Reliability Analysis of Plank Decks

The objective of this study is to summarize the load and resistance criteria for highway bridge plank decks, and to estimate the reliability of plank decks designed by the AASHTO Code. Both transverse and longitudinal planks for a variety of typical stringer spacings and plank sizes are considered. Truck traffic load data are based on the model used to calibrate the 1994 AASHTO LRFD Code. However, for plank decks, wheel load rather than whole vehicle weight is most important, and these statistics are developed for this study. For wood planks, dead load and dynamic load are not significant. The limit state considered is flexural strength, and resistance statistics are presented for wood planks in terms of modulus of rupture. Special flat-wise use data are presented to account for section aspect ratio as well as edge of load application. The reliability analysis is carried out using the procedure developed for calibration of AASHTO LRFD. Reliability indices for both the AASHTO Standard and AASHTO LRFD Code are presented for plank decks. The results indicate that there are considerable differences in plank reliability indices. Causes of inconsistencies in safety are identified.     

Application of Hygrothermal Modeling Tool to Assess Moisture Response of Exterior Walls

The moisture design of exterior walls in a building envelope is an important task that needs to be carried out systematically to generate a sustainable and healthy built environment. Many conventional methods or practice guidelines are available for this purpose, based primarily on local traditions and with limited performance assessment records. In recent years, with the rapid development of global free trade and economy, new wall systems and unconventional materials have been introduced in every part of the world for reasons such as aesthetic appeal, cost effectiveness and so on. However, neither the long-term moisture management performance of these new wall systems nor the uses of unconventional materials have been assessed in a systematic way. The primary reason for this lack of assessment is the absence of a design-oriented methodology to perform the task. This paper presents selected results from a recently completed research project that demonstrate that it is indeed possible to assess the moisture management performance of exterior walls in a systematic way, using a hygrothermal modeling tool together with key inputs from a limited number of laboratory and field investigations. In this project the hygrothermal responses of exterior walls and their components were assessed with a novel moisture response indicator, called the RHT index, which is derived from relative humidity and temperature data over a time period. The results and discussion presented in this paper clearly show the need and usefulness of the application of hygrothermal simulation tool for the optimum moisture design of exterior wall systems in various geographic locations, when sufficient information is available from laboratory and field experiments.     

Hygrothermal Effects on the Nonlinear Bending of Shear Deformable Laminated Plates

The influence of hygrothermal effects on the nonlinear bending of shear deformable laminated plates subjected to a uniform or sinusoidal load is investigated using a micro-to-micromechanical analytical model. The material properties of the composite are affected by the variation of temperature and mositure, and are based on a micromechanical model of a laminate. The governing equations of a laminated plate are based on Reddy’s higher-order shear deformation plate theory with von Kármán-type kinematic nonlinearity, and including hygrothermal effects. A perturbation technique is employed to determine the load-deflection and load-bending moment curves. The numerical illustrations concern nonlinear bending behavior of antisymmetric angle-ply and symmetric cross-ply laminated plates under different sets of environmental conditions. The results presented show the effects of temperature rise, the degree of moisture concentration, and fiber volume fraction on the nonlinear bending behavior of the plate.     

Modeling Soil Water Uptake by Plants Using Nonlinear Dynamic Root Density Distribution Function

Water uptake by plants is one of the major components of water balance of the vadose zone that greatly influences the contaminant and moisture movement in variably saturated soils. In this study, a nonlinear macroscopic root water uptake model that includes the impact of soil moisture stress is developed. The model incorporates the spatial and temporal variation of root density in addition to the dynamic root depth considerations. The governing moisture flow equation coupled with the water extraction by plants term is solved numerically by an implicit finite-difference method. The simulation is performed for various physical scenarios subjected to different boundary conditions. The model is tested first without considering the water uptake and results are compared with observed data available in the literature for two cases. A nonlinear water uptake term is subsequently incorporated in the model which is then simulated for corn crop for constant root depth under various characteristic moisture availability environments. Results show that the water extraction rate is closely related to the soil moisture availability in addition to the root density. The plants are observed to extract moisture mainly from the upper root dense soil profile when water content is in an optimal range, otherwise, the peak of the uptake moves to other soil layers where the moisture is easily available. Finally, the model is applied to a corn field and simulated results are validated with field data. The simulated moisture content for 2 months of crop growing season shows a reasonably good agreement with the observed data.     

Mechanical Behavior of an Innovative Hybrid Beam Made of Glulam and Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete Reinforced with FRP or Steel

The main objective of the research project reported here is to develop a new hybrid glulam beam that will increase the performance of timber structures and optimize the use of wood in such structures. The hybrid beam is made by combining glulam with ultrahigh-performance short fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPC-SFR) planks with or without internal reinforcement consisting of steel- or fiber-reinforced polymer reinforcement bars. This paper presents an experimental program of tests on eight large-scale hybrid beams under four-point bending. The results show that by combining wood and UHPC-SFR, it is possible to obtain a hybrid beam with greater bending stiffness and increased ultimate load capacity.     

Evaluation of a Nonlinear Root-Water Uptake Model

Soil-water movement due to root-water uptake, is a key process for plant growth and transport of water in the soil plant system. There are different root-water uptake models to determine the extraction rate of soil moisture by roots. The present study examines the performance of different root-water extraction models using available data as well as data generated under controlled conditions. Data pertaining to moisture uptake in respect to two crops: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) along with soil-water characteristics have been monitored at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, agricultural farm. For this purpose, a numerical model is also formulated by incorporating different moisture extraction terms as sink terms in the Richards equation. A nonlinear root-water uptake model selected as the base model was evaluated for its moisture uptake efficiency. The work establishes the merits of the base model over other extraction terms considered, particularly constant and linear extraction terms in predicting the soil moisture depletion in the root zone. The work stresses the nonlinearity parameter of the base model, which is capable of defining crop specific nonlinearity in the plant moisture uptake.     

Introduction of a Panelized Brick Veneer Wall System and Its Building Science Evaluation

This paper introduces a panelized brick veneer over steel stud backup wall system to address some of the shortcomings of conventional systems. Thermal and hygrothermal analyses of the proposed wall system with different stud gauges and arrangements are discussed. The movement joint design aspects, a pressure moderation performance evaluation, the simulated wind-driven water penetration results, and an example cost analysis are also presented. This study provides information about some of the attributes of the proposed system such as crack resistance and water penetration potential as well as the pressure moderation aspect. Some of the issues that need consideration for the practical application of the system are also described.     

Decontamination of Radionuclides from Concrete by Microwave Heating. I: Theory

The paper analyzes a proposed scheme of decontamination of radionuclides from concrete structures, in which rapid microwave heating is used to spall off a thin contaminated surface layer. The analysis is split in two parts: (1) the hygrothermal part of the problem, which consists in calculating the evolution of the temperature and pore pressure fields, and (2) the fracturing part, which consists in predicting the stresses, deformations and fracturing. The former is assumed to be independent of the latter, but the latter is coupled to the former. The heat and moisture transfer governing the temperature and pore pressure fields induced by the decontamination process is analyzed using an improved form of Ba?ant and Thonguthai’s model for heat and moisture transfer in concrete at high temperatures. The rate of the distributed source of heat due to the interaction of microwaves with the water contained in concrete is calculated on the basis of the standing wave normally incident to the concrete wall. Since the microwave time period is much shorter than the time a heating front takes to propagate over the length of microwave, and since concrete is heterogeneous, the ohmic power dissipation rate is averaged over both the time period and the wavelength. The reinforcing bars parallel to the surface are treated as a smeared steel layer. The recently developed microplane model M4 serves as the constitutive model for nonlinear deformation and distributed fracturing of concrete. Application of the present model in numerical computations is relegated to a companion paper which follows.     

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for In Situ Monitoring of Geoenvironment

This paper demonstrates the usefulness of near-infrared optical fiber analysis for sensing moisture and liquid hydrocarbons in soil. Through experiments we have carried out sensing probes which have been developed, comprising optical fibers that use the evanescent field of the guided energy. The movement of water through dry sand was simulated in the laboratory and the sensors were used in situ to measure the variation of soil moisture in real time. A similar experiment simulated the movement of an organic liquid (mineral oil) through water-saturated sand, and the sensors were used in situ to monitor the hydrocarbon movement. We found that a hydrophobic polymer-coated waveguide can amplify the hydrocarbon signal while minimizing that of water, making it possible to detect a dissolved hydrocarbon. Tests show that the second derivative transform of the absorption spectra could be used to distinguish classes of hydrocarbons.     

Expansive Soil Test Site Near Newcastle

A field site was established in 1993 near Newcastle, Australia, as part of a long-term study into expansive soil behavior. The primary objectives in establishing the site were to collect high quality data with which to check current design methods for lightly loaded building foundations and to develop improved understanding of the physical processes that drive unsaturated expansive soil behavior. The site was instrumented to allow measurement of soil water content, soil moisture suction, and ground movement to depths of 3 m. The site was provided with two ground covers to simulate moisture boundary conditions due to the presence of typical structures. This paper presents some of the more important findings from the 7 years of data acquired so far. These include a qualitative assessment of the overall site behavior, and quantitative observations of the range of total suction and water content changes with depth, the depth to which moisture changes occur, and the contributions to surface movement from ground movement at various depths. The shape of a mound developed beneath a flexible cover on an initially dry site is examined, and the effects of a large tree on moisture changes are reported.     

Shrink Test–Water Content Method for Shrink and Swell Predictions

A new method is proposed to estimate the vertical movement of the ground surface for soil that swells and shrinks due to variations in water content. The water content is used as the main soil parameter and a shrink test is suggested to obtain the relationship between the change in water content and the volumetric strain induced. We propose estimating the change in water content and the depth of seasonal moisture changes from local databases or from existing techniques. The method is evaluated by comparing the predicted movement and the measured movement of four full-scale spread footings over a period of 2 years.     

Modeling of Moisture Diffusion in FRP Strengthened Concrete Specimens

Modeling the movement and distribution of moisture in the fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites strengthened concrete structure is important because the interfacial adhesion between FRP and concrete is susceptible to moisture attack. Using relative humidity as the global variable, the moisture diffusion governing equation was derived for the multilayered system in this study. The moisture diffusivity (diffusion coefficient) and the isotherm curve, which correlates the moisture content to environmental relative humidity, of each constitutive material (concrete, epoxy, and FRP) were experimentally determined. A multilinear diffusivity model was developed for concrete based on desorption test, and a linear diffusivity model was proposed for epoxy adhesive based on absorption test. A simple method was developed to directly measure the FRP/concrete interface region relative humidity (IRRH). Finite-element analysis was performed to study the moisture diffusion in the FRP-adhesive-concrete system. The IRRH values were obtained for different environmental relative humidity in the numerical study. The error between the experimental and numerical results of IRRH at test locations was less than 5% RH. The good agreement between experimental and numerical results indicates that the approach developed in this study worked well.     

含水率对放矿松动体形态的细观影响

为从细观尺度研究矿岩含水率对自然崩落法放矿松动体形态的影响,对非饱和矿岩颗粒间的受力进行了分析,并分别将放矿场内细颗粒流与大块离散矿岩利用格子波尔兹曼法与离散元法处理,基于格子波尔兹曼法-离散元法耦合算法建立自然崩落法放矿模型,得出含水率与放矿松动体形态间的关系,并通过将模拟结果与已有研究结论进行对比分析,验证了基于格子波尔兹曼法-离散元法耦合算法的放矿模型准确性及可靠性.研究表明:矿岩含水率对放矿松动体形态影响显著,在同等矿岩放出质量分数情况下,随着含水率的增大,放矿松动体高度呈先增大后减小的趋势,放矿松动体形态先逐渐变为细长型再逐渐恢复,放矿松动体形态变化的含水率临界值在10%左右.      

Exposure to Condensation Moisture of Sheathing in Retrofitted Leaky Wall Assemblies

Exfiltration of moist indoor air during winter conditions may lead to the gradual wetting of the sheathing of wall assemblies that are not airtight. In this study, seven full-scale wood-frame wall specimens were tested to evaluate the impact of both the geometry of the air leakage path and the addition of rigid insulation on the warm side or the cold side of the assembly on the hygrothermal response of wall assemblies. Walls were exposed to 72?days of steady-state winter conditions and 47?days of steady-state late spring conditions. The position of the added rigid insulation and the geometry of the air leakage paths were different in each wall specimen. The moisture content of the fiberboard sheathing was monitored, and the results are presented. The evolution over time of the moisture distribution across the plane of the sheathing is also presented. The duration of exposure to moisture content above 19 and 28% is examined, allowing a comparison of the performance of the specimens. Leaky assemblies with vapor-tight insulation board added on their cold side were exposed to high moisture content longer than the assemblies not reinsulated or reinsulated on their warm side because the assemblies without insulation on the cold side of the sheathing were exposed to a buildup of frost that prevented moisture to be absorbed by the sheathing.     

Soil Moisture Flow Modeling with Water Uptake by Plants (Wheat) under Varying Soil and Moisture Conditions

A variably saturated soil moisture flow model is developed for planted soils with depth varying properties by incorporating a nonuniform macroscopic root water uptake function. The model includes spatial and temporal variation of the root density with dynamic root growth for simulating water uptake by plants along with the impact of soil moisture availability. The governing partial differential moisture flow equation integrated over the depth with a plant water uptake term is solved numerically by the implicit finite difference method using an iterative scheme. The model is first tested for barren soils for two profiles considering constant and depth varying soil characteristics under constant inflow condition. The results obtained are later tested with experimental data available in the literature. A nonuniform plant water uptake term is subsequently incorporated in the model and water uptake by wheat plants under different soil moisture availability conditions is studied. Finally, the moisture flow model is validated with field data of rain fed wheat (Triticum aestivum) using a dynamic root growth model for a layered root zone soil profile. The simulated soil moisture regime of the layered root zone shows a reasonably good agreement with the observed data.     

Temperature Effect on Concrete Creep Modeled by Microprestress-Solidification Theory

The previously developed microprestress-solidification theory for concrete creep and shrinkage is generalized for the effect of temperature (not exceeding 100°C). The solidification model separates the viscoelasticity of the solid constituent, the cement gel, from the chemical aging of material caused by solidification of cement and characterized by the growth of volume fraction of hydration products. This permits considering the viscoelastic constituent as non-aging. The temperature dependence of the rates of creep and of volume growth is characterized by two transformed time variables based on the activation energies of hydration and creep. The concept of microprestress achieves a grand unification of theory in which the long-term aging and all transient hygrothermal effects simply become different consequences of one and the same physical phenomenon. The microprestress, which is independent of the applied load, is initially produced by incompatible volume changes in the microstructure during hydration, and later builds up when changes of moisture content and temperature create a thermodynamic imbalance between the chemical potentials of vapor and adsorbed water in the nanopores of cement gel. As recently shown, this simultaneously captures two basic effects: First, the creep decreases with increasing age at loading after the growth of the volume fraction of hydrated cement has ceased; and, second, the drying creep, i.e., the transient creep increases due to drying (Pickett effect) which overpowers the effect of steady-state moisture content (i.e., less moisture—less creep). Now it is demonstrated that the microprestress buildup and relaxation also captures a third effect: The transitional thermal creep, i.e., the transient creep increase due to temperature change. For computations, an efficient (exponential-type) integration algorithm is developed. Finite element simulations, in which the apparent creep due to microcracking is taken into account separately, are used to identify the constitutive parameters and a satisfactory agreement with typical test data is achieved.     

宝钢焦炉加热控制系统中配煤水分的采集及应用

介绍宝钢配煤水分数据从分析计算机系统终端传输到焦炉基础自动化层的方式、在计算机网络系统中传输流程以及计算机管理系统架构和焦炉加热控制系统。论述了配煤水分如何参与基础自动化控制、参与焦炉加热控制系统,针对配煤水分在加热控制系统的核心———加热模型中的应用,具体分析了配煤水分在早期的前馈模型中的应用以及在目前广泛使用的前反馈模型中的应用。     

Effect of Test Piece Size on Rheological Behavior of Wood Composites

The effect of size and the combined effect of the size and moisture sorption of test pieces on the long term creep behavior of wood composites were studied. Small-, wide-, and semisize test pieces from each of three commercial wood composites, particleboard (PB), oriented strand board (OSB), and medium density fiberboard (MDF) were tested. Three exposure regimes, constant 20°C/65%, a single change from 20°C/65% to 20°C/85%, and cyclic changes between 20°C/30% and 20°C/90% relative humidity (RH), were used. It was found that the width of test pieces had no effect while the length had a significant effect on long term behavior of wood composites, but the effect is in contrast to that of short term modulus of rupture (MOR) which ranged from 0.06 to 0.13 for the shape parameter and from 0.09 to 0.26 for the length parameter depending on the types of wood composites. The average ratio of the relative creep (kc) of small-:wide-:semisize was 1.14:1.13:1.00 for PB, 1.26:1.21:1.00 for MDF, and 1.24:1.24:1.00 for OSB, with the shape parameter ranging from 0.04 to 0.19 and the length parameter from 0.13 to 0.26. Change in RH significantly aggravated the size effect on kc with the most significant under cyclic RH, for which the ratio of kc small- to semisize was 1.45 for PB and 1.27 for OSB after 3 months’ exposure. Edge sealing on small test pieces efficiently prevented the effect of moisture sorption but the size effect on kc with a reduction of about 30 and 20%, respectively, for edge sealed PB and OSB in weekly changing climate between 20°C/30% and 20°C/90% RH compared to unsealed small-size test pieces. The findings elucidate the importance to take into account the size effects on short term strength, compensated size effect on long term creep, and the combined effects of size and moisture on long term behavior when predicting the long term load carrying capacity of wood composites in construction.     

Calculation of Moisture Distribution in Early-Age Concrete

The moisture content in concrete pores is a critical parameter for most of the degradation processes suffered by concrete, such as concrete shrinkage and related cracking. The objective of this paper is to present the formulation of a general moisture distribution model for young-age concrete. In the modeling, both cement hydration and moisture diffusion resulted humidity variations are taken into account synchronously. The effect of initial water distribution (after concrete casting) on the development of moisture distribution is considered by introducing a critical time parameter. The simulation of humidity reduction produced from self-desiccation is based on cement hydration degree that taking the effect of temperature into account by using the equilibrant age concept. During modeling the moisture diffusion, a multilinear model was adopted to simulate the moisture dependent diffusivity. The developed model and finite deferential method can well predict the moisture distribution as well as its variations with time. Good agreement between model predictions and experimental results is found. These results can subsequently be used in shrinkage induced stress field analyses, and further be used for cracking control of concrete structures.