Local wave propagation analysis in concrete-filled steel tubes with spectral element method using absorbing layers – Part II: Application in coupling system

Abstract

In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) time domain spectral element method (SEM) is developed for concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) and piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patches coupling system, where the piezoelectric and inverse piezoelectric effect of PZT actuator and sensor and their coupling effect with CFST are considered. The local wave field and the response of the embedded PZT sensor was numerically studied in a substructure of the CFST coupled with PZT patches and surrounded by absorbing layers with increasing damping (ALID) and the performance of the ALID in attenuating wave reflection at boundaries of the coupling substructure model is further investigated. Then, numerical simulation on the effect of interface debonding defect on local wave propagation within the coupling substructure model surrounded by the designed ALID was carried out. By comparing the displacement-based wave fields and the response of the embedded PZT sensor within the substructure, the effect of interface debonding defect on the wave propagation along the steel tube and in the concrete core, and the time history of the response voltage of the embedded PZT sensor is investigated in detail. Numerical results show that interface debonding defects in the substructure leads to changes in the wave propagation path, the local wave field, the time duration of wave travelling to the embedded PZT sensor from the PZT actuator mounted on the surface of the steel tube of CFST, as well as response voltage of the embedded PZT sensor. In addition, PZT sensor measurement is sensitive to the length of interface debonding defects but insensitive to their depth. SEM for the coupling substructure model with ALID instead of the model of whole cross section of CFST provides an efficient way to simulate the local elastic wave propagation for understanding the mechanism of the interface debonding defects detection approach based on wave measurement.