Support systems including base and subgrade layers play a pivotal role in manifesting and maintaining acceptable behavior and performance of continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP). In Texas, especially, use of non-erodible stabilized base layers have been recommended to prevent failures of the CRCP related with pumping and erosion of the support materials. The non-erodible base materials, however, have given high initial construction cost of the rigid pavements. For this reason, it has been desired to decrease the construction cost with acceptable long-term performance of the pavement system. The primary objective of this study is to determine acceptable combination of support properties and concrete slab thickness satisfying not only adequate structural ability but also construction expense. For this purpose, field support conditions were investigated using Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP), and static plate load test in phase one. Previously developed support analysis models for rigid pavement design were examined using finite element analysis method, which model could more accurately express field support behavior. Also, effects of each support properties including base thickness, elastic modulus of base material, and subgrade k-value were mechanistically identified on composite k-value, and a method selecting optimum combinations of the support properties completing desired composite k-value was developed in phase two. Also, CRCP behavior were examined under not only diverse structural and material conditions of the support system but also the CRCP slab thickness and transverse crack spacing due to temperature and vehicle wheel loading conditions in phase three. In phase four, maximum critical stress induced in the CRCP slab was evaluated under various combinations of support conditions and slab thickness. Effects of the support properties and the slab thickness on the critical stress in the CRCP slab were mechanistically identified, and the factor with the greatest effect was verified. Moreover, regression equations were developed to estimate the maximum critical stresses for various support properties and the CRCP slab thickness under temperature and wheel loadings. In phase five, a guideline determining optimum combination of support properties and slab thickness were proposed as aspect of initial construction cost of the CRCP. / text

Intercritically austempered ductile iron (IADI) with a matrix microstructure of ferrite plus metastable austenite has an excellent combination of strength and toughness. The high strength and good ductility of this material is due to the transformation of metastable austenite to martensite during deformation. In the present study, the transformation of austenite to martensite for intercritically austempered ductile irons of varying alloy chemistry (varying amounts of nickel and/or manganese) were examined using in-situ neutron diffraction under strain-controlled loading at VULCAN at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Both diffraction and tensile data were collected and synced using the VDRIVE software (a proprietary ORNL software package). The single peak fit method was employed in the analysis of the diffraction data. In this thesis, the stress and strain for the start of the transformation of metastable austenite to martensite were determined. The development of residual stresses during deformation and the elastic diffraction constants for both the ferrite and austenite phases were also determined. The material was characterized using optical microscopy, backscattered imaging in the scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. / Master of Science

Este estudo avaliou propriedades de fratura e seus parâmetros de superfície em composições de pasta de cimento de mesma porosidade capilar, variando o teor de filler calcário como substituinte ao cimento comercial. Ainda, para avaliação do efeito em composições de argamassa, foi avaliada a capacidade de redução de água que essa adição pode proporcionar e seu efeito na resistência mecânica. A avaliação dos parâmetros de fratura ocorreu por ensaio de flexão por carregamento em três pontos, com controle por taxa de deslocamento e as análises de superfície por ensaio de interferometria, em seções de fratura e entalhe. O aumento do teor de filler calcário proporcionou redução da demanda de água nas argamassas, para mesmo comportamento. A redução da demanda foi ainda maior para as composições dispersas com aditivo, em relação à referência com aditivo. As resistências à compressão das argamassas apresentaram boa correlação em relação ao ajuste com todas as composições, enquanto foi observado que argamassas de médio teor de filler podem apresentar mesma resistência à flexão que as argamassas de referência, mesmo que estas apresentem menor porosidade capilar. As pastas ensaiadas à flexão por carregamento três pontos não apresentaram comportamento quase-frágil, impedindo o cálculo da energia de fraturamento. Isto ocorreu devido ao método de ensaio adotado, com configuração inadequada, e que pode ser ajustada através da redução da taxa de deslocamento do ensaio, da geometria dos corpos de prova ou da geometria dos entalhes produzidos. Todas as composições apresentaram insensibilidade à profundidade de entalhe sob as condições de ensaio adotadas, possivelmente devido às falhas de configuração do método. As médias de resistência à flexão e do fator de intensidade de tensão crítico foram maiores para a composição de alto teor de filler, seguidos da referência e da composição de médio teor de filler, respectivamente. Em todas as análises e tipos de superfície estudadas, as composições de alto teor de filler apresentaram maior índice de rugosidade e amplitude entre picos e vales, enquanto não foi identificada diferença entre a referência e a composição de médio teor de filler. Estes dois parâmetros e a raiz quadrática da rugosidade indicaram que a rugosidade das superfícies fraturadas é maior que em superfícies cortadas com disco diamantado. / This study assesses fracture properties and their surface parameters in cement paste compositions of the same capillary porosity, varying the filler content of limestone as a substitute for commercial cement. Also, to evaluate the effect in mortar compositions, the water reduction capacity that this addition can provide and its effect on the mechanical resistance was evaluated. The evaluation of the fracture parameters was performed by three-point loading flexion test with displacement rate control and surface analysis by interferometry test in fracture and notch sections. The increase of limestone filler provided a reduction of the water demand in the mortars, in relation to the reference, for spreading of 265mm in table of consistency. The water demand reduction was even greater for compositions dispersed with admixture, relative to the reference with admixture. The compressive strength of the mortars presented a good correlation in the fit with all the compositions, while it was observed that mortars of medium filler content may have the same flexural strength as the reference mortars, even if they have lower capillary porosity. The pastes tested by three-point loading did not exhibit quasi-fragile behavior, preventing the calculation of fracturing energy. This was due to the inadequately configured test method adopted, which can be adjusted by reducing the test displacement rate, the geometry of the specimens or the geometry of the notches produced. All compositions presented insensitivity to the notch depth under the test conditions adopted, possibly due to method configuration failures. The averages of flexural strength and critical stress intensity factor were higher for the high filler composition, followed by the reference and medium filler composition, respectively. In all analyzes and surface types studied, high filler compositions presented higher roughness and amplitude index between peaks and valleys, while no difference between the reference and medium filler composition was identified. These two parameters and the quadratic root roughness indicated that the roughness of the fractured surfaces is greater than on surfaces cut with diamond disc.

The goal of this research is to investigate the combined effects of glass fibre reinforcement and molecular orientation in polypropylene-short glass fibre composites. Specimens have been fabricated using the injection moulding process and drawn using a small die drawing rig. The effects of die drawing on the fibre composites are complex, with the drawing process orienting both the polymer molecules and the glass fibres. This may be accompanied by the creation of voids in the polymer matrix and their destruction in the compressive stress field thus restoring the interfacial contact area between fibre and matrix. Unfilled and short glass fibre filled polypropylene specimens, with fibre content 7% wt, 13%wt, 27%wt, and 55%wt, were injection moulded prior to the die drawing process. An experimental program of die drawing within an oven at elevated temperature was conducted for polypropylene filled to various levels and at different strain rates. The specimens drew to draw ratios in the range γ=1.41 to γ=5.6. Mechanical characterization of the test materials has been conducted by examining the tensile stress strain and fracture behaviour under uniaxial conditions. The influence of glass fibre content and drawing conditions (draw ratio) on the fracture toughness and crack propagation was investigated using the double edge notched fracture test. The notch lengths ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 mm for 10 mm wide specimens. The critical stress intensity factor increased as the fibre content increased up to a limiting filler level. The fracture toughness of both unfilled and fibre filled polypropylene were found to be highly dependent on draw ratio. The results were analysed to find out the optimal draw ratio and fibre content that yielded the maximum modulus, strength and fracture toughness. Data showed that, at a given draw ratio, modulus, strength and fracture toughness increased with increasing fibre content to a maximum and then decreased. The optimum material was obtained at a draw ratio of 2.5 and filler loading 13wt%.

The goal of this research is to investigate the combined effects of glass fibre reinforcement and molecular orientation in polypropylene-short glass fibre composites. Specimens have been fabricated using the injection moulding process and drawn using a small die drawing rig. The effects of die drawing on the fibre composites are complex, with the drawing process orienting both the polymer molecules and the glass fibres. This may be accompanied by the creation of voids in the polymer matrix and their destruction in the compressive stress field thus restoring the interfacial contact area between fibre and matrix. Unfilled and short glass fibre filled polypropylene specimens, with fibre content 7% wt, 13%wt, 27%wt, and 55%wt, were injection moulded prior to the die drawing process. An experimental program of die drawing within an oven at elevated temperature was conducted for polypropylene filled to various levels and at different strain rates. The specimens drew to draw ratios in the range ¿=1.41 to ¿=5.6. Mechanical characterization of the test materials has been conducted by examining the tensile stress strain and fracture behaviour under uniaxial conditions. The influence of glass fibre content and drawing conditions (draw ratio) on the fracture toughness and crack propagation was investigated using the double edge notched fracture test. The notch lengths ranged from 1.5 to 2.5 mm for 10 mm wide specimens. The critical stress intensity factor increased as the fibre content increased up to a limiting filler level. The fracture toughness of both unfilled and fibre filled polypropylene were found to be highly dependent on draw ratio. The results were analysed to find out the optimal draw ratio and fibre content that yielded the maximum modulus, strength and fracture toughness. Data showed that, at a given draw ratio, modulus, strength and fracture toughness increased with increasing fibre content to a maximum and then decreased. The optimum material was obtained at a draw ratio of 2.5 and filler loading 13wt%.

This thesis primarily focused on the development of novel composite tubes by braiding. The objective was to use hierarchical scale technique, i.e., micro, meso and macro scales, with the transfer of information from one scale to another to develop novel braided composite tubes. This research was conducted and reported in three journal papers. The aim of the first paper was to predict plane elastic properties for E-glass/epoxy braided composite structures at different braid orientations, by analytical and finite element techniques. The lenticular shape has been used to describe the geometry of the tow. Modified lenticular geometric model was developed to improve an existing geometric model, in terms of tow parameters, thereafter, plane elastic properties from Chamis micromechanical model for E-glass fibre and epoxy matrix without any knockdown effects were used as benchmark to develop predictive models, namely; Lekhnitskii's methodology and braided unit cell meso-scale finite element model to account for the effects of tow geometry, undulations/crimp, cross-over and braid orientations on the plane elastic properties of E-glass/epoxy composite. The results showed agreement in trend between the predictive models, Chamis micromechanical model, and a similar existing model. However, the plane elastic properties were knocked down in predictive models by 30% in the E11 direction and 32% in the E22 direction, when compared with Chamis micro-mechanical model for largest ±65° braid angle, among the braid angles, considered. The aim of the second paper was to manufacture E-glass/epoxy braided tubes at different braid orientations by vacuum bag infusion technique, conduct internal pressure tests, and determine the hoop and axial moduli of the infused tubes. Lekhnitskii's methodology was also used to develop plane elastic moduli by experiment using microscopy results, and by calculation. The experimental elastic moduli of the infused tubes and the experimental elastic moduli from Lekhnitskii's methodology were used to compare the predictive elastic moduli for E-glass/epoxy braided structures by Chamis micro-mechanical model, and the braided unit cell meso-scale finite element model. The two were from another paper. Results showed a perfect agreement in trend between the experimental results and the predictive results. However, the values of the experimental results were close but lower than the predicted results. Optical microscopy was performed on braided tube cross-section to evaluate the level of crimp or undulation. This was done by the determination of tow centreline crimp angle and aspect ratio. Results show that when compared with the predicted crimp, there was an agreement in trend, although the experimental results were lower than the predicted. Also, the knockdown factor was evaluated and used to quantify the reduction in experimental elastic moduli when compared with the predicted. Results showed that the absences of crimp in the Chamis model caused a tremendous difference between it, other predicted models and the experiment results. The elastic moduli of Chamis were by far higher than all others, including other predictive models. The purpose of the third paper was to manufacture E-glass/epoxy braided tube at ±31°, ±45°, ±55°, ±65° braid orientations using vacuum bagging and resin infusion technique, to design and manufacture a rig for tube internal pressures experiment, to determine the hoop and axial stress performances of the tubes by internal pressure experiment, to compare experimental results with laminate analysis predictions to evaluate the effect of crimp on the internal pressure performance of the braided tubes. To use E-glass braided tow meso-scale unit cell finite element model to predict the tow critical stresses, and the optimum braided tube architecture, using tube hoop and axial failure stresses or strains. The tubes were manufactured and subjected to internal pressure test (2:1), to failure. Failure mode was by weeping and bursting. Hoop stress was twice the axial stress. The highest value of hoop stress was at the ±65° braid angle, higher than the hoop stresses at the ±31°, ±45°, and ±55 ° braid angles by 50%, 39%, and 28% respectively. Hoop stress increased with increase in braid angle. The experimental results were validated by laminate analysis predictions by Chamis micro-mechanical model and Lekhnitskii's methodology, and the trend of the laminate analysis prediction matched that of the experimental results. However, the predicted values were higher than the experimental results by 21%, 14%, 11%, 10% for the ±31°, ±45°, ±55°, ±65° braid angles for the Chamis micro-mechanical model and 5%, 7%, 7%, 5% for the ±31°, ±45°, ±55°, ±65 braid angles respectively for the Lekhnitskii's model, showing the severe effect of crimp in the experimental tube, mostly when compared with Chamis micro-mechanical model. Braided tow unit cell finite element model prediction, showed that tow axial stresses increased with increase in braid angle, while the tow transverse stresses decreased with increase in braid angle. The predictions showed that the tow critical stresses and the tube optimum braided architecture lie between the ±65° and 90° braid angles. The tow critical stresses are the stresses at which the tow decreasing transverse stress and the tow increasing axial stress causes the tube to fail.