Mining induced seismic activity and rockbursting are critical concerns for many underground operations. Seismic activity may arise from the crushing of highly stressed volumes of rock around mine openings or from shear motion on planes of weakness. Shear-slip on major planes of weakness such as faults, shear zones and weak contacts has long been recognized as a dominant mode of failure in underground mines. In certain circumstances, it can generate large seismic events and induce substantial damage to mine openings. The Big Bell Gold mine began experiencing major seismic activity and resultant damage in 1999. Several seismic events were recorded around the second graphitic shear between April 2000 and February 2002. It is likely that the seismic activity occurred as a result of the low strength of the shear structure combined with the high level of mining induced stresses. The stability of the second graphitic shear was examined in order to gain a better understanding of the causes and mechanisms of the seismic activity recorded in the vicinity of the shear structure as mining advanced. The data were derived from the observation of the structure exposures, numerical modelling and seismic monitoring. The numerical modelling predictions and the interpreted seismic monitoring data were subsequently compared in order to identify potential relationships between the two. This thesis proposes the Incremental Work Density (IWD) as a measure to evaluate the relative likelihood of shear-slip induced seismic activity upon major planes of weakness. IWD is readily evaluated using numerical modelling and is calculated as the product of the average driving shear stress and change in inelastic shear deformation during a given mining increment or step. IWD is expected to correlate with shear-slip induced seismic activity in both space and time. In this thesis, IWD was applied to the case study of the second graphitic shear at the Big Bell mine. Exposures of the second graphitic shear yielded information about the physical characteristics of the structure and location within the mine. Numerical modelling was used to examine the influence of mining induced stresses on the overall behaviour of the shear structure. A multi-step model of the mine was created using the three- dimensional boundary element code of Map3D. The shear structure was physically incorporated into the model in order to simulate inelastic shear deformation. An elasto-plastic Mohr-Coulomb material model was used to describe the structure behaviour. The structure plane was divided into several elements in order to allow for the comparison of the numerical modelling predictions and the interpreted seismic data. Stress components, deformation components and IWD values were calculated for each element of the shear structure and each mining step. The seismic activity recorded in the vicinity of the second graphitic shear was back analysed. The seismic data were also gridded and smoothed. Gridding and smoothing of individual seismic moment and seismic energy values resulted in the definition of indicators of seismic activity for each element and mining step. The numerical model predicted inelastic shear deformation upon the second graphitic shear as mining advanced. The distribution of modelled IWD suggested that shear deformation was most likely seismic upon a zone below the stopes and most likely aseismic upon the upper zone of the shear structure. The distribution of seismic activity recorded in the vicinity of the shear structure verified the above predictions. The seismic events predominantly clustered upon the zone below the stopes. The results indicated that the seismic activity recorded in the vicinity of the second graphitic shear was most likely related to both the change in inelastic shear deformation and the level of driving shear stress during mechanical shearing. Time distribution of the seismic events also indicated that shear deformation and accompanying seismic activity were strongly influenced by mining and were time-dependant. Seismic activity in the vicinity of the second graphitic shear occurred as a result of the overall inelastic shear deformation of the shear structure under mining induced stresses. A satisfactory relationship was found between the spatial distribution of modelled IWD upon the shear structure and the spatial distribution of interpreted seismic activity (measured as either smoothed seismic moment or smoothed seismic energy). Seismic activity predominantly clustered around a zone of higher IWD upon the second graphitic shear as mining advanced. However, no significant statistical relationship was found between the modelled IWD and the interpreted seismic activity. The lack of statistical relationship between the modelled and seismic data may be attributed to several factors including the limitations of the techniques employed (e.g. Map3D modelling, seismic monitoring) and the complexity of the process involved.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Civil Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis presents experiments and numerical analysis of a novel cold-formed steel framed shear wall sheathed with corrugated steel sheets. The objective of this newly designed shear wall is to meet the growing demand of mid-rise buildings and the combustibility requirement in the International Building Code. The strength of the novel shear wall is higher than currently code certified shear wall in AISI S400-15 so that it could be more favorable for mid-rise building in areas that are prone to earthquakes and hurricanes. Full-scale monotonic and cyclic tests were conducted on bearing walls and shear walls under combined lateral and gravity loads. Though the gravity loads had negative effects on the strength and stiffness of the shear wall due to the buckling of the chord framing members, it still shows promise to be used in mid-rise buildings. The objective of numerical analysis is to quantify the seismic performance factors of the newly design shear wall lateral-force resisting system by using the recommended methodology in FEMA P695. Two groups of building archetypes, story varied from two to five, were simulated in OpenSees program. Nonlinear static and dynamic analysis were performed in both horizontal directions of each building archetype. Finally, the results of the performance evaluation verified the seismic performance factors(R=Cd=6.5 and Ω =3.0) were appropriate for the novel shear wall system.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Mechanical force environment is a major factor that influences cellular homeostasis and remodeling. The prevailing wisdom in this field demonstrated that a threshold of mechanical forces or deformation was required to affect cell signaling. However, by using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based approach, we found that C28/I2 chondrocytes exhibited an increase in RhoA activities in response to high shear stress (10 or 20 dyn/cm2), while they showed a decrease in their RhoA activities to intermediate shear stress at 5 dyn/cm2. No changes were observed under low shear stress (2 dyn/ cm2). The observed two-level switch of RhoA activities was closely linked to the shear stress-induced alterations in actin cytoskeleton and traction forces. In the presence of constitutively active RhoA (RhoA-V14), intermediate shear stress suppressed RhoA activities, while high shear stress failed to activate them. Collectively, these results herein suggest that intensities of shear stress are critical in differential activation and inhibition of RhoA activities in chondrocytes.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-117) / Highway bridges are exposed to numerous elemental and loading issues that are extremely difficult for a designer to anticipate and account for during design. The current state of practice is to design a bridge deck for a certain life span and then turn the bridge over to maintenance personnel who attempt to prolong the life of the deck through a variety of repair and rehabilitation measures. These repair measures are rarely, if ever, considered during the design process of the bridge deck. Numerous researchers have looked at making bridges, specifically decks, more repairable. The majority of these research efforts have focused on the bridge deck system as a whole. Other researchers have looked at individual elements of the bridge deck to girder connection to see if the required strength could be achieved while making the connections easier to take apart. One of the main components in the bridge deck to girder system is the steel shear stud connection, which is used to create composite action between the deck and the girder. Numerous researchers have studied this connection from a strength perspective, and the strength equations for the shear connection have been codified. Shear connections using headless studs have been researched as well, but always as a part of a larger deck to girder connection system. The headless stud has never been researched to see how it responds to a shear loading. This study looks at headless studs with varying levels of debonding along the stud shaft to analyze the impact on the load resistance that the levels of debonding would have. Granular materials for the shear transfer of load are also looked at. The results show that, as expected, the headless, debonded shear studs can carry less load than a bonded stud, but the difference in load carrying capacity is within the suggested over-estimation range of the codes that other researchers have suggested. These results suggest that the use of headless, debonded shear studs in a deck to girder connection is a feasible way to make that connection more repairable. / Funded by the U.S. Dept. of the Army. / by Berndt F. Spittka / S.M.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Structural design standards based on the principles of structural reliability are gaining worldwide acceptance and are fast becoming the new basis of structural safety verification. The application of these principles to establish a standardised basis for structural design using partial factor limit states design procedures is done in the European Standard for the Basis of Structural Design EN 1990 from which it is adapted to the South African Basis of Design Standard for Building and Industrial Structures SANS 10160-1. The basis of design requirements stipulated in EN 1990 and SANS 10160-1 apply to all aspects of structural design: This includes reliability levels of structural performance and their differentiation and management; identification of various limit states and design situations; the specification of all the basic variables; separate treatment of actions and material-based resistance. However, application of these requirements is then primarily focused on actions whilst the provision for structural concrete is then left to the materials based design standards. This two-part thesis describes a systematic assessment of the degree to which the application of the reliability framework presented in the basis of design requirements has been achieved in the present generation of structural concrete design standards. More importantly, attempts are made to identify ways in which the process can be advanced. Special attention is drawn to issues that are specific to South African conditions and practice in structural concrete. Part One of the thesis focuses on the key elements of the reliability framework presented in EN 1990 and traces to what extent the requirements have been propelled through the design stipulations of the Eurocode Standard for Design of Concrete Structures EN 1992-1-1. The implications of the different reference level of reliability between the Eurocode default value of ß = 3.8 and that characteristic of South African practice ß = 3.0 through various issues are highlighted. The use and advantage of explicit treatment of reliability performance on reliability management related to some aspects of quality control are explored. A critical aspect is the shear prediction model providing unconservative estimates of shear resistance. Part Two of the thesis focuses on characterising the model factor of the EN 1992-1-1 shear prediction model for members requiring design shear reinforcement. This is done by a comparison to a compiled experimental database with special focus on situations with high reinforcement ratios. The significance of the modelling uncertainty in shear prediction is verified by this comparison. The use of the more conceptually rational modified compression field theory (MCFT) to improve on the quality of shear predictions is investigated and proves to yield more precise values with lower scatter hence making it a more reliable tool for predicting shear. The MCFT can then be used as reference for the reliability calibration and possible improvement for the Eurocode procedure. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Strukturele ontwerpstandaarde gebaseer op die beginsels van strukturele betroubaarheid verkry wêreldwye aanvaarding en word vinnig die nuwe basis van strukturele veiligheid bevestiging. Die toepassing van hierdie beginsels om ʼn gestandaardiseerde basis vir strukturele ontwerp is bevestig deur gebruik te maak van gedeeltelike-faktorbeperkende stadiums ontwerpprosedures in die Europese Standaard vir die Basis van Strukturele Ontwerp EN 1990 waarvandaan dit herbewerk is na die Suid-Afrikaanse Basis van Ontwerp Standaarde vir Bou en Industriële Strukture SANS 10160-1. Die basis van ontwerpvereistes bepaal in EN 1990 en SANS 10160-1 is van toepassing op alle aspekte van strukturele ontverp: Dit sluit inbetroubaarheidsvlakke van struktureele prestasie en hul diversifikasie en bestuur; identifikasie van verskeie beperkende state en ontwerpsituasies; die spesifikasie van al die basiese veranderlikes; afsonderlike behandeling van aksies en materiaal-gebaseerde weerstand. Desnieteenstaande, die toepassing van hierdie voorwaardes is dan hoofsaaklik gefokus op aksies terwyl die voorsiening van strukturele beton is dan gelaat op die materiaalgebaseerde ontwerpstandaarde. Hierdie tweeledige verhandeling beskryf ʼn stelselmatige beoordeling van die graad waartoe die toepassing van die betroubaarheidsraamwerk aangebied word in die basis van ontwerpvereistes bereik in die huidige generasie van strukturele beton-ontwerp standaarde is. Meer belangrik, pogings is aangewend om die maniere hoe die proses bevorder kan word te identifiseer. Spesiale aandag word gevestig op kwessies wat spesifiek op Suid-Afrikaanse toestande en praktyke in strukturele beton toepaslik is. Deel Een van die verhandeling fokus op die sleutel-dele van die betroubaarheidsraamwerk aangebied in EN 1990 en skets die mate waartoe die vereistes aangespoor word deur die ontwerp voorskrifte van die Eurocode Standard for the Design of Concrete Structures EN 1992-1-1. Die implikasie van die verskillende verwysingsvlakke van betroubaarheid tussen die Eurocode standaardwaarde van ß = 3.8 en die eienskap van Suid-Afrikaanse praktyk ß = 3.0 deur verskillende kwessies word uitgelig. Die gebruik en voordeel van spesifieke behandeling van betroubaarheidsuitvoering op betroubaarheidsbestuur verwantskap met sekere aspekte van kwaliteit kontrole word ondersoek. ʼn Kritiese aspek is die model vir die voorspelling van skuif-weerstand wat die onkonserwatiewe beramings vir skuif-weerstand gee. Deel Twee van die verhandeling fokus op karakterisering die modelfaktor van die EN 1992- 1-1 skuif-weerstand voorspellings-model. Dit word gedoen deur ʼn vergelyking na ʼn saamgestelde eksperimentele databasis met spesifieke fokus op situasies met hoe herbevestigingsvergelykings. Die oorheersing van die modellering- onsekerheid in skuifweerstand voorspelling is bevestig deur hierdie vergelyking. Die gebruik van ʼn meer konseptuele rasionele gemodifiseerde druk-veld teorie (bekend as MCFT) om die kwaliteit van skuif voorspelling te verbeter is ondersoek en verskaf ‘n meer presiese waarde met laer verspreiding wat lei tot ʼn meer betroubaree instrument om skuif mee te voorspel. Die MCFT word dan gebruik as verwysing vir die betroubaarheid-samestelling en moontlike verbetering van die Eurocode prosedures.

CNPq / Materiais tixotrópicos possuem aplicações industriais economicamente importantes. Modelos constitutivos descrevendo seu comportamento, propostos recentemente, são formulados por meio de um sistema acoplado de duas equações: equação constitutiva (baseada em modelos viscoelásticos clássicos) e a equação de taxa (que descreve a evolução microestrutural do material). O módulo de cisalhamento e o(s) coeficiente(s) de viscosidade são considerados, nesta classe de modelos, funções do parâmetro estrutural. As expressões utilizadas para tais funções são definidas satisfazendo limites assintóticos, de tal forma que o modelo seja fisicamente consistente. Entretanto, não há consenso quanto a forma em que as expressões são formuladas. Objetivou-se determinar o formato da função associada ao módulo de cisalhamento, a partir de dados de testes reológicos, utilizando um modelo de Jeffreys modificado. A obtenção da expressão do módulo de cisalhamento foi definida como um problema inverso e, portanto, a teoria e algumas estratégias associadas foram discutidas. Utilizou-se uma estrutura multiobjetiva juntamente com o método de regularização de Tikhonov e o critério de escolha de parâmetro curva L, para a obtenção de soluções de problemas mal-postos associados. Os algoritmos formalizados no trabalho foram implementados por meio de um código desenvolvido no MATLAB. Como resultados, uma nova proposta para a função associada ao módulo de cisalhamento foi obtida e os parâmetros associados ao modelo constituído desta nova proposta foram ajustados a dados de testes reológicos. / Thixotropic materials have economically important industrial applications. Recently proposed constitutive models describing its behavior are formulated by means of a two coupled equations system: the constitutive equation (based on viscoelastic classic models) and the rate equation (in which the microstructural evolution is described). The shear modulus and the viscosity coefficient(s) are considered, in such a class of models, as functions of the structural parameter. The expressions used for such functions are defined by satisfying some asymptotic limits, in a way that the model is physically consistent. However, there is no agreement as to the form in which the expressions are formulated. It is aimed to determine the form of shear modulus function, from rheological tests data, using a modified Jeffreys model. The obtainment of an expression for the shear modulus function is defined as an inverse problem and therefore the theory and some strategies associated were discussed. It is used a multi-objective framework together with the Tikhonov regularization method and the L-curve parameter-choice criterion in order to get the solution for associated ill-posed problems. The algorithms formalized throughout the work were implemented through a MATLAB developed code. As results, a new proposal for the shear modulus function were obtained and the parameters associated with the model constituted of this new proposal are fitted to rheological tests data.

CNPq / Materiais tixotrópicos possuem aplicações industriais economicamente importantes. Modelos constitutivos descrevendo seu comportamento, propostos recentemente, são formulados por meio de um sistema acoplado de duas equações: equação constitutiva (baseada em modelos viscoelásticos clássicos) e a equação de taxa (que descreve a evolução microestrutural do material). O módulo de cisalhamento e o(s) coeficiente(s) de viscosidade são considerados, nesta classe de modelos, funções do parâmetro estrutural. As expressões utilizadas para tais funções são definidas satisfazendo limites assintóticos, de tal forma que o modelo seja fisicamente consistente. Entretanto, não há consenso quanto a forma em que as expressões são formuladas. Objetivou-se determinar o formato da função associada ao módulo de cisalhamento, a partir de dados de testes reológicos, utilizando um modelo de Jeffreys modificado. A obtenção da expressão do módulo de cisalhamento foi definida como um problema inverso e, portanto, a teoria e algumas estratégias associadas foram discutidas. Utilizou-se uma estrutura multiobjetiva juntamente com o método de regularização de Tikhonov e o critério de escolha de parâmetro curva L, para a obtenção de soluções de problemas mal-postos associados. Os algoritmos formalizados no trabalho foram implementados por meio de um código desenvolvido no MATLAB. Como resultados, uma nova proposta para a função associada ao módulo de cisalhamento foi obtida e os parâmetros associados ao modelo constituído desta nova proposta foram ajustados a dados de testes reológicos. / Thixotropic materials have economically important industrial applications. Recently proposed constitutive models describing its behavior are formulated by means of a two coupled equations system: the constitutive equation (based on viscoelastic classic models) and the rate equation (in which the microstructural evolution is described). The shear modulus and the viscosity coefficient(s) are considered, in such a class of models, as functions of the structural parameter. The expressions used for such functions are defined by satisfying some asymptotic limits, in a way that the model is physically consistent. However, there is no agreement as to the form in which the expressions are formulated. It is aimed to determine the form of shear modulus function, from rheological tests data, using a modified Jeffreys model. The obtainment of an expression for the shear modulus function is defined as an inverse problem and therefore the theory and some strategies associated were discussed. It is used a multi-objective framework together with the Tikhonov regularization method and the L-curve parameter-choice criterion in order to get the solution for associated ill-posed problems. The algorithms formalized throughout the work were implemented through a MATLAB developed code. As results, a new proposal for the shear modulus function were obtained and the parameters associated with the model constituted of this new proposal are fitted to rheological tests data.

The considerable progress in the research and development of thin-walled beam structures responds to their growing use in engineering construction and to their increased need for efficiency in strength and cost. The result is a structure that exhibits large shear strains and important non uniform warping under different loadings, such as non uniform torsion, shear bending and distortion.<p><p>A unified approach is formulated in this thesis for 3D thin walled beam structures with arbitrary profile geometries, loading cases and boundary conditions. A single warping function, defined by a linear combination of longitudinal displacements at cross sectional nodes (derived from Prokic work), is enhanced and adapted in order to qualitatively and quantitatively reflect and capture the nature of a widest possible range of behaviors. Constraints are prescribed at the kinematics level in order to enable the study of arbitrary cross sections for general loading. This approach, differing from most published theories, has the advantage of enabling the study of arbitrary cross sections (closed/opened or mixed) without any restrictions or distinctions related to the geometry of the profile. It generates automatic data and characteristic computations from a kinematical discretization prescribed by the profile geometry. The amount of shear bending, torsional and distortional warping and the magnitude of the shear correction factor is computed for arbitrary profile geometries with this single formulation.<p><p>The proposed formulation is compared to existing theories with respect to the main assumptions and restrictions. The variation of the location of the torsional center, distortional centers and distortional rotational ratio of a profile is discussed in terms of their dependency on the loading cases and on the boundary conditions.<p><p>A 3D beam finite element model is developed and validated with several numerical applications. The displacements, rotations, amount of warping, normal and shear stresses are compared with reference solutions for general loading cases involving stretching, bending, torsion and/or distortion. Some examples concern the case of beam assemblies with different shaped profiles where the connection type determines the nature of the warping transmission. Other analyses –for which the straightness assumption of Timoshenko theory is relaxed– investigate shear deformation effects on the deflection of short and thin beams by varying the aspect ratio of the beam. Further applications identify the cross sectional distortion and highlight the importance of the distortion on the stresses when compared to bending and torsion even in simple loading cases. <p><p>Finally, a non linear finite element based on the updated lagrangian formulation is developed by including torsional warping degrees of freedom. An incremental iterative method using the arc length and the Newton-Raphson methods is used to solve the non linear problem. Examples are given to study the flexural, torsional, flexural torsional and lateral torsional buckling problems for which a coupling between the variables describing the flexural and the torsional degrees of freedom occurs. The finite element results are compared to analytical solutions based on different warping functions and commonly used in linear stability for elastic structures having insufficient lateral or torsional stiffnesses that cause an out of plane buckling. <p> / Doctorat en sciences appliquées / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished