Maglev trains experience significant aerodynamic effects when passing through tunnels.A moving model test was conducted to explore the practical effects of speed reduction and entrance buffer structures on mitigating ...Maglev trains experience significant aerodynamic effects when passing through tunnels.A moving model test was conducted to explore the practical effects of speed reduction and entrance buffer structures on mitigating tunnel/maglev aerodynamic effects.It is found that both have an overall positive effect on mitigating the aerodynamic environment inside and outside the tunnel.Trains operating at 200 km/h show a 49.8%decrease in peak-to-peak pressure and a 50.7%decrease in transient pressure instability on inner walls compared to those at 280 km/h.Lower speeds resulted in a 65.6%decrease in amplitude and a 24.5%decrease in decay rate,both of which are parameters for exponential fittings of pressure peaks that decay naturally after the train leaves.The buffer structures result in a reduction of up to 25.7%in the maximum positive pressure and a 29.0%decrease in transient pressure instability.Additionally,a reduction in amplitude of up to 21.2%and a 32.2%increase in decay rate were observed with the use of buffer structures.Nevertheless,it is difficult to conclude direct correlations between the maximum pressure,peak-to-peak values,etc.,and the speeds or buffer structures due to the complex wave propagation in tunnels.However,speed reduction and buffer structures are proven to be effective in reducing the micro-pressure wave levels with a simpler monotonic relationship.展开更多
Civil infrastructure is continuously subject to aging and deterioration due to multiple factors,which lead to a decline in performance and impact structural health.Accumulated damage on structures increases operationa...Civil infrastructure is continuously subject to aging and deterioration due to multiple factors,which lead to a decline in performance and impact structural health.Accumulated damage on structures increases operational costs and poses significant risks to public safety.Effective maintenance,repair,and rehabilitation strategies are needed to ensure civil infrastructure’s overall safety and reliability.Non-Destructive Evaluation(NDE)methods are utilized to assess latent damage and provide decision-makers with real-time information for mitigating hazards.Within the last decade,there has been a significant increase in the research and development of innovative NDE techniques to improve data processing and promote efficient and accurate infrastructure assessment.This paper aims to review one of those methods,namely,Infrared Thermography(IRT),and its applications in civil infrastructure.A comprehensive review is presented by investigating numerous journal articles,research papers,and technical reports describing numerous IRT applications for bridges,buildings,and general civil structures made from different materials.The capability of IRT to identify and pinpoint anomalies,typically in the early stages of degradation,has excellent potential to improve the safety and shore up the dependability of civil infrastructures while reducing expenses tied to maintenance and rehabilitation.Furthermore,the non-invasive nature of IRT is beneficial in mitigating disturbances and downtime that may occur during various inspection procedures.It is highlighted that IRT is a highly versatile and effective tool for infrastructure condition assessment.With further advancement and fine-tuning of the available techniques,it is likely that IRT will continue to gain significant popularity in maintaining and monitoring civil infrastructure.展开更多
Slopes are likely to fail in areas with frequent rainfall and earthquakes.The deformation characteristics of unsaturated slopes subjected to post-rainfall earthquakes are investigated using centrifuge model tests and ...Slopes are likely to fail in areas with frequent rainfall and earthquakes.The deformation characteristics of unsaturated slopes subjected to post-rainfall earthquakes are investigated using centrifuge model tests and finite element analyses.Three tests of the slope deformation under earthquake and post-rainfall earthquakes are first studied using image analysis techniques.Then,based on an elastoplastic constitutive model,numerical simulations are carried out using the finite element method and compared with the centrifuge test results.Finally,a parametric study is performed to clarify the effects of antecedent rainfall on earthquake-induced slope deformation.The results show that slope deformation caused by post-rainfall earthquakes differs from that caused by earthquakes without antecedent rainfall.The seepage flow and soil strength of the slope are affected by previous rainfall conditions,such as intensity and duration,which directly influence the slope deformation caused by the subsequent earthquake.Soil displacement and strain become greater and the slip surface is more noticeable during the post-rainfall earthquake of higher intensity.In addition,the time interval between the rainfall and the earthquake has a considerable impact on the detailed characteristics of the slope deformation,and the significant deformation occurs at the time of lowest soil strength when seepage flow reaches the lower part of the slope.Moreover,the repeated intermittent rainfall greatly affects the subsequent earthquake-induced slope deformation,the main characteristics of which are closely related to the changes in saturation and strength of the slope.However,with the prolonged time gap between each round of rainfall,the earthquake-induced slope deformation becomes insignificant.展开更多
Railway noise barriers are an essential piece of infrastructure for reducing noise propagation.However,these barriers experience aerodynamic loads generated by high-speed trains,leading to dynamic effects that may com...Railway noise barriers are an essential piece of infrastructure for reducing noise propagation.However,these barriers experience aerodynamic loads generated by high-speed trains,leading to dynamic effects that may compromise their fatigue capacity.The most common structural design for railway noise barriers consists of vertical configurations of posts and panels.However,there have been few dynamic analyses of steel post/wood panel noise barriers under train-induced aerodynamic loads.This study used dynamic finite element analysis to assess the dynamic behavior of such noise barriers.Analysis of a 40-m-long noise barrier model and a triangular simplified load model,the latter of which effectively represented the detailed aerodynamic load,were first used to establish the model and input of the moving load during dynamic simulation.Then,the effects of different parameters on the dynamic response of the noise barrier were evaluated,including the damping ratio,the profile of the steel post,the span length of the panel,the barrier height,and the train speed.Gray relational analysis indicated that barrier height exhibited the highest correlations with the dynamic responses,followed by train speed,post profile,span length,and damping ratio.A reduction in the natural frequency and an increase in the train speed result in a higher peak response and more pronounced fluctuations between the nose and tail waves.The dynamic amplification factor(DAF)was found to be related to both the natural frequency and train speed.A model was proposed showing that the DAF significantly increases as the square of the natural frequency decreases and the cube of the train speed rises.展开更多
Reservoir-induced landslides in China's Three Gorges Reservoir area are prone to tensile cracks due to the influenceof their own weight and fluctuationsin water levels.The presence of cracks indicates that the ten...Reservoir-induced landslides in China's Three Gorges Reservoir area are prone to tensile cracks due to the influenceof their own weight and fluctuationsin water levels.The presence of cracks indicates that the tensile stress in the area has exceeded the tensile strength of the soil,leading to local instability.To explore the impact of tensile failure behavior on the stability and failure modes of reservoir landslides,the Huangtupo Riverside Slump#1 is taken as a case study.By considering local tensile failure,potential tensile cracks are incorporated into the analysis via the limit equilibrium method and reliability theory.The reliability of landslides under different tensile failure scenarios is quantified.Strain-softening characteristics of the soil are combined to further analyze the failure transmission path of the landslide.Finally,these potential failure modes were validated through physical model tests.The results show that cracks developing at rear positions reduce the stability of the slope and increase the probability of instability.During the destruction process,retrogressive failures with multiple sliding surfaces are likely to occur.However,tensile failure at the forefront reduces the likelihood of an individual slide mass descending.Progressive failure results in both regular and skip transmission patterns.Additionally,cracks and water level changes can also lead to shifts in the positions of the most dangerous blocks.Therefore,in practical landslide analysis and prevention,it is necessary to consider local tensile damage and identify potential tensile crack locations in advance to optimize prevention measures and accurately evaluate landslide risk.展开更多
Optimization is the key to obtaining efficient utilization of resources in structural design.Due to the complex nature of truss systems,this study presents a method based on metaheuristic modelling that minimises stru...Optimization is the key to obtaining efficient utilization of resources in structural design.Due to the complex nature of truss systems,this study presents a method based on metaheuristic modelling that minimises structural weight under stress and frequency constraints.Two new algorithms,the Red Kite Optimization Algorithm(ROA)and Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm(SBOA),are utilized on five benchmark trusses with 10,18,37,72,and 200-bar trusses.Both algorithms are evaluated against benchmarks in the literature.The results indicate that SBOA always reaches a lighter optimal.Designs with reducing structural weight ranging from 0.02%to 0.15%compared to ROA,and up to 6%–8%as compared to conventional algorithms.In addition,SBOA can achieve 15%–20%faster convergence speed and 10%–18%reduction in computational time with a smaller standard deviation over independent runs,which demonstrates its robustness and reliability.It is indicated that the adaptive exploration mechanism of SBOA,especially its Levy flight–based search strategy,can obviously improve optimization performance for low-and high-dimensional trusses.The research has implications in the context of promoting bio-inspired optimization techniques by demonstrating the viability of SBOA,a reliable model for large-scale structural design that provides significant enhancements in performance and convergence behavior.展开更多
Stability of base-exposed backfill roof in underhand drift-and-fill mining is crucial for the safety of those working beneath.Given the commonly used primary-and-secondary mining sequence,interfaces are formed between...Stability of base-exposed backfill roof in underhand drift-and-fill mining is crucial for the safety of those working beneath.Given the commonly used primary-and-secondary mining sequence,interfaces are formed between adjacent filled drifts,which can weaken the integrity of the backfill roof.These interfaces also lead to two common drift layouts:aligned drifts and staggered drifts.However,less attention has been paid to the interfaces and the two drift layouts were not adequately distinguished in previous studies.In this paper,the interfaces between filled drifts were firstly considered to investigate the stability of backfill roof.Failure modes and strength requirements of backfill roof in aligned and staggered drifts are comprehensively investigated by FLAC3D,with a focus on considerations of varied shear parameters of the interfaces.Results show that failure modes in aligned drifts transition from block sliding to top caving,bottom caving or sloughing as the interface cohesion increases from zero to at least half of the backfill cohesion.Further increases in interface cohesion allow aligned drifts to behave as if there are no interfaces between them.The critical stability conditions of backfill roof in aligned drifts were mostly determined by the interface strength instead of the backfill strength.However,the stability of backfill roof in staggered drifts is barely affected by the interface strength.The outcomes are expected to provide references for mining engineers to optimize drift layouts and perform cost-effective backfill roof strength design at mines using underhand drift-and-fill mining method.展开更多
Crack detection accuracy in computer vision is often constrained by limited annotated datasets.Although Generative Adversarial Networks(GANs)have been applied for data augmentation,they frequently introduce blurs and ...Crack detection accuracy in computer vision is often constrained by limited annotated datasets.Although Generative Adversarial Networks(GANs)have been applied for data augmentation,they frequently introduce blurs and artifacts.To address this challenge,this study leverages Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models(DDPMs)to generate high-quality synthetic crack images,enriching the training set with diverse and structurally consistent samples that enhance the crack segmentation.The proposed framework involves a two-stage pipeline:first,DDPMs are used to synthesize high-fidelity crack images that capture fine structural details.Second,these generated samples are combined with real data to train segmentation networks,thereby improving accuracy and robustness in crack detection.Compared with GAN-based approaches,DDPM achieved the best fidelity,with the highest Structural Similarity Index(SSIM)(0.302)and lowest Learned Perceptual Image Patch Similarity(LPIPS)(0.461),producing artifact-free images that preserve fine crack details.To validate its effectiveness,six segmentation models were tested,among which LinkNet consistently achieved the best performance,excelling in both region-level accuracy and structural continuity.Incorporating DDPM-augmented data further enhanced segmentation outcomes,increasing F1 scores by up to 1.1%and IoU by 1.7%,while also improving boundary alignment and skeleton continuity compared with models trained on real images alone.Experiments with varying augmentation ratios showed consistent improvements,with F1 rising from 0.946(no augmentation)to 0.957 and IoU from 0.897 to 0.913 at the highest ratio.These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of diffusion-based augmentation for complex crack detection in structural health monitoring.展开更多
To elucidate the dispersion and explosion characteristics of multi-metal powder and liquid composite fuel formulations,high-energy metal powders(aluminum(Al),boron(B),and magnesium hydride(MgH_(2)))are incorporated in...To elucidate the dispersion and explosion characteristics of multi-metal powder and liquid composite fuel formulations,high-energy metal powders(aluminum(Al),boron(B),and magnesium hydride(MgH_(2)))are incorporated into a liquid fuel primarily composed of diethyl ether(DEE)and isopropyl nitrate(IPN).The explosion characteristics of different solid-liquid fuel-air-explosive(FAE)under unconfined conditions are investigated using a high-speed camera,infrared thermal imaging,and a pressure measurement system.Results demonstrate that high-energy metal powders significantly enhance detonation energy dissipation,with aluminum exhibiting the most pronounced effect.Fuel 5#(45.4 wt%DEE,9.2 wt%IPN,29.5 wt%Al,9.1 wt%B,6.8 wt%MgH_(2))exhibits superior explosion performance,achieving higher values of overpressure,impulse,and thermal radiation damage during the detonation stage compared to other fuels.However,Fuel 5#also displays faster decay rates,attributed to accelerated heat release rates induced by B and MgH_(2)powders.This study reveals that different metal powders in solid-liquid FAE exhibit distinct enhancements in explosion performance,providing critical insights for optimizing composite fuel design.展开更多
The stability of rock slopes is frequently controlled by the initiation and propagation of inherent dominant cracks.This study systematically investigated these processes in valley slopes by combining fracture-mechani...The stability of rock slopes is frequently controlled by the initiation and propagation of inherent dominant cracks.This study systematically investigated these processes in valley slopes by combining fracture-mechanics analysis with transparent soil model tests.An analytical expression for the stress field at the dominant crack tip was derived from the slope stress distribution by superposing the corresponding stress intensity factors(SIFs).The theoretical predictions were then validated against observations from transparent soil model tests.The influences of slope angle(β),crack inclination angle(α),crack position parameter(b),and crack length parameter(h)on crack initiation and propagation were quantified.The results indicated that:(1)cracks at the slope crest tended to propagate in shear mode,and the shear crack initiation angle(θ_(s))was approximately 8°.Cracks at the slope toe might propagate in either tensile or shear mode.(2)θ_(s) at the slope crest increased withβ,b,and l,and decreased withα.The maximum change inθ_(s) induced by the considered parameters was approximately 30°.(3)The tensile crack initiation angle(θ_(t))at the slop toe decreased withβ,α,and l,while the influence of b was comparatively minor.The maximum change inθ_(t) caused by individual parameters ranged approximately from 25°to 60°.Predicted crack propagation modes and directions showed good agreement with experimental results.These findings provide theoretical guidance for stability assessments of valley slopes controlled by dominant crack propagation.展开更多
This study investigates the performance enhancement of super-sulfated cement(SSC)derived from arsenic-containing bio-oxidation waste(BW)through the incorporation of carbonated recycled concrete fines(CRCF).The finding...This study investigates the performance enhancement of super-sulfated cement(SSC)derived from arsenic-containing bio-oxidation waste(BW)through the incorporation of carbonated recycled concrete fines(CRCF).The findings revealed that the addition of 5wt%CRCF yields optimal performance,with compressive strengths reaching approximately 1.83,12.59,and 42.81 MPa at 1,3,and 28 d,respectively.These values represented significant increases of 408.3%,10.0%,and 14.3%compared to the reference sample.The improvement was attributed to the synergistic effects of ultrafine CRCF particles acting as fillers and nucleation sites,as well as the high reactivity of silica gels,which promoted the formation of additional hydration gels.Microstructural analysis confirmed that CRCF addition refined pore structure,and enhanced the stiffness of C-S-H gels.Furthermore,CRCF served as a net CO_(2) sink,sequestering 0.268 kg CO_(2) per kilogram of CRCF and thereby reducing the carbon footprint of SSC.In addition,the feasibility of applying CRCF-modified SSC in cemented paste backfill(CPB)is highlighted,given the high cement-related carbon footprint of conventional CPB.When 5wt%CRCFmodified SSC was employed in CPB,its 3-d compressive strength attained over 70%of that of ordinary Portland cement(OPC),while the 28-d strength was comparable to that of OPC.The proposed binder thus provides a sustainable pathway for BW valorization,combining waste utilization,carbon sequestration,and improved engineering performance.展开更多
While oceanic and coastal acidification has gained increased attention,long-term pH trends and their drivers in large freshwater systems remain poorly understood.The Laurentian Great Lakes are the world’s largest fre...While oceanic and coastal acidification has gained increased attention,long-term pH trends and their drivers in large freshwater systems remain poorly understood.The Laurentian Great Lakes are the world’s largest freshwater system,and in many ways resemble marine ecosystems.However,unlike the open ocean and coastal waters where pH has declined due to rising atmospheric CO_(2),no significant pH trends have been observed in the Laurentian Great Lakes,despite significant ecosystem changes driven partly by the invasion of dreissenid mussels.This study examined 41 years of field observations from Lake Michigan to investigate the long-term carbonate chemistry dynamics.Observational results revealed substantial declines in both total alkalinity(TA)and dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC)over the four decades.Mussel shell calcification emerged as the primary mechanism behind these declines,accounting for 97%and 47%of the observed changes in TA and DIC,respectively,lowering water column pH by 0.24 units.Elevated carbon accumulation in soft mussel tissues,coupled with long-term changes in the air-water pCO_(2)gradient during summer,significantly contributed to long-term DIC variations,explaining 18%and 28%of the lake-wide DIC loss.These two mechanisms also resulted in an overall pH increase of 0.09 and 0.12 units,largely offsetting the calcification-driven pH decrease.These findings bridge a gap in acidification research for large freshwater systems and provide valuable insights for comprehensive lake-wide management strategies.展开更多
The current technical standards primarily relied on experience to judge the interfacial bonding properties between the self-compacting concrete filling layer and the steam-cured concrete precast slab in CRTS Ⅲ slab b...The current technical standards primarily relied on experience to judge the interfacial bonding properties between the self-compacting concrete filling layer and the steam-cured concrete precast slab in CRTS Ⅲ slab ballastless track structure.This study sought to enhance technical standards for evaluating interfacial bonding properties by suggesting the use of the splitting tensile strength to evaluate the impact of bubble defects.Specimens were fabricated through on-site experiment.The percent of each area of 6 cm^(2)or more bubble defect was 0 in most of specimens.When the cumulative area of all bub-ble defects reached 12%,the splitting tensile strength value was 0.67 MPa,which exceeded the minimum required value of 0.5 MPa for ensuring bonding interface adhesion.Furthermore,when the cumulative area of all bubble defects reached 8%,the splitting tensile strength value was 0.85 MPa,which exceeded the minimum required value of 0.8 MPa,thereby over-coming the negative impact of each area of 10 cm^(2) or more bubble defect.Additionally,keeping the cumulative area of each area of 6 cm^(2) or more bubble defect below 6%ensured adequate bonding strength and reduced the occurrence of specimens with lower splitting tensile strength values.展开更多
Concrete-filled steel tubes(CFST)are widely utilized in civil engineering due to their superior load-bearing capacity,ductility,and seismic resistance.However,existing design codes,such as AISC and Eurocode 4,tend to ...Concrete-filled steel tubes(CFST)are widely utilized in civil engineering due to their superior load-bearing capacity,ductility,and seismic resistance.However,existing design codes,such as AISC and Eurocode 4,tend to be excessively conservative as they fail to account for the composite action between the steel tube and the concrete core.To address this limitation,this study proposes a hybrid model that integrates XGBoost with the Pied Kingfisher Optimizer(PKO),a nature-inspired algorithm,to enhance the accuracy of shear strength prediction for CFST columns.Additionally,quantile regression is employed to construct prediction intervals for the ultimate shear force,while the Asymmetric Squared Error Loss(ASEL)function is incorporated to mitigate overestimation errors.The computational results demonstrate that the PKO-XGBoost model delivers superior predictive accuracy,achieving a Mean Absolute Percentage Error(MAPE)of 4.431%and R2 of 0.9925 on the test set.Furthermore,the ASEL-PKO-XGBoost model substantially reduces overestimation errors to 28.26%,with negligible impact on predictive performance.Additionally,based on the Genetic Algorithm(GA)and existing equation models,a strength equation model is developed,achieving markedly higher accuracy than existing models(R^(2)=0.934).Lastly,web-based Graphical User Interfaces(GUIs)were developed to enable real-time prediction.展开更多
This study proposes to use the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and the bender element(BE)tests for determining the strength and the initial small-strain shear modulus of Bangkok soft marine clay improved by cement...This study proposes to use the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and the bender element(BE)tests for determining the strength and the initial small-strain shear modulus of Bangkok soft marine clay improved by cement and polyester fibers.This study varies the content of admixed cement(1%–20%)and polyester fibers(0–20%),including the curing time(3–28 d)for preparing 360 samples.Moreover,this study uses the Michaelis-Menten kinetics concept to model cement hydration saturation.From the study,it is concluded as follows.The modelled results reveals that at least 10%cement and 1%polyester fiber are recommended to attain the 28-d UCS standards(294 kPa)for highway subgrade materials in Thailand.This also fulfils sustainable construction due to reducing normal-use cement from 20%to 10%.Unfortunately,the addition of polyester fibers into the Bangkok clay with at least 5%cement reduces shear modulus by 1.12–1.32 times.The Abram's relationship between shear modulus and the mixing-water-to-cement ratio is found time-dependent.From the composite theory,the BE detects the polyester fiber zone as a defect in the Bangkok clay(matrix)with 5%–20%cement.So,the 28-d shear modulus in the polyester fiber zone is negative(up to0.034 MPa for 20%fiber),similar to softening phenomenon in concrete cracking(negative stiffness).For the 28-d shear modulus of fiber zone,the optimum cement content is around 2%for the positive influences of polyester fibers.Experimentally,the timedependent normalized UCS for 10%and 20%cement is compatible with other studies,and its development rate increases with the cement content as 0.3017,0.3172 and 0.3204 for 5%,10%and 20%cement,respectively.The 28-d relationship between shear modulus and UCS shows that low-cement soft clay requires high polyester fiber content(5%–20%)to activate UCS improvement.However,the soft clay with enough cement(20%)causes the uniformly distributed UCS improvement.展开更多
Catalytic nickel was successfully incorporated into nanoscale iron to enhance its dechlorination efficiency for trichloroethylene （TCE）, one of the most commonly detected chlorinated organic compounds in groundwater...Catalytic nickel was successfully incorporated into nanoscale iron to enhance its dechlorination efficiency for trichloroethylene （TCE）, one of the most commonly detected chlorinated organic compounds in groundwater. Ethane was the predominant product. The greatest dechlorination efficiency was achieved at 22 molar percent of nickel. This nanoscale Ni-Fe is poorly ordered and inhomogeneous; iron dissolution occurred whereas nickel was relatively stable during the 24-hr reaction. The morphological characterization provided significant new insights on the mechanism of catalytic hydrodcchlorination by bimetallic nanoparticles. TCE degradation and ethane production rates were greatly affected by environmental parameters such as solution pH, temperature and common groundwater ions. Both rate constants decreased and then increased over the pH range of 6.5 to 8.0, with the minimum value occurring at pH 7.5. TCE degradation rate constant showed an increasing trend over the temperature range of 10 to 25℃. However, ethane production rate constant increased and then decreased over the range, with the maximum value occurring at 20℃, Most salts in the solution appeared to enhance the reaction in the first half hour but overall they displayed an inhibitory effect. Combined ions showed a similar effect as individual salts.展开更多
This work examines the environmental and geochemical impact of recycled aggregate concrete production with properties representative for structural applications.The environmental influence of cement content,aggregate ...This work examines the environmental and geochemical impact of recycled aggregate concrete production with properties representative for structural applications.The environmental influence of cement content,aggregate production,transportation,and waste landfilling is analysed by undertaking a life cycle assessment and considering a life cycle inventory largely specific for the region.To obtain a detailed insight into the optimum life cycle parameters,a sensitivity study is carried out in which supplementary cementitious materials,different values of natural-to-recycled aggregate content ratio and case-specific transportation distances were considered.The results show that carbon emissions were between 323 and 332 kgCO_(2)e per cubic metre of cement only natural aggregate concrete.These values can be reduced by up to 17%by replacing 25%of the cement with fly ash.By contrast,carbon emissions can increase when natural coarse aggregates are replaced by recycled aggregates in proportions of 50%and 100%,and transportation is not included in analysis.However,the concrete with 50%recycled aggregate presented lower increase,only 0.3%and 3.4%for normal and high strength concrete,respectively.In some cases,the relative contribution of transportation to the total carbon emissions increased when cement was replaced by fly ash in proportions of 25%,and case-specific transportation distances were considered.In absolute values,the concrete mixes with 100%recycled aggregates and 25%fly ash had lower carbon emissions than concrete with cement and natural aggregates only.Higher environmental benefits can be obtained when the transportation distances of fly ash are relatively short(15–25 km)and the cement replacement by fly ash is equal or higher than 25%,considering that the mechanical properties are adequate for practical application.The observations from this paper show that recycled aggregate concrete with strength characteristics representative for structural members can have lower carbon emissions than conventional concrete,recommending them as an alternative to achieving global sustainability standards in construction.展开更多
Locating distribution centers optimally is a crucial and systematic task for decision-makers.Optimally located distribution centers can significantly improve the logistics system's efficiency and reduce its operat...Locating distribution centers optimally is a crucial and systematic task for decision-makers.Optimally located distribution centers can significantly improve the logistics system's efficiency and reduce its operational costs.However,it is not an easy task to optimize distribution center locations and previous studies focused primarily on location optimization of a single distribution center.With growing logistics demands,multiple distribution centers become necessary to meet customers' requirements,but few studies have tackled the multiple distribution center locations(MDCLs) problem.This paper presents a comprehensive algorithm to address the MDCLs problem.Fuzzy integration and clustering approach using the improved axiomatic fuzzy set(AFS) theory is developed for location clustering based on multiple hierarchical evaluation criteria.Then,technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS) is applied for evaluating and selecting the best candidate for each cluster.Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to assess the influence of each criterion in the location planning decision procedure.Results from a case study in Guiyang,China,reveals that the proposed approach developed in this study outperforms other similar algorithms for MDCLs selection.This new method may easily be extended to address location planning of other types of facilities,including hospitals,fire stations and schools.展开更多
One branch of structural health monitoring (SHM) utilizes dynamic response measurements to assess the structural integrity of civil infrastructures. In particular,modal frequency is a widely adopted indicator for stru...One branch of structural health monitoring (SHM) utilizes dynamic response measurements to assess the structural integrity of civil infrastructures. In particular,modal frequency is a widely adopted indicator for structural damage since its square is proportional to structural stiffness. However,it has been demonstrated in various SHM projects that this indicator is substantially affected by fluctuating environmental conditions. In order to provide reliable and consistent information on the health status of the monitored structures,it is necessary to develop a method to filter this interference. This study attempts to model and quantify the environmental influence on the modal frequencies of reinforced concrete buildings. Daily structural response measurements of a twenty-two story reinforced concrete building were collected and analyzed over a one-year period. The Bayesian spectral density approach was utilized to identify the modal frequencies of this building and it was clearly seen that the temperature and humidity fluctuation induced notable variations. A mathematical model was developed to quantify the environmental effects and model complexity was taken into consideration. Based on a Timoshenko beam model,the full model class was constructed and other reduced-order model class candidates were obtained. Then,the Bayesian modal class selection approach was employed to select the one with the most suitable complexity. The proposed model successfully characterizes the environmental influence on the modal frequencies. Furthermore,the estimated uncertainty of the model parameters allows for assessment of the reliability of the prediction. This study not only improves the understanding about the monitored structure,but also establishes a systematic approach for reliable health assessment of reinforced concrete buildings.展开更多
Groundwater residence time is a fundamental property of groundwater to understand important hydrogeological issues,such as deriving sustainable abstraction volumes,or,the evolution of groundwater quality.The anthropog...Groundwater residence time is a fundamental property of groundwater to understand important hydrogeological issues,such as deriving sustainable abstraction volumes,or,the evolution of groundwater quality.The anthropogenic trace gases chlorofluorocarbons (CFC-11,CFC-12 and CFC-113) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) are ideal in this regard because they have been released globally at known rates and become dissolved in groundwater following Henry’s Law,integrating over large spatial (global) and temporal (decades) scales.The CFCs and SF6 are able to date groundwater up to w100 years old with the caveat of certain simplifying assumptions.However,the inversion of environmental tracer concentrations (CFCs and SF6) to derive groundwater age rests on the accurate determination of groundwater recharge parameters,namely temperature,elevation,salinity and excess air,in addition to resolving the potential for contamination,degradation and unsaturated zone effects.This review explores the fundamentals of CFC-11,CFC-12,CFC-113 and SF6 as environmental tracers of groundwater age and recommends complementary techniques throughout.Once this relatively simple and inexpensive technique has been used to determine initial concentrations at the recharge zone,setting the groundwater dating ‘clock’ to zero,this review then explores the meaning of groundwater ‘age’ in relation to measured environmental tracer concentrations.It is shown that the CFCs and SF6 may be applied to a wide-range of hydrogeological problems and suggests that environmental tracers are particularly powerful tools when integrated with numerical flow and transport models.展开更多
基金Project(52202426)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProjects(15205723,15226424)supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,China。
文摘Maglev trains experience significant aerodynamic effects when passing through tunnels.A moving model test was conducted to explore the practical effects of speed reduction and entrance buffer structures on mitigating tunnel/maglev aerodynamic effects.It is found that both have an overall positive effect on mitigating the aerodynamic environment inside and outside the tunnel.Trains operating at 200 km/h show a 49.8%decrease in peak-to-peak pressure and a 50.7%decrease in transient pressure instability on inner walls compared to those at 280 km/h.Lower speeds resulted in a 65.6%decrease in amplitude and a 24.5%decrease in decay rate,both of which are parameters for exponential fittings of pressure peaks that decay naturally after the train leaves.The buffer structures result in a reduction of up to 25.7%in the maximum positive pressure and a 29.0%decrease in transient pressure instability.Additionally,a reduction in amplitude of up to 21.2%and a 32.2%increase in decay rate were observed with the use of buffer structures.Nevertheless,it is difficult to conclude direct correlations between the maximum pressure,peak-to-peak values,etc.,and the speeds or buffer structures due to the complex wave propagation in tunnels.However,speed reduction and buffer structures are proven to be effective in reducing the micro-pressure wave levels with a simpler monotonic relationship.
文摘Civil infrastructure is continuously subject to aging and deterioration due to multiple factors,which lead to a decline in performance and impact structural health.Accumulated damage on structures increases operational costs and poses significant risks to public safety.Effective maintenance,repair,and rehabilitation strategies are needed to ensure civil infrastructure’s overall safety and reliability.Non-Destructive Evaluation(NDE)methods are utilized to assess latent damage and provide decision-makers with real-time information for mitigating hazards.Within the last decade,there has been a significant increase in the research and development of innovative NDE techniques to improve data processing and promote efficient and accurate infrastructure assessment.This paper aims to review one of those methods,namely,Infrared Thermography(IRT),and its applications in civil infrastructure.A comprehensive review is presented by investigating numerous journal articles,research papers,and technical reports describing numerous IRT applications for bridges,buildings,and general civil structures made from different materials.The capability of IRT to identify and pinpoint anomalies,typically in the early stages of degradation,has excellent potential to improve the safety and shore up the dependability of civil infrastructures while reducing expenses tied to maintenance and rehabilitation.Furthermore,the non-invasive nature of IRT is beneficial in mitigating disturbances and downtime that may occur during various inspection procedures.It is highlighted that IRT is a highly versatile and effective tool for infrastructure condition assessment.With further advancement and fine-tuning of the available techniques,it is likely that IRT will continue to gain significant popularity in maintaining and monitoring civil infrastructure.
基金supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(CPSF)(Grant No.2024M762769)the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi(Grant No.2024JC-YBQN-0333)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF(Grant No.GZC20232230).
文摘Slopes are likely to fail in areas with frequent rainfall and earthquakes.The deformation characteristics of unsaturated slopes subjected to post-rainfall earthquakes are investigated using centrifuge model tests and finite element analyses.Three tests of the slope deformation under earthquake and post-rainfall earthquakes are first studied using image analysis techniques.Then,based on an elastoplastic constitutive model,numerical simulations are carried out using the finite element method and compared with the centrifuge test results.Finally,a parametric study is performed to clarify the effects of antecedent rainfall on earthquake-induced slope deformation.The results show that slope deformation caused by post-rainfall earthquakes differs from that caused by earthquakes without antecedent rainfall.The seepage flow and soil strength of the slope are affected by previous rainfall conditions,such as intensity and duration,which directly influence the slope deformation caused by the subsequent earthquake.Soil displacement and strain become greater and the slip surface is more noticeable during the post-rainfall earthquake of higher intensity.In addition,the time interval between the rainfall and the earthquake has a considerable impact on the detailed characteristics of the slope deformation,and the significant deformation occurs at the time of lowest soil strength when seepage flow reaches the lower part of the slope.Moreover,the repeated intermittent rainfall greatly affects the subsequent earthquake-induced slope deformation,the main characteristics of which are closely related to the changes in saturation and strength of the slope.However,with the prolonged time gap between each round of rainfall,the earthquake-induced slope deformation becomes insignificant.
基金financially supported by the Swedish Transport Administration(Trafikverket)through the“Excellence Area 4”and FOI-BBT program(Grant Nos.BBT-2019-022 and BBT-TRV 2024/132497).
文摘Railway noise barriers are an essential piece of infrastructure for reducing noise propagation.However,these barriers experience aerodynamic loads generated by high-speed trains,leading to dynamic effects that may compromise their fatigue capacity.The most common structural design for railway noise barriers consists of vertical configurations of posts and panels.However,there have been few dynamic analyses of steel post/wood panel noise barriers under train-induced aerodynamic loads.This study used dynamic finite element analysis to assess the dynamic behavior of such noise barriers.Analysis of a 40-m-long noise barrier model and a triangular simplified load model,the latter of which effectively represented the detailed aerodynamic load,were first used to establish the model and input of the moving load during dynamic simulation.Then,the effects of different parameters on the dynamic response of the noise barrier were evaluated,including the damping ratio,the profile of the steel post,the span length of the panel,the barrier height,and the train speed.Gray relational analysis indicated that barrier height exhibited the highest correlations with the dynamic responses,followed by train speed,post profile,span length,and damping ratio.A reduction in the natural frequency and an increase in the train speed result in a higher peak response and more pronounced fluctuations between the nose and tail waves.The dynamic amplification factor(DAF)was found to be related to both the natural frequency and train speed.A model was proposed showing that the DAF significantly increases as the square of the natural frequency decreases and the cube of the train speed rises.
基金supported by the Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42090055)the National Key ScientificInstruments and Equipment Development Projects of China(Grant No.41827808)the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42207216).
文摘Reservoir-induced landslides in China's Three Gorges Reservoir area are prone to tensile cracks due to the influenceof their own weight and fluctuationsin water levels.The presence of cracks indicates that the tensile stress in the area has exceeded the tensile strength of the soil,leading to local instability.To explore the impact of tensile failure behavior on the stability and failure modes of reservoir landslides,the Huangtupo Riverside Slump#1 is taken as a case study.By considering local tensile failure,potential tensile cracks are incorporated into the analysis via the limit equilibrium method and reliability theory.The reliability of landslides under different tensile failure scenarios is quantified.Strain-softening characteristics of the soil are combined to further analyze the failure transmission path of the landslide.Finally,these potential failure modes were validated through physical model tests.The results show that cracks developing at rear positions reduce the stability of the slope and increase the probability of instability.During the destruction process,retrogressive failures with multiple sliding surfaces are likely to occur.However,tensile failure at the forefront reduces the likelihood of an individual slide mass descending.Progressive failure results in both regular and skip transmission patterns.Additionally,cracks and water level changes can also lead to shifts in the positions of the most dangerous blocks.Therefore,in practical landslide analysis and prevention,it is necessary to consider local tensile damage and identify potential tensile crack locations in advance to optimize prevention measures and accurately evaluate landslide risk.
文摘Optimization is the key to obtaining efficient utilization of resources in structural design.Due to the complex nature of truss systems,this study presents a method based on metaheuristic modelling that minimises structural weight under stress and frequency constraints.Two new algorithms,the Red Kite Optimization Algorithm(ROA)and Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm(SBOA),are utilized on five benchmark trusses with 10,18,37,72,and 200-bar trusses.Both algorithms are evaluated against benchmarks in the literature.The results indicate that SBOA always reaches a lighter optimal.Designs with reducing structural weight ranging from 0.02%to 0.15%compared to ROA,and up to 6%–8%as compared to conventional algorithms.In addition,SBOA can achieve 15%–20%faster convergence speed and 10%–18%reduction in computational time with a smaller standard deviation over independent runs,which demonstrates its robustness and reliability.It is indicated that the adaptive exploration mechanism of SBOA,especially its Levy flight–based search strategy,can obviously improve optimization performance for low-and high-dimensional trusses.The research has implications in the context of promoting bio-inspired optimization techniques by demonstrating the viability of SBOA,a reliable model for large-scale structural design that provides significant enhancements in performance and convergence behavior.
基金supported by Deep Earth Probe and Mineral Resources Exploration-National Science and Technology Major Project(Grant No.2024ZD1003705)the Beijing Nova Program(Grant No.20220484057)support from China Scholarship Council under Grant CSC No.202110300001.
文摘Stability of base-exposed backfill roof in underhand drift-and-fill mining is crucial for the safety of those working beneath.Given the commonly used primary-and-secondary mining sequence,interfaces are formed between adjacent filled drifts,which can weaken the integrity of the backfill roof.These interfaces also lead to two common drift layouts:aligned drifts and staggered drifts.However,less attention has been paid to the interfaces and the two drift layouts were not adequately distinguished in previous studies.In this paper,the interfaces between filled drifts were firstly considered to investigate the stability of backfill roof.Failure modes and strength requirements of backfill roof in aligned and staggered drifts are comprehensively investigated by FLAC3D,with a focus on considerations of varied shear parameters of the interfaces.Results show that failure modes in aligned drifts transition from block sliding to top caving,bottom caving or sloughing as the interface cohesion increases from zero to at least half of the backfill cohesion.Further increases in interface cohesion allow aligned drifts to behave as if there are no interfaces between them.The critical stability conditions of backfill roof in aligned drifts were mostly determined by the interface strength instead of the backfill strength.However,the stability of backfill roof in staggered drifts is barely affected by the interface strength.The outcomes are expected to provide references for mining engineers to optimize drift layouts and perform cost-effective backfill roof strength design at mines using underhand drift-and-fill mining method.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.:52508343)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.:B250201004).
文摘Crack detection accuracy in computer vision is often constrained by limited annotated datasets.Although Generative Adversarial Networks(GANs)have been applied for data augmentation,they frequently introduce blurs and artifacts.To address this challenge,this study leverages Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models(DDPMs)to generate high-quality synthetic crack images,enriching the training set with diverse and structurally consistent samples that enhance the crack segmentation.The proposed framework involves a two-stage pipeline:first,DDPMs are used to synthesize high-fidelity crack images that capture fine structural details.Second,these generated samples are combined with real data to train segmentation networks,thereby improving accuracy and robustness in crack detection.Compared with GAN-based approaches,DDPM achieved the best fidelity,with the highest Structural Similarity Index(SSIM)(0.302)and lowest Learned Perceptual Image Patch Similarity(LPIPS)(0.461),producing artifact-free images that preserve fine crack details.To validate its effectiveness,six segmentation models were tested,among which LinkNet consistently achieved the best performance,excelling in both region-level accuracy and structural continuity.Incorporating DDPM-augmented data further enhanced segmentation outcomes,increasing F1 scores by up to 1.1%and IoU by 1.7%,while also improving boundary alignment and skeleton continuity compared with models trained on real images alone.Experiments with varying augmentation ratios showed consistent improvements,with F1 rising from 0.946(no augmentation)to 0.957 and IoU from 0.897 to 0.913 at the highest ratio.These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of diffusion-based augmentation for complex crack detection in structural health monitoring.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12402432)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province of China(Grant No.BK20230936)Graduate Education and Teaching Reform Project of Nanjing University of Science and Technology(Grant No.KT2024_C14)。
文摘To elucidate the dispersion and explosion characteristics of multi-metal powder and liquid composite fuel formulations,high-energy metal powders(aluminum(Al),boron(B),and magnesium hydride(MgH_(2)))are incorporated into a liquid fuel primarily composed of diethyl ether(DEE)and isopropyl nitrate(IPN).The explosion characteristics of different solid-liquid fuel-air-explosive(FAE)under unconfined conditions are investigated using a high-speed camera,infrared thermal imaging,and a pressure measurement system.Results demonstrate that high-energy metal powders significantly enhance detonation energy dissipation,with aluminum exhibiting the most pronounced effect.Fuel 5#(45.4 wt%DEE,9.2 wt%IPN,29.5 wt%Al,9.1 wt%B,6.8 wt%MgH_(2))exhibits superior explosion performance,achieving higher values of overpressure,impulse,and thermal radiation damage during the detonation stage compared to other fuels.However,Fuel 5#also displays faster decay rates,attributed to accelerated heat release rates induced by B and MgH_(2)powders.This study reveals that different metal powders in solid-liquid FAE exhibit distinct enhancements in explosion performance,providing critical insights for optimizing composite fuel design.
基金financially supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Nos.52379110 and 42207222)the Key Technologies for Accurate Diagnosis and Intelligent Prevention and Control of Slope Hazards in Open Pit Mines,181 Major R&D projects of Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd。
文摘The stability of rock slopes is frequently controlled by the initiation and propagation of inherent dominant cracks.This study systematically investigated these processes in valley slopes by combining fracture-mechanics analysis with transparent soil model tests.An analytical expression for the stress field at the dominant crack tip was derived from the slope stress distribution by superposing the corresponding stress intensity factors(SIFs).The theoretical predictions were then validated against observations from transparent soil model tests.The influences of slope angle(β),crack inclination angle(α),crack position parameter(b),and crack length parameter(h)on crack initiation and propagation were quantified.The results indicated that:(1)cracks at the slope crest tended to propagate in shear mode,and the shear crack initiation angle(θ_(s))was approximately 8°.Cracks at the slope toe might propagate in either tensile or shear mode.(2)θ_(s) at the slope crest increased withβ,b,and l,and decreased withα.The maximum change inθ_(s) induced by the considered parameters was approximately 30°.(3)The tensile crack initiation angle(θ_(t))at the slop toe decreased withβ,α,and l,while the influence of b was comparatively minor.The maximum change inθ_(t) caused by individual parameters ranged approximately from 25°to 60°.Predicted crack propagation modes and directions showed good agreement with experimental results.These findings provide theoretical guidance for stability assessments of valley slopes controlled by dominant crack propagation.
基金supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52304148)the Youth Project of Shanxi Basic Research Program(No.202203021212262).
文摘This study investigates the performance enhancement of super-sulfated cement(SSC)derived from arsenic-containing bio-oxidation waste(BW)through the incorporation of carbonated recycled concrete fines(CRCF).The findings revealed that the addition of 5wt%CRCF yields optimal performance,with compressive strengths reaching approximately 1.83,12.59,and 42.81 MPa at 1,3,and 28 d,respectively.These values represented significant increases of 408.3%,10.0%,and 14.3%compared to the reference sample.The improvement was attributed to the synergistic effects of ultrafine CRCF particles acting as fillers and nucleation sites,as well as the high reactivity of silica gels,which promoted the formation of additional hydration gels.Microstructural analysis confirmed that CRCF addition refined pore structure,and enhanced the stiffness of C-S-H gels.Furthermore,CRCF served as a net CO_(2) sink,sequestering 0.268 kg CO_(2) per kilogram of CRCF and thereby reducing the carbon footprint of SSC.In addition,the feasibility of applying CRCF-modified SSC in cemented paste backfill(CPB)is highlighted,given the high cement-related carbon footprint of conventional CPB.When 5wt%CRCFmodified SSC was employed in CPB,its 3-d compressive strength attained over 70%of that of ordinary Portland cement(OPC),while the 28-d strength was comparable to that of OPC.The proposed binder thus provides a sustainable pathway for BW valorization,combining waste utilization,carbon sequestration,and improved engineering performance.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.43277051)the Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development of Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education(No.B230203006).
文摘While oceanic and coastal acidification has gained increased attention,long-term pH trends and their drivers in large freshwater systems remain poorly understood.The Laurentian Great Lakes are the world’s largest freshwater system,and in many ways resemble marine ecosystems.However,unlike the open ocean and coastal waters where pH has declined due to rising atmospheric CO_(2),no significant pH trends have been observed in the Laurentian Great Lakes,despite significant ecosystem changes driven partly by the invasion of dreissenid mussels.This study examined 41 years of field observations from Lake Michigan to investigate the long-term carbonate chemistry dynamics.Observational results revealed substantial declines in both total alkalinity(TA)and dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC)over the four decades.Mussel shell calcification emerged as the primary mechanism behind these declines,accounting for 97%and 47%of the observed changes in TA and DIC,respectively,lowering water column pH by 0.24 units.Elevated carbon accumulation in soft mussel tissues,coupled with long-term changes in the air-water pCO_(2)gradient during summer,significantly contributed to long-term DIC variations,explaining 18%and 28%of the lake-wide DIC loss.These two mechanisms also resulted in an overall pH increase of 0.09 and 0.12 units,largely offsetting the calcification-driven pH decrease.These findings bridge a gap in acidification research for large freshwater systems and provide valuable insights for comprehensive lake-wide management strategies.
基金supported by a grant from China railway corporation science and technology research and development plan project(Grant No.2017G005-B)funding support by Wuyi University’s Hong Kong and Macao Joint Research and Development Fund(Grants No.2021WGALH15)funding support by the Innovation and Technology Commission of Hong Kong SAR Government to the Hong Kong Branch of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center(Grant No.K-BBY1).
文摘The current technical standards primarily relied on experience to judge the interfacial bonding properties between the self-compacting concrete filling layer and the steam-cured concrete precast slab in CRTS Ⅲ slab ballastless track structure.This study sought to enhance technical standards for evaluating interfacial bonding properties by suggesting the use of the splitting tensile strength to evaluate the impact of bubble defects.Specimens were fabricated through on-site experiment.The percent of each area of 6 cm^(2)or more bubble defect was 0 in most of specimens.When the cumulative area of all bub-ble defects reached 12%,the splitting tensile strength value was 0.67 MPa,which exceeded the minimum required value of 0.5 MPa for ensuring bonding interface adhesion.Furthermore,when the cumulative area of all bubble defects reached 8%,the splitting tensile strength value was 0.85 MPa,which exceeded the minimum required value of 0.8 MPa,thereby over-coming the negative impact of each area of 10 cm^(2) or more bubble defect.Additionally,keeping the cumulative area of each area of 6 cm^(2) or more bubble defect below 6%ensured adequate bonding strength and reduced the occurrence of specimens with lower splitting tensile strength values.
基金funded by United Arab Emirates University(UAEU)under the UAEU-AUA grant number G00004577(12N145)with the corresponding grant at Universiti Malaya(UM)under grant number IF019-2024.
文摘Concrete-filled steel tubes(CFST)are widely utilized in civil engineering due to their superior load-bearing capacity,ductility,and seismic resistance.However,existing design codes,such as AISC and Eurocode 4,tend to be excessively conservative as they fail to account for the composite action between the steel tube and the concrete core.To address this limitation,this study proposes a hybrid model that integrates XGBoost with the Pied Kingfisher Optimizer(PKO),a nature-inspired algorithm,to enhance the accuracy of shear strength prediction for CFST columns.Additionally,quantile regression is employed to construct prediction intervals for the ultimate shear force,while the Asymmetric Squared Error Loss(ASEL)function is incorporated to mitigate overestimation errors.The computational results demonstrate that the PKO-XGBoost model delivers superior predictive accuracy,achieving a Mean Absolute Percentage Error(MAPE)of 4.431%and R2 of 0.9925 on the test set.Furthermore,the ASEL-PKO-XGBoost model substantially reduces overestimation errors to 28.26%,with negligible impact on predictive performance.Additionally,based on the Genetic Algorithm(GA)and existing equation models,a strength equation model is developed,achieving markedly higher accuracy than existing models(R^(2)=0.934).Lastly,web-based Graphical User Interfaces(GUIs)were developed to enable real-time prediction.
基金allocated by National Science,Research and Innovation Fund(NSRF)King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok(project no.KMUTNB-FF-67-B-44 and KMUTNB-FF-67-B-45)supported by the NSRF through the Program Management Unit for Human Resources&Institutional Development,Research and Innovation(grant no.B40G660036).
文摘This study proposes to use the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and the bender element(BE)tests for determining the strength and the initial small-strain shear modulus of Bangkok soft marine clay improved by cement and polyester fibers.This study varies the content of admixed cement(1%–20%)and polyester fibers(0–20%),including the curing time(3–28 d)for preparing 360 samples.Moreover,this study uses the Michaelis-Menten kinetics concept to model cement hydration saturation.From the study,it is concluded as follows.The modelled results reveals that at least 10%cement and 1%polyester fiber are recommended to attain the 28-d UCS standards(294 kPa)for highway subgrade materials in Thailand.This also fulfils sustainable construction due to reducing normal-use cement from 20%to 10%.Unfortunately,the addition of polyester fibers into the Bangkok clay with at least 5%cement reduces shear modulus by 1.12–1.32 times.The Abram's relationship between shear modulus and the mixing-water-to-cement ratio is found time-dependent.From the composite theory,the BE detects the polyester fiber zone as a defect in the Bangkok clay(matrix)with 5%–20%cement.So,the 28-d shear modulus in the polyester fiber zone is negative(up to0.034 MPa for 20%fiber),similar to softening phenomenon in concrete cracking(negative stiffness).For the 28-d shear modulus of fiber zone,the optimum cement content is around 2%for the positive influences of polyester fibers.Experimentally,the timedependent normalized UCS for 10%and 20%cement is compatible with other studies,and its development rate increases with the cement content as 0.3017,0.3172 and 0.3204 for 5%,10%and 20%cement,respectively.The 28-d relationship between shear modulus and UCS shows that low-cement soft clay requires high polyester fiber content(5%–20%)to activate UCS improvement.However,the soft clay with enough cement(20%)causes the uniformly distributed UCS improvement.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.20807004)the General Research an Development Founding for Universities directly under the Ministry of Education of China(BUCTZZ1202)
文摘Catalytic nickel was successfully incorporated into nanoscale iron to enhance its dechlorination efficiency for trichloroethylene （TCE）, one of the most commonly detected chlorinated organic compounds in groundwater. Ethane was the predominant product. The greatest dechlorination efficiency was achieved at 22 molar percent of nickel. This nanoscale Ni-Fe is poorly ordered and inhomogeneous; iron dissolution occurred whereas nickel was relatively stable during the 24-hr reaction. The morphological characterization provided significant new insights on the mechanism of catalytic hydrodcchlorination by bimetallic nanoparticles. TCE degradation and ethane production rates were greatly affected by environmental parameters such as solution pH, temperature and common groundwater ions. Both rate constants decreased and then increased over the pH range of 6.5 to 8.0, with the minimum value occurring at pH 7.5. TCE degradation rate constant showed an increasing trend over the temperature range of 10 to 25℃. However, ethane production rate constant increased and then decreased over the range, with the maximum value occurring at 20℃, Most salts in the solution appeared to enhance the reaction in the first half hour but overall they displayed an inhibitory effect. Combined ions showed a similar effect as individual salts.
文摘This work examines the environmental and geochemical impact of recycled aggregate concrete production with properties representative for structural applications.The environmental influence of cement content,aggregate production,transportation,and waste landfilling is analysed by undertaking a life cycle assessment and considering a life cycle inventory largely specific for the region.To obtain a detailed insight into the optimum life cycle parameters,a sensitivity study is carried out in which supplementary cementitious materials,different values of natural-to-recycled aggregate content ratio and case-specific transportation distances were considered.The results show that carbon emissions were between 323 and 332 kgCO_(2)e per cubic metre of cement only natural aggregate concrete.These values can be reduced by up to 17%by replacing 25%of the cement with fly ash.By contrast,carbon emissions can increase when natural coarse aggregates are replaced by recycled aggregates in proportions of 50%and 100%,and transportation is not included in analysis.However,the concrete with 50%recycled aggregate presented lower increase,only 0.3%and 3.4%for normal and high strength concrete,respectively.In some cases,the relative contribution of transportation to the total carbon emissions increased when cement was replaced by fly ash in proportions of 25%,and case-specific transportation distances were considered.In absolute values,the concrete mixes with 100%recycled aggregates and 25%fly ash had lower carbon emissions than concrete with cement and natural aggregates only.Higher environmental benefits can be obtained when the transportation distances of fly ash are relatively short(15–25 km)and the cement replacement by fly ash is equal or higher than 25%,considering that the mechanical properties are adequate for practical application.The observations from this paper show that recycled aggregate concrete with strength characteristics representative for structural members can have lower carbon emissions than conventional concrete,recommending them as an alternative to achieving global sustainability standards in construction.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51028802 and 70902029)the PhD Programs Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (No. 20090092120045)
文摘Locating distribution centers optimally is a crucial and systematic task for decision-makers.Optimally located distribution centers can significantly improve the logistics system's efficiency and reduce its operational costs.However,it is not an easy task to optimize distribution center locations and previous studies focused primarily on location optimization of a single distribution center.With growing logistics demands,multiple distribution centers become necessary to meet customers' requirements,but few studies have tackled the multiple distribution center locations(MDCLs) problem.This paper presents a comprehensive algorithm to address the MDCLs problem.Fuzzy integration and clustering approach using the improved axiomatic fuzzy set(AFS) theory is developed for location clustering based on multiple hierarchical evaluation criteria.Then,technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS) is applied for evaluating and selecting the best candidate for each cluster.Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to assess the influence of each criterion in the location planning decision procedure.Results from a case study in Guiyang,China,reveals that the proposed approach developed in this study outperforms other similar algorithms for MDCLs selection.This new method may easily be extended to address location planning of other types of facilities,including hospitals,fire stations and schools.
基金Research Committee,University of Macao,China Under Grant No.RG077/07-08S/09R/YKV/FST
文摘One branch of structural health monitoring (SHM) utilizes dynamic response measurements to assess the structural integrity of civil infrastructures. In particular,modal frequency is a widely adopted indicator for structural damage since its square is proportional to structural stiffness. However,it has been demonstrated in various SHM projects that this indicator is substantially affected by fluctuating environmental conditions. In order to provide reliable and consistent information on the health status of the monitored structures,it is necessary to develop a method to filter this interference. This study attempts to model and quantify the environmental influence on the modal frequencies of reinforced concrete buildings. Daily structural response measurements of a twenty-two story reinforced concrete building were collected and analyzed over a one-year period. The Bayesian spectral density approach was utilized to identify the modal frequencies of this building and it was clearly seen that the temperature and humidity fluctuation induced notable variations. A mathematical model was developed to quantify the environmental effects and model complexity was taken into consideration. Based on a Timoshenko beam model,the full model class was constructed and other reduced-order model class candidates were obtained. Then,the Bayesian modal class selection approach was employed to select the one with the most suitable complexity. The proposed model successfully characterizes the environmental influence on the modal frequencies. Furthermore,the estimated uncertainty of the model parameters allows for assessment of the reliability of the prediction. This study not only improves the understanding about the monitored structure,but also establishes a systematic approach for reliable health assessment of reinforced concrete buildings.
基金supported by a Natural Environment Research Council(NERC) Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) studentship(NE/EEA6549/1)
文摘Groundwater residence time is a fundamental property of groundwater to understand important hydrogeological issues,such as deriving sustainable abstraction volumes,or,the evolution of groundwater quality.The anthropogenic trace gases chlorofluorocarbons (CFC-11,CFC-12 and CFC-113) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) are ideal in this regard because they have been released globally at known rates and become dissolved in groundwater following Henry’s Law,integrating over large spatial (global) and temporal (decades) scales.The CFCs and SF6 are able to date groundwater up to w100 years old with the caveat of certain simplifying assumptions.However,the inversion of environmental tracer concentrations (CFCs and SF6) to derive groundwater age rests on the accurate determination of groundwater recharge parameters,namely temperature,elevation,salinity and excess air,in addition to resolving the potential for contamination,degradation and unsaturated zone effects.This review explores the fundamentals of CFC-11,CFC-12,CFC-113 and SF6 as environmental tracers of groundwater age and recommends complementary techniques throughout.Once this relatively simple and inexpensive technique has been used to determine initial concentrations at the recharge zone,setting the groundwater dating ‘clock’ to zero,this review then explores the meaning of groundwater ‘age’ in relation to measured environmental tracer concentrations.It is shown that the CFCs and SF6 may be applied to a wide-range of hydrogeological problems and suggests that environmental tracers are particularly powerful tools when integrated with numerical flow and transport models.
