Search results for "Structural engineering"
showing 10 items of 1998 documents
New Stage-Discharge Equation for the SMBF Flume
2016
AbstractFlumes for indirect discharge measurements are widespread and are characterized by a particular shape of the cross section area with various degrees of convergence and subsequent divergence. The flume named Samani, Magallanez, Baiamonte, Ferro (SMBF) is a simple and inexpensive instrument and its channel contraction is obtained by applying two semicylinders to the walls of a rectangular cross section. At first, in this paper a new stage-discharge equation for the SMBF flume is theoretically deduced. Then, this equation is experimentally calibrated using the laboratory measurements from the literature for different values of the contraction ratio. Finally the field measurements carri…
The Transverse Crack Tension test revisited
2016
Several problems arise when measuring the mode II interlaminar fracture toughness using a Transverse Crack Tension specimen; in particular, the fracture toughness depends on the geometry of the specimen and cannot be considered a material parameter. A preliminary experimental campaign was conducted on TCTs of different sizes but no fracture toughness was measured because the TCTs failed in an unacceptable way, invalidating the tests. A comprehensive numerical and experimental investigation is conducted to identify the main causes of this behaviour and a modification of the geometry of the specimen is proposed. It is believed that the obtained results represent a significant contribution in …
Frictional effects in structural behavior of no-end-connected steel-jacketed RC columns: Experimental results and new approaches to model numerical a…
2017
Steel jacketing of reinforced concrete (RC) columns is a common retrofitting technique used to restore bearing and deformation capacity of buildings presenting structural deficiencies. For practical reasons, steel angles are in several cases arranged leaving a gap with the end beams or slabs. Despite this disconnection, the angles are still able to support a non-negligible portion of load because of the frictional forces developed along the column-angle contact interface. In these cases, the definition of computational numerical and analytical models for the assessment of reinforced cross sections becomes more complex and must be handled with care. The actual load-carrying capacity of the a…
Multi-objective optimized management of electrical energy storage systems in an islanded network with renewable energy sources under different design…
2014
The subject addressed in this paper is the definition of some strategies for the design and the optimaized management of EES (Electrical Energy Storage) systems, for an existing islanded distribution network supplying the Island of Pantelleria (Italy) in the Mediterranean Sea. In the paper the authors have drawn interesting conclusions through the application of an efficient MO (multi-objective) optimization algorithm, the NSGA-II, minimizing the energy losses in the grid, the total electricity generation cost and the greenhouse gas emissions. The results obtained for different installation scenarios of the EES are presented and discussed, putting into evidence the technical, environmental …
Fatigue life under non-Gaussian random loading from various models
2004
Fatigue test results on the 10HNAP steel under constant amplitude and random loading with non-Gaussian probability distribution function, zero mean value and wide-band frequency spectrum have been used to compare the life time estimation of the models proposed by Bannantine, Fatemi–Socie, Socie, Wang–Brown, Morel and Łagoda–Macha. Except the Morel proposal which accumulates damage step by step with a proper ethodology, all the other models use a cycle counting method. The rainflow algorithm is used to extract cycles from random histories of damage parameters in time domain. In the last model, where a strain energy density parameter is employed, additionally spectral method is evaluated for …
A novel frequency domain method for predicting fatigue crack growth under wide band random loading
2007
This work deals with the evaluation of the fatigue crack growth rate of structural components subjected to uniaxial Gaussian stationary wide band random loading. In detail, a new frequency domain method that allows the user to estimate the expected crack growth rate directly from the PSD data is proposed. Using a stochastic mean function properly, introduced and described by simple closed form relationships implemented by systematic numerical simulations of a high number of wide band random processes, the proposed method permits to avoid the onerous time domain simulations and provides in general crack growth rate predictions in a good accordance with the so-called time domain method. Pract…
Unified formulation for a family of advanced finite elements for smart multilayered plates
2016
AbstractFamilies of layer-wise and equivalent single-layer advanced finite elements for the analysis of smart multilayered plates are formulated in a unified framework. The proposed modeling strategy reduces the multifield problem to an effective mechanical plate by the condensation of the electromechanical state into the plate kinematics, which is assumed as a variable order expansion along the plate thickness. Carrera Unified Formulation is invoked to derive the elemental stiffness and mass matrices and the mechanical and magneto-electric equivalent forces. The obtained smart plate finite element equations involves kinematical variables only and this extends the tools developed for multil…
Composite Building Materials: Thermal and Mechanical Performances of Samples Realized with Hay and Natural Resins
2017
Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552 Recent years have seen an increasing public interest in issues related to energy saving and environmental pollution reduction in the building sector. As a result, many directives have been issued, the most important being the Directive 2010/31/EU (EPBD Recast) on the energy performance of buildings, which requires that "Member States shall ensure that by 31 December 2020 all new buildings are nearly zero-energy buildings". This goal can be obtained not only by reducing energy demand for heating and cooling, but also, for example, by improving building envelope performances. In this work, a first analysis of the thermal and structural behavi…
A novel hybrid polygeneration system supplying energy and desalinated water by renewable sources in Pantelleria Island
2017
Abstract In this paper a thermoeconomic analysis of a novel hybrid Renewable Polygeneration System connected to a district heating and cooling network is presented. The plant is powered simultaneously by solar and geothermal sources, producing electricity, desalinated water, heat and cooling energy. System layout includes Parabolic Through Collector (PTC) field, geothermal wells, Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) unit and a Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) system. Cooling and thermal demands are calculated by suitable building dynamic simulation models, calibrated for Pantelleria Island. Electrical demand is obtained by measured data. A detailed control strategy has been implemented in order to pr…
Guided Wave Propagation in a Plate Edge and Application to NDI of Rail Base
2012
The analysis of guided wave propagation in a plate edge can be useful for some applications, such as for the inspection of the rail base. Here guided waves generated by a laser beam hitting, on the inclined surface, a solid media with trapezoidal cross-section have been studied. We have found that, for the geometry investigated, two guided waves propagate along both free surfaces of the plate, with same velocity and frequency. The analysis of the trajectories of the two material points, due to waves propagation, shows that the wave packets can be identified as Rayleigh waves. The presence of S0 Lamb mode, with low frequency and low amplitude, has been revealed too. As an example of a possib…