Accurately modeling damping in engineering structures has plagued scientist and engineers for decades. The integration of viscoelastic materials into engineering structures can reduce undesired vibrations and serve as an effective passive control mechanism. Various techniques have been developed to model viscoelastic materials. The growing popularity of finite element analysis in the 1980s and 1990s spawned new techniques for modeling damping in complex structures. The technique defined in this dissertation can be incorporated into finite element models. In metals, the modulus of elasticity can be modeled as a constant. That is, the modulus of elasticity is not treated as a function of frequency in dynamic models. For viscoelastic materials, the modulus of elasticity can be assumed to be constant for static forces and sinusoidal forcing functions. However, when viscoelastic materials undergo excitations from a random or transient forcing function the constant modulus of elasticity assumption may not be valid. This is because the second order equation of motion has non-constant coefficients or coefficients that vary as a function of frequency. The Golla-Hughes-McTavish (GHM) method is a technique used to incorporate the frequency dependency of viscoelastic materials into finite element models. The GHM method is used as a way to alleviate working with second order differential equations with non-constant coefficients. This dissertation presents the theory for a new material modulus function suitable for application within the framework of the GHM method. However, the new material modulus function uses different assumptions and is referred to as the Modified GHM method or MGHM method. The MGHM method is shown to improve the curve fit and damping characteristics of the GHM method. Additionally, the MGHM method is shown to reduce to the GHM method when the original GHM assumptions are imposed. / Ph. D.

"Susceptibility of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixes to moisture induced damage is one of the main reasons for premature failures of asphalt pavements. Hence, the evaluation of mixes for the moisture susceptibility is an essential part of the mix design. The existing methods are found to be in-sufficient to characterize mixes in terms of their moisture damage potential, and many studies have been conducted to establish an improved methodology that can better address the issue. Most of these methods involve the determination of changes in mix properties due to moisture conditioning in the laboratory or to verify the mix performance in the field or the laboratory. In the field moisture susceptible mixes are also found to lose material to extents that are dependent upon the properties of the mix and materials. So far, there has been no comprehensive study to investigate the loss of materials due to moisture induced damage. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate a conditioning and a test method that can be used on a regular basis to detect moisture susceptible mixes and to understand the combined problem of moisture induced material loss and change in strength/stiffness of the mix. The Moisture Induced Stress Tester (MIST), Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV), Dynamic Modulus in Indirect tensile mode, and Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) tests were utilized in the study. The effluent from the MIST was checked for the gradation of dislodged aggregates and the Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) content. A system dynamics (SD) approach was also adopted to investigate the problem and establish a model to reproduce field observations. The results showed that the use of MIST in combination with UPV or ITS is able to identify moisture susceptible mixes, in particular for mixes with the potential of aggregate breakdown. The mixes with a higher loss of asphalt binder during conditioning exhibit higher tensile strengths, and those with a loss of finer materials, which is indicative of aggregate breakdown, show a lower tensile strength. For the mixes used in this study, the rate of change in indirect tensile strength during moisture conditioning was found to be strongly correlated to the pre-conditioning modulus of the mix. A step-by-step framework to characterize the moisture susceptible mixes was presented."

Esta dissertação insere-se nas áreas de qualidade laboratorial e de ensaios de controle de concreto, especificamente quanto à propriedade módulo estático de deformação ou módulo de Young. A motivação do trabalho é a elevada variabilidade de resultados experimentais observada pelo meio técnico nacional em ensaios interlaboratoriais, cujos resultados indicam desvios-padrão totais da ordem de 3,5 GPa, valor significativo para o controle tecnológico de obras de construção civil. Os objetivos buscados foram a identificação das parcelas da variabilidade oriundas da produção e do ensaio, com especial atenção àquela originada na instrumentação para medida das deformações durante o ensaio, e a discussão da aplicabilidade do conceito semiprobabilístico normativo à propriedade módulo de deformação do concreto. Além disso, a própria discussão da aplicabilidade da sistemática de pesquisa e análise sobre este tipo de ensaio e de material constou como um objetivo do trabalho. Para tal, desenvolveu-se um programa experimental em duas etapas: a primeira foi destinada às avaliações de acurácia (precisão e exatidão) do método de ensaio. As avaliações se deram segundo roteiros da área metrológica para validação de métodos e sistemas de medida. De quatro instrumentações para medida das deformações testadas, uma se mostrou mais precisa (identificada como clip gages) e outra se mostrou a mais suscetível a erros sistemáticos e aleatórios entre as testadas (identificada como compressômetro com dois relógios comparadores). Recomendou-se a ampliação do programa experimental para o âmbito interlaboratorial, pois, a rigor, o método de ensaio vigente não poderia ser considerado validado em termos de acurácia baseando-se unicamente nos resultados deste programa experimental. Porém, concluiu-se pela possibilidade de aceitação prática do método independentemente da utilização de três de um total de quatro tipos de instrumentação para medida das deformações testados em ensaio, sem que houvesse prejuízo para a produção ou o controle tecnológico usual desta propriedade. Na segunda etapa, obteve-se um Diagrama de Dosagem e estudou-se um cenário de fornecimento de concreto sob critérios estatísticos diferentes de atendimento à especificação de módulo de deformação: utilização do valor característico e do valor médio, com diferença de 4 GPa entre eles. Estimou-se um aumento da ordem de 9% no deslocamento vertical de uma viga simples bi-apoiada quando executada com o concreto de menor módulo em relação à execução com o de maior módulo. Por sua vez, o concreto de maior módulo exigiria um aumento no consumo de cimento da ordem de até 200 kg/m3, se conservados todos os insumos materiais e os demais parâmetros tecnológicos contidos nos traços. Concluiu-se pela aplicabilidade do uso da sistemática empregada na avaliação da acurácia do método de ensaio e do uso do conceito semiprobabilístico para esta propriedade. / This work is developed into the areas of laboratorial quality and concrete control tests, specifically focusing on the static modulus of elasticity or Young´s modulus. The motivation of this work is the high variability of experimental results observed by national technicians in interlaboratorial tests. These results show total standard deviations of around 3.5 GPa, a significant value for the technological control for civil construction. The main objectives are the identification of the variability fragments derived from the production and test, specially the ones related to the instrumentation for measuring deformations during the test, and the discussion of the semi-probabilistic concept applicability on the concrete Young´s modulus control. Moreover, the discussion of the applicability of the procedure used in this work and its analysis are also objective pursued here. The experimental program was developed in two steps: the first step covered the accuracy assessments (precision and exactness) of test method. The assessments were carried out according to instructions from Metrology concepts for the validation of the methods and the measure systems. One out of four instrumentations for measuring the tested deformations proved to be more precise (identified as clip gages) and another one proved to be more susceptible to systematic and random errors (identified as a compressometer with two dial indicators). The extension of the experimental program to an interlaboratorial scope is recommended because the current test method could not be considered valid based only on the results of this experimental program. However, it was shown that the practical acceptance of the test method for three among the four kinds of instrumentations analyzed, without damaging the production or the usual technological control of this property, is possible. On the second step, a mix design diagram was obtained and a case of supply of concrete under different statistical criteria (fulfillment the modulus of elasticity specification): the use of the characteristic value and the average value, with difference of 4 GPa between them. An increase of 9% on the vertical transference of a simple dual supported beam was observed when using a lower modulus concrete, when compared to another one with a higher modulus. On the other hand, the modulus increase would require an increment in the cement consumption up to 200 kg per cubic meter, if all the material inputs and further technological parameters is maintained. The final conclusion was that the procedure used on the assessment of the test method accuracy and the semi-probabilistic concept on this material property is applicable.

Certain hydrogel forming de novo proteins that utilize different crosslinking methods are studied experimentally on a rheometer. The stress reaxation modulus of CRC, a telechelic, triblock protein, is shown to be that of a stretched exponential function with a value of β ≅ 0.5. The insertion of an integrin binding domain and changes in pH within the range 6.5–8.5 are shown not to significantly affect the resulting rheological behavior. A selective chemical crosslinker is used on CRC hydrogel systems and is shown to change the rheological behavior of the system to that of a combination of a chemically and physically crosslinked system. Chemically crosslinked hydrogels composed of W6, a wheat gluten-based protein, demonstrate a storage modulus weakly dependent on the angular frequency that is much greater than the loss modulus, with a modulus concentration dependence of c^9/4.

Certain hydrogel forming de novo proteins that utilize different crosslinking methods are studied experimentally on a rheometer. The stress reaxation modulus of CRC, a telechelic, triblock protein, is shown to be that of a stretched exponential function with a value of β ≅ 0.5. The insertion of an integrin binding domain and changes in pH within the range 6.5–8.5 are shown not to significantly affect the resulting rheological behavior. A selective chemical crosslinker is used on CRC hydrogel systems and is shown to change the rheological behavior of the system to that of a combination of a chemically and physically crosslinked system. Chemically crosslinked hydrogels composed of W6, a wheat gluten-based protein, demonstrate a storage modulus weakly dependent on the angular frequency that is much greater than the loss modulus, with a modulus concentration dependence of c^9/4.

Certain hydrogel forming de novo proteins that utilize different crosslinking methods are studied experimentally on a rheometer. The stress reaxation modulus of CRC, a telechelic, triblock protein, is shown to be that of a stretched exponential function with a value of β ≅ 0.5. The insertion of an integrin binding domain and changes in pH within the range 6.5–8.5 are shown not to significantly affect the resulting rheological behavior. A selective chemical crosslinker is used on CRC hydrogel systems and is shown to change the rheological behavior of the system to that of a combination of a chemically and physically crosslinked system. Chemically crosslinked hydrogels composed of W6, a wheat gluten-based protein, demonstrate a storage modulus weakly dependent on the angular frequency that is much greater than the loss modulus, with a modulus concentration dependence of c^9/4.

Esta dissertação insere-se nas áreas de qualidade laboratorial e de ensaios de controle de concreto, especificamente quanto à propriedade módulo estático de deformação ou módulo de Young. A motivação do trabalho é a elevada variabilidade de resultados experimentais observada pelo meio técnico nacional em ensaios interlaboratoriais, cujos resultados indicam desvios-padrão totais da ordem de 3,5 GPa, valor significativo para o controle tecnológico de obras de construção civil. Os objetivos buscados foram a identificação das parcelas da variabilidade oriundas da produção e do ensaio, com especial atenção àquela originada na instrumentação para medida das deformações durante o ensaio, e a discussão da aplicabilidade do conceito semiprobabilístico normativo à propriedade módulo de deformação do concreto. Além disso, a própria discussão da aplicabilidade da sistemática de pesquisa e análise sobre este tipo de ensaio e de material constou como um objetivo do trabalho. Para tal, desenvolveu-se um programa experimental em duas etapas: a primeira foi destinada às avaliações de acurácia (precisão e exatidão) do método de ensaio. As avaliações se deram segundo roteiros da área metrológica para validação de métodos e sistemas de medida. De quatro instrumentações para medida das deformações testadas, uma se mostrou mais precisa (identificada como clip gages) e outra se mostrou a mais suscetível a erros sistemáticos e aleatórios entre as testadas (identificada como compressômetro com dois relógios comparadores). Recomendou-se a ampliação do programa experimental para o âmbito interlaboratorial, pois, a rigor, o método de ensaio vigente não poderia ser considerado validado em termos de acurácia baseando-se unicamente nos resultados deste programa experimental. Porém, concluiu-se pela possibilidade de aceitação prática do método independentemente da utilização de três de um total de quatro tipos de instrumentação para medida das deformações testados em ensaio, sem que houvesse prejuízo para a produção ou o controle tecnológico usual desta propriedade. Na segunda etapa, obteve-se um Diagrama de Dosagem e estudou-se um cenário de fornecimento de concreto sob critérios estatísticos diferentes de atendimento à especificação de módulo de deformação: utilização do valor característico e do valor médio, com diferença de 4 GPa entre eles. Estimou-se um aumento da ordem de 9% no deslocamento vertical de uma viga simples bi-apoiada quando executada com o concreto de menor módulo em relação à execução com o de maior módulo. Por sua vez, o concreto de maior módulo exigiria um aumento no consumo de cimento da ordem de até 200 kg/m3, se conservados todos os insumos materiais e os demais parâmetros tecnológicos contidos nos traços. Concluiu-se pela aplicabilidade do uso da sistemática empregada na avaliação da acurácia do método de ensaio e do uso do conceito semiprobabilístico para esta propriedade. / This work is developed into the areas of laboratorial quality and concrete control tests, specifically focusing on the static modulus of elasticity or Young´s modulus. The motivation of this work is the high variability of experimental results observed by national technicians in interlaboratorial tests. These results show total standard deviations of around 3.5 GPa, a significant value for the technological control for civil construction. The main objectives are the identification of the variability fragments derived from the production and test, specially the ones related to the instrumentation for measuring deformations during the test, and the discussion of the semi-probabilistic concept applicability on the concrete Young´s modulus control. Moreover, the discussion of the applicability of the procedure used in this work and its analysis are also objective pursued here. The experimental program was developed in two steps: the first step covered the accuracy assessments (precision and exactness) of test method. The assessments were carried out according to instructions from Metrology concepts for the validation of the methods and the measure systems. One out of four instrumentations for measuring the tested deformations proved to be more precise (identified as clip gages) and another one proved to be more susceptible to systematic and random errors (identified as a compressometer with two dial indicators). The extension of the experimental program to an interlaboratorial scope is recommended because the current test method could not be considered valid based only on the results of this experimental program. However, it was shown that the practical acceptance of the test method for three among the four kinds of instrumentations analyzed, without damaging the production or the usual technological control of this property, is possible. On the second step, a mix design diagram was obtained and a case of supply of concrete under different statistical criteria (fulfillment the modulus of elasticity specification): the use of the characteristic value and the average value, with difference of 4 GPa between them. An increase of 9% on the vertical transference of a simple dual supported beam was observed when using a lower modulus concrete, when compared to another one with a higher modulus. On the other hand, the modulus increase would require an increment in the cement consumption up to 200 kg per cubic meter, if all the material inputs and further technological parameters is maintained. The final conclusion was that the procedure used on the assessment of the test method accuracy and the semi-probabilistic concept on this material property is applicable.

Certain hydrogel forming de novo proteins that utilize different crosslinking methods are studied experimentally on a rheometer. The stress reaxation modulus of CRC, a telechelic, triblock protein, is shown to be that of a stretched exponential function with a value of β ≅ 0.5. The insertion of an integrin binding domain and changes in pH within the range 6.5–8.5 are shown not to significantly affect the resulting rheological behavior. A selective chemical crosslinker is used on CRC hydrogel systems and is shown to change the rheological behavior of the system to that of a combination of a chemically and physically crosslinked system. Chemically crosslinked hydrogels composed of W6, a wheat gluten-based protein, demonstrate a storage modulus weakly dependent on the angular frequency that is much greater than the loss modulus, with a modulus concentration dependence of c^9/4.

Nanoporous (NP) metals are a unique class of materials that are characterized by extremely high surface-to-volume ratios and possess such desirable properties of metals as high electrical conductivity, catalytic activity, and mechanical strength. At the same time, understanding of their physical properties is often lacking, especially for hierarchical NP metals where individual struts and joints that make up open cell 3D network are nanocrystalline. The aim of this work is to employ a dedicated experimental campaign to understand the structure property relation of nanostructured nanoporous metals. Towards this goal, NP Pt and NP Cu have been synthesized for a range of strut sizes and their mechanical properties have been investigated via ex-situ and in-situ nanoindentation experiments. Both NP Pt and NP Cu exhibit relatively high hardness in the range of 0.2 to 1.3 GPa. The relative role of material effects arising from small dimensions of the struts/joints and the geometrical features of NP metals are discussed. Selected applications of the systems synthesized during this work in electrochemistry and catalysis are demonstrated. In the examined applications the NP metals exhibited catalytic activity comparable to or significantly exceeding the best available alternative systems, while offering superior stability.

Bulk modulus of hydraulic oil represents the resistance of hydraulic oil to compression and is the reciprocal of compressibility. The bulk modulus is a basic thermodynamic property of hydraulic oil that has a very important influence on work efficiency and dynamic characteristics of hydraulic systems, especially for the hydraulic systems at ultra-high pressure or ultra-high temperature. In this study, a bulk modulus experimental equipment for hydraulic oil was designed and manufactured, two types of hydraulic oil were selected and its isothermal secant bulk modulus were measured at pressures to 140MPa and temperatures of 20~180°C. Compared the experimental results with the calculated results from the prediction equations of liquid bulk modulus that proposed by Klaus, Hayward, and Song, it is found that the experimental results are not completely identical with the calculated results.