Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2000. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-128).

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Friction stir welding was used to join 3 mm Ti-6Al-4V alloy in a butt joint configuration. This research focused on optimization of a tool geometry and the interaction between process parameters and static performance of welded joints. The main parameters varied were tool travel speed and tool rotational speed. The results showed a relationship between heat input as a function of process parameters and static strength. Improved tensile properties correspond to high heat input. The hardness plots revealed an increase in hardness on both the stir zone and heat affected zone despite the small defects on the weld root. The weld microstructure was also evaluated, which showed a variation in microstructure on both the heat affected zone and stir zone in comparison to the parent material. It was also found that the use of MgO as a heat barrier on the backing plate was detrimental to the weld tensile properties of butt-welded plates compared to bead-on-plate welds of which MgO had no influence.

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M. Tech. (Engineering, Industrial, Dept. Industrial Engineering and Operations management, Faculty of Engineering and Technology) Vaal University of Technology| / This research work focused on welded titanium alloy (grade 5) pipes, to ascertain if the weld joints can withstand the immediate and accumulated effects of fluid flow in (industrial) applications. Modeling of welded pipes was done using Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0. The cylindrical pipe models were of 206,375mm inner and 219,075mm outer diameter respectively; made of Ti6Al4V material. Three models were made: one of unwelded pipes, another with a seam weldment and the third with a circumferential weld. The welds were modeled as autogenous gas tungsten arc welding and the models included calculated heat affected zones. The pipes were modeled with a flowing fluid under pressure exerted evenly on all sides of the pipe walls (circumference). The boundary conditions were such that the pipe ends were supported as if the pipe were continuous. Stress and strain analysis on the pipe models were performed by the Finite Element Method using Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0. The results of the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) indicated that stress vary very negligibly along the pipe. A comparison of the FEA modeling results to the analytically determined value of the stress showed very low or zero percentage deviation.

Abstract not available

The strength of thin-walled cylindrical shell structures is highly dependent on the nature and magnitude of imperfections. Most importantly, circumferential imperfections have been reported to have an especially detrimental effect on the buckling resistance of these shells under axial load. Due to the manufacturing techniques commonly used during the erection of steel silos and tanks, specific types of imperfections are introduced into these structures, among them circumferential weld-induced imperfections between strakes of steel plates. The main objective of this thesis was to investigate the exact nature of these circumferential welds and their influence on the buckling resistance of silos and tanks under axial load. The results of a survey of imperfections in existing silos at a location in Port Kembla / Australia (Ding 1992) were used to develop and calibrate a shape function which accurately describes the geometric features of circumferential weld imperfections. It was found that after filtering out the effects of overall imperfections, three parameters governed the shape of the surveyed imperfections: the depth; the wave length; and the roundness. A study on several factors influencing the buckling of silos and tanks was carried out using the finite element method. The interaction between neighbouring circumferential weld imperfections was investigated and it was found that the influence on the buckling behaviour depended on the strake height in relation to the linear meridional bending half wave length and the depth of the imperfection. The strengthening effect of weld-induced residual stress fields for a range of different geometries was also studied, and diagrams were derived giving the influence of the newly developed shape function on the buckling behaviour. A post-buckling analysis was undertaken and a model for the post-buckling behaviour of cylindrical thin-walled shells with circumferential weld imperfections was developed. The methods used for the analysis of thin-walled cylinders were applied in a study on the buckling behaviour of welded box-sections. It was found that weld-induced residual stress fields governed the buckling behaviour of these columns / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Reinforced concrete shear walls as seismic force resisting systems may experience inelastic deformations if subjected to strong seismic excitations. These walls are designed to provide strength, stiffness, energy dissipation capacity and lateral drift control for seismic resistance. Shear wall deformability is largely dependent on adequate confinement of core concrete in boundary elements, prevention of longitudinal bar buckling, as well as proper design and detailing of the web section. Conventional transverse reinforcement placed in shear wall boundary elements consists of hoops, overlapping hoops and crossties, based on the geometry and number of longitudinal bars used. The confinement steel requirement of current building codes (ACI 318 or CSA A23.3) often results in congestion of steel cage due to the high transverse reinforcement ratio required. Placing multiple hoops with 135-degree bends combined with crossties to satisfy the code confinement requirements can create concrete placement and construction problems. In addition, the required time to assemble conventional steel cages with multiple individual ties per spacing can be time consuming, potentially impacting the overall cost and duration of construction. Welded Wire Reinforcement (WWR) is available in the construction industry as concrete reinforcement in the form of welded wire fabric (WWF) manufactured from relatively small diameter wires in comparison to the bar sizes typically used in structural applications. As an alternative to using conventional transverse hoops, prefabricated WWR grids can be used to provide required transverse reinforcement in boundary elements. WWR grids are manufactured using robots to weld cut steel pieces accurately before they are shipped to the job site, resulting in better construction quality and reduced construction time. However, research on the use of WWR is limited in the literature. Further experimental and analytical research is needed to establish design requirements for such reinforcement, especially when used in earthquake resistant construction with requirements for ductile response. The current research project, involved three main phases; i) tests of 3 large-scale reinforced concrete shear walls with WWR grids used as boundary element transverse reinforcement, ii) material tests of grid samples, including those cast in concrete, iii) non-linear finite element analysis. The wall tests were conducted under slowly-applied lateral deformation reversals to investigate their strength and ductility for suitability as seismic resistant structural elements. Material tests were conducted to have a better understanding of WWR behavior, especially their weld capacity. Analytical research was undertaken to expand the experimental findings on shear wall behavior, as well as to conduct parametric investigation to understand the impact of changes in grid strength and ductility. The results indicated that WWR grids can be used as boundary element transverse reinforcement in earthquake resistant shear wall. However, strength and ductility of grids should be established carefully prior to such application. Design strength of WWR grids should be established through burst tests to ensure ductile yielding of wire reinforcement prior to premature weld failure. Those grids that exhibit weld failures may be used with reduced design strength to permit the development of sufficient inelastic deformability in flexure-dominant shear walls.

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