<p>Träbyggnandet i Sverige gick in i en ny era när myndigheterna beslutade att upphäva förbudet mot att bygga byggnader som är högre än två våningar. Denna förändring i lagstiftningen har bidragit till att utveckla träbyggandet under det senaste decenniet. Cross Laminerat Timber (CLT) har blivit erkänt som en ny teknik som använt på ett korrekt sätt ger starka och pålitliga konstruktioner. Materialet visar sig mer och mer intressant huvudsakligen beroende på den styvhet och styrka det visar i olika tester.</p><p>Ett av de projekt som använt CLT som bärande element är Limnologen i staden Växjö 500 kilometer söder om Stockholm. I detta projekt har både väggar och bjälklag med bärande delar av CLT använts. En av utmaningarna i samband med högre träbyggande är att beräkna och ta hänsyn till de vertikala förskjutningarna i stommen. Orsakerna till förskjutningen är momentana samt tidsberoende. I denna uppsats utvärderas dessa vertikala förskjutningar med två olika metoder. Den första av dessa är experimentell. Förskjutningarna mättes av en grupp forskare från Växjö universitet och utvärderas i denna rapport. Den andra är en Finit Element Modell där förskjutningarna simuleras beroende på parametrar som anses viktiga. Resultatet av simuleringen jämförs med de experimentellt erhållna värdena. Simulering är ett viktigt sätt att förutsäga förskjutningar i CLT byggnader i framtiden. Alla modeller har gjorts med hjälp av finita element programmet Abaqus.</p><p>FEM- modellen av Limnologen består av ett väggelement per våning i sex våningar. Detta element är det element där också förskjutningarna mätts på plats. På så sätt kan modell och verklighet jämföras. Förutom väggelement modelleras också bjälklagselement och kopplingen mellan vägg och bjälklag.</p><p>De experimentella resultaten har analyserats i programvaran Matlab. Resultatet blev ett antal grafer som redovisar förloppet. Det viktigaste resultatet är det som visar både den totala relativa förskjutningen samtidigt som den visar fuktkvoten i CLT- skivan. Fuktkvoten beräknades från temperatur och relativ luftfuktighet som båda mättes på plats.</p><p>Slutsatsen är att man med en simulering kan åstadkomma en acceptabel tillförlitlighet med avseende på vertikala förskjutningar. Krympningen har spelat en viktig roll för förskjutningarna. Den maximala förskjutningen som erhållits från mätningar var 21 mm medan det maximala förskjutningen fått från simuleringen baserad på tre olika antaganden var 35 mm, 33 mm och 17 mm. Skillnaden i resultaten kan delvis förklaras av de antaganden som använts för beräkning av fuktkvot och antagandet om fiberriktningen i timret. I simuleringen antogs fuktkvoten vara konstant över alla tre lager i CLT- skivan i de två första fallen. Orienteringen av fibrerna antogs radiell och tangentiell. Det tredje antagandet bygger på att fukten enbart påverkar det yttersta lagret i skivan. Detta antagande är rimligt på grund av tidsåtgången att uppnå fuktjämvikt och på grund av det limlager som skiljer lagren åt och hindrar fukt att vandra från ett lager till ett annat.</p> / <p>The history of timber buildings in Sweden entered a new era when the authorities decided to lift the ban on constructing more than two-storey timber buildings in Sweden. This change in legislations has contributed to the emergence of timber construction during the last decade. The Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) has become recognized as a new technology that used correctly in construction gives strong and reliable structures. The building material is gaining more credit day by day mainly due to the stiffness and strength it proved throughout the tests in projects where it was used.</p><p>One of the projects that used CLT as load bearing elements was Limnologen in the city of Växjö 500 kilometres south of Stockholm. In this project, a system of CLT floors as well as CLT walls has been used. One of the challenges related to medium-rise timber buildings in general is to calculate and take account of the vertical displacement of the whole building. The sources for the displacements are instantaneous elastic as well as time dependent. In this thesis we are introducing two evaluation methods for the vertical displacements in Limnologen. The first is the experimentally measured vertical displacement that was performed by a group of researchers from Växjö University, and the second is a Finite Element Model simulating the vertical displacement according to the factors and parameters thought to be important to be included in the modelling. The output of the simulation was to be compared with the experimentally obtained values. Simulation is an important way to predict the vertical displacement in future CLT buildings. All modelling were done using the finite element software Abaqus.</p><p>The Abaqus model of the Limnologen building consists of six wall elements from six storeys. The modelled wall elements are the wall elements that the vertical displacement devices were installed on. The reason for this is to get a better picture of how the results from the model would yield in comparison to the site measurements. The floor itself and the sylodyn used in the interface between wall and floor were also modelled.</p><p>The data collected from the site were processed in the software Matlab. Several graphs were attained out of the data processing. The most important graph is the one that include both the total relative displacement and the equivalent moisture content in the CLT. The equivalent moisture content was calculated from the measured temperature and relative humidity.</p><p>In this thesis it is concluded that a simulation can accomplish an acceptable reliability with respect to the vertical displacements. The shrinkage factor has played a vital role in simulation of the displacements. The maximum displacement obtained from the measurements was 21 mm while the maximum displacement gained from the simulation based on three different assumptions was 35 mm, 33 mm, and 17 mm respectively with the similar displacement pattern. The difference in the results can partly be explained by the assumptions used for the equivalent moisture content and local coordinate system of the CLT layers. In the simulation the moisture content was assumed to be equal over each layer of the CLT-panel. The first two assumptions were formulated due to the amphibolous grain of the middle layer of the CLT-panel which was considered having effect on the vertical displacement. The third assumption was formulated due to the glue layer between the wood layers of the CLT-panel which was considered having effect on preventing moisture diffuse from one layer to another layer. In reality it is questionable if the moisture content is varied in the different layers of the CLT-panel. The diffusion of the moisture content hasn't been taken into account.</p>

A persistent challenge in the design of composite materials is the ability to fabricate materials that simultaneously display high stiffness and high loss factors for the creation of structural elements capable of passively suppressing vibro-acoustic energy. Relevant recent research has shown that it is possible to produce composite materials whose macroscopic mechanical stiffness and loss properties surpass those of conventional composites through the addition of trace amounts of materials displaying negative stiffness (NS) induced by phase transformation [R. S. Lakes, et al., Nature, 410, pp. 565-567, (2001)]. The present work investigates the ability to elicit NS behavior without employing physical phenomena such as inherent nonlinear material behavior (e.g., phase change or plastic deformation) or dynamic effects, but rather the controlled buckling of small-scale structural elements, metamaterials, embedded in a continuous viscoelastic matrix. To illustrate the effect of these buckled elements, a nonlinear hierarchical multiscale material model is derived which estimates the macroscopic stiffness and loss of a composite material containing pre-strained microscale structured inclusions. The nonlinear multiscale model is then utilized in a set-based hierarchical design approach to explore the design space over a wide range of inclusion geometries. Finally, prototype NS inclusions are fabricated using an additive manufacturing technique and tested to determine quasi-static inclusion stiffness which is compared with analytical predictions. / text

In this study, excavation of jet-grouted tunnels in ground with strong time-dependent behavior is analyzed. The constant growth of population has led to a constant increase in the price of lands and thus infrastructures. Underground alternatives are becoming more economical. Furthermore, advances in the construction technology have made it feasible to construct tunnels in difficult ground conditions. By providing a grouted arch ahead of the tunnel face, jet-grouting has proved effective for the stability and performance of tunnels in difficult conditions. Given the limited depth of jet-grouting into the face, the jet-grouted arch is loaded soon after installation, when the rigidity of the grouted material is growing significantly. The simultaneous loading and hardening of the jet-grouting makes the tunnel response depend on the excavation rate. Furthermore, in difficult tunneling conditions, the ground material is associated with highly viscous behavior. This behavior is synonymous with delayed deformation depending on the level and duration of the ground loading by the tunnel excavation. In order to show the importance of the time-dependent behaviors, the full-face and the sequential excavation method are compared using three-dimensional and two-dimensional finite element analyses. First, a three-dimensional model is constructed and its results are validated against available analytical solutions for time-independent behaviors. The hardening of the jet-grouting is then introduced into the model by embedding jet-grouting elements through the analysis. In order to account for the ground viscous behavior, an advanced viscoplastic constitutive model is adopted, numerically implemented in FORTRAN, and used in conjunction with finite element software ABAQUS. The excavation methods are compared for the well documented study case of Tartaiguille tunnel. The results indicate that the full-face method outperforms the sequential method in the studied case by installing the tunnel invert closer to the face. The two-dimensional analysis of the tunnel is conducted by using the convergence-confinement method. To this end, a new approach is introduced to use the method for tunnels in time-dependent conditions. The effect of the jet-grouting hardening and the ground viscous behavior is characterized within the new approach by deriving the ground convergence curves. The reverse dependency of these mechanisms on the tunnel advance rate leads to an optimum advance rate, at which minimum tunnel convergence develops. / text

Recycling of plastics always plays an important role in keeping our environment better and safe. With the rise in usage of plastics and industrialization, the need for recycling the plastics has become a big business and is getting bigger. This thesis work was done for a company called Rapid Granulator AB, which works with the recycling of plastics as a big trade in Sweden. Like all the industries across the globe are trying to be economical in every way, Rapid Granulator AB wanted to develop an economical design of their high quality granulating knife. For achieving the economical design, they wanted to study the behaviour of the rotating knife during the process of producing plastic granules. The granulator cutting process was simulated and numerical analysis was done on the rotating knife of a plastic granulator machine by using the finite element code ABAQUS with 3D stress elements to find out the critical stresses and forces acting on the rotating knife. The bolt preload was applied by Abaqus/Standard, and the results of implicit analysis were imported to Abaqus/Explicit for the impact analysis where the flow of stresses on the rotating knife during the impact with materials were simulated and studied. The study was done on knife models of different thickness to see if the thickness of the current knife model can be reduced. Analysis were done also on a knife model assembly with a double sided cutting edge knife to see if the knife model can be used to its full extent. The simulation models and analysis results were given to the company to develop a more economical knife model.

The preliminary goal of this study is to determine the effects of processing conditions, compositions and microstructural morphologies of the constituents on the physical and thermo-mechanical properties of alumina (Al_2O_3) reinforced aluminum (Al) composites. Composites with 0, 5, 10, 20 and 25 vol% Al_2O_3 were manufactured using powder metallurgy method. The elastic properties (Young's and shear modulus) and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the composites were determined using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) and Thermo Mechanical Analyzer (TMA) respectively at various temperatures. Increasing compacting pressure improved relative density (or lowered porosity) of the composites. Furthermore, increasing the Al_2O_3 vol% in the composite increased the elastic moduli and reduced the CTE of the composites. Increasing the testing temperature from 25 to 450 oC, significantly reduced the elastic moduli of the composites, while the CTE of the composites changed only slightly with temperatures. Secondly, the goal of this study is to determine the effect of microstructures on the effective thermo-mechanical properties of the manufactured Al-Al_2O_3 composites using finite element (FE) method. Software OOF was used to convert the SEM micrographs of the manufactured composites to FE meshed models, which were then used to determine the effective elastic modulus and CTE. It was observed that, effective modulus dropped by 19.7% when porosity increased by 2.3%; while the effective CTE was mildly affected by the porosity. Additionally, the effect of residual stress on the effective thermo-mechanical properties was studied, and the stress free temperature of the composites was determined. Another objective of this study is to examine the stress-strain response of Al-Al_2O_3 composites due to compressive loads at various temperatures. Elastic modulus, yield stress and strain hardening parameters were determined from the stress-strain curves and their dependency on temperature, porosity and volume fraction were studied. The experimental results were compared with the numerical results. It was observed that high-localized stresses were present near the pores and at the interfaces between Al and Al_2O_3 constituents. Finally, functionally graded materials (FGMs) with varying Al_2O_3 concentration (0, 5and 10 vol%) in Al were manufactured; and their stress-strain response and CTE were determined at various temperatures.

The law of bone remodeling, commonly referred to as Wolff's Law, asserts that the internal trabecular bone adapts to external loadings, reorienting with the principal stress trajectories to maximize mechanical efficiency, thereby creating a naturally optimum structure. The primary objective of the research was to utilize an advanced structural optimization algorithm, called design space optimization (DSO), to create a numerical framework to perform a micro-level three-dimensional finite element bone remodeling simulation on the human proximal femur and analyze the results to determine the validity of Wolff's hypothesis. DSO optimizes the layout of material by iteratively distributing it into the areas of highest loading, while simultaneously changing the design domain to increase computational efficiency. The result is a "fully stressed" structure with minimized compliance and increased stiffness. The large-scale computational simulation utilized a 175µm mesh resolution and the routine daily loading activities of walking and stair climbing. The resulting anisotropic human trabecular architecture was compared to both Wolff's trajectory hypothesis and natural femur data from the literature using a variety of visualization techniques, including radiography and computed tomography (CT). The remodeling predictions qualitatively revealed several anisotropic trabecular regions comparable to the natural human femurs. Quantitatively, the various regional bone volume fractions from the computational results were consistent with CT analyses. The strain energy proceeded to become more uniform during optimization; implying increased mechanical efficiency was achieved. The realistic simulated trabecular geometry suggests that the DSO method can accurately predict three-dimensional bone adaptation due to mechanical loading and that the proximal femur is an optimum structure as Wolff hypothesized. The secondary objective was to revise this computational framework to perform the first in-silico hip replacement considering micro-level bone remodeling. Two different commercially available hip prostheses were quantitatively analyzed using stress, strain energy, and bone mineral density as performance criteria and qualitatively visualized using the techniques above. Several important factors for stable fixation, determined from clinical evaluations, were evident: high levels of proximal bone loss, distal bone growth, and medial densification. The results suggest the DSO method can be utilized for comparative prosthetic implant stem design, uniquely considering post-operation bone remodeling as a design criterion. / Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-08-16 15:30:55.144

The exceptional properties of carbon nanomaterials make them ideal reinforcements for polymers. However, the main challenges in utilizing their unique properties are their tendency to form agglomerates, their non-controlled orientation, non-homogeneous distribution and finally the change in their shape/size due to processing. All the above are the result of the nanomaterial/polymer interfacial interactions which dictate the overall performance of the composites including the mechanical properties. The aforementioned uncertainties are the reason for the deviation observed between the experimentally determined properties and the theoretically expected ones. The focus of this study is to understand the reinforcing efficiency of carbon nanomaterials in polymers through finite element modeling that captures the effect of the interfacial interactions on the tensile modulus of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). The novelty of this work is that the probability distribution functions of nanomaterials dispersion, distribution, orientation and waviness, determined through image analysis by extracting 3-D information from 2-D scanning electron micrographs, are incorporated into the finite element model allowing thus for fundamental understanding of how the nanostructure parameters affect the tensile modulus of the PNCs. The nanocomposites are made using melt mixing followed by either injections molding or melt spinning of fibers. Polypropylene (PP) is used as the polymer and carbon nanotubes (CNT) or exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) are used as nanoreinforcements. The presence of interphase, confirmed and characterized in terms of stiffness and width using atomic force microscopy, is also accounted for in the model. The dispersion and distribution of CNT within the polymer is experimentally altered by using a surfactant and by forcing the molten material to flow through a narrow orifice (melt spinning) that promotes alignment of CNT and even of the polymer chains along the flow/drawing direction. The effect of nanomaterials' geometry on the mechanical behavior of PNCs is also studied by comparing the properties of CNT/PP to those of xGnP/PP composites. Finally the reinforcing efficiency of CNT is determined independently of the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer by conducting tensile testing at temperatures below the glass transition temperature of PP. The finite element model with the incorporated image analysis subroutine has sufficient resolution to distinguish among the different cases (dispersion, distribution, geometry and alignment of nanomaterials) and the predicted tensile modulus is in agreement with the experimentally determined one. In conclusion, this study provides a tool, that integrates finite element modeling and thorough experiments that enables design of polymer nanocomposites with engineered mechanical properties.

The cohesive fracture of thin films is a concern for the reliability of many devices in microelectronics, MEMS, photovoltaics, and other applications. In microelectronic packaging the cohesive fracture toughness has become a concern with new low-k dielectric materials currently being used. To obtain the low-k values needed to meet electrical performance goals, the mechanical strength of the material has decreased. This has resulted in cohesive cracks occurring in the Back End of Line (BEoL) dielectric layers of the microelectronic packages. These cracks lead to electronic failures and occur after thermal loading (due to CTE mismatch of materials) and mechanical loading. To prevent these cohesive cracks, it is necessary to measure the cohesive fracture resistance of these thin films to implement during the design and analysis process. Many of the current tests to measure the cohesive fracture resistance of thin films are based on methods developed for larger scale specimens. These methods can be difficult to apply to thin films due to their size and require mechanical fixturing, physical contact near the crack tip, and complicated stress fields. Therefore, a fixtureless cohesive fracture resistance measurement technique has been developed that utilizes photolithography fabrication processes. This technique uses a superlayer thin film with a high intrinsic stress deposited on top of the desired test material to drive cohesive fracture through the thickness of test material. In addition to developing a technique to measure the fracture resistance of dielectric thin films, the use of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests as off-chip interconnects is investigated as a potential method to mitigate the fracture of these materials. The compressive and tensile modulus of CNT forests is characterized, and it is seen that the modulus is several orders of magnitude less than that of a single straight CNT. The low-modulus CNT forest will help mechanically decouple the chip from the board and reduce stress occurring in the dielectric layers as compared to the current technology of solder ball interconnects and therefore improve reliability. The mechanical performance of these CNT interconnects is investigated by creating a finite-element model of a flip chip electronic package utilizing CNT interconnects and comparing the chip stresses to a traditional solder ball interconnect scenario. Additionally, flip chips are fabricated with CNT forest interconnects, assembled to an FR4 substrate, and subjected to accelerated thermomechanical testing to experimentally investigate their performance.

The Formula SAE is a student based competition organised by SAE International where engineering students from a university design, develop and test a formula-style race car prototype to compete against other universities. The competition car needs to satisfy the competition rules set out by the organisers. The competition strives to stimulate original, creative problem solving together with innovative engineering design practices. In any race environment, the primary goal is always to be as competitive as possible. Due to the competitive nature of motor sport, vehicle components need to withstand various and severe stresses. The components of a race car vehicle are responsible for the vehicle’s handling characteristics and reliability. The chassis is a crucial and integral component of a Formula SAE competition car, primarily responsible for the vehicle’s performance characteristics. The chassis is the structural component that accommodates all the other components. A Formula SAE chassis is a structure that requires high torsional stiffness, low weight as well as the necessary strength properties. In this study, multiple Formula SAE chassis were designed and developed using computer aided design software. Each concept’s torsional stiffness, weight and strength properties were tested using finite element analysis software. The different concepts consisted of different design techniques and applications. All the concepts were analysed and assessed, leading to the identification of an acceptable prototype. The prototype was manufactured for experimental tests. The designed chassis complied with the Formula SAE rules and regulations. The weight, torsional stiffness and strength characteristics of the designed chassis frame were also favourable compared to accepted standards for Formula SAE chassis frames. The manufactured chassis was prepared for experimental tests in order to validate the simulation results produced by the finite element analysis. The torsional stiffness, weight and strength were experimentally determined and the results were compared with the corresponding simulations results. The comparison of the experimental and simulated results enabled the validation of the finite element analysis software. The study draws conclusions about the use of computer aided design and finite element analysis software as a design tool for the development of a Formula SAE chassis. Closure about the study is provided with general conclusions, recommendations and research possibilities for future studies. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

There is no established method of measuring load accurately in a threaded connection at working temperatures exceeding 500°C. At these conditions conventional methods can not be used due to the sensitivity of the instruments and it is suggested that a non contact method should be used. The laser strain gauge was developed by the Loughborough University Optical Research Group and it is a non contact way of measuring surface strain. With the help of finite element analysis (FEA) a special nut was developed that can be used to measure the load on the connection by relating the surface strain of the nut to the load. Experimental work later revealed that due to the threads sticking in the connection there is hysteresis present between the load and surface strain relationship. To eliminate the hysteresis a new part was added to the connection which could be used to relate the surface strain on it to the load without any hysteresis. This new part was a specially designed washer with three grooves to allow easy access for the user to measure the surface strain using the laser strain gauge. Part of the design specification was that the load has to be determined to an accuracy of 0.5%. Using sensitivity analysis the washer was analysed in terms of how manufacturing imperfections affect the accuracy of the load measuring device. The results revealed that to achieve the required 0.5% accuracy the washer would have to be manufactured to very tight tolerances. To achieve these tight tolerances the manufacturing process would not be cost effective so it was proposed that individual calibration is required for each load measuring washer. Tests showed that with sufficient calibration the specially designed washer and the laser strain gauge can be combined and used as an accurate non contact load measuring device. As it is a non contact method it can be used in extreme environments including high temperatures. This thesis describes how background research, finite element analysis and experimental testing were used to develop the load measuring washer. Also it is shown, how in-depth sensitivity analysis was used to determine the accuracy of the prototype and that how manufacturing imperfections influence the working life of a threaded connection.