In this paper, the numerical simulation for nano-indentation is performed to measure time-dependent behavior of polymeric films. The possibility to extract the relaxed shear modulus of the polymer is evaluated using a rigid ball indenter. The viscoelastic behavior of the polymer was represented by the standard model. The effects of Poisson’s ratio are also discussed. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

Due to their structural efficiency and architectural elegance, concrete arches have long been used in bridge applications. However, the construction of concrete arches requires significant temporary supporting structures, which prevent their widespread use in modern bridges. A relatively new form of arch bridges is the network arch, in which a dense arrangement of inclined hangers is used. Network arches are subjected to considerably smaller bending moments and deflections than traditional arches and are therefore suitable for modern, accelerated construction methods in which the arches are fabricated off-site and then transported to the bridge location. However, service-level stresses, which play a critical role in the performance of the structure, are relatively unknown for concrete network arches and have not been sufficiently investigated in the previous research on concrete arches. The primary objective of this dissertation is to improve the understanding of short-term and time-dependent stresses in concrete arches, and more specifically, concrete network arches. The research presented herein includes extensive field monitoring of the West 7th Street Bridge in Fort Worth, Texas, which is the first precast network arch bridge and probably the first concrete network arch bridge in the world. The bridge consists of twelve identically designed concrete network arches that were precast and post-tensioned before they were transported to the bridge site and erected. A series of vibrating wire gages were embedded in the arches and were monitored throughout the construction and for a few months after the bridge was opened to traffic. The obtained data were processed, and structural response parameters were evaluated to support the safe construction of the innovative arches, identify their short-term and time-dependent structural behavior, and verify the modeling assumptions. The variability of stresses among the arches was also used to assess the reliability of stress calculations. The results of this study provide valuable insight into the elastic, thermal, and time-dependent behavior of concrete arches in general and concrete network arches in particular. The knowledge gained in this investigation also has broader applications towards understanding the behavior of indeterminate prestressed concrete structures that are subjected to variable boundary conditions and thermal and time-dependent effects.

In this study, excavation of jet-grouted tunnels in ground with strong time-dependent behavior is analyzed. The constant growth of population has led to a constant increase in the price of lands and thus infrastructures. Underground alternatives are becoming more economical. Furthermore, advances in the construction technology have made it feasible to construct tunnels in difficult ground conditions. By providing a grouted arch ahead of the tunnel face, jet-grouting has proved effective for the stability and performance of tunnels in difficult conditions. Given the limited depth of jet-grouting into the face, the jet-grouted arch is loaded soon after installation, when the rigidity of the grouted material is growing significantly. The simultaneous loading and hardening of the jet-grouting makes the tunnel response depend on the excavation rate. Furthermore, in difficult tunneling conditions, the ground material is associated with highly viscous behavior. This behavior is synonymous with delayed deformation depending on the level and duration of the ground loading by the tunnel excavation. In order to show the importance of the time-dependent behaviors, the full-face and the sequential excavation method are compared using three-dimensional and two-dimensional finite element analyses. First, a three-dimensional model is constructed and its results are validated against available analytical solutions for time-independent behaviors. The hardening of the jet-grouting is then introduced into the model by embedding jet-grouting elements through the analysis. In order to account for the ground viscous behavior, an advanced viscoplastic constitutive model is adopted, numerically implemented in FORTRAN, and used in conjunction with finite element software ABAQUS. The excavation methods are compared for the well documented study case of Tartaiguille tunnel. The results indicate that the full-face method outperforms the sequential method in the studied case by installing the tunnel invert closer to the face. The two-dimensional analysis of the tunnel is conducted by using the convergence-confinement method. To this end, a new approach is introduced to use the method for tunnels in time-dependent conditions. The effect of the jet-grouting hardening and the ground viscous behavior is characterized within the new approach by deriving the ground convergence curves. The reverse dependency of these mechanisms on the tunnel advance rate leads to an optimum advance rate, at which minimum tunnel convergence develops. / text

The essence of performance-based structural fire safety design of steel building structures is the ability to predict thermal and structural response to fire. An important aspect of such predictions is the ability to evaluate strength of columns at elevated temperatures. Columns are critical structural elements, and failure of columns can lead to collapse of a structure. The ability of steel columns to carry their design loads is greatly affected by timeand temperature-dependent mechanical properties of steel at high temperatures due to fire. It is well known that structural steel loses strength and stiffness with temperature, especially at temperatures above 400 °C. Further, the reductions in strength and stiffness of steel are also dependent on the duration of exposure to elevated temperatures. The time-dependent response or creep of steel plays a particularly important role in predicting the collapse load of steel columns subjected to fire temperatures. Specifically, creep of steel leads to the creep buckling phenomenon, where the critical buckling load for a steel column depends not only on slenderness and temperature, but also on duration of exposure to fire temperatures. The main focus of the research summarized in this dissertation is on a testing program to investigate the effects of time-dependent material behavior or creep on buckling of steel columns subjected to fire. Material characterization tests were conducted at temperatures up to 1000 °C to evaluate tensile and creep properties of ASTM A992 steel at elevated temperatures. In addition, buckling tests on W4×13 wide flange columns under pin-end conditions were conducted to characterize short-time and vii creep buckling phenomena at elevated temperatures. The column test results are further used to verify analytical and computational tools developed to model the time-dependent buckling of steel columns at elevated temperatures. Test results are also compared against code-based predictions such as those from Eurocode 3 and the AISC Specification. Results of the research study presented in this dissertation clearly indicate that thermal creep of steel has a very large effect on strength of steel columns at high temperatures due to fire. The effect of creep on column capacity at high temperatures can be predicted using analytical and computational approaches presented in this dissertation. / text

Aims: This paper extends previous studies in modeling time varying linear polarization due to axisymmetric magnetic fields in rotating stars. We use the Hanle effect to predict variations in net line polarization, and use geometric arguments to generalize these results to linear polarization due to other mechanisms. Methods: Building on the work of Lopez Ariste et al., we use simple analytic models of rotating stars that are symmetric except for an axisymmetric magnetic field to predict the polarization lightcurve due to the Hanle effect. We highlight the effects for the variable line polarization as a function of viewing inclination and field axis obliquity. Finally, we use geometric arguments to generalize our results to linear polarization from the weak transverse Zeeman effect. Results: We derive analytic expressions to demonstrate that the variable polarization lightcurve for an oblique magnetic rotator is symmetric. This holds for any axisymmetric field distribution and arbitrary viewing inclination to the rotation axis. Conclusions: For the situation under consideration, the amplitude of the polarization variation is set by the Hanle effect, but the shape of the variation in polarization with phase depends largely on geometrical projection effects. Our work generalizes the applicability of results described in Lopez Ariste et al., inasmuch as the assumptions of a spherical star and an axisymmetric field are true, and provides a strategy for separating the effects of perspective from the Hanle effect itself for interpreting polarimetric lightcurves.

L'Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs (Andra) a commencé en 2000 la construction du Laboratoire Souterrain de Meuse / Haute-Marne (LS-M/HM) avec l'objectif principal de démontrer la faisabilité d’un stockage géologique dans l’argilite du Callovo-Oxfordien. Un réseau de galeries expérimentales a été excavé, principalement en suivant les directions des contraintes horizontales (majeure et mineure), avec des variations sur : la méthode d'excavation, la géométrie de la structure et le soutènement. Chaque galerie a été instrumentée en différentes sections pour suivre le comportement hydromécanique de la roche face à l’excavation. Le suivi de la zone autour des galeries excavées au niveau principal (-490 m) a révélé le développement d'une zone fracturée (fractures en extension et en cisaillement) induite par l'excavation. La distribution de la zone fracturée dépend à la fois de l'orientation de la galerie et du champ de contraintes in-situ et a une influence importante sur la déformation des galeries. En effet, les mesures de convergence ont montré une fermeture anisotrope de la section de la galerie. De plus, il a été observé un champ de distribution anisotrope de la pression de pores ainsi que des surpressions autour des galeries.Afin d’analyser la réponse anisotrope du massif pendant l’excavation et après celle-ci, les travaux effectués dans le cadre de la thèse sont axés principalement sur une étude directe des mesures de convergence in-situ. Cette analyse s’effectue à l’aide de la loi semi-empirique proposée par Sulem et al. (1987) [Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 24: 145–154]. A cet égard, différentes galeries excavées dans le LS-M/HM ont été étudiées. Ces galeries présentent certaines différences dans leurs orientations et l’état initial des contraintes, dans la méthode et la vitesse d’excavation ainsi que dans les diamètres de la section et les types de soutènements installées. Cette analyse permet d’obtenir des prédictions fiables de la convergence à long-terme, ce qui peut servir pour le dimensionnement et la prévision de la performance du soutènement à long-terme.En outre, nous avons étudié la réponse anisotrope du champ de pression interstitielle observée in-situ. Cette analyse est basée sur une approche poroélastique anisotrope. L’objectif principal est de reproduire qualitativement l’évolution de la pression des pores autour des galeries avec une approche simple qui prend en compte l’anisotropie intrinsèque du matériau. Enfin, une analyse de l’apparition de la rupture montre le rôle clé que joue le couplage hydromécanique dans l’extension de la zone fracturée / The French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) began in 2000 the construction of an Underground Research Laboratory (URL) with the main goal of demonstrating the feasibility of a geological repository in Callovo-Oxfordian claystone. Several research programs have taken place to improve the knowledge of the rock properties and its response to the excavation progress. A network of experimental drifts has been constructed with variations on: excavation method, structure geometry, supports system and orientations with respect to principal stresses’ directions. In each drift different sections have been instrumented to monitor the hydro-mechanical behavior of the rock mass formation. Continuous monitoring of the excavated zone around the drifts in the main level (-490 m) revealed the development of a fractured zone (extensional and shear fractures) induced by the excavation. The extent of this fractured zone depends on the drift orientation regarding the in-situ stress field. Accordingly, the convergence measurements showed an anisotropic closure which depends also on the drifts’ orientations. Moreover, marked overpressures and an anisotropic pore pressure field around the drifts have been also observed.The approach proposed in this work is mainly based on a direct analysis of the convergence measurements, for studying the anisotropic response of the rock formation during and after excavation. The convergence evolution is analyzed on the basis of the semi-empirical law proposed by Sulem et al. (1987) [Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 24: 145–154]. The monitoring and analysis of convergence data can provide a reliable approach of the interaction between rock mass and support. Therefore, the anisotropy and the variability of the closure are analyzed taking into account different field cases: drifts excavated in two different orientations (i.e. influence of the initial stress state), different methods, sizes and rates of excavation and different supports systems with different conditions of installation. This broad range of cases permits to refine the analysis for reliable predictions of the convergence evolution in the long term. This approach can thus be used for the design of various types of support and the evaluation of its performance in the long term.On the other hand, the pore pressure evolution induced by excavation of drifts as recorded in situ has been analyzed. The anisotropic response observed in-situ suggests that the intrinsic anisotropy of the material plays a key role in the response of the rock formation. To understand these phenomena, an anisotropic poroelastic analysis of the pore pressure evolution induced by the drift excavation is performed. The main goal is to simulate the main trends of the pore pressure evolution with a simple model taking into account the inherent anisotropy of the material. Finally, an analysis of the onset of failure shows the key role of the hydro-mechanical coupling on the extension of the failed zone around the drifts

Flax fibers, along with a number of other natural fibers, are being considered as an environmentally friendlier alternative of synthetic fibers in fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A common feature of natural fibers is a much higher variability of mechanical properties. This necessitates study of the flax fiber strength distribution and efficient experimental methods for its determination. Elementary flax fibers of different gauge lengths are tested by single fiber tension in order to obtain the stress-strain response and strength and failure strain distributions. The applicability of single fiber fragmentation test for flax fiber failure strain and strength characterization is considered. It is shown that fiber fragmentation test can be used to determine the fiber length effect on mean fiber strength and limit strain. The effect of mechanical damage in the form of kink bands and of diameter variability on the strength of elementary flax fibers is considered. Stiffness and strength under uniaxial tension of flax fiber composites with thermoset and thermoplastic polymer matrices are studied. The applicability of rule of mixtures and orientational averaging based models, developed for short fiber composites, to flax reinforced polymers are evaluated. Both the quasi-static and time dependent mechanical properties of flax fiber/thermoplastic starch based composites are analyzed. The effect of temperature and relative humidity is investigated. It is found that microdamage accumulation in this type of composites is not significant. Results show that the composite elastic modulus and failure stress are linearly related to the maximum stress reached by the matrix in tensile tests. Simple material models are suggested to account for the observed nonlinear viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity. / Godkänd; 2009; 20091029 (edgspa); DISPUTATION Ämnesområde: Polymera konstruktionsmaterial/Polymeric Composite Materials Opponent: Docent Kristofer Gamstedt, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockholm Ordförande: Docent Roberts Joffe, Luleå tekniska universitet Tid: Onsdag den 9 december 2009, kl 10.00 Plats: E 231, Luleå tekniska universitet

L’excavation d’un tunnel profond dans des terrains poussants pose des difficultés particulières de conception et d’exécution. Ce type de terrain est caractérisé par des fortes convergences en paroi du tunnel de nature différée et souvent anisotrope. Le comportement d’un tunnel excavé en terrain poussant est très influencé par la technique d’excavation utilisée. Le cas d’étude du tunnel routier du Fréjus et de sa galerie de sécurité permet d’illustrer ce phénomène. Il s’agit de deux tunnels parallèles qui montrent une configuration très intéressante étant donné qu’ils traversent des conditions géotechniques similaires et qu’ils sont creusés avec des techniques d’excavation différentes : le tunnel routier a été creusé par méthode conventionnelle à l’explosif tandis que la galerie de sécurité a été creusée avec un tunnelier à bouclier simple. Les mesures d’auscultation réalisées pendant l’excavation des deux tunnels ont été analysées et comparées. Des modélisations numériques pour simuler la réponse des deux tunnels ont été développées avec le logiciel Flac3D. Le comportement du terrain est simulé avec un modèle visco-elasto-plastique et anisotrope. L’anisotropie liée à la schistosité du terrain est introduite dans le modèle par la présence de plans de faiblesse d’orientation donnée (ubiquitous joint model) insérés dans une matrice rocheuse caractérisée par un comportement visco-elasto-plastique isotrope. Une rétro-analyse a été réalisée sur les mesures de convergence obtenues lors du creusement du tunnel routier du Fréjus. Le comportement du terrain identifié dans le tunnel routier est ensuite extrapolé pour prédire la réponse de la galerie de sécurité. L’objectif est de reproduire l’état des contraintes observé dans les voussoirs de la galerie de sécurité et d’extrapoler les sollicitations à long terme. L’influence que la technique d’excavation, en particulier sur le comportement différé du terrain a été prise en compte dans les simulations numériques. On a mis en évidence que les déformations différées du terrain sont réduites lorsque l’excavation est réalisée au tunnelier.Par ailleurs, une synthèse critique de la méthode convergence-confinement et de ses variantes a été réalisée. Une discussion a été menée sur l’applicabilité des méthodes convergence-confinent quand elles sont utilisées pour le dimensionnement des tunnels circulaires excavés en section pleine avec l’installation d’un soutènement raide près du front d’excavation comme c’est le cas lors d’une excavation au tunnelier. Dans ce contexte, un ensemble de formules empiriques sont proposées. Elles permettent d’obtenir avec une bonne précision l’état d’équilibre entre le terrain et le soutènement et peuvent être utilisées dans la phase de pré-dimensionnement des ouvrages / During the excavation of deep tunnels, squeezing ground conditions are often encountered. The squeezing behavior of the ground is characterized by large time-dependent and usually anisotropic convergences that take place at the tunnel wall. The technique of excavation has a strong influence on the tunnel response when it is excavated under squeezing conditions. This phenomenon is illustrated throughout the case study of the Fréjus road tunnel excavated with conventional drill and blast methods and of its safety gallery excavated with a single shield tunneling boring machine. They exhibit a very interesting configuration of two tunnels excavated in parallel under the same geotechnical conditions but with different excavation techniques. Monitored geotechnical data from both tunnels are analyzed and compared. Numerical simulations of both tunnels have been carried out with Flac3D. An anisotropic creep model which includes weakness planes of given orientation embedded in a visco-elasto-plastic matrix has been used for describing the behavior of the ground. A back-analysis of convergence measurements of the Fréjus road tunnel has been carried out. The behavior of the ground identified from the Fréjus road tunnel is extrapolated to predict the response of the Fréjus safety gallery in terms of the stress state in the lining. The influence of the technique of excavation on the time-dependent parameters of the ground is taken into account in the computations and its effects are discussed. It is shown that the long term ground deformation are significantly reduced with TBM excavation as compared to traditional blast and drill method.Furthermore, the convergence-confinement methods are reviewed and their applicability is discussed when they are applied to full face circular tunnels excavated in rock masses with a stiff support system near the face. In this context, a set of empirical formula are proposed which allows to accurately predict the equilibrium state between the ground and the lining in circular tunnels excavated in full section. These formula are useful in the preliminary phase of tunnel design

La maîtrise du procédé séchage, étape essentielle dans la transformation du bois, est devenue incontournable pour la filière bois. Cette thèse propose l'utilisation de conduites de séchage oscillantes pour réduire les contraintes de séchage liées au retrait par l'activation du fluage mécanosorptif. A ce jour, la meilleure façon d'appliquer les conduites oscillantes représente un défi pour la communauté scientifique. Dans ce travail, nous avons choisi comme matériel d'étude une essence feuillue fortement utilisée dans la filière et très susceptible aux déformations lors du séchage : le hêtre (Fagus sylvatica). L'effet des conduites oscillantes sur les contraintes de séchage est étudié par une approche expérimentale et par une approche théorique, articulées en trois parties : - Un premier volet expérimental sur un séchoir semi – industriel pour saisir l'effet global des conduites oscillantes à l'échelle d'une pile de planches. L'amélioration de la qualité du bois séché s'est avérée par : une meilleure homogénéité de la teneur en eau finale inter et intra-planche, la diminution des déformations globales et la diminution des contraintes résiduelles exprimées par le gap du « slicing test ». - Ensuite, nous avons développé un volet théorique sur la base de modélisations analytique et numérique pour étudier l'évolution des champs de teneur en eau et de contraintes mécaniques au sein d'une planche lorsque les conditions climatiques oscillent. Une formulation analytique simple, adaptée aux conduites oscillantes, est proposée pour les utilisateurs de séchoirs n'ayant pas accès à un outil numérique sophistiqué. L'approche numérique effectuée avec l'outil de simulation TransPore permet une étude plus réaliste du séchage oscillant. Ainsi, le module mécanique de TransPore a été utilisé pour dégager des configurations pertinentes de séchage permettant d'étudier l'effet des conduites oscillantes sur la relaxation des contraintes. - Enfin, un second volet expérimental a été réalisé sur un séchoir de laboratoire, à l'échelle d'une planche, pour tester les informations issues du volet théorique. Un dispositif de séchage dissymétrique (flying wood) et deux dispositifs de séchage sous charge (poutre cantilever et flexion trois points) ont été utilisés pour étudier l'effet des oscillations. Toutefois, ces essais ne permettent pas de montrer clairement l'effet des oscillations sur la relaxation des contraintes. La confrontation entre les résultats expérimentaux à l'échelle d'une planche et la simulation numérique a mis en évidence l'effet conséquent des oscillations parasites de faibles période et amplitude sur les résultats expérimentaux, provoquées par la régulation du séchoir. Des modifications du modèle de comportement mécanique différé ont été proposées en perspectives de ce travail afin de mieux saisir le comportement observé expérimentalement. / Wood drying is an essential process in the wood industry. A perfect control of wood drying is nowadays very important for the wood industry. In this study, we propose the utilization of oscillating drying conditions to reduce the drying stresses induced by wood shrinkage by activating the mechanosorptive creep. The best way to apply this concept remains an open question in the scientific community. Beech wood (Fagus sylvatica), one of the most commonly used hardwood in France, was chosen for this study owing its elevated risk of drying defaults. The effect of oscillating conditions on drying stresses inside the boards was studied by both an experimental and a theoretical approach, structured in three parts: - A first experimental part realized with a semi – industrial kiln in order to study the global effect of oscillating conditions at the stack scale. Improvement of the quality of dried wood was showed by the best homogeneity of water content inside the board and among the boards and by the decrease of global deformations and residual stresses expressed by the gap measured by the slicing test. - The study was continued with a theoretical part based on analytical and numerical modeling to understand the development of internal heat and mass transfers inside the boards and the evolution of drying stresses during oscillating conditions. A simple analytical model adapted to the oscillating conditions was proposed, particularly for kiln users who don't have access to sophisticated numerical tools. The numerical approach used the simulation tool TransPore, able to simulate oscillating drying in more realistic conditions. Its mechanical module was used to set accurate drying schedules to study the effect of oscillating conditions on stresses relaxation. - Finally, a second experimental part was performed in a laboratory scale kiln, at the board scale, to test the information obtained theoretically. A non-symmetrical drying device (flying wood) and two different loaded drying devices (cantilever beam test and three points bending) were used to study the effect of oscillations. However, it is difficult to see the oscillating conditions effect on the stresses relaxation. The confrontation between experimental results at the board scale and the numerical simulation showed the significant effect produced on experimental results by parasite oscillations of small periods and intensities, originated by the kiln regulation. Further work should consider some modifications of the time dependent mechanical behavior model in order to capture the experimentally observed behavior.