Effect Of Prestress Research Articles

Compaction-induced prestressing effect of geocell reinforcement

The loading and unloading actions of rollers during the construction of geocell-reinforced soil subgrade lead to the compaction of infill materials, which further causes the geocell pockets to expand. Due to the pre-tensioning of the geocells, such responses result in increased lateral confinement of the infill soil prior to the service of the geocell-reinforced soil subgrade. The phenomenon was defined as the Compaction-induced Prestressing Effect (CIPE) in this paper, which was verified through the finite difference method-discrete element method (FDM-DEM) coupling numerical simulations on reinforced subgrade with the aid of FLAC3D and PFC3D software. An equation was proposed to quantitatively describe the influence of CIPE on the initial stiffness of the reinforced subgrade. Furthermore, experiments and numerical simulations were employed to investigate the evolution of Modulus Improvement Factor (MIF) values over time, where the rheological properties of geocells were considered. The findings indicated that geocell sheets experienced a normal deformation of approximately 0.5 mm and tensile strains ranging from 0.17% to 0.21% following vibration compaction. The MIF values ranged from 2 to 6 due to CIPE. When the prestressing strain of the geocell sheet reached 0.1%, the geocell strain stabilized within 300 seconds, with the MIF decreasing by 27.6%.

Wave Propagation in Prestressed Structures with Geometric Nonlinearities Through Carrera Unified Formulation

This paper deals with the analysis of wave propagation characteristics in various prestressed structures with geometric nonlinearities using the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). CUF provides a versatile platform to model a wide range of structures and nonlinearities that can take care of all wave propagation aspects. In this work, different geometric nonlinearities for which representative governing equations have been derived and numerical solutions have been obtained through a unified approach are considered. The study investigates in detail the effect of prestress and geometric nonlinearity on wave propagation behavior. The results indicate that prestress has a very influential effect on modal frequency and dispersion characteristics for wave propagation. Specifically, three CUF-modeled beams are considered herein, having a sandwich, metallic portal, and metallic box cross section, respectively. Initially, the principal cross-sectional modal shapes of the unstressed, linear, and full nonlinear (i.e., full three-dimensional Green–Lagrange strain matrix) beam with a prestress are investigated, among which torsional and flexural modes can be recognized. Afterward, the equilibrium curves of such structures for various geometrical nonlinear approximations are traced, highlighting that most types of nonlinearity induce a hardening behavior in the system, which increases with the preload, directly leading to a variation in modal frequencies. The dispersion relations of the full nonlinear structure examined as a function of the applied preload are further compared, enriching the investigation by exploiting wave finite element method capabilities. This knowledge paves the way toward the design and optimization of prestressed systems with enhanced acoustic performance, and that fosters the development of sound absorption, noise insulation, and structural isolation.

보 단부에 철판을 매립한 PC 콘크리트 보의 실험연구

In this study, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the flexural performance of steel plate embedded beams, in which the steel plate was embedded at the end of the PC beam. From the factory manufacturing stage of the PC beam, the design process of each step in which the construction and finishing loads were applied at completion was reviewed to produce a 12 m span beam. A stud bolt was installed on the embedded steel plate at the end of the beam to ensure adhesion, and the experiment was performed using two specimens with embedded depths of 250 and 450 mm. When the load was removed owing to the pre-stressing effect of the strand, the displacement recovery rate averaged 87.0%, and the stiffness gradually increased even after yielding, exhibiting trilinear behavior that was approximately 1.8 times higher than that of the yield load when the load reached perfect plasticity. Even after the 250-mm test, which was the minimum depth of the steel plate embedment in the beam end, the joint remained in excellent condition, indicating that the bonded steel plate had a minimum depth of 250 mm.

Magnetostrictive assisted free and forced vibration response of layered functionally graded circular plate with effect of prestress

One of the optimization requirements for improving the performance of magnetostrictive materials is prestress, which improves the magnetostriction coefficient. The influence of prestress on the fundamental frequencies and vibration suppression of a smart functionally graded circular plate is examined in the current work. The coupled differential equations regulating the motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle. This paper proposes using Kerr’s foundation as a flexible support structure for the disc braking system assembly. The Dirac-delta function and differential quadrature technique have been used to quantitatively simulate the forced vibration behaviour of a circular plate under moving loads. The accuracy and validity of the method used are tested by comparing numerical results to those that have already been published.

Strength Model for Prestressed Concrete Beams Subjected to Pure Torsion

A torsional strength model for prestressed concrete beams was proposed considering the initial crack angle, principal stress angle, and longitudinal strain, which are affected by the axial stress induced by the effective prestress. The use of the torsional effective thickness was also proposed to calculate the torsional strength of prestressed concrete beams by considering the effect of prestress. The shear element in the torsional member was simplified under the assumption that the principal tensile stress and principal compressive strain were negligible in the ultimate state. The torsional strength was determined when the principal compressive stress or shear stress at the crack surface in the shear element reached the failure criterion according to the multipotential capacity model, which considers concrete crushing and aggregate interlocking as the main resistances to the applied load. The proposed strength model was verified using test specimens collected from existing experimental studies. The proposed model accurately evaluated the torsional strength of prestressed concrete beam specimens, regardless of the key variables of the prestressed concrete specimens, where the mean value of the tested results to the calculated torsional strengths was 1.123, and the corresponding coefficient of variation was 17.7% for 104 prestressed concrete beam specimens, while the ACI 318-19 torsional design method gave the mean and coefficient of variation of 0.880 and 24.3%, respectively.

Progressive collapse resistance of self-resilient composite frames under fire conditions

Self-resilient composite frames exhibit robust resistance to progressive collapse and excellent seismic performance. However, their behavior under fire conditions is inadequately explored. This study investigates the collapse resistance mechanisms and response of self-resilient composite frame substructures (SRCFS) under fire-induced progressive collapse. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed, incorporating temperature-dependent thermal and mechanical properties of concrete and steel. Sequentially coupled thermal-mechanical analysis was conducted using the ABAQUS/Explicit solver in a quasi-static manner. Existing experimental data at both ambient and high temperatures were used to validate the proposed model. The study analyzed the contributions of steel beams and strands to vertical resistance, examining their impact on the collapse-resistance mechanism through a constant load-heating transient loading scheme. Structural responses under ambient and fire conditions were compared, focusing on different damage mechanisms. The effects of initial prestressing of strands, angle gauge length, angle thickness, and various heating curves on collapse resistance were evaluated. Findings suggest that the ISO-834 standard's failure criterion is overly conservative for SRCFS, as it neglects the enhanced load-carrying capacity provided by tensile catenary action. This mechanism offers additional escape time, enhancing personnel safety. The study identifies factors influencing the performance of SRCFS against progressive collapse under fire and proposes design recommendations.

Pre-stress effect of metal bars in low-stress separation technology

This paper proposes a low-stress separation technology based on pre-stress effect. It connects notching and loading to take advantage of the rotating bending fatigue to achieve the cropping of metal bars. The real-time positions of the notching tool and loading hammer are calculated based on energy equivalence theory. Compared to the conventional notching method, it achieves 25.1 % reduction of cutting force in the case of AISI1045 steel bars. A testing platform is set up and the loading curve is designed to meet the requirements of deflection law and fatigue cyclic loading law. The bending stress for the minimum cutting force, crack angle and deviation under different notch parameters, and the reasonable pre-loading of different materials are determined through cropping tests and finite element simulation. Cropping results indicate that the optimized notch angle and depth are 60° and 1.5 mm, respectively.

Bond behaviour of prestressed basalt textile reinforced concrete

Innovative Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) composites, although holding a significant potential, usually have poor performance under serviceability conditions. Addressing this limitation requires applying innovative techniques, such as prestressing, to utilise its potential fully. However, successful design and application of prestressing require a comprehensive understanding of the prestressing effect across scales, including the textile-to-matrix bond behaviour. To address this need, this study investigated the influence of key parameters such as prestressing level, prestressing release time and matrix age on the bond behaviour of basalt textile reinforcement. Test results show a significant influence of prestressing level and release time on textile-matrix bond behaviour. A 1-day prestressing release time resulted in a 25 % increased stiffness with only a 5 % peak load reduction followed by a further 13.7 % increase in the pull-out energy when the prestressing level was 13 %. At 35 % prestress level, 1-day released samples showed a significant reduction of 48.4 % in the peak load and 76 % reduction in the debonding energy. The positive effect of prestressing on the bond behaviour became more evident at prolonged release durations. The 7-day release samples showed a 17.4 % increase in the peak load at both prestress levels. Meanwhile, at 35 % prestress level, 34 % further increase in the debonding energy was observed. The obtained data are then utilised for providing indications on the effect of prestressing on saturated crack spacing of TRC components.

A nonlinear dynamic hysteresis model with magnetic–prestress–thermal coupling effect and dynamic electromagnetic losses of a giant magnetostrictive actuator

Compared with traditional actuators, the giant magnetostrictive actuator has the merits of fast response, high accuracy, and high reliability and has been widely applied. However, its performance is affected by the electromagnetic loss and the temperature, prestress, and magnetic coupling effect. In order to accurately analyze its performance, it is necessary to establish a nonlinear dynamic model including the electromagnetic loss and the magnetic–prestress–thermal coupling effect. First, based on the field separation approach, the magnetic fields generated by the eddy current loss and the anomalous loss are obtained and added to the Jiles–Atherton model. Second, the magnetostrictive model is given with the magnetic–prestress–thermal coupling effect. Finally, assuming the transmission of the giant magnetostrictive actuator as a mass–spring–damper system, a nonlinear dynamic hysteresis model with magnetic–prestress–thermal coupling effect and dynamic electromagnetic losses of a giant magnetostrictive actuator is developed. Based on this model, the output displacement curves of the giant magnetostrictive actuators under different driving currents and frequencies are given. The comparison with the experimental results shows that this model agrees well with the experiment.

Study on prestress distribution and structural performance of heptagonal six-five-strut alternated cable dome with inner hole

The cable dome structure is a highly efficient prestressed space structure with reasonable force, attractive shape, and large spanning capacity. It is increasingly widely used in stadiums, exhibition halls, terminals, and other large-scale public buildings and the roof structure of various transport hub projects. To solve the problem of weak overall structural stability of the traditional cable dome structure, a new type of prestressed space structure is proposed - heptagonal six-five-strut alternated cable dome with an inner hole. The composition of the structural system was given and a theoretical study of the distribution of structural prestress was carried out; based on the symmetry and periodicity conditions, the initial prestress distribution of the structure was accurately calculated using the node balance method, and the formulae for the geometric parameters of the structural cable-strut were derived; the numerical model was established by using the finite element software ANSYS 2022 R1, and the force characteristics of the structure under full-span uniform load, half span uniform live load, wind load, and temperature were studied. The effects of structural prestress, overall shape, and support stiffness, totaling three categories and six parameters, on the structural mechanical performance of the internal force of the member, node displacement, and support reaction force were analysed in detail and the sensitivity of the parameters is assessed quantitatively, accordingly, the values of the main design parameters such as thick-span ratio are given as suggestions. The analysis results show that the new structural system has a high load-carrying capacity and deformation resistance, and its proposal provides a new scheme and new ideas for the selection and design of the cable dome.

A novel multi-step superposition model for the dispersion analysis of multiaxial prestressed plate-like structures

Understanding the dispersion characteristics of multi-axial prestressed plate-like structures is crucial for the engineering application of guided wave non-destructive testing. However, existing analytical and semi-analytical models neglect both constitutive and geometric nonlinearities induced by the prestress and require tedious theoretical derivation and coding, which may not achieve accurate predictions. To address these issues, a convenient model based on the multi-step superposition analysis was proposed to investigate the effects of an arbitrary multiaxial prestress on the dispersion characteristics of plate-like structures. The core idea of this model involves introducing an initial configuration to describe the static pre-deformation between undeformed and final states; then, the dynamic wave motion was superimposed on the initial pre-deformation for the eigenfrequency analysis. Additionally, the strain energy density of the hyperelastic material was implanted and set as the relevant variable between the two steps by the inheritance of the solution. This model significantly improved the accuracy compared to the conventional method, as validated through biaxial acoustoelastic experiments. Subsequently, the acoustoelastic responses of the multiaxial prestressed 6061-T6 aluminum plate were investigated. The results reveal that the non-uniform in-plane prestress leads to the coupling of guided wave modes propagating along non-principal directions. Furthermore, the effects induced by multiaxial prestress in the frequency bands with low dispersion could be decomposed into the sum of the effects induced by three uniaxial prestresses with a very small deviation. This work provides new insights into the acoustoelastic behavior and a theoretical basis to optimize the guided wave mode and frequency.

Fully bonded iron-based shape memory alloy for retrofitting large-scale bridge girders: Thermal and mechanical behavior

This study presents a prestressed retrofitting solution for addressing fatigue issues in large-scale steel girders, employing iron-based shape memory alloy (Fe-SMA) strips and adhesive bonding. A comprehensive study encompassing design, experimental tests, and numerical analysis is conducted to develop and validate the proposed solution. A 4200×100×1.5 mm Fe-SMA strip is fully bonded along its entire surface using a two-component epoxy adhesive to a 5300 mm span steel girder. An activation strategy to prestress the Fe-SMA strip is formulated based on a series of finite element (FE) analyses, entailing successive block-by-block heating using a gas torch. Experimental and numerical studies illuminate the full-range thermal and mechanical behavior of the retrofitted girder throughout the activation process. A FE heat transfer analysis with experimental validation reveals the temperature developments and distributions during activation, highlighting a 160 ℃/mm temperature gradient along the adhesive thickness and longitudinal distributions with localized high temperatures. The mechanical behavior during activation, encompassing the effects of thermal expansion, Fe-SMA prestress, and adhesive softening and re-hardening, is interpreted based on experimental and numerical results, showing the evolutions and distributions of deflections, strains, and Fe-SMA prestresses. Static tests and a high-cycle fatigue test up to 3 million load cycles demonstrate the effectiveness and structural integrity of the proposed retrofitting solution.

In‐situ strain evolution mechanisms within a prestressed carbon composite

AbstractThermal residual stress generated during curing is known to be detrimental to mechanical performance of a carbon composite. Fiber prestressing technique has been developed for decades to counterbalance these negative effects. Although there have been some achievements in development of the prestress mechanisms, these are mainly based on the extrapolations from macroscopic mechanical characterizations, lack of direct evaluation of the in‐situ in‐plane strain or stress evolution mechanisms, in order to reveal the impact induced by different prestressing methods. Here, we investigated the in‐situ strain evolution mechanisms in producing a prestressed carbon composite. Since clamping of the uncured prepreg is the most challenging, both the strain evolutions with and without precured prepreg edges were evaluated to reveal the underlying mechanisms induced by stress relaxation during fiber prestressing. Mechanical tests in terms of Charpy impact and three‐point bending, as well as fractured morphology were carried out to evaluate the prestress effects. The underlying mechanisms were then proposed to reveal the fundamentals in producing a prestressed composite. These are expected to revolutionize industrial production and applications of prestressed polymeric composites, indicating detrimental mechanisms on precuring strip ends following conventional prestress procedures.Highlights There is an optimal prestrain level to maximize properties of a composite. Internal strain development is dependent on the fiber clamping methods. Stress relaxation is beneficial to induce compressive stress within a composite. In‐situ strain evolution mechanics is revealed for prestressed carbon composite.

Experimental and numerical investigations on the acoustoelastic effect in hyperelastic waveguides

Guided ultrasonic wave based structural health monitoring has been of interest over decades. However, the influence of prestress states on the propagation of Lamb waves in thin-walled structures is not fully covered yet. So far experimental work presented in the literature only focuses on a few individual frequencies, which does not allow a comprehensive verification of the numerous numerical investigations. Furthermore, most work is based on the strain-energy density function by Murnaghan. To validate the common modeling approach and to investigate the suitability of other nonlinear strain-energy density functions, an extensive experimental and numerical investigation covering a large frequency range is presented here. The numerical simulation comprises the use of the Neo-Hooke as well as the Murnaghan material model. It is found that these two material models show qualitatively similar results. Furthermore, the comparison with the experimental results reveals that the Neo-Hooke material model reproduces the effect of prestress on the difference in the Lamb wave phase velocity very well in most cases. For the [Formula: see text] wave mode at higher frequencies, however, the sign of this difference is only correctly predicted by the Murnaghan model. In contrast to this, the Murnaghan material model fails to predict the sign change for the [Formula: see text] wave mode.

Flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with gradually prestressed near surface mounted carbon fiber-reinforced polymer strips under static and fatigue loading

The near surface mounted (NSM) carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthening technique, combined with gradually anchored prestressed technique, is utilized to delay the occurrence of concrete cover separation (CCS) and enhance the ductility of reinforced concrete beams. The load-carrying capacity of fully prestressed beams and gradually prestressed beams are investigated under both static and fatigue loading conditions. The study focused on the effect of gradient prestress on flexural behavior of strengthened beams, analyzed the failure mode, characteristic load, ductility, and stress distribution at CFRP-concrete interface under both prestress and load conditions. Results indicate that gradually prestressed beams outperform fully prestressed ones in restraining crack development, delaying yield of tensile reinforcement, improving bearing capacity and avoiding CCS failure. Bearing capacity was significantly increased by up to 35.48%, while ductility was greatly improved by 100.33% with ultimate deflection for gradually prestressed beams compared to fully prestressed ones. The fatigue life of gradually prestressed beams, which experienced a transition from CCS failure mode to fatigue fracture of tensile reinforcement, was significantly extended. Additionally, their ductility at failure was also greatly enhanced, thus confirming the effectiveness of gradually prestressed NSM CFRP strengthening technique.

Research on multi-scale hysteresis constitutive model of giant magnetostrictive materials considering multi-field coupling

The magnetization and magnetostrictive strain of giant magnetostrictive materials exhibit a complex nonlinear trend under the coupling of multiple fields, including magnetic field, temperature field, and prestress field. To enhance prediction accuracy, we propose a three-dimensional magnetic-thermal-force coupled nonlinear multi-scale hysteresis vector model. This model is derived from the principles of thermodynamics and continuum mechanics, taking into account the interactions among magnetic domains, grains, polycrystals, and macroscopic scales. It combines the volume-averaging principle of magnetic domain microscopy with the generalized Jiles-Atherton hysteresis model. The predicted hysteresis magnetization and magnetostrictive strain curves obtained from this model are in good agreement with experimental results. By analyzing the predicted hysteresis magnetization and magnetostrictive strain under different conditions, we demonstrate that our proposed model can comprehensively describe the effects of temperature and prestress on the multi-field coupled hysteresis behaviors of giant magnetostrictive materials. Moreover, it provides theoretical guidance for both macroscopic and microscopic optimization in designing active devices incorporating super magnetostrictive materials.

Study on Mechanical Response Characteristics of Anchor under Dynamic Disturbance

The roadway surrounding rock is often subjected to severe damage under dynamic loading at greater mining depths. To study the dynamic response of prestressed anchors, the damage characteristics of anchor solids with different prestresses and number of impacts under dynamic and static loads were investigated by improving the Hopkinson bar equipment. The effect of prestress on stress wave transmission was obtained, and the laws and reasons for axial force loss under static and dynamic loads were analyzed. The damage characteristics of anchor solids were determined experimentally. The results show that with an increase in prestress from 15 to 30 MPa, the peak value of the stress wave gradually increases and the decay rate gradually decreases. Shear damage occurred at the impact end of the specimen, combined tension and shear damage occurred at the free end, and fracture occurred in the middle. With an increase in the number of impacts, the damage to the anchor solid specimens gradually increased, and the prestressing force gradually decreased. After impact, the axial force of the various prestressed anchor solid specimens gradually increased; however, the anchor bar with a 17 MPa prestressing force had the slowest rate of axial force loss during impact, withstanding a greater number of impacts. In on-site applications, after three explosions, the displacement on both sides of the tunnel supported by 17 MPa prestressed anchor rods could be controlled within 0.3 m, with an average displacement of 206, 240, and 283 mm, respectively, increasing by 16.5% and 17.9%. This study, based on theoretical analysis and laboratory research combined with field application provides guidance for the anchor support of a dynamic loading tunnel.

The Influence of Friction and Twisting Angle on the Tensile Strength of Polypropylene Baling Twine

Polypropylene is a widely used linear hydrocarbon polymer with diverse applications due to its exceptional physicochemical characteristics and minimal changes during the recycling process. Numerous studies have focused on factors influencing the mechanical properties of polypropylene and its application in composites. However, despite their significance in the agricultural industry, there is limited research on polypropylene baling twines. This study analyses the behaviour of polypropylene baling twine under tensile loading, exploring the influence of fibre friction and twisting angle on the material’s tensile strength. Experimental investigation indicated that tensile strength increases with twisting angle, but only until the angle reaches a critical value. Further increase in the twist angle led to a decrease in tensile strength. The increase in tensile strength is attributed to the rise in the coefficient of friction between fibres in the twine. An experimental approach was employed to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of the twine, including the effect of prestressing by twisting. Understanding these characteristics is crucial for enhancing the quality of polypropylene baling twines and optimising their application in the agricultural industry.

Entire mechanical analysis of prestressed CFRP strengthened RC beams under different prestressed introduced methods

In order to clarify the effect of mechanical tensioning and SMA wire heating recovery on introducing prestress into CFRP sheet strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) beams, an experimental research on the bending performance of prestressed CFRP sheet strengthened RC beams was conducted. Based on the test results, a bending carrying capacity model for RC beams externally strengthened with prestressed CFRP sheets was proposed. The model provides calculation methods for the decompression moment, cracking moment, yielding moment, and ultimate moment, corresponding to different failure modes of the RC beams strengthened with externally bonded prestressed CFRP sheets. Four experimental beams were designed to verify the accuracy of the model with the prestresses of 100 MPa and 200 MPa. The results show that during the yield stage and strengthening stage, the loading-unloading stress-strain relationship curves of SMA wire under different prestrains are basically consistent. When the prestrain of SMA wire is 10%, the maximum recovery stress reaches 448.5 MPa. Under the same prestrain conditions, the maximum recovery stress of CFRP sheets was reduced by 37.8–39.5% when the prestress was introduced through heating recovery of SMA wires. The failure mode of mechanically tensioned prestressed CFRP sheet strengthened beams is the CFRP sheet debonding caused by mid-span bending cracks, while the failure mode of strengthened beams with prestressed CFRP sheet by SMA wire heating recovery is the CFRP sheet end debonding. The cracking moment and yield moment of the strengthened beams are significantly increased by two methods of introducing prestressing. The stiffness improvement of mechanically tensioned prestressed CFRP sheet strengthened beam is relatively large. While, the prestressed CFRP sheet strengthened beam by SMA wire heating recovery gradually experience end peeling failure of the CFRP sheet, and the prestressing effect does not effectively limit the development of cracks, resulting in limited stiffness improvement. The calculation results are in good agreement with the experimental results, proving that the proposed method for analyzing the entire bending process can be used to predict the bending mechanical properties of the prestressed CFRP sheet strengthened beams.

Effects of prestress in the coating of an elastic disk

An elastic disk is coated with an elastic rod, uniformly prestressed with a tensile or compressive axial force. The prestress state is assumed to be induced by three different models of external radial load or by ‘shrink-fit’ forcing the coating onto the disk. The prestressed coating/disk system, when loaded with an additional and arbitrary incremental external load, experiences incremental displacement, strain, and stress, which are solved via complex potentials. The analysis incorporates models for both perfect and imperfect bonding at the coating/disk interface. The derived solution highlights the significant influence not only of the prestress but also of the method employed to generate it. These two factors lead, in different ways, to a loss or an increase in incremental stiffness for compressive or tensile prestress. The first bifurcation load of the structure (which differs for different prestress generations) is determined in a perturbative way. The results emphasize the importance of modelling the load and may find applications in flexible electronics and robot arms subject to pressure or uniformly-distributed radial forces.