In this study, a systematic approach was adopted to investigate, numerically and experimentally, localised defects and/or damage in timber bridges, such as rot, using modal based damage detection techniques. An existing damage detection method namely damage index (DI) method that utilises modal strain energy before and after damaged state was adopted. One contribution of this study was to modify the Dl method by an additional step of normalising the modal curvature, which would minimise the dominance of higher modes. In the numerical models, a comparative study of the effects of numerical integration techniques used in a damage detection process was carried out. The results show that when mode shape curvature integrations use the rectangular rule for the numerical integration, it yields better results than the trapezoidal rule. In the numerical examples using a finite element model of timber beam, the modified DI (MDI) methods were found to perform better than its original form for locating'" single and multiple damage scenarios. For the DI methods, two types of formulations were adopted and modified, and they are denoted as modified damage index I (MDI-I) and modified damage index II (MDI-II). Another modal based damage detection method, namely changes in flexibility (CIF), was adopted for locating damage. It was found that the ClF method performed reasonably well for single damage but not multiple damage scenarios. As part of the study, the modified damage index methods were utilised for evaluating severity of damage. For the :MDI-I method, the formulation was not derived to evaluate damage severity directly. Instead, a hybrid of the MDI-I and CIF methods (HMC), was proposed for evaluating severity of damage in terms of loss of '1' (moment of inertia). Using three levels of damage, i.e. light (L), medium (M) and severe (S), the HMC method is able to predict the medium and severe damage quite well, but it is less efficient for light damage scenarios. For the MDI-II method, further manipulation of the algorithm can predict the severity of damage in terms of loss of'I'. This method is able to predict the medium and severe damage quite well but is not as good for the light damage. Both methods, HMC and MDI-II, for predicting severity of damage, required some adjustment using a weighting factor in order to obtain reasonable results. An experimental modal analysis (EMA) test program of timber beams was undertaken. This was done to verify the robustness of the modified damage index methods for detecting location and estimating severity of damage. The laboratory investigation was conducted on the corresponding changes of modal parameters due to loss of section. The MDI methods were used to detect location of damage and to evaluate the severity of damage in the test beams. A mode shape reconstruction technique was utilised to enhance the capability of the damage detection algorithms with limited number of sensors. The test results and analysis show that location of damage is quite accurately estimated with the available sensors. The methods demonstrate that they are less mode dependant and can detect damage with a higher degree of confidence. The MDI methods also show that they are able to predict the severe damage well, but it is less accurate for the medium damage and not as good for light damage. The damage index II (DI-II) method extended to plate-like structures (DI-II-P) was adopted and evaluated for detecting damage. Based on finite element analysis (FEA) results of a laboratory timber bridge, the DI-II-P method which utilises two dimensional (2-D) mode shape curvature was employed to detect location of damage. The results show that the tnethod based on 2-D mode shape curvature is able to locate damage quite well, numerically. A supplementary work using the DI-II-P method in a timber plate model was carried out. The results also show that the method was able to predict the damage location well. A process of updating a laboratory timber bridge, analytically, is presented. A finite element model was developed and updated with experimental modal data. Material properties of timber beam (girders) and plywood (deck) as well as the screw connection between deck and girder were experimentally investigated. These test results were then used for the finite element modelling. The model has been developed sequentially starting with a preliminary model having very simple features. It followed by the advanced model calibrated with the experimental modal data employing a global objective function, consisting of errors of natural frequencies and modal assurance criterion. The calibrated finite element model shows a good correlation to the experimental model with minor adjustments to the real material properties and boundary conditions. The calibrated model can reasonably be used to study the damaged behaviour of the laboratory timber bridge. The bridge model was then used to verify the numerical results for detecting damage. The bridge was inflicted with various damage scenarios with loss of section similar to the timber beam models. The limited number of data was expanded using the 2-D cubic spline. Using the reconstructed data for detecting damage yields better results than just using 'as is' data. Using the undanlaged and dmnaged modal data, the D I-II -P method was employed to detect the location of damage. The results of using the first nine modes showed that generally the severe damage is able to be located by the method. It performs reasonably well for the medium damage but does not perform as good in the light damage scenarios. However, in some cases the method can present some problems in identifying severe damage, which may be due to lack of normalisation of mode shape curvature. Complementary work was undertaken using the method 'On a timber plate, experimentally. The results showed that the damage detection process in the timber plate is less efficient compared to the laboratory timber bridge. A comprehensive comparative study was carried out based on the results of the numerical and experimental investigation of damage detection on timber beam, laboratory timber bridge and timber plate. For the timber beam, both damage detection methods, MDI-I and MDI-II, were capable of detecting medium and severe damage in the numerical and experimental studies. However, the light damage was not identified well using the experimental data in the presence of noise. To estimate damage severity in the timber beam, the HMC method performed well for the medium and severe damage. The method did not work well in estimating severity of light damage. Similar conclusions can be drawn in using the MDI-II method to estimate the damage severity. The results of applying the DI-II-P method (using 9 modes) to locate damage in the laboratory timber bridge showed that numerical and experimental data are capable of detecting all severe damage for damage cases with less than three damage locations. While for light and medium damage, the experimental data did not work well as compared to the numerical one. For the timber plate (a complementary work), the numerical and experimental results also showed that they are able to detect the severe damage well. However, there were serious false positives appearing in the light damage cases in the experimental results.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Fusion reactions with radioactive neutron-rich projectiles have been the subject of much recent theoretical and experimental interest. Predictions of enhancement of the cross section due to the use of a neutron-rich projectile may have implications for synthesis of heavy nuclei. In this work, the fusion-fission excitation functions were measured for the [superscript 32,38]S + �������Ta reactions. The radioactive �����S beam was produced by projectile fragmentation. In the ����S-induced reaction, an incomplete fusion component was observed at high energies, with average momentum transfer corresponding to escape of an alpha particle. Angular distribution data were used to estimate the quasifission component of the stable-beam reaction. The excitation functions were analyzed using classical and coupled-channels methods; the deduced interaction barriers were 130.7 �� 0.3 MeV and 124.8 �� 0.3 MeV for the ����S- and �����S-induced reactions, respectively. No evidence of any additional mechanism beyond a simple shift in the Coulomb barrier was observed. Taking into account the difference in reaction Q-values, the net lowering of the compound nucleus excitation energy at the barrier is about 12 MeV due to the use of the radioactive neutron-rich projectile; this could significantly affect survival probabilities of heavy nuclei. / Graduation date: 2000

Graduation date: 1997

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon Graduate Center, 1976.

This thesis discusses the results of an experimental program designed to investigate the effect of corrosion on the behaviour of shear critical reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The results of twenty RC beams (ten deep beams and ten slender beams) are described and discussed. The test variables included: corrosion level (2.5%, 5% and 7.5%) and existence of stirrups (beams without stirrups and beams with stirrups). The feasibility of repairing the corroded shear critical RC beams with CFRP laminates was also investigated. Sixteen specimens were corroded using an accelerated corrosion technique whereas four specimens acted as control un-corroded. Following the corrosion phase, all specimens were tested to failure under three point bending. Test results revealed that the corrosion does not adversely affect the behaviour of shear critical RC beams rather it improves their behaviour. It was found that corrosion changed the failure mode of the corroded beams. The control un-corroded deep beams (beams with and without stirrups) failed in shear-compression failure whereas corroded deep beams (beams with and without stirrups) failed by splitting of the compression strut. The control un-corroded slender beams (beams with and without stirrups) failed in diagonal tension failure whereas the corroded slender beams failed in anchorage failure (beams without stirrups) and flexural failure (beams with stirrups). The analysis of the results showed that corrosion changed the load transfer mechanism and the change of failure mode was associated with the mechanism. The load transfer mechanism changed from a combination of beam and arch action in the control un-corroded deep beams to pure arch action in the corroded deep beams. The load transfer mechanism changed from pure beam action in the control un-corroded slender beams to pure arch action in the corroded slender beams. Two strut and tie models are proposed: one for corroded deep beams and one for corroded slender beams. The ultimate loads of the corroded beams were predicted using these struts and tie models and compared with the experimental results. A very good correlation was found between predicted and experimental results.

This thesis deals with glued laminated beams with holes. Different hole geometries, circular and quadratic,  and reinforcement methods were investigated. A total of 24 tests were performed using two types of reinforcements (glass fiber and plywood) and testing unreinforced beam. During testing of the beams without reinforcement a contact free deformation measurement system was used to capture the deformation pattern. A commercial finite element software package was used to perform numerical calculations of the response of the beams. The FE-analyses were also compared with the experimental results. The test results showed that the reinforcement with plywood was more efficient than the reinforcement with glass fiber. In addition, the two hole geometries showed different failure behaviors. The beams with quadratic holes showed a less brittle behavior, although at a lower load level than the beams with circular holes. / Denna rapport behandlar limträbalkar med hål. Olika hålgeometrier, cirkulära och kvadratiska hål, och olika metoder att förstärka balkarna vid hålet undersöktes. Totalt 24 enskilda provningar genomfördes med två olika förstärkningsmetoder (glasfiber och plywood) samt med balkar utan förstärkning. Vid provning av de oförstärkta balkarna användes ett system för beröringsfri deformationsmätning för att få en bild av deformationsmönstret. Ett kommersiellt finita elementprogram användes också för att analysera balkarnas respons och för att jämföra med provningsresultaten. Provningarna visade att förstärkningen med plywood var effektivare än förstärkningen med glasfiber. Vidare uppvisade de olika hålgeometrierna olika brottbeteenden, där de kvadratiska hålen gav mindre spröda brott, dock vid en i genomsnitt lägre brottlast än de cirkulära hålen.

The shear capacity of reinforced concrete pier caps in existing bridge support systems can be a factor which limits the capacity of an existing bridge. In their usual configuration, pier caps behave as deep beams and have the ability to carry load through tied arch action after the formation of diagonal cracks. Externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement has been shown to increase the shear capacity of reinforced concrete members which carry load through beam action. However, there is an insufficient amount of research to make it a viable strengthening system for beams which carry load through arch action, such as pier caps. Accordingly, this research was aimed at investigating the behavior of reinforced concrete pier caps through a coordinated experimental and analytical program and to recommend an external strengthening method for pier caps with perceived deficiencies in shear strength. The experimental study was performed on laboratory specimens based on an existing bridge in Georgia. A number of factors were examined, including size, percentage longitudinal reinforcement and crack control reinforcement. The results showed that increasing the longitudinal tension reinforcement increased the beam capacity by changing the shape of the tied arch. In contrast, the presence of crack control reinforcement did not change the point at which diagonal cracking occurred, but it did increase the ultimate capacity by reinforcing the concrete against splitting. The results of the experimental study were used in conjunction with a larger database to examine different analytical methods for estimating the ultimate capacity of deep beams, and a new method was developed for the design of external strengthening. Two specimens were tested with externally bonded FRP reinforcement applied longitudinally to increase the strength of the tension tie. The test results correlated well with the proposed method of analysis and showed that increasing the strength of the longitudinal tension tie is an effective way to increase the strength of a reinforced concrete deep beam.

<p>This thesis deals with glued laminated beams with holes. Different hole geometries, circular and quadratic,  and reinforcement methods were investigated. A total of 24 tests were performed using two types of reinforcements (glass fiber and plywood) and testing unreinforced beam. During testing of the beams without reinforcement a contact free deformation measurement system was used to capture the deformation pattern. A commercial finite element software package was used to perform numerical calculations of the response of the beams. The FE-analyses were also compared with the experimental results. The test results showed that the reinforcement with plywood was more efficient than the reinforcement with glass fiber. In addition, the two hole geometries showed different failure behaviors. The beams with quadratic holes showed a less brittle behavior, although at a lower load level than the beams with circular holes.</p> / <p> </p><p>Denna rapport behandlar limträbalkar med hål. Olika hålgeometrier, cirkulära och kvadratiska hål, och olika metoder att förstärka balkarna vid hålet undersöktes. Totalt 24 enskilda provningar genomfördes med två olika förstärkningsmetoder (glasfiber och plywood) samt med balkar utan förstärkning. Vid provning av de oförstärkta balkarna användes ett system för beröringsfri deformationsmätning för att få en bild av deformationsmönstret. Ett kommersiellt finita elementprogram användes också för att analysera balkarnas respons och för att jämföra med provningsresultaten. Provningarna visade att förstärkningen med plywood var effektivare än förstärkningen med glasfiber. Vidare uppvisade de olika hålgeometrierna olika brottbeteenden, där de kvadratiska hålen gav mindre spröda brott, dock vid en i genomsnitt lägre brottlast än de cirkulära hålen.</p>