Existing reinforced concrete bridges may be deemed inadequate to carry the ever-increasing traffic loads according to the current codes and standards before they reach the end of their design life. It may therefore be required to either strengthen or replace these structures, which can be costly and causes disruptions to the infrastructure. This work investigates experimentally the possibilities to extend the useful life of existing reinforced concrete slab-on-beam structures deficient in shear by means of structural strengthening with fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP). The experimental campaign involved mechanical testing of ten full-scale T-beam specimens, representative of typical existing slab-on-beam bridges. Two sizes of test specimen were used to investigate the effect of size on the ultimate shear capacity of the beams. The investigated shear-strengthening configurations included externally bonded carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets in a U-wrap configuration with and without end-anchorage and deep embedded CFRP bars. Unstrengthened control specimens were also tested to provide baseline for comparison. The results from the experimental programme revealed that while the deep embedment strengthening solution provides an increase in shear capacity of up to 50%, the strengthening with CFRP U-wraps results in reduced capacity compared with the underlying control beam. This presents a major implication in terms of safe design predictions of shear capacity of reinforced concrete T-beams strengthened with CFRP sheets as this is the most commonly used shear-strengthening scheme in practice. The study also demonstrated that greater contribution from the externally bonded CFRP U-wraps can be achieved using end-anchorage systems, which delay the debonding of the CFRP. The applicability of current codes of standards and guidelines was studied as well as appropriateness of using advanced numerical methods for assessment of existing reinforced concrete structures. It was found that while the standards used for assessment greatly under-predict the shear capacity, the guidelines for FRP-strengthened beams either under- or over-predict the shear capacity of the tested beams. More accurate predictions are possible using advanced fracture mechanics-based methods for both the unstrengthened as well as the strengthened beams.

Quantification of flood risk and flood inundation requires accurate numerical simulations, both in terms of the mathematical theory that underpins the methods used and the manner in which the meteorological phenomena that cause flooding are coupled to such systems. Through our research, we have demonstrated how rainfall and infiltration effects can be incorporated into existing flood models in a rigorous and mathematically consistent manner; this approach departs from preceding methods, which neglect terms representing such phenomena in the conservation or balancing of momentum. We demonstrate how the omission of these terms means the solution derived from such models cannot a priori be assumed to be the correct one, which is in contrast to solutions from the extended system we have developed which respect the energetic consistency of the problem. The second issue we address is determining how we can model these meteorological phenomena that lead to flooding, with a specific interest in how existing observation data from rain gauges can be incorporated into our modelling approach. To capture the random nature of the precipitation, we use stochastic processes to model the complex meteorological interactions, and demonstrate how an accurate representation of the precipitation can be built. Given the specific industrial applications we have mind in regards to flood modelling and prediction, there will be a high computational cost associated with any such simulations, and so we consider techniques which can be used to reduce the computational cost whilst maintaining the accuracy of our solutions. Having such an accurate flood model, coupled with a stochastic weather model designed for efficient computational modelling, will enable us to make useful predictions on how future climate change and weather patterns will impact flood risk and flood damage.

L'objet de cette thèse est la construction de schémas numériques pour les équations cinétiques dans différents régimes de diffusion anormale. Comme le modèle devient raide en s'approchant du modèle asymptotique, les méthodes numériques standard deviennent coûteuses dans ce régime. Les schémas Asymptotic Preserving ont été introduits pour pallier à cette difficulté. Ils sont en effet stables le long de la transition du régime mésoscopique au régime microscopique. Dans le premier chapitre, nous considérons le cas d'une distribution d'équilibre qui est une fonction à queue lourde et dont le moment d'ordre 2 est infini. Le poids important des grandes vitesses de l'équilibre fait tomber la limite de diffusion usuelle en défaut, et on montre que le modèle asymptotique est une équation de diffusion fractionnaire. En nous basant sur une analyse asymptotique formelle de la convergence vers le modèle limite, nous construisons trois schémas AP pour le problème. La discrétisation en vitesse est discutée afin de prendre en compte correctement les grandes vitesses, et nous montrons que le troisième schéma est en outre uniformément précis au cours de la transition vers le régime microscopique. Dans le chapitre 2, nous étendons ces résultats au cas d'une fréquence de collision dégénérée en 0 qui mène aussi à une équation de diffusion fractionnaire. Nous adaptons ensuite ces méthodes numériques au cas d'une limite de diffusion normale avec scaling en temps anormal dans l'équation cinétique dans le chapitre 3. Dans ce cadre, la lenteur de la convergence vers le modèle asymptotique rend nécessaire une adaptation de l'approche AP des chapitres précédents. Enfin, le chapitre 4 présente un schéma AP pour l'équation cinétique dans le cas heavy-tail du chapitre 1 lorsque l'opérateur de collision est non-local. / In this thesis, we construct numerical schemes for kinetic equations in some anomalous diffusion regimes. As the model becomes stiff when reaching the asymptotic model, the standard numerical methods become costly in this regime. Asymptotic Preserving (AP) schemes have been designed to overcome this difficulty. Indeed, they are uniformly stable along the transition from the mesoscopic regime to the microscopic one. In the first chapter, we study the case of a heavy-tailed equilibrium distribution, with infinite second order moment. The importance of the high velocities in the equilibrium makes the classical diffusion limit fail, and one can prove that the asymptotic model is a fractional diffusion equation. We construct three AP schemes for this problem, based on a formal asymptotic analysis of the convergence towards the limit model. The discretization of the velocities is then discussed to take into account the high velocities. Moreover, we prove that the third scheme enjoys the stronger property of being uniformly accurate along the convergence towards the microscopic regime. In chapter 2, we extend these results to the case of a degenerated collision frequency, also leading to a fractional diffusion limit. In chapter 3, these methods are then adapted to the case of a classical diffusion limit with anomalous time scale in the kinetic equation. In this case, an adaptation of the AP approach of the previous chapter is needed, because of the slow convergence rate of the kinetic equation towards the limit model. Eventually, a AP scheme for kinetic equation with heavy-tailed equilibria and non local collision operator is presented in chapter 4.

As curvas limite de conformação (CLC) permitem representar de maneira abrangente a estampabilidade de uma chapa e tem sido empregadas largamente como critério na otimização do processo de estampagem e no projeto de matrizes. Os ensaios simulativos Nakazima são comumente utilizados na determinação das curvas CLC mas suas posições são afetadas devido ao atrito do punção com a chapa e desta com a matriz. Adicionalmente, são demorados e dispendiosos porque exigem 10 corpos de prova (c.p.) de dimensões diferentes e pelo menos três c.p. de cada uma destas dimensões para fins estatísticos perfazendo a quantidade mínima recomendada de 30 corpos de prova. A necessidade da gravação de rede de círculos nas superfícies de todas as amostras bem como as leituras ópticas das elipses após as deformações oneram e atrasam mais a obtenção das CLC. A presente pesquisa baseou-se no aço da qualidade livre de intersticiais (IF) e no aço SAE 1050 coalescido e buscou determinar o ponto CLC0, raiz das curvas CLC e crítico para a estampagem, de modo mais rápido e barato que os ensaios simulativos. Assim, o ensaio intrínseco de tração uniaxial em estado plano de deformação foi aplicado utilizando menor quantidade de amostras. O ensaio Nakazima e Análises por Elementos Finitos (FEM) também foram executados nos aços sob estudo, de modo a permitir comparações dos valores CLC0. Os resultados de CLC0 obtidos pelos ensaios de tração uniaxiais em estado plano de deformação mostraram-se inferiores àqueles apresentados pela análise por elementos finitos e pelo ensaio não planar Nakazima, especialmente em relação a este último. A influência de trações unidirecionais e também ortogonais em estado plano de deformação sobre a rugosidade superficial das chapas, CLC0 e seu estado de tensões (CLT0) e sobre a textura também foi analisada. Desta forma, CLC0 e rugosidade mostraram-se dependentes da trajetória de deformação ao contrario de CLT0. A textura do aço IF, forte no estado recozido, foi fortalecida na direção DL e enfraquecida na direção DT em qualquer das duas trajetórias de deformação. / The forming limit curves (FLC) are used to reveal sheet metal formability and it is largely used in the stamping process optimization and in the project of dies. The measurements of FLC points are made by simulative tests (for example, the one named after Nakazima) which are very complex and costly procedures: around thirty specimens with different measures; engraving of circles grid in metallics surfaces and also, plastics strains and optical lectures are required. The present work used interstitial free (IF) and SAE 1050 spheroidized steel sheets. The aim was to investigate the precision of a simplified test, called near plane tensile test, wich is simpler and less dispendious, allowing the determination of the critical value to formability called FLC0 by a intrinsic plane strain test, which uses smaller sample numbers. The FLC0 value was obtained also by Nakazima simulative test and Finite Elements Analysis (FEM) to allow comparisons with plane strain tests. The results of FLC0 obtained by plane strain tension tests are smaller that similar values provided through FEM and Nakazima tests, but these differences can be attributed to deficiencies in these procedures, so the plane strain tensile values are presumably more reliable. The numerical analysis FEM ignores texture evolution during plastic strain, which is a possible factor to explain the differences. The Nakazima test showed largest FLC0 parameter in all cases, which is attributed to geometric factors. Evolution of sheet roughness, crystallographic texture and their correlation with the obtained FLC0 values were also investigated in addition to applying plain strain uniaxial and orthogonal tensile tests. The type of deformation trajectory influenced the FLC0 point and roughness, but the tension point FLSC0 associated to FLC0 was invariant. Texture depends on deformation trajectory and its intensity increases with the deformation along rolling direction.

A utilização de perfis formados a frio na construção metálica no Brasil vem crescendo de forma significativa. Dentro deste mesmo contexto, atenções especiais estão sendo direcionadas às ligações utilizadas neste tipo de perfil, pelo fato de as chapas que as constituem resultarem cada vez mais esbeltas em função da significativa redução na sua espessura (elevada relação largura/espessura). Por esta razão, as ligações em perfis formados a frio têm sido estudadas por pesquisadores, tanto no contexto mundial como no Brasil. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo realizar estudos relacionados às ligações parafusadas em perfis formados a frio, com vistas a avaliar a resistência e o comportamento destas ligações por meio de modelagem numérica, simulando o comportamento estrutural com a utilização do código de cálculo ANSYS v.6.0, elaborado com base nos Métodos dos Elementos Finitos (MEF). No sentido de avaliar a eficiência e a confiabilidade dos modelos elaborados, os resultados numéricos obtidos foram comparados com resultados experimentais obtidos em ensaios, bem como, comparados com resultados numéricos obtidos utilizando-se outros padrões de modelagem. / The use of cold-formed steel members in the steel building in Brazil comes growing of significant form. Inside of the same context, special attentions are being directed to the connections used in the cold-formed steel members, or the fact of the sheets used to this kind of steel members result each time more thin. For this reason the connections in cold-formed steel members have been studied for researchers, as much in the worldwide context as in Brazil. The objective of this work is studies the bolted connections in cold-formed steel member to evaluate the resistance and the behavior of these connections by means of numerical modeling, simulating the structural behavior with the use of the code of calculation ANSYS v.6.0, elaborated based on Finite Element Methods. With the objective to evaluate the efficiency and the trustworthiness of the elaborated model, the numerical results where compare with experimental results gotten in assays, as well as, compared with numerical results gotten using other standards of modeling.

Submitted by Cátia Araújo (catia.araujo@unipampa.edu.br) on 2017-01-25T12:14:18Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Amortecedor dinâmico viscoelástico com memória para vibrações de um edifício de pequeno porte.pdf: 11017464 bytes, checksum: e73bee380f594a2a6d4d26265fc6eb1b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Cátia Araújo (catia.araujo@unipampa.edu.br) on 2017-01-25T12:16:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Amortecedor dinâmico viscoelástico com memória para vibrações de um edifício de pequeno porte.pdf: 11017464 bytes, checksum: e73bee380f594a2a6d4d26265fc6eb1b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-25T12:16:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Amortecedor dinâmico viscoelástico com memória para vibrações de um edifício de pequeno porte.pdf: 11017464 bytes, checksum: e73bee380f594a2a6d4d26265fc6eb1b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-06 / Neste trabalho, apresenta-se a análise numérica da eficiência de um amortecedor dinâmico de material viscoelástico com memória (ADVM) para aplicação na redução dos estados de ressonância de edifícios de pequeno porte, modelados por pórticos planos, submetidos a excitações dinâmicas de um motor elétrico com fonte de energia limitada e de velocidade angular variável (SNI – Sistema Não Ideal). Elabora-se um modelo matemático do sistema completo com quatro graus de liberdade: dois relacionados com o deslocamento horizontal e angular do pórtico plano e do motor e dois relacionados com o material ADVM. Ensaios computacionais foram realizados utilizando-se o MATLAB® em base do algoritmo de Runge-Kutta com passo adaptativo. Analises do comportamento do sistema com e sem controle foram realizadas através das ferramentas da dinâmica não linear, entre eles: planos de fase, as séries temporais, FFT e curvas de ressonância. / In this paper, we present the numerical analysis of the efficiency of a dynamic damper with memory viscoelastic material (VEMD) for application in the reduction of resonance states of small buildings, Modeled by plane frames subjected to dynamic excitations of an electric motor with limited power source and variable angular velocity (SNI – Non-Ideal System). Draws up a mathematical model of the complete system with four degrees of freedom: two related horizontal displacement and angular gantry plane and engine related to the two materials ADVM. Computational tests were performed using MATLAB ® based on the Runge-Kutta algorithm with adaptive step. The Analysis of the system behavior with and without control was performed using the tools of nonlinear dynamics, including: phase plane, time series, FFT and resonance curves.

No description available.

As curvas limite de conformação (CLC) permitem representar de maneira abrangente a estampabilidade de uma chapa e tem sido empregadas largamente como critério na otimização do processo de estampagem e no projeto de matrizes. Os ensaios simulativos Nakazima são comumente utilizados na determinação das curvas CLC mas suas posições são afetadas devido ao atrito do punção com a chapa e desta com a matriz. Adicionalmente, são demorados e dispendiosos porque exigem 10 corpos de prova (c.p.) de dimensões diferentes e pelo menos três c.p. de cada uma destas dimensões para fins estatísticos perfazendo a quantidade mínima recomendada de 30 corpos de prova. A necessidade da gravação de rede de círculos nas superfícies de todas as amostras bem como as leituras ópticas das elipses após as deformações oneram e atrasam mais a obtenção das CLC. A presente pesquisa baseou-se no aço da qualidade livre de intersticiais (IF) e no aço SAE 1050 coalescido e buscou determinar o ponto CLC0, raiz das curvas CLC e crítico para a estampagem, de modo mais rápido e barato que os ensaios simulativos. Assim, o ensaio intrínseco de tração uniaxial em estado plano de deformação foi aplicado utilizando menor quantidade de amostras. O ensaio Nakazima e Análises por Elementos Finitos (FEM) também foram executados nos aços sob estudo, de modo a permitir comparações dos valores CLC0. Os resultados de CLC0 obtidos pelos ensaios de tração uniaxiais em estado plano de deformação mostraram-se inferiores àqueles apresentados pela análise por elementos finitos e pelo ensaio não planar Nakazima, especialmente em relação a este último. A influência de trações unidirecionais e também ortogonais em estado plano de deformação sobre a rugosidade superficial das chapas, CLC0 e seu estado de tensões (CLT0) e sobre a textura também foi analisada. Desta forma, CLC0 e rugosidade mostraram-se dependentes da trajetória de deformação ao contrario de CLT0. A textura do aço IF, forte no estado recozido, foi fortalecida na direção DL e enfraquecida na direção DT em qualquer das duas trajetórias de deformação. / The forming limit curves (FLC) are used to reveal sheet metal formability and it is largely used in the stamping process optimization and in the project of dies. The measurements of FLC points are made by simulative tests (for example, the one named after Nakazima) which are very complex and costly procedures: around thirty specimens with different measures; engraving of circles grid in metallics surfaces and also, plastics strains and optical lectures are required. The present work used interstitial free (IF) and SAE 1050 spheroidized steel sheets. The aim was to investigate the precision of a simplified test, called near plane tensile test, wich is simpler and less dispendious, allowing the determination of the critical value to formability called FLC0 by a intrinsic plane strain test, which uses smaller sample numbers. The FLC0 value was obtained also by Nakazima simulative test and Finite Elements Analysis (FEM) to allow comparisons with plane strain tests. The results of FLC0 obtained by plane strain tension tests are smaller that similar values provided through FEM and Nakazima tests, but these differences can be attributed to deficiencies in these procedures, so the plane strain tensile values are presumably more reliable. The numerical analysis FEM ignores texture evolution during plastic strain, which is a possible factor to explain the differences. The Nakazima test showed largest FLC0 parameter in all cases, which is attributed to geometric factors. Evolution of sheet roughness, crystallographic texture and their correlation with the obtained FLC0 values were also investigated in addition to applying plain strain uniaxial and orthogonal tensile tests. The type of deformation trajectory influenced the FLC0 point and roughness, but the tension point FLSC0 associated to FLC0 was invariant. Texture depends on deformation trajectory and its intensity increases with the deformation along rolling direction.

Robots have been a revolutionizing force in manufacturing in the 20th and 21st century but have proven too dangerous around humans to be used in many other fields including medicine. We describe a new control algorithm for robots developed by the Brigham Young University Robotics and Dynamics and Robotics Laboratory that has shown potential to make robots less dangerous to humans and suitable to work in more applications. We analyze the computational complexity of this algorithm and find that it could be a feasible control for even the most complicated robots. We also show conditions for a system which guarantee local stability for this control algorithm.

Lung cancer is the most frequent fatal cancer in the United States. Following the notion in actuarial math analysis, we assume an exponential form for the baseline hazard function and combine Cox proportional hazard regression for the survival study of a group of lung cancer patients. The covariates in the hazard function are estimated by maximum likelihood estimation following the proportional hazards regression analysis. Although the proportional hazards model does not give an explicit baseline hazard function, the baseline hazard function can be estimated by fitting the data with a non-linear least square technique. The survival model is then examined by a neural network simulation. The neural network learns the survival pattern from available hospital data and gives survival prediction for random covariate combinations. The simulation results support the covariate estimation in the survival model.