An experimental program was conducted at the Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory of The University of Texas at Austin, under the auspices of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Research Project 5831, to investigate the tensile stresses that develop in the end regions of pretensioned concrete U-beams at transfer of prestress. Understanding the effect of these “bursting” and “spalling” stresses is essential in order to design standard details that might lead to reliably-serviceable end regions. Two full-scale beam specimens, designed to be worst-case scenarios for bursting and spalling, were fabricated. Each beam had one square and one highly skewed end. Extensive instrumentation, including strain gages on transverse and lateral reinforcing bars, was employed in the end regions of these U-beams. Experimentally determined bursting and spalling stresses in these bars were compared to results of past projects (from the literature) investigating I-beams and inverted T-beams. Preliminary recommendations are made for changes in the standard reinforcing details for U-beam end regions. Such recommended details will be tested in the upcoming phase of Research Project 5831. / text

<div> <p>Due to harsh environmental conditions, the deterioration of prestressed concrete bridge girders is a commonly observed phenomenon in Indiana and much of the Midwest. Concordantly, one widely observed damage scenario is deteriorated end regions of prestressed concrete girders. Damaged or failed expansion joints expose prestressed concrete girder end regions to chloride-laden water, resulting in a corrosive environment in which reinforcement section loss and concrete spalling can occur. For bridges experiencing this type of deterioration, action is needed to ensure the structure remains safe and serviceable. As such, an experimental program was developed to investigate the effectiveness of three repair techniques in restoring the structural behavior of prestressed concrete bridge girders with end region deterioration. The three examined repair techniques are (i) an externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) system, (ii) a near-surface-mounted (NSM) FRP system, and (iii) a concrete supplemental diaphragm. Additionally, installation procedures for the three end region repair techniques were developed. Results, conclusions, and recommendations from the experimental program are presented to help advise best practices for implementing end region repair techniques in the field. </p> </div> <br>

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre des études des phénomènes électromagnétiques dansles régions frontales des grands turbo-générateurs. L’objectif de la thèse est d’estimer apriori le champ magnétique axial en fonction du point de fonctionnement afin d’éviterles possibles dégradations du circuit magnétique (dus aux points chauds et tensions entretôles, qui sont liés à la composante axiale du champ).Une maquette à échelle réelle a été spécialement conçue et réalisée dans le but d’améliorerla compréhension physique des phénomènes : les pertes, la pénétration du champ magnétiqueet les tensions entre tôles sont analysés.Les simulations par éléments finis sont ensuite utilisées : les avantages et inconvénientsseront discutés, ainsi qu’une comparaison critique des résultats par rapport aux mesuresexpérimentales sur la maquette. La région frontale d’un turbo-alternateur est aussi entièrementmodélisée.Enfin, un modèle simple du flux axial est développé. Ses coefficients sont déterminés àl’aide de simulations par éléments finis, mais il peut ensuite être utilisé en temps réel afind’estimer le flux axial correspondant à un point de fonctionnement quelconque. / This work aims to improve the knowledge of electromagnetic phenomena that occurin the end region of large turbo-generators. The goal of this work is to evaluate theaxial magnetic flux density with regard to the operating conditions (such as active orreactive power) in order to prevent potential deterioration of the stator. Indeed, the axialmagnetic field is known to induce hot points or voltages between laminations that maycause insulation breakdown and thus stator faults.An experimental apparatus in real scale has been designed and built. Its purpose is tostudy precisely the following phenomena: losses, axial magnetic flux density penetration,voltage across adjacent voltages.Finite element simulations (FEM) are also used: their advantages and drawbacks arediscussed, and the results are compared with the experimental measures. The wholeend-region of a turbo-generator is also simulated.Finally, a simple model of the axial magnetic flux is proposed. Its parameters are basedon the results of the FEM model, but it may be used in real time to evaluate the axialmagnetic flux density of any operating point.