this respect, the application of steel fibres is one solution to reduce the formation of shrinkage induced cracks and to improve post cracking behaviour of these mortars. This study investigated the influence of two different types of steel fibres on the tensile properties of two alkali-activated mortars. Direct tensile tests and single fibre pull-outs were performed to analyse the determining failure modes both on macro and micro scale. Mechanical testing was accompanied by non-destructive testing methods such as digital image correlation and acoustic emission for a detailed analysis of the fracture process.
Aluminum tris (diethylphosphinate) (AlPi) is known to have an efficient flame-retardant effect when used in poly(butadiene terephthalates) (PBT). Additionally, better flame-retardant effects can be achieved through the partial substitution of AlPi by boehmite in multi-component systems, which have been shown to be an effective synergist due to cooling effects and residue formation. Although the potential of beneficial effects is generally well known, the influence of particle sizes and behavior in synergistic compositions are still unknown. Within this paper, it is shown that the synergistic effects in flammability measured by limiting oxygen index (LOI) can vary depending on the particle size distribution used in PBT. In conducting thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements, it was observed that smaller boehmite particles result in slightly increased char yields, most probably due to increased reactivity of the metal oxides formed, and they react slightly earlier than larger boehmite particles. This leads to an earlier release of water into the system enhancing the hydrolysis of PBT. Supported by Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), we propose that the later reactions of the larger boehmite particles decrease the portion of highly flammable tetrahydrofuran in the gas phase within early burning stages. Therefore, the LOI index increased by 4 vol.% when lager boehmite particles were used for the synergistic mixture.
The impact fracture behavior of two common high-density polyethylene grades for container applications were intensively studied by the instrumented Charpy impact test after well-defined exposure to UV-irradiation. Individual stages of the impact event, such as crack initiation and crack propagation energy as well as maximum impact load, were investigated from the recorded load–deflection curves. UV-induced material property changes were further investigated by infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic-mechanical analysis as well as density measurements. Based on the results of the Charpy impact test, three indicators were identified to describe the extend of photooxidation on high-density polyethylene: (a) a reduced Charpy impact strength—at least to half of its initial value for a distinctly brittle impact fracture, (b) a marked decrease in the crack propagation contribution to the impact strength, and (c) an increase of the brittle features of the fracture surface.
The importance of empirical relations to quantify the movement of pedestrians through a facility has increased during the last decades since performance-based design methods became more common. Bottlenecks are of special interest because of their importance for egress routes and as they result in a reduced capacity. The empirical relations as the density-dependent movement speed or flow rate were derived by studies under laboratory conditions, which were usually conducted with populations of homogeneous characteristics forbetter control of influencing variables.
If individual characteristics of a crowd become more heterogeneous, individuals were forced to adapt their individual movement and control individual manoeuvring.
These unintended interactions lead to a different shape of the fundamental empirical relations. Here, we present results from a movement study under well-controlled boundary conditions in which participants with and without different characteristics of disabilities participated. To consider the effect of different heterogeneities on the capacity of a facility, fundamental diagrams are generated using the Voronoi method. If participants with visible disabilities (such as using assistive devices) are part of a crowd, significant differences relating to the shape of the empirical Relations and the capacities are found. This indicates that the heterogeneity of a Population leads to an increased interpersonal interaction which results in influenced movement characteristics.
A method to determine the influencing parameters of a structural and damage detection system is proposed based on the value of Information analysis. The value of information analysis utilizes the Bayesian pre-posterior decision theory to quantify the value of damage detection system for the structural integrity management during service life. First, the influencing parameters of the structural system, such as deterioration type and rate are introduced for the performance of the prior probabilistic system model. Then the influencing parameters on the damage detection system performance, including number of sensors, sensor locations, measurement noise, and the Type-I error are investigated. The preposterior probabilistic model is computed utilizing the Bayes’ theorem to update the prior system model with the damage indication information. Finally, the value of damage detection system is quantified as the difference between the maximum utility obtained in pre-posterior and prior analysis based on the decision tree analysis, comprising structural probabilistic models, consequences, as well as benefit and costs analysis associated with and without monitoring. With the developed approach, a case study on a statically determinate Pratt truss bridge girder is carried out to validate the method. The analysis shows that the deterioration rate is the most sensitive parameter on the effect of relative value of information over the whole service life. Furthermore, it shows that more sensors do not necessarily lead to a higher relative value of information; only specific sensor locations near the highest utilized components lead to a high relative value of information; measurement noise and the Type-I error should be controlled and be as small as possible. An optimal sensor employment with highest relative value of information is found. Moreover, it is found that the proposed method can be a powerful tool to develop optimal service life maintenance strategies—before implementation—for similar bridges and to optimize the damage detection system settings and sensor configuration for minimum expected Costs and risks.