Metal fatigue is a recurring problem for metallurgists and materials engineers, especially in structural applications. It has been responsible for many disastrous accidents and tragedies in history. Understanding the micro-mechanisms during cyclic deformation and combating fatigue failure has remained a grand challenge. Environmental effects, like temperature or a corrosive medium, further worsen and complicate the problem. Ultimate design against fatigue must come from a materials perspective with a fundamental understanding of the interaction of microstructural features with dislocations, under the influence of stress, temperature, and other factors. This research endeavors to contribute to the current understanding of the fatigue failure mechanisms. Cast aluminum alloys are susceptible to fatigue failure due to the presence of defects in the microstructure like casting porosities, non-metallic inclusions, non-uniform distribution of secondary phases, etc. Friction stir processing (FSP), an emerging solid state processing technique, is an effective tool to refine and homogenize the cast microstructure of an alloy. In this work, the effect of FSP on the microstructure of an A356 cast aluminum alloy, and the resulting effect on its tensile and fatigue behavior have been studied. The main focus is on crack initiation and propagation mechanisms, and how stage I and stage II cracks interact with the different microstructural features. Three unique microstructural conditions have been tested for fatigue performance at room temperature, 150 °C and 200 °C. Detailed fractography has been performed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD). These tools have also been utilized to characterize microstructural aspects like grain size, eutectic silicon particle size and distribution. Cyclic deformation at low temperatures is very sensitive to the microstructural distribution in this alloy. The findings from the room temperature fatigue tests highlight the important role played by persistent slip bands (PSBs) in fatigue crack initiation. At room temperature, cracks initiate along PSBs in the absence of other defects/stress risers, and grow transgranularly. Their propagation is retarded when they encounter grain boundaries. Another major finding is the complete transition of the mode of fatigue cracking from transgranular to intergranular, at 200 °C. This occurs when PSBs form in adjacent grains and impinge on grain boundaries, raising the stress concentration at these locations. This initiates cracks along the grain boundaries. At these temperatures, cyclic deformation is no longer microstructure- dependent. Grain boundaries don’t impede the progress of cracks, instead aid in their propagation. This work has extended the current understanding of fatigue cracking mechanisms in A356 Al alloys to elevated temperatures.

The subject of the submitted work is the experimental and theoretical investigation of composite slabs. The work also deals with creation of numerical models of composite slabs. The design of a new type of steel sheeting for composite slab according to nowadays standards requires full scale laboratory bending tests. An alternative to the bending tests are the small scale shear tests. The small scale shear tests as well as corresponding design methods have already been investigated by many researchers. Therefore several test arrangements and corresponding design methods can be found in literature but none of them is included in standards yet. The submitted thesis describes three of the alternative design methods: Slip- Block Test, Simplified Method and Built-up Bars. The test arrangement is proposed to be usable in all these methods. The small scale shear test have been performed in laboratory in several modifications. The results were used to calculate the bending resistance of the slab by the alternative design methods. The calculated bending resistances were mutually compared, compared with the performed bending tests resistances and the resistances by the methods described in Eurocode: m-k method and partial connection method. A sensitivity studies of the input parameters in alternative design methods are presented as well. The optimal design method for use in practice was searched and recommended based on the performed studies, accuracy and laboriousness of the methods. The shear tests were used also to measure longitudinal shear resistance of the additional shear anchors. The alternative design methods were used to predict bending resistance of the slab using these anchors and the results were compared. The numerical simulation of the composite action of the slab by the finite element methods is modelled in Atena software. The models serves to perform parametrical studies and to better understand of the behaviour of the slab in partial composite action.

No description available.

駆動プーリ上の回転変動が金属Vベルトを介して従動プーリへと伝達される際には，摩擦力が飽和状態に近づくにつれ，従動プーリへ伝達される回転変動は減衰する．この回転変動の変化に着目して滑り状態を指標化した． / When fluctuations in the speed of rotation of the drive pulley are transmitted to the driven pulley via the metal V-belt, the transmitted fluctuations become attenuated as friction force approaches a state of saturation. The research discussed in this paper focused on these fluctuations in the speed of rotation and developed an index for the slip state between the belt and the pulleys. / 博士(工学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

This dissertation focuses on the active tectonics of Afghanistan|slip-rate estimation of the Chaman fault and assessing seismic hazard in the Kabul basin. Afghanistan is a tectonically complex zone developed as a result of the collision between the Eurasian plate and the Indian plate to the southeast and the Arabian plate to the south. For seismic hazard mitigation, there is no large-scale active fault map in Afghanistan. I, therefore, mapped active and presumed active faults mainly based on interpretation of 1-arcsecond SRTM anaglyph images, and calculate the slip rate of the Chaman fautl based on 10Be TCN dating. / 博士(理学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Science / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

No description available.

Der Verbundwerkstoff Stahlbeton zeichnet sich durch das effektive Zusammenwirken seiner beiden Einzelkomponenten Stahl und Beton aus. Dieses wiederum kann nur durch ausreichend gute Verbundbedingungen zwischen beiden Baustoffen gewährleistet werden. Die Verbundeigenschaften werden von zahlreichen Faktoren beeinflusst, zu denen u.a. die Oberflächenprofilierung des Stahls, die Betonfestigkeit und die Umschnürungswirkung durch den umgebenden Beton oder eine Querbewehrung zählen. Auch eine quer zum Stab angreifende Belastung kann einen erheblichen Einfluss auf den Verbundmechanismus und die Verbundversagensart haben. Bei Stahlbetonbauteilen unter einer zweiaxialen Zugbelastung, wie sie z.B. in Behälterwänden oder zweiachsig gespannten Platten auftritt, unterliegt die Bewehrung sowohl einer Längszug- als auch einer Querzugbeanspruchung. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der Einfluss einer Querzugbelastung auf das Verbundverhalten zwischen Rippenstählen und Normalbeton mit Hilfe von würfelförmigen Ausziehkörpern mit einer kurzen Verbundlänge untersucht. Dabei lag das Querzugniveau stets unterhalb der Risslast des Betons, so dass keine Risse entlang des einbetonierten Stabes auftraten. Neben der Höhe der Querzugbelastung wurden im Versuchsprogramm die Betonfestigkeit, der Stabdurchmesser und die Betondeckung variiert. Anhand der Versuchsergebnisse konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich auch unter einer Querzugbelastung der Verlauf der Verbundspannungs-Schlupf-Beziehung nicht ändert. Die Art des Verbundversagens wird jedoch maßgeblich durch den Querzug beeinflusst, welcher ein Spaltbruchversagen in jedem Fall begünstigt. Mit steigendem Querzug tritt auch bei großen Betondeckungen statt eines Ausziehversagens ein Spaltbruchversagen ein. Mittels des vorgeschlagenen Berechnungsmodells können in Abhängigkeit des Querzugniveaus und der Größe der Betondeckung Grenzlinien für den Wechsel im Verbundversagensmodus bestimmt werden. Hierbei wurde ebenfalls der Einfluss der Probekörpergeometrie auf die Versuchsergebnisse in die Berechnung einbezogen, so dass die angegebenen Grenzlinien auch für reale Einbettungslängen der Bewehrung gelten. Weiterhin wurde anhand der Versuchsdaten sowie eines Datensatzes aus der Literatur ein Verbundmodell für kurze Verbundlängen entwickelt, das den Einfluss der bezogenen Rippenfläche der Bewehrung und der Betonfestigkeit sowohl auf die Verbundspannungen als auch auf die zugehörigen Schlupfwerte berücksichtigt. Über einen zusätzlichen Datensatz zum Einfluss der Verbundlänge im Ausziehversuch konnte ebenfalls die Abhängigkeit zwischen den mittleren Verbundspannungen, den zugehörigen Schlupfwerten und der Verbundlänge spezifiziert werden. Somit ist eine Übertragbarkeit der Ergebnisse von Ausziehversuchen mit kurzen Verbundlängen auf eine reale Einbettungslänge im Bauteil möglich. Für die Bemessung von Stahlbetonkonstruktionen in den Grenzzuständen der Tragfähigkeit und der Gebrauchstauglichkeit erfolgt die Ableitung geeigneter Verformungskriterien für die Relativverschiebung zwischen Betonstahl und Beton und deren Verifizierung an Versuchsdaten aus der Literatur. Die aufgestellten Verformungskriterien in Abhängigkeit der Stahlspannung erlauben eine direkte Ermittlung bemessungsrelevanter Verbundspannungen anhand experimenteller Ausziehversuche. Die Berücksichtigung einer Querzugbelastung ist dabei in allen vorgestellten Berechnungsansätzen ebenfalls möglich. / Reinforced concrete as composite material is characterised by an effective interaction of its individual components reinforcing steel and concrete. This only can be assured by adequate bond conditions between these two materials. The bond quality is influenced by a wide range of parameters, amongst others including the rib geometry of the bar, the concrete strength and the confining action by the surrounding concrete or transverse reinforcement. Moreover loads, which act transverse to the reinforcing bar, can influence the bond mechanism and the bond failure mode significantly. Reinforced concrete structures, such as containment walls or two-way slabs, are often exposed to multiaxial loading conditions. In case of biaxial tensile stresses, reinforcement and surrounding concrete are loaded in tension in longitudinal as well as in transverse direction. An extensive experimental program was carried out in order to investigate the bond behaviour between reinforcing steel and normal strength concrete due to transverse tension. Cubic-shaped pullout specimens with a short bond length were used. The transverse tension level remained always below the cracking stress of concrete, meaning that no crack occurred along the pullout bar. The test program contained the variation of the transverse tension level, the concrete strength, the bar diameter and the concrete cover. From the test results no systematic influence of the transverse tension level on the shape of the bond stress-slip-relationship can be detected. The bond failure mode is significantly influenced by transverse tension, which promotes splitting failure. The higher the transverse tension level, even for high concrete covers, splitting failure occurs instead of pulling out the bar. From the test results, a failure criterion depending on the concrete cover and the transverse tension level could be determined, which indicates the failure mode and corresponding bond stress. For this purpose, the influence of the specimen geometry on the test results was considered, which results in a failure criterion that is also valid for real embedment lengths of the reinforcement. Furthermore, a bond model for short bond lengths has been developed, based on the test results and a dataset from literature. The model considers the influence of the related rib area of the reinforcing bar and the concrete strength on the bond stresses as well as on the corresponding slip values. By an additional dataset concerning the influence of bond length in pullout tests, the bond stresses and corresponding slip values could be specified as a function of the bond length. Therefore, the test results of pullout test with short bond lengths are transferable to real embedment lengths in structural elements. For the structural design of reinforced concrete elements in the ultimate and serviceability limit states, appli\\-cable deformation criterions concerning the relative displacement between reinforcing steel and concrete has been derived and verified by test data from literature. By means of the developed deformations criterions dependent on the steel stress, design bond stresses can be determined directly from experimental pullout tests. The consideration of transverse tensile loads is also possible for all presented design formulas.

No description available.

This thesis presents elliptical rolling contact joints as an alternative to circular rolling contact and conventional revolute joints where high quality force transmission "low friction and backlash" with variable output are desired. Parameters specific to the joint and its position are developed in terms of relative link angles and elliptical surface geometry. These parameters are used to generate the basic forward kinematics for elliptical rolling link toggle mechanisms with oscillatory motion and high mechanical advantage. As large compressive loads are characteristic of such mechanisms, stress conditions are identified and principles for joint stability with variable, precision outputs are discussed. Finally, application is made to self-adjusting passive force closures with a case study of the MUSCLE Brake (Multi-toggle Self-adjusting Connecting-Linked Electromechanical) disc brake caliper. Elliptical rolling contact joints are shown to offer several benefits over circular rolling contact, including: reduced Hertz contact stresses and flexure bending stresses, variable output velocity, maximum use of contact interface by distributing small rotations across surfaces of small curvature, reduced forces on stabilizing members, increased mechanical advantage due to eccentricity, and no-slip pure rolling provided exclusively by connecting links (or flexures) without the need for gear teeth or friction.

No description available.