This diploma thesis focuses on diagnostics of bridge structures. First part of this diploma thesis will focus on theoretical knowledge about bridge structures and common diagnostic techniques suited for examining material priperties of samples taken from structure. Second part of this thesis will focus on practical use of experiments used in diagnostic branch. I will be doing visual observation of concrete structure followed by experiments on core samples. End of thesis will be evaluating structure from global perspective and will deliver specific sugestions for renovation.

Although it is common to model modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) of graded lumber as normal, lognormal, or Weibull distributions, recent theories and empirical practices have cast doubt on these models. Mathematical proofs have been used to shown how the MOR distributions of graded lumber can be derived from the MOR distributions of mill-run populations. The MOR distribution of a graded lumber subpopulation is "pseudo- truncated" and does not exhibit the same theoretical form as the mill-run population from which it was drawn. Therefore, it is essential to explore the properties of mill-run lumber populations and properly characterize their MOE and MOR distributions. To investigate this topic, this dissertation has three objectives: 1) to determine if the within-mill means and standard deviations of MOE and MOR in mill-run southern pine (Pinus spp.) lumber differ over time, 2) to determine the correlations among hand-held grain angle meter readings, MOE, and MOR in mill- run southern pine lumber, and 3) to model statistical distributions of MOE and MOR in mill-run red pine (Pinus resinosa) and spruce (Picea spp.) lumber. This research features four main sections: 1) an introduction summarizing the conclusions of each chapter, 2) a chapter investigating if there are statistically significant differences between the means and variances of MOE and MOR in mill-run southern pine lumber populations at the same mill over time, 3) a chapter evaluating the bivariate correlations among handheld grain angle meter readings, MOR, and three measures of MOE in mill-run southern pine lumber, and 4) a chapter modeling the distributions of MOE and MOR in mill-run red pine and spruce lumber populations and comparing those to previous work on mill-run southern pine lumber populations.

The commercial use of hemp fiber in the construction industry within the United States is non-existent. This lack of use is because of State and Federal laws forbidding the growth of hemp in the United States, which has led to a lack of research. Not having an established supply chain for hemp and coupled with limited research has put the United States behind other countries in finding viable options for these renewable resources. This is a study of the performance of raw hemp fibers and processed hemp twine in a cement past mixture subjected to tensile loading. Three water/cement ratios (0.66, 0.49, 0.42) were considered. Replacement of cement with fly ash is also part of the program to see if it affects the performance of the system. A detailed description of the method of applying the tensile load to the micro/macro fibers along with the fixture setup is part of this article. The results of this investigation show the hemp twine and fibers will bond to the cement matrix and they can carry higher tensile loads at higher w/c ratios. This study shows that 30 mm embedment length is best for hemp macro fibers and 20 mm embedment for hemp micro fibers. This study also includes a comparative investigation of the performance of hemp fibers to synthetic and steel fibers added to a concrete mix. This investigation examined the compressive strength of the fiber-reinforced concrete mixes, flexural capacity, ductility, flexural toughness and the effects the fibers have on Young’s modulus of elasticity. All fibers were introduced to the same mix design (w/c = 0.49) with replacement of 25% of cement with fly ash. Hemp micro fibers at the same dosing rate a synthetic micro fibers has a slightly higher toughness and equivalent flexural strength. Hemp macro fibers at a higher dosing rate as compared to synthetic fibers will have similar toughness and equivalent flexural strength. Steel fibers performed better than the synthetic and natural fibers at 28-day compressive strength.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2018-08-16T13:06:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernando Henrique Fernandes Sousa_.pdf: 2658604 bytes, checksum: e7b64f91760b00255d2c12f5440cf17d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T13:06:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernando Henrique Fernandes Sousa_.pdf: 2658604 bytes, checksum: e7b64f91760b00255d2c12f5440cf17d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-05-28 / Nenhuma / O módulo de elasticidade é um parâmetro que mensura a rigidez do concreto, sendo uma das propriedades que é levada em consideração na verificação da segurança estrutural, pois expressa as condições dos estados limites último e de serviço. Quando é avaliada - a influência da substituição de agregados graúdos naturais por agregados graúdos reciclados - o comportamento elástico do concreto torna-se imprescindível, uma vez que não é similar ao comportamento de resistência à compressão, que por sua vez pode alcançar resistências superiores ao concreto produzido inteiramente com agregados graúdos naturais. Nesse sentido, o uso da resistência à compressão como parâmetro único, para se estimar o módulo de elasticidade do concreto produzido com agregados graúdos reciclados, tem sido cada vez mais questionável. Tratando-se da influência do uso de agregado graúdo reciclado no módulo de elasticidade do concreto, poucos são os estudos que apresentam os valores de módulo de elasticidade estático e módulo de elasticidade dinâmico. Diante disso, o objetivo desta pesquisa é avaliar a relação entre o módulo de elasticidade estático e o módulo de elasticidade dinâmico de concretos produzidos com agregados graúdos reciclados em substituição aos agregados graúdos naturais, com o intuito de relacionar o tipo de agregado graúdo ao módulo de elasticidade. Para tal, foram utilizados agregados graúdos reciclados de concreto e agregados graúdos reciclados de cerâmica vermelha em taxa de substituição de 30% em relação ao agregado graúdo natural. Os concretos foram produzidos em três traços experimentais, sendo eles: traço pobre (maior relação a/c), traço intermediário e traço rico (menor relação a/c). As propriedades dos concretos foram avaliadas aos 28 dias, sendo elas: massa específica do concreto no estado fresco e endurecido; porosidade; resistência à compressão; módulos de elasticidade estático e dinâmico. Como principais resultados, verificou-se que o tipo de agregado graúdo reciclado de modo geral influenciou negativamente o módulo de elasticidade, sendo essa influência mais pronunciada no módulo de elasticidade dinâmico; não foi possível obter uma relação entre o módulo de elasticidade estático e dinâmico dos concretos produzidos com agregados graúdos reciclados; o módulo de elasticidade estático dos concretos produzidos com agregados graúdos reciclados é mais fortemente relacionado à resistência e à compressão; o módulo de elasticidade dinâmico possui maior relação com a porosidade dos concretos produzidos com agregados graúdos reciclados; os módulos de elasticidade estimados por equações algébricas apresentam elevada variabilidade. / Modulus of elasticity is a parameter that measures the stiffness of the concrete, being one of the properties taken into account in the structural safety check, since it expresses the conditions of the ultimate and service boundary state. When the influence of the replacement of natural aggregates by recycled aggregates is evaluated, the elastic behavior of the concrete becomes essential, since it cannot be compared to the behavior of compressive strength, usually lower than the concrete produced with natural aggregates. The use of compressive strength as a single parameter to estimate the modulus of elasticity of concrete produced with recycled aggregates has been increasingly questionated. Considering the influence of the use of recycled aggregate on the modulus of elasticity of concrete, only a few studies have compared the values of static elastic modulus and dynamic modulus. This research aims to evaluate the relationship between the static elastic modulus and the dynamic elastic modulus of concrete produced with recycled aggregates in replacement of natural aggregates, in order to correlate the type of aggregate to the modulus of elasticity, verifying the relationship between the two procedure of determination of elasticity modulus. Aggregates made of recycled concrete and of ceramic bricks were used in a replacement rate of 30% to the natural aggregate. The concretes were produced in three experimental proportions (lower w/c ratio, intermediate w/c ratio and higher w/c ratio). The properties evaluated at 28 days are: bulk concrete mass; porosity; compressive strength; static and dynamic modulus of elasticity. The main conclusions are: the recycled aggregate decrease the modulus of elasticity, mainly the dynamic modulus; there are no relationship between the static and dynamic modulus of elasticity of concrete produced with recycled aggregates; the static modulus of concrete produced with recycled aggregates has a higher relationship to the compressive strength; the dynamic modulus of elasticity is higher related to the porosity of concrete produced with recycled aggregates; the moduli of elasticity estimated by algebraic equations present high variability.

This thesis deals with inspection and constructionally technical research of reinforced concrete prefabricated construction from the second half of 20th century. In theoretical part, the research of literature, documents and valid standards is performed, with a focus on production and construction of prefabricated elements and also on the metodology of research. In practical part, the detection of reinforcement of individual elements of the construction and concrete properties is performed. The result of this work is the assessment of the state of the construction, static calculation of the ceiling panel and idea proposal for eventual reconstruction.

The diploma thesis deals with the determination of the influence of size, shape and type of test specimen on values of modulus of elasticity of light-weight concrete. A lot of different specimens were prepared from two concrete’s mixtures for the experiment. Tests for measurement of static modulus of elasticity and dynamic modulus of elasticity by ultrasonic impulse velocity method were made. The results were assessed and summarized in tabular and graphical form.

The influence of initial stocking and physiologically aged cuttings (taken from 1-year- old and 5-year-old parents) on corewood modulus of elasticity (MOE) in 6-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don was studied in a Nelder-design experiment in Rolleston, Canterbury. In the same experiment, the influence of initial stocking on MOE in 5-year- old Eucalyptus nitens was also investigated. The study incorporated 19 different stocking levels ranging from 207 to 40,446 stems/ha. Green dynamic modulus of elasticity was assessed in standing trees using the TreeTap stress-wave method over the lower part of the stem (0.3 – 1.9m) for 151 P. radiata trees and 115 E. nitens trees. The interaction between species and stocking significantly influenced MOE (P<0.001). MOE of P. radiata increased by 55% (or 3.9 GPa) between 271 and 40,466 stems/ha, and by 41% (or 2.2 GPa) between 271 and 4370 stems/ha. MOE of E. nitens was also influenced by stocking but the slope was significantly lower indicating that the effect of stocking was less pronounced than for P. radiata. Over the usual range of stockings for E. nitens there was an insignificant relationship between stocking and stiffness (P=0.335). Trees were also assessed for DBH, height, and stem slenderness (height/ DBH). None of these latter variables had a significant influence on MOE after the effects of stocking and species were accounted for. No effects of physiological age of cuttings were detected in this study. The findings of this study highlight the importance of stocking as a tool that forest managers can utilize to regulate corewood stiffness in P. radiata trees. These results also suggest that for E. nitens, where wood stiffness is a priority, forest managers could reduce establishment costs by planting at much lower initial stockings. This study also highlights the superior stiffness of E. nitens in direct comparison with P. radiata, with many trees in the experiment already exceeding stiffness thresholds for structural timber in New Zealand.

Machine strength grading of structural timber is a sawmill process by which considerable value is added to sawn products. The principle of such grading is that the strength of a timber member is predicted on the basis of a so called indicating property (IP) which, in general, represents an averaged value of the modulus of elasticity (MOE) measured over a board length of about one meter or more. A limitation of today’s grading methods is that the accuracy of strength predictions is often rather poor, which results in a low degree of utilization as regards structural potential of sawn timber. However, it has for many years been well known to researchers that much better strength predictions can be made by using localized MOE values, determined over a very short length, as IP. Still, the determination of such values in a sawmill production environment has been technically very difficult to achieve. In the research presented in this thesis, dot laser scanning with high resolution was utilized for detection of local fibre orientation on the surfaces of timber members. Since wood is an orthotropic material with superior structural performance in the longitudinal fibre direction, information about fibre orientation was, in combination with beam theory and measured wood material properties, used to determine the bending MOE variation along boards. By application of an IP defined as the lowest MOE found along a board, more accurate strength predictions than what is obtained by common commercial grading techniques was attained. The thesis also involves flatwise wet gluing of Norway spruce side boards into laminated beams. As side boards, being cut from the outer parts of a log, have excellent structural properties it was not surprising to find that the beams had high strength and stiffness, even when laminations of sawfalling quality were used. The possibility of grading boards in a wet state by means of axial dynamic excitation was investigated with a positive result and application of simple grading rules resulted in considerable improvement of beam bending strength. Finally, bending MOE variation determined on the basis of laser scanned fibre directions was used for identification of weak sections in laminations. Elimination of such sections by means of finger jointing showed that average lamination strength of a board sample could be improved by more than 35 percent. / Hållfasthetssortering av konstruktionsvirke är en sågverksprocess som innebär att värdet av det sågade virket ökar väsentligt. Principen för denna typ av sortering är att styrkan hos ett virkesstycke predikteras med utgångspunkt från en så kallad indikerande egenskap (IP) som oftast representeras av medelvärdet av elasticitetsmodulen (E-modulen) mätt över en sträcka av minst en meter utmed virkesstyckets längd. De sorteringsmetoder som används idag ger ofta prediktioner med relativt låg noggrannhet, vilket innebär att endast en begränsad del av det sågade virkets konstruktiva potential kan utnyttjas. Det är dock väl känt att avsevärt bättre prediktioner kan erhållas genom att använda en lokal E-modul, uppmätt över en mycket kort sträcka, som IP. I dagsläget saknas dock teknik för att kunna bestämma ett sådant lokalt värde vid produktionshastighet i ett sågverk. I den forskning som presenteras i denna avhandling har punktlaserskanning med hög upplösning använts för att bestämma fiberriktningens variation på ytorna av virkesstycken. Eftersom trä är ett ortotropt material med högst styvhet och styrka i longitudinell fiberriktning ger skanningsresultaten värdefull information om hur dessa egenskaper varierar längs en planka. Genom att kombinera informationen om fiberriktning med uppmätta virkesegenskaper och klassisk balkteori, kan böjstyvhetens variation utmed en planka beräknas med hög upplösning och därefter omräknas till en E-modul i böjning. Med en IP definierad som det lägsta värdet på nämnda E-modul utmed en planka kan en högre noggrannhet i prediktionen av hållfasthet uppnås, jämfört med vad som kan erhållas med dagens sorteringsmetoder. Avhandlingen omfattar också limträbalkar tillverkade av sidobräder av gran limmade i rått tillstånd. Eftersom sidobräder sågas från de yttre delarna av en stock har de vanligtvis utmärkta konstruktiva egenskaper. Det var därför inte förvånande att balkarna uppvisade hög styrka och styvhet, även i de fall lamellerna var av sågfallande kvalitet. Möjligheten att med hjälp av axiell dynamisk excitering sortera sidobräder i rått tillstånd undersöktes med positivt resultat och genom att använda sorterade lameller kunde balkarnas styrka förbättras avsevärt. Den ovan beskrivna metoden att med utgångspunkt från bl.a. skannade fibervinklar bestämma styvhetens variation längs virkesstycken utnyttjades sedan för att identifiera svaga snitt i lameller av sidobräder. Genom att eliminera sådana snitt med hjälp av fingerskarvning kunde medelhållfastheten för ett stickprov sidobrädor höjas med mer än 35 %.

<p>Today’s bridge design work in many cases demands a trustworthy dynamic analysis instead of using the traditional dynamic amplification factors. In this thesis a reliable 3D Bernoulli-Euler beam finite element model of the New Årsta Railway Bridge was prepared for thorough dynamic analysis using in situ bridge monitoring for correlation. The bridge is of the concrete box girder type with a heavily reinforced and prestressed bridge deck. The monitoring system was designed for long term monitoring with strain transducers embedded in the concrete and accelerometers mounted inside the edge beams and at the lower edge of the track slab.</p><p>The global finite element model used the exact bridge geometry but was simplified regarding prestressing cables and the two railway tracks. The prestressing cables and the tracks were consequently not included and an equivalent pure concrete model was identified.</p><p>A static macadam train load was eccentrically placed on one of the bridge’s two tracks. By using Vlasov’s torsional theory and thereby including constrained warping a realistic modulus of elasticity for the concrete without prestressing cables and stiffness contribution from the railway tracks was found. This was allowed by comparing measured strain from strain transducers with the linear elastic finite element model’s axial stresses. Mainly three monitoring bridge sections were used, each of which was modelled with plane strain finite elements subjected to sectional forces/moments from a static macadam train load and a separately calculated torsional curvature.</p><p>From the identified modulus of elasticity the global finite element model was updated for Poisson’s ratio and material density (mass) to correspond with natural frequencies from the performed signal analysis of accelerometer signals. The influence of warping on the natural frequencies of the global finite element model was assumed small and the bridge’s torsional behaviour was modelled to follow Saint-Venant’s torsional theory.</p><p>A first preliminary estimation of modal damping ratios was included. The results indicated that natural frequencies were in accordance between modelling and signal analysis results, especially concerning high energy modes. Estimated damping ratios for the first vibration modes far exceeded the lower limit value specified in bridge design codes and railway bridge dynamic analysis recommendations.</p>

This thesis contains two parts: theoretical and experimental. In the theoretical part are described materials for production SCC and their effect on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. Practical part is divided into two experiments. First experiment deals with the design, production and properties of hardened SCC strength classes C16/20, C20/25 and C25/30 with high volume fly ash and inert admixtures. The main endpoints were long-term compressive strength and modulus of elasticity. Second experiment of practical part deals with designs SCC with modulus of elasticity more than 40 kN/mm2.