Zur Charakterisierung der Mikrostruktur wurde die Geometrie des Verbundes aus REM-Aufnahmen ausgewertet, sowie die Verbundwirkung einzelner Filamente aus Filament-Pull-Out-Versuchen abgeleitet. Die gewonnenen Parameter bilden die Grundlage für die Modellierung von Garnauszugs- und Rissüberbrückungsmodellen. Unabhängig davon wurde ein Filament-Matrix-Verbund-Gesetz simuliert. Die Übereinstimmungen zwischen der Simulation und der experimentellen Untersuchung des Ausziehverhaltens werden in dem Artikel diskutiert. / The microstructure is characterized by analysing the bond geometrically and experimentally. The data to evaluate these two ways are from SEMimages and filament-pull-out-tests. Based on these data yarn-pull-out-models and crack-bridging-models are calculated. In addition a filament-matrix-bond-law is simulated independently. The correlation between the simulation and the experimental analysis of the pull-out behaviour is discussed in this paper.

Zur Charakterisierung der Mikrostruktur wurde die Geometrie des Verbundes aus REM-Aufnahmen ausgewertet, sowie die Verbundwirkung einzelner Filamente aus Filament-Pull-Out-Versuchen abgeleitet. Die gewonnenen Parameter bilden die Grundlage für die Modellierung von Garnauszugs- und Rissüberbrückungsmodellen. Unabhängig davon wurde ein Filament-Matrix-Verbund-Gesetz simuliert. Die Übereinstimmungen zwischen der Simulation und der experimentellen Untersuchung des Ausziehverhaltens werden in dem Artikel diskutiert. / The microstructure is characterized by analysing the bond geometrically and experimentally. The data to evaluate these two ways are from SEMimages and filament-pull-out-tests. Based on these data yarn-pull-out-models and crack-bridging-models are calculated. In addition a filament-matrix-bond-law is simulated independently. The correlation between the simulation and the experimental analysis of the pull-out behaviour is discussed in this paper.

Com o objetivo de avaliar a influência do processo de cicatrização óssea sobre o desempenho biomecânico de mini-parafusos utilizados como ancoragem em ortodontia, foram inseridos 60 mini-parafusos (1,6 x 6mm) auto-rosqueantes (Tomas® Dentaurum / Germany) na maxila e na mandíbula de 5 cães adultos da Raça Beagle. Os pré-molares (P1, P2, P3, P4) superiores e inferiores foram extraídos três meses antes da inserção vertical dos mini-parafusos. Os cães foram sacrificados nos dias 0, 2, 7, 15 e 30 após a instalação dos mini-parafusos. Os maxilares foram dissecados e os corpos de provas contendo os mini-parafusos foram preparados para avaliação da resistência à tração na Máquina de Ensaios Universal EMIC® 2000, utilizando uma garra desenvolvida especificamente para este estudo. Os valores e gráficos correspondentes ao desempenho mecânico foram imediatamente gerados e registrados pelo programa de aquisição Tesc 3.01®. As possíveis diferenças entre os períodos de cicatrização foram avaliadas pela análise de variância (ANOVA) e pelo teste de comparações múltiplas de Bonferroni. Os resultados demonstraram um índice de sucesso de 100% dos mini-parafusos inseridos. Após a dissecação dos segmentos ósseos, verificou-se que em alguns casos a superfície da rosca ficou parcialmente exposta, razão pela qual o cálculo da resistência à tração (média na maxila de: 141,76 ± 92,82 Ncm a 237,02 ± 78,34 Ncm e média na mandíbula de: 156,86 ± 75,55 Ncm a 328,76 ± 82,17 Ncm) foi feito em relação à área real de inserção (maxila: 24,01 ± 6,09mm2 e mandíbula: 22,88 ± 5,31mm2), observando-se um valor médio por mm2 significativamente maior na mandíbula (11,60 ± 5,22 Ncm) quando comparado à maxila (8,22 ± 5,04 Ncm). A relação entre a intensidade da força de tração (Ncm), superfície inserida (mm2) e períodos de cicatrização não apresentaram diferenças significantes (p= 0,126). Com base nestes resultados podemos concluir que os mini-parafusos avaliados demonstraram excelente desempenho biomecânico nos diferentes períodos de cicatrização analisados, apresentando maior resistência à tração no osso mandibular. / With the purpose of evaluating the influence of bone healing process on the biomechanical performance of mini-screws used as anchorage in orthodontics, 60 self-tapping (Tomas® - Dentaurum / Germany) mini-screws were inserted (1.6 x 6 mm) in the maxilla and in the mandible of 5 adult Beagle dogs. Upper and lower premolars (P1, P2, P3, P4) were extracted three months before the vertical insertion of mini-screws. The dogs were sacrified on days 0, 2, 7, 15 and 30 after the insertion of mini-screws. The jaws were dissected and the bone blocks, containing the miniscrews, were prepared to the axial pull-out strength in the Universal Testing Machine EMIC ® 2000, using a device developed specifically for this study. The values and graphics for the mechanical performance were immediately generated and recorded by the acquisition program. The clinical success rate of mini-screws was 100%. The possible differences between the healing periods were analyzed by Bonferroni´s multiple test comparisons and variance analysis (ANOVA). After the dissection of the bone segments, it was found that in some cases, the mini-screw thread was not fully inserted into the bone, reason why the pull-out strength (average of the maxilla: 141.76 ± 92.82 Ncm to 237.02 ± 78.34 Ncm and average in the mandible of 156.86 ± 75.55 Ncm to 328.76 ± 82.17 Ncm) was evaluated in relation to the real area of insertion (maxilla: 24.01 ± 6.09 mm2 and mandible: 22.88 ± 5.31 mm2). Mean value/mm2 were significantly higher in the mandible (11.60 ± 5.22 Ncm/mm2) than the maxilla (8.22 ± 5.04 Ncm/mm2). There was no statistically significant difference (p = 0126) between pull-out strength (Ncm), surface inserted (mm2) and the observed healing periods. Based on these results it can be concluded that mini-screws evaluated in this study demonstrated an excellent biomechanical behavior in all different periods of healing, showing more resistance to traction in the mandibular bone.

[pt] A utilização de inclusões passivas para reforços de solos, comumente conhecida como solo grampeado, vem tendo aceitação crescente no meio geotécnico, em especial no sudeste do Brasil. Porém, esta técnica carece de estudos mais detalhados, em particular sobre a resistência ao arrancamento [qs] e sobre a influência de parâmetros tais como o tempo de cura da calda de cimento, o número de injeções, a lavagem do furo e o tipo de solo. Assim, nesta pesquisa, estudou-se o comportamento tensão- deformação-resistência de grampos sob solicitação de arrancamento, em função do método de instalação. Foram considerados grampos com e sem pré- lavagem do furo, com uma ou duas injeções de nata de cimento, com três ou dez dias de cura. Os grampos foram executados em solo residual (maduro ou jovem) e em rocha alterada de gnaisse na cidade de Niterói, RJ. Esta pesquisa apresenta uma metodologia de instrumentação de grampos. O monitoramento das deformações dos strain gages distribuídos ao longo do comprimento dos grampos forneceu ferramentas para se analisar os mecanismos de distribuição de carga e deformação dos grampos. Esta pesquisa propõe ainda uma metodologia a ser adotada em ensaios de arrancamento de grampos, enfocando-se os detalhes executivos. Alguns dos grampos ensaiados foram exumados e os resultados são apresentados, destacando-se os aspectos da superfície de arrancamento, a uniformidade do diâmetro, a presença de fissuras no grampo, e a litologia dos materiais encontrados ao longo do comprimento do grampo. Uma das principais conclusões é a de que o arrancamento de grampos re-injetados (bainha + 1 injeção) executados em solo residual maduro forneceu resistência ao arrancamento em média 37% superior à do grampo com 1 injeção (bainha). / [en] The use of passive inclusions for soil reinforcement, commonly known as soil nail, has experienced an increasing acceptance in the geothecnical projects, especially in the southeast of Brazil. However, this technique still lacks more detailed studies regarding the influence of different installation methods on the pullout resistance [qs]. This research was focused on the study of stress-strainstrength behavior of nails under pullout loading, under different installation procedures. A comprehensive series of pullout tests was carried out on nails installed in holes with and without pre-washing procedures, with one or two consecutive pre-injection steps os cement mortar and with curing time of three or ten days. Test nails were installed in residual gneissic soils with different degrees of weathering along a profile in the same slope in the city of Niterói, Brazil. This methodology developed for the instrumentation of test nails is described in detail. Several strain gages were installed on the nails, for monitoring the strain distribution along the length of the nails. Some of the tested nails were exhumed and observed in detail. This investigation reveals the aspects of the soil-nail interface, with special attention to the uniformity in diameter to the presence of fissures along the nail, and the litology of materials found along the length of the nail. One of the main findings of this experimental investigation is that the re-injection of nails in residual soil resulted in an average increase of 37% of the pullout resistance qs as compared to usual nails with no re-injection procedures. This research concludes with a proposal for a standard methodology to be adopted in nail´s pullout tests.

O uso de novos materiais na construção civil combinado com a alta tecnologia dos processos construtivos pode conduzir à redução de custo e melhoria no comportamento da estrutura. Recentemente, em função da corrosão das barras de aço dentre outros fatores, muitos pesquisadores têm sugerido a utilização de barras não-metálicas como substituição das barras aço nas estruturas em concreto. Além das barras não-metálicas permitirem cobrimentos menores e possibilitarem menor custo de manutenção, outras vantagens no seu uso podem ser citadas, tais como: pequeno peso específico, alta resistência à tração, não condutibilidade elétrica, térmica e magnética, entre outras. Este trabalho analisa o comportamento da aderência entre barras de GFRP (barras de fibra de vidro impregnada por polímero) e o concreto, por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica e ensaios de arrancamento padronizados, segundo o RILEM-FIP-CEB (1973). Foram consideradas as influências dos parâmetros como a resistência à compressão do concreto e o diâmetro da barra de GFRP. Com base nos resultados experimentais, buscou-se comparar o comportamento de aderência barra de GFRP-concreto e barra de aço-concreto, além da verificação das formulações para previsão da resistência de aderência segundo códigos normativos e a literatura técnica, para estruturas armadas com barras de aço e barras de FRP. Posteriormente, realizou-se a análise numérica da aderência, por meio do método dos elementos finitos. Nos modelos experimentais de arrancamento pode-se perceber a influência das propriedades mecânicas e da conformação superficial das barras de GFRP no comportamento da aderência, apresentando menores resistências de aderência quando comparadas às barras de aço de diâmetro similar. O valor da resistência de aderência determinado experimentalmente foi maior que o valor proposto pelos códigos normativos. Os modelos numéricos não representaram satisfatoriamente o comportamento experimental, visto que se trata de uma simulação numérica linear e o comportamento experimental força x deslocamento é não-linear. / The use of new materials in civil construction combined with high technology processes leads to improvements in many aspects, like cost reductions and better structural behavior. Recently, due to corrosion of the steel bars, among other factors, many researchers have been suggesting the use of non-metallic bars as a substitution of the steel reinforcement in concrete structures. Besides, the non-metallic bars allow smaller clear cover and make possible lower maintenance cost, other advantages can be mentioned, such as: low specific weight, high tensile strength, electrical, thermal and magnetic non-conductivities, and others. This work analyzes the bond behavior between GFRP bars (Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer bars) and concrete, through state-of-art and standard pull-out tests, according to RILEM-FIP-CEB (1973). The influence of some parameters, as compressive concrete strength and GFRP bar diameter, was considered. Based on the experimental results, it was aimed at comparing the bond behavior of the GFRP-concrete bar with the steel-concrete bar, in addition to the verification of bond strength formulations established by the standards codes and the bibliography for structures reinforced with steel bars and FRP bars. Further, the bond numerical analysis was carried out through finite elements. In the pull-out tests, the influence of mechanical properties and superficial conformation on the GFRP bars was observed in the bond behavior, presenting smaller bond strength than the steel bars of similar diameter. The value of the experimental bond strength was larger than the value proposed by standards codes. The numerical models did not represent well the experimental behavior given that a linear numerical simulation was considered, but, actually, the experimental load x slip behavior is non-linear.

No description available.

Although public transit bus accounts for only a small percentage of the mode share for transportation in Florida, the annual passenger miles were over 1 billion with over 200 million passenger trips in 2005. These numbers warrant close attention to be paid to the safety of public transit vehicles. Despite the relatively low occurrence of fatalities and bus crashes, each crash of a high occupancy vehicle such as a public transit bus could expose more people to injury than a private automobile crash. Bus crashes also have a significant impact on the automobiles that are involved. Since a high percentage of bus crashes in Florida are caused by rear-end collisions with private automobiles, improving the signage and lighting that will allow buses to move back into traffic safely is very important for bus safety and operations. This paper uses bus operator surveys, crash data, and field studies to develop recommendations for lighting and signage on the back of the bus, roadway signs and revised Florida legislations. Improved signage and lighting will help the bus move back into traffic safely, decrease bus delay and improve bus operations however it must be accompanied by laws and law enforcement.

<p>A uniaxial High-Velocity Compaction (HVC) process for polymer powder using a cylindrical, hardened steel die and a new technique with relaxation assist was tested with a focus on the compactibility characteristics and surface morphology of the compacted materials using various heights of relaxation assist device with different compacting profiles.</p><p>Relaxation assist device was presented as a new technique to reduce springback, pull-out phenomenon and to improve the compaction process.</p><p>The basic phenomena associated with HVC are explained and the general energy principle is introduced to explain pull-out phenomenon during the decompacting stage. In this study, polyamide-11 powders with different particle size distributions have been compacted with the application of different compaction profiles, e.g. different energies and velocities. It was found that the relative green density is influenced more by the pre-compacting (primary compaction step) than by the post-compacting (secondary compaction step).</p><p>Experimental results for different compaction profiles were presented showing the effect of varying the opposite velocity during the decompacting stage and how to improve the homogeneous densification between the upper and lower surface and the evenness of the upper surface of the compacted powder bed by using relaxation assists, and the influences of the relaxation assist device on the process characteristics. It was found that the relaxation assist improves the compaction of the polymer powder by locking the powder bed in the compacted form. In addition, the relative times of the compacting stage, decompacting stage and the reorganisation of the particles can be controlled by altering the height of the relaxation assist. It was found that the high-velocity compaction process is an interruption process and that the delay times between the pressure waves can be reduced by increasing the height of the relaxation assist device. Furthermore, the first gross instantaneous springback and the total elastic springback are reduced.</p><p>Two bonding strain gauges and a high-speed video camera system were used to investigate the springback phenomenon during the compaction process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and image computer board Camera (IC-PCI Imaging Technology) were used to the study the morphological characteristics, the limit of plastic deformation and particle bonding by plastic flow at contact points, and pull-out phenomena.</p> / QC 20100506

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Inserting fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) strips into pre-cut grooves in the surface of masonry walls is an emerging technique for the retrofit of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures. This method, known as near surface mounting (NSM), provides significant advantages over externally bonded FRP strips in that it has less of an effect on the aesthetics of a structure and can sustain higher loading before debonding. As this technique is relatively new, few studies into the behaviour of masonry walls strengthened using this technique have been conducted. A combined experimental and numerical program was conducted as part of this research project to study the in-plane shear behaviour of masonry wall panels strengthened with NSM carbon FRP (CFRP) strips. In this project the FRP strips were designed to resist sliding along mortar bed joints and diagonal cracking (through mortar joints and brick units). Both of these failure modes are common to masonry shear walls. Different reinforcement orientations were used, including: vertical; horizontal; and a combination of both. The first stage of the project involved characterising the bond between the FRP and the masonry using experimental pull tests (18 in total). From these tests the bond strength, the critical bond length and the local bond-slip relationship of the debonding interface was determined. The second stage of the project involved conducting diagonal tension/shear tests on masonry panels. A total of four URM wall panels and seven strengthened wall panels were tested. These tests were used to determine: the effectiveness of the reinforcement; the failure modes; the reinforcement mechanisms; and the behaviour of the bond between the masonry and the FRP in the case of a panel. The third stage of the project involved developing a finite element model to help understand the experimental results. The masonry was modelled using the micro-modelling approach, and the FRP was attached to the masonry model using the bond-slip relationships determined from the pull tests. Reinforcement schemes in which vertical FRP strips were used improved the strength and ductility of the masonry wall panels. When only horizontal strips were used to reinforce a wall panel, failure occurred along an un-strengthened bed joint and the increase in strength and ductility was negligible. The vertical reinforcement prevented URM sliding failure by restraining the opening (dilation) of the sliding cracks that developed through the mortar bed joints. The finite element model reproduced the key behaviours observed in the experiments for both the unreinforced and FRP strengthened wall panels. This model would potentially be useful for the development of design equations.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Inserting fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) strips into pre-cut grooves in the surface of masonry walls is an emerging technique for the retrofit of unreinforced masonry (URM) structures. This method, known as near surface mounting (NSM), provides significant advantages over externally bonded FRP strips in that it has less of an effect on the aesthetics of a structure and can sustain higher loading before debonding. As this technique is relatively new, few studies into the behaviour of masonry walls strengthened using this technique have been conducted. A combined experimental and numerical program was conducted as part of this research project to study the in-plane shear behaviour of masonry wall panels strengthened with NSM carbon FRP (CFRP) strips. In this project the FRP strips were designed to resist sliding along mortar bed joints and diagonal cracking (through mortar joints and brick units). Both of these failure modes are common to masonry shear walls. Different reinforcement orientations were used, including: vertical; horizontal; and a combination of both. The first stage of the project involved characterising the bond between the FRP and the masonry using experimental pull tests (18 in total). From these tests the bond strength, the critical bond length and the local bond-slip relationship of the debonding interface was determined. The second stage of the project involved conducting diagonal tension/shear tests on masonry panels. A total of four URM wall panels and seven strengthened wall panels were tested. These tests were used to determine: the effectiveness of the reinforcement; the failure modes; the reinforcement mechanisms; and the behaviour of the bond between the masonry and the FRP in the case of a panel. The third stage of the project involved developing a finite element model to help understand the experimental results. The masonry was modelled using the micro-modelling approach, and the FRP was attached to the masonry model using the bond-slip relationships determined from the pull tests. Reinforcement schemes in which vertical FRP strips were used improved the strength and ductility of the masonry wall panels. When only horizontal strips were used to reinforce a wall panel, failure occurred along an un-strengthened bed joint and the increase in strength and ductility was negligible. The vertical reinforcement prevented URM sliding failure by restraining the opening (dilation) of the sliding cracks that developed through the mortar bed joints. The finite element model reproduced the key behaviours observed in the experiments for both the unreinforced and FRP strengthened wall panels. This model would potentially be useful for the development of design equations.