A miniature triaxial apparatus for investigating the micromechanics of granular soils with in situ X-ray micro-tomography scanning

The development of a miniature triaxial apparatus is presented. In conjunction with an X-ray micro-tomography (termed as X-ray μCT hereafter) facility and advanced image processing techniques, this apparatus can be used for in situ investigation of the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils under shear. The apparatus allows for triaxial testing of a miniature dry sample with a size of \mathrm{8}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm}\times \mathrm{16}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm} (diameter \times height). In situ triaxial testing of a 0.4–0.8 mm Leighton Buzzard sand (LBS) under a constant confining pressure of 500 kPa is presented. The evolutions of local porosities (i.e., the porosities of regions associated with individual particles), particle kinematics (i.e., particle translation and particle rotation) of the sample during the shear are quantitatively studied using image processing and analysis techniques. Meanwhile, a novel method is presented to quantify the volumetric strain distribution of the sample based on the results of local porosities and particle tracking. It is found that the sample, with nearly homogenous initial local porosities, starts to exhibit obvious inhomogeneity of local porosities and localization of particle kinematics and volumetric strain around the peak of deviatoric stress. In the post-peak shear stage, large local porosities and volumetric dilation mainly occur in a localized band. The developed triaxial apparatus, in its combined use of X-ray μCT imaging techniques, is a powerful tool to investigate the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils.     

The World robot summit disaster robotics category – achievements of the 2018 preliminary competition

The World Robot Summit is a robot Olympics and aims to be held in a different country every four years from 2020. The concept of the Plant Disaster Prevention challenge is daily inspections, checks, and emergency response in industrial plants, and in this competition, robots must carry out these types of missions in a mock-up plant. The concept of the Tunnel Disaster Response and Recovery challenge is emergency response to tunnel disasters, and is a simulation competition whereby teams compete to show their ability to deal with disasters, by collecting information and removing debris. The Standard Disaster Robotics challenge assesses, in the form of a contest, the standard performance levels of a robot that are necessary for disaster prevention and emergency response. The World Robot Summit Preliminary Competition was held at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2018, and 36 teams participated in the Disaster Robotics Category. UGVs and UAVs contended the merits of new technology for solving complex problems, using core technologies such as mobility, sensing, recognition, performing operations, human interface, autonomous intelligence etc., as well as system integration and implementation of strategies for completing missions, gaining high-level results.     

基于学生群体心理测试系统的设计

心理测试的根本目的是为了让人们在测试过程中，产生某些特定行为，即个体对测试题目的反应，并根据这些行为反应来推论其相应的心理特性。在一定程度上帮助我们了解人类的心理活动，并从中得到帮助。因此，本文对基于学生群体心理测试系统的设计进行深入研究。     

粉土界面恒刚度循环剪切试验研究

竖向循环荷载作用下桩土界面的作用机理是研究桩土摩擦疲劳的关键。针对循环荷载作用下桩-粉土界面的剪切性能,使用改进的剪切试验装置在恒刚度条件下进行循环剪切试验,研究循环次数、累积位移和法向刚度对其摩擦疲劳性能、循环后单调剪切性能的影响。试验结果表明,粉土在循环剪切过程中,法向应力和剪应力在初始10个循环内随循环数增加快速衰减,随着循环进行,逐渐趋于稳定;单次循环内在剪切位移方向变化时,土体呈现表现出剪缩-剪胀-剪缩交替现象,总体变形呈现剪缩的趋势;循环荷载作用下,粉土界面的法向应力和剪应力随法向刚度增大衰减速率增大,达到稳定的累积循环位移越小;粉土循环后的单调剪切、法向应力恢复的单调剪切的剪应力比小于首次单调剪切试验值,且法向应力恢复的循环后剪切试验的剪胀程度较小,表明循环剪切过程中界面处粉土颗粒棱角破碎,颗粒变得光滑。在对试验数据分析的基础上,提出了与累积位移、法向刚度和初始应力相关的无量纲累积位移,建立了法向应力和界面摩擦角随累积位移的衰减方程。     

Experimental and numerical analysis of the influence of cable tray arrangements on the resulting mass loss rate and fire spreading

In the context of industrial buildings and power plants, electrical installations and cable trays represent a main fuel load and a potential initial fire source due to possible short circuits or comparable malfunction. Furthermore, a fire can spread from one tray to additional trays mounted above and/or horizontally on one tray. Because of the high significance of cable fires, several research projects have been carried out, investigating the fire behaviour of cables from small‐scale tests, eg, the cone calorimeter, up to large‐scale tests, analysing complete cable tray constructions. The goal of the work presented in this paper is the extension of the knowledge regarding the influence of geometrical parameters like the packing density and tray distance on the burning behaviour and fire spread of cable tray installations. The results are considered, together with test results from the literature, to quantify the main physical parameters describing the burning behaviour. In a next step, the general applicability of these parameters as input data for the parametrization of the source term of numerical simulations is shown. The test results show that the burning behaviour and the fire spreading highly depend on the cable arrangement of the cables on the cable tray, in combination with other boundary conditions. By applying the results as input for a fire simulation, the mass loss rate is considered appropriately.     

Impact of an Engineered Copper-Titanium Dioxide Nanocomposite and Parent Substrates on the Bacteria Viability,Antioxidant Enzymes and Fatty Acid Profiling

Due to the systematic increase in the production of nanomaterials (NMs) and their applications in many areas of life, issues associated with their toxicity are inevitable. In particular, the performance of heterogeneous NMs, such as nanocomposites (NCs), is unpredictable as they may inherit the properties of their individual components. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to assess the biological activity of newly synthesized Cu/TiO₂-NC and the parent nanoparticle substrates Cu-NPs and TiO₂-NPs on the bacterial viability, antioxidant potential and fatty acid composition of the reference Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis strains. Based on the toxicological parameters, it was found that B. subtilis was more sensitive to NMs than E. coli. Furthermore, Cu/TiO₂-NC and Cu-NPs had an opposite effect on both strains, while TiO₂-NPs had a comparable mode of action. Simultaneously, the tested strains exhibited varied responses of the antioxidant enzymes after exposure to the NMs, with Cu-NPs having the strongest impact on their activity. The most considerable alternations in the fatty acid profiles were found after the bacteria were exposed to Cu/TiO₂-NC and Cu-NPs. Microscopic images indicated distinct interactions of the NMs with the bacterial outer layers, especially in regard to B. subtilis. Cu/TiO₂-NC generally proved to have less distinctive antimicrobial properties on B. subtilis than E. coli compared to its parent components. Presumably, the biocidal effects of the tested NMs can be attributed to the induction of oxidative stress, the release of metal ions and specific electrochemical interactions with the bacterial cells.     

Study of Compatibilized Liquid Crystalline Polymer/Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Blends

The technology to produce compatibilized blends of liquid crystalline polymer and highly amorphous cyclic olefin copolymers through two novel approaches were studied. The first approach was to use silane-functionalized halloysite nanotube as nonspecific compatibilizer and the second method was reactive compatibilization. The study of blends and their resulting microstructure; their thermal, mechanical, and viscoelastic properties were investigated. The kinetic study of blends compatibilized through both routes was performed.     

膨胀剂对约束条件下UHPC早期抗裂性能影响的试验研究

超高性能混凝土(UHPC)在钢桥面铺装结构中由于铺装材料受到钢板、栓钉等的约束,加上材料本身水胶比小,更易收缩,早期容易承受拉应力导致开裂。通过在拌和过程中添加膨胀剂可以起到减小收缩的作用,但该方法对于约束条件下的UHPC铺装的早期抗裂性能提升是否有促进作用,仍需通过更多试验进行合理评估和深入研究。通过圆环法对3组不同配方的UHPC在均匀约束条件下的早期抗裂性能进行定量测试,并将试验数据进行回归分析和计算,得到了各组的平均应力发展速率,进而评估了各组的开裂风险等级。试验结果表明,通过在UHPC中加入适量膨胀剂,可使其最终收缩应力减小,并可降低其收缩应力发展速率,进一步降低其在约束条件下的开裂风险。