Shear Failure Research Articles

Bonding strength of short carbon fiber reinforced PA6 composites ultrasonic welding joints

AbstractShort carbon fiber composites have high specific modulus, high specific strength and excellent formability, which are suitable for short‐term and environmentally friendly ultrasonic welding. In this study, ultrasonic welding experiments were conducted on short carbon fiber reinforced PA6 composites using a servo‐driven non‐metallic ultrasonic welder. The weld specimens were analyzed for spot weld morphologies, interfacial bonding strength, failure modes and compressive shear fracture to establish the correlation between weld energy and weld quality. The results indicate that when the welding energy is 450 J, the short carbon fibers are interlaced at the interface, which has a pinning effect, thereby enhancing the joint strength reaching 2990 N, and the welding efficiency reaches 46%. Besides, the compressive shear section is divided into regions. The proportion of heat and area in different compressive shear regions are quantitatively analyzed, and the calculation model of joint strength is proposed. Meanwhile, the correlation between welding energy and its correlation, as well as three different shear failure modes, is obtained. This work is helpful for the optimization of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) ultrasonic welding process parameters and the evaluation of joint strength.Highlights A special fixture for ultrasonic welding was designed to optimize the welding energy process of ultrasonic welding CFRTP, and the properties of ultrasonic welded joints were analyzed. When the welding energy is 450 J, a high shear strength welded joint of 2990 N was successfully prepared. The shear fracture of the welded joint was successfully obtained by designing a special clamp for compression shearing. The welding area was qualitatively divided according to the temperature measurement results of the interface center. In addition, the heat and area ratio of different zones in the compression‐shearing area under different welding energy were quantitatively analyzed, and the calculation model of joint strength was proposed. At the same time, the welding energy and its correlation, as well as three different shear failure modes were obtained. The short fiber distribution characterization and pores effect on the joint's strength were analyzed. The appearance of porosity defects has a significant weakening effect on the welded joint.

Asymmetric deformation and failure behavior of roadway subjected to different principal stress based on biaxial tests

The magnitude and direction of stress will affect the failure of roadway. The impact of stress magnitude and direction on roadway failure was investigated using a rock failure system equipped with true triaxial loading, acoustic emission (AE), and digital image correlation (DIC) technologies. The system allowed for the simulation of rock sample failures under various three-dimensional stress conditions, while real-time monitoring was conducted using a high-precision microseismic system. By prefabricating rectangular holes at different angles in sandstone specimens, roadways under different stress effects in engineering can be simulated. Biaxial loading tests were then performed on these prefabricated sandstone cube specimens to observe external fracture characteristics and internal fracture information using acoustic emission equipment. The peak strength of samples with holes is approximately 38–56% of that of intact samples. In the early and middle loading stages, the strain on the surface is on the order of 10-3. In the later loading stage, the strain on the surface is on the order of 10-2. The findings indicate that roadway failure primarily involves local particle ejection, fragment spalling, large-scale particle ejection, plate crack buckling, and eventual failure. The ultimate failure mode varies based on stress deflection angles: with no included angle, the roadway exhibits a ’V’ shaped failure zone on both sides, predominantly experiencing tensile failure. At included angles of 30°, 45°, and 60° between stress and roadway axis, the roadway displays a “—” failure pattern along the diagonal, characterized by a combination of tension and shear failure. The extension angle of the“—” failure zone varies depending on the stress deflection angle. At a 90° included angle, the roadway shows a ’V’ shaped failure in the roof and floor, primarily undergoing tensile failure. Real-time monitoring of the strain field evolution around the roadway during failure using DIC method revealed valuable insights. AE events at different deflection angles reflect the progression of micro cracks in the specimen, showing a strong correlation with macro failure. The research outcomes elucidate the mechanisms behind various forms of roadway failure induced by stress deflection and shed light on the failure mechanism at different stress deflection angles.

Effects of openings on postbuckling behavior of large‐size composite C‐beam under bending‐shear coupling load

AbstractProper design and accurate mechanical assessment of composite C‐beam after opening are of great importance in structure engineering. This paper aims to experimentally and analytically investigate the postbuckling response of large‐size C‐beam with web opening under bending‐shear coupling load. New specimen with four different open shapes were designed and tested. Strain gauges and displacement measurements were applied to monitor its buckling behavior, strain field distribution and critical failure load. Four specimens with various openings were loaded until catastrophic failure occurred. Additionally, an analytical model was introduced to predict the residual strength of circular opening. The results indicate that while the presence of an opening significantly decreases the load carrying capacity, it has minimal effect on the bending stiffness. Compared with intact specimen, the initial delamination, buckling and ultimate strength of the circular opening decreases less than those of the rectangular opening. By altering the position of the rectangular opening, improvements can be made in terms of initial delamination resistance and buckling load; however, ultimate strength remains largely unaffected. Reinforcing the edge of an opening further reduces resistance to initial delamination but other two indicators are improved. Overall, from buckling to failure stages, post‐buckling bearing capacity after opening decreases by 40%. Moreover, the shear failure mode is observed during catastrophic failures. And the analysis method employed is relatively conservative.Highlights Ten large size composite C beams are conducted under coupling loads. Deformation, strain distribution and failure mode are presented. Influence of openings on postbuckling behavior of beam is analyzed. An analysis method is employed to predict the residual strength of beam. It could provide valuable insights for assisting in designing beam openings.

Flexural behavior of UHPC wet joints for precast bridge deck panels

Over the past decade or so, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been increasingly used for wet joints of bridge deck panels (BDPs) in bridge superstructures. To evaluate the flexural performance of UHPC wet joints for precast bridge deck panels, a total of seven BDPs were designed, including one monolithic cast-in-place bridge deck panel (MCIPBDP), one precast bridge deck panel (PBDP) with NC wet joints, and five precast bridge deck panels (PBDPs) with UHPC wet joints. The design parameters included reinforcement types (straight bars and U-bars), U-bar lap details (contact lap splice and non-contact lap splice), filling materials (UHPC and NC), and joint widths (150 mm, 200 mm, 250 mm, and 500 mm). Three-point bending tests were performed to evaluate the flexural performance based on the failure mode, load-deflection curve, cracking width in the wet joint region, and stiffness degradation. The experimental results showed that it is feasible to replace 500-mm-width NC wet joints with 200-mm-width UHPC wet joints for PBDPs with U-bars. UHPC wet joints, with a width of 250 mm, effectively prevented straight bars from slipping. As the width of UHPC wet joints decreased, the failure mode shifted from shear failure to bending failure. In addition, the cohesion-friction hybrid model was proposed to simulate the behavior of joint interfaces. The FE analysis results demonstrated that the FE model and modeling method have high accuracy and general applicability. Finally, the flexural capacity calculation formula was developed according to the strut-and-tie model. The theoretical calculation results were in good agreement with test results.

Contribution to the design of prestressed hollow core purlins without transverse reinforcement

AbstractThe hollow core purlin is a structural element resulting from the sectioning of hollow core slabs into two ribs. This component can be classified as a prestressed hollow core beam without transverse reinforcement. Although this solution offers potential for increasing the productivity of precast concrete element factories, it currently lacks normative guidelines due to the high risk of shear failure. The aim of this study is to highlight an equation to underpin the design of hollow core purlins based on experimental verification. To achieve this objective, six samples of hollow core purlins were analyzed. Initially, the manufacturing characteristics and cross‐sectional geometry of each piece were observed to gather data on the production process. Subsequently, positive bending tests were conducted to characterize stiffness and determine the effective mean tensile strength. Later, shear strength tests were performed to identify the failure mechanisms of the elements. In parallel, the prestressing forces, stiffness, tensile strength, cracking moment, calculated shear strength using the flexural‐shear mechanism, and verification of shear strength due to diagonal tension were computed based on concrete compressive strength values and data provided by the manufacturer. Finally, the experimental values obtained were compared with the theoretical calculated values to establish a correlation that highlights the calculation procedure that best represents the behavior of the studied elements.

Investigation of scale effects of rock bridges based on Multi-Physical field monitoring

The presence of rock bridges is crucial for ensuring the stability of rock slopes. However, evaluating the mechanical properties of rock bridges solely based on the joint persistence coefficient (K) raises doubts due to potential variations in the scales of rock bridges within a rock mass with a constant K value. In this study, direct shear tests with different scales were carried out on sandstone specimens. Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques were utilized to monitor the damage procession of the specimens. The evolution process of the specimen was divided into stages and three threshold points were determined based on AE parameters. As the scale decreased, the Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) increased, the tensile failure increased, and the shear failure decreased. As the normal stress increased, the JRC with the same scale decreased, the tensile failure decreased, and the shear failure increased. The change of fracture mechanism was the primary reason for the strength deterioration with decreasing scales. The decrease of the scale was not conducive to the failure prediction. By improving the rock bridge failure potential (RBP) index, the proposed RBPn index could appropriately characterize scale effects under different normal stresses.

Seismic performance of precast concrete shear wall with treatments of connecting reinforcement defects in grouted sleeves under combined axial tension and cyclic horizontal load

With the purpose of investigating the influence of connecting reinforcement defect in grouted sleeves and corresponding strengthening schemes on the seismic performance of precast concrete shear walls under combined in-plane axial tension and cyclic horizontal load, four full-scale precast concrete shear wall specimens and one monolithically cast-in-place concrete shear wall specimen as a reference, were designed and tested. The seismic performance, including failure mode, seismic load bearing capacity, ductility, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity, of all specimens were selectively emphasized. The test results revealed that under combined axial tension and cyclic horizontal load, the precast shear wall with reliable connecting via grouted sleeves technology would achieve the satisfactory seismic performance, approximately parallel to that of monolithically cast-in-place shear wall. However, the ultimate seismic load bearing capacity and ultimate deformation of precast shear wall with reinforcement connection defect in grouted sleeves decreased by around 44.1%, 171.6% respectively, compared with that of precast shear wall with reliable connecting via grouted sleeves. In terms of strengthening specimens, the seismic load bearing capacity, peak deformation, flexural stiffness and energy dissipation basically recovered to the identical level of seismic performance with monolithical shear wall under coupling action of axial tension and cyclic horizontal load. Differently, the post-peak deformation ability of strengthening specimens severely decreased due to the stress concentration and further premature fracture of steel rebars resulting from the presence of UHPC in strengthening region. Finally, the portion of shear deformation and failure mechanism of precast concrete shear walls with reinforcement defect in grouted sleeves, and those employing different strengthening schemes were well discussed and analyzed under coupling action of axial tension and cyclic horizontal load as well.

Evaluation of CO2 Leakage Potential through Fault Instability in CO2 Geological Sequestration by Coupled THMC Modelling

A faulted saline aquifer system was simulated in a coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) framework to examine the potential breaching of the caprock seal from long-term CO2 sequestration. The pH of the brines steadily dropped from 7.5 to 4.7 due to the continuous injection of scCO2 (supercritical CO2), which was caused by the rapid dissolution of calcite in the reservoir and associated fault zones, alongside alterations in the concentrations of primary and secondary minerals within the formation. The increase in pore pressure with the continuous injection of scCO2 triggered fault reactivation at 6y with the resultant leakage of CO2 along the fault. This builds CO2 saturation inside the fault at 7y to six-fold higher than pre-slip. Continuing shear reactivation and creation of reactive surface area following the initial CO2 leakage accelerates dissolution/precipitation reactions, in turn further increasing porosity and permeability of the reservoir and fault. In particular, the permeability and porosity in the fault zone were increased by only 2% and 6%, respectively – staunched by competitive feedbacks in dissolution countered by precipitation that are individually much larger. Comparison of mineral concentrations adjacent to the fault before-and-after instability revealed that the development of shear failure also promotes the transport of reactivated minerals into the fault zone. Among them, feldspar changes most significantly in later stages, dominated by dissolution with the volume fraction decreasing by 80% and increasing the aqueous concentration of K+ by approximately an order of magnitude. However, secondary minerals counter this dissolution through precipitation with the volume fraction of kaolinite increasing by an order of magnitude compared with the original fraction. Finally, the evolution of the fault sealing coefficient (FS) demonstrates that the porosity and permeability exert a pivotal influence in controlling the self-sealing behavior in the basal of the fault, while the upper fault layer exhibits self-enhancing response. A notable observation is that changes in mineral ion concentrations in fault zones could be applied as a significant diagnostic signal to monitor fault stability and the potential for progress of self-sealing behavior.

Anti-plane Yoffe-type crack in flexoelectric material

This work investigates the deformation and polarization fields around a finite anti-plane shear (mode III) crack growing dynamically under steady-state conditions. The leading tip of this finite crack breaks the material while the trailing tip heals it. This fast moving finite crack (referred to as a rupture “pulse” in the geophysics literature) propagates with a constant velocity and with the mechanical and the electrical fields that remain invariant with respect to an observer moving with the crack-tips. This problem belongs to the first type of steady state crack growth problems according to the classification of Freund. The “prototype” problem which refers to an isotropic, body subjected to fracture under tensile loading was first proposed and solved by Yoffe, while finite cracks (or shear pulses) were also analyzed by Freund and by Rice. In the above cases the material was assumed to be linear elastic. Our analysis extends these studies to flexoelectric materials, and it is both theoretical and numerical. It discusses the asymptotic structure of the crack-tip displacement and the polarization fields; it calculates the dynamic energy release rate and presents their dependence on crack-tip velocity. Comparisons are made to the available, classical, elasto-dynamic solutions and to the static case. The influence of the electrical properties of the material on strengthening is also analyzed. Dynamic fracture of flexoelectric materials is of relevance to both the study of earthquake source mechanics and to the analysis of the reliability of micro-electronic devices. This is because both rocks and ceramics are flexoelectric. Indeed, during earthquake rupture processes, dynamic, in-plane shear (Mode-II) and out of plane shear (Mode-III), cracks propagate along faults and exhibit both mechanical and electrical polarization signatures. At an entirely different length scale, flexoelectric ceramics are currently used as sensors and transducers and can experience dynamic shear failure along interfaces when subjected to dynamic loading (e.g. impact.). Failure by dynamic fracture can be detrimental to both their mechanical reliability and electrical functionality.

Experimental and numerical simulation of seismic behavior of reinforced concrete frames infilled with refractory straw blocks

Recent earthquakes have highlighted the vulnerability of infilled reinforced concrete structures due to the insufficient consideration of infill masonry walls' contribution to strength and stiffness. This study presents a novel refractory straw block (RSB) designed to address these challenges and improve the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) frames. Unlike traditional infills, RSB is characterized by low-elastic-modulus, low-density, and high-ductility. Quasi-static tests were performed on three types of frames: unfilled, infilled hollow grouted bricks (HGB), and infilled RSBs. Failure model, stiffness, and load-displacement response of three specimens were investigated and analyzed. The results indicate that RSBs as infill material does not alter the failure mode and constitutive relationship of bare frame, while HGBs leads to shear failure. The peak load for the specimen IF-HGB was 69.3 kN at 1.1 % drift, compared to 38.8 kN at 2.4 % drift for the specimen IF-RSB, and 36.4 kN at 2.0 % drift for the specimen BF. The strengths of specimens IF-HGB and IF-RSB were 1.90 and 1.07 times that of specimen BF, respectively. The stiffness of specimen IF-HGB was 3.7 times that of the other specimens, but its allowable displacement was only 61 % of theirs. Dynamic time-history analyses were also performed on structures with no longitudinal infill (BF), with RSBs (SBF), and with fired bricks (FBF). At the design level of rare events (magnitude 8, PGA 400 gal), severe damage occurred, but collapse was limited. When the PGA increased further, the collapse probability of model FBF rose rapidly, whereas the collapse probabilities of models SBF and BF remained low and similar. Accounting for the confining effect of walls, model FBF showed a higher probability of severe damage than models SBF and BF, particularly under minor earthquakes. The maximum inter-storey drift ratio of the model SBF and FBF were respectively 1.2 times and 1.7 times that of the model BF, which shows that straw blocks as infill can greatly avoid the effect of infill on the seismic behavior of the structure. The study also emphasized the often-overlooked confining effect of masonry on columns, which can lead to unrealistic damage assessments and seismic shear force distributions.

Investigating the Response Mechanism of Vertical Concrete Structures to Alternating Horizontal and Lateral Loads

The improper performance of columns in concrete buildings designed and built in the past years has caused concern and attention to their vulnerability to collapse. The investigation of the damages caused to the structures after various earthquakes and the research conducted during these years have caused changes in the design practices to achieve ductile behavior in the columns. Most of the efforts have been made in these years to improve the design criteria, but the effect of the axial force or the loss of the axial capacity of the columns in the existing buildings built in the past years is still unknown. Most of these columns have transverse reinforcements with large distances, which provide little lateral resistance for the longitudinal reinforcements and also little confinement for the concrete in seismic loads. Many of these columns are not accepted according to the rules of today's regulations. In these columns, not only determining the shear capacity but also the ability of the column to withstand the axial force after the shearing is of great importance. The failure of such columns is due to shear deformations that lead to shear failure and then axial failure. At first, a comprehensive review is done of the studies of other researchers. In this review, we try to collect the analytical and laboratory studies available in the technical literature. These studies are related to the testing of concrete columns until the time of gravitational collapse and the behavior models of the columns until this limit state. Then, according to the collected information and their analysis, several columns will be designed and built for laboratory study. These columns are designed to represent the condition of columns in old concrete buildings. The comparison between the analytical and laboratory results of the 6 tested column samples shows a good agreement between them. As a result, the proposed method has sufficient accuracy and efficiency to determine the effective stiffness of columns.

Triaxial compressive behavior of 3D printed PE fiber-reinforced ultra-high performance concrete

The layered deposition process of 3D concrete printing can lead to reduced mechanical properties at the interfaces between filaments. To address this limitation, external confinement devices, such as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wrapping, have been proposed to enhance the strength of 3D-printed concrete concrete. Achieving this requires a solid understanding of the triaxial mechanical performance of 3D-printed concrete. This study presents an experimental investigation of the triaxial compressive behavior of 3D-printed PE fiber-reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (3DP-PEUHPC). A total of 16 pairs of concrete cubes were prepared, including mold-cast and 3D-printed specimens, and subjected to uniaxial and triaxial compression tests. The results revealed that the 3D-printed specimens exhibited either column-type or diagonal shear failures under triaxial compression. Weak bonding was observed at both filament-fusion and layer-fusion interfaces, with these weaker bonding interfaces, particularly when aligned parallel to the axial load, showing susceptibility to stress concentration and crack initiation. This led to a reduction in load-bearing capacity of the 3D-printed specimens compared to the mold-cast specimens. Importantly, as confining stresses increase, the difference in compressive strength between 3D-printed and mold-cast specimens decreases, highlighting the effectiveness of confinement in mitigating the directional weaknesses inherent in 3D-printed concrete. This paper also presents a modified model for predicting the axial stress-strain relationship of 3DP-PEUHPC under confinement, providing insights into the mechanism of FRP confinement on the compressive strength of 3D-printed concrete structures.

Enhancing Shear Strength of Weakly Consolidated Mudstone in Water-Diversion Tunnels Through Artificial Ground-Freezing Techniques: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

The utilization of artificial ground-freezing techniques is increasingly prevalent in the construction of water-diversion tunnels. The inadequate mechanical properties of weakly consolidated mudstone (WCM) pose significant challenges for tunneling construction. In this study, a series of triaxial shear tests were conducted on frozen specimens of WCM to elucidate its shear strength characteristics. The experiment involved four freezing temperatures (0, −5, −10, and −20 °C) and four confining pressures (1, 2, 3, and 4 MPa). The results indicate that the shear failure mode of the WCM exhibits distinct shear zone failure characteristics under artificial freezing conditions, particularly prominent in the lower temperature environments. As the freezing temperature gradually decreases, there is a substantial increase of over 200% in the shear strength of frozen specimens, accompanied by a corresponding decrease in yield strain. Furthermore, the cohesion and internal friction angle of frozen WCM increase as the freezing temperature decreases, following a complex exponential function relationship rather than a linear one. As the freezing temperature decreases from 0 °C to −20 °C, there is an increase in cohesion and internal friction angle from 1012 kPa to 1425 kPa, accompanied by a rise in the internal friction angle from 43.2° to 58.1°. Notably, the application of confining pressure exerts a pronounced influence on the shear strength of frozen WCM, with elevated levels of confining pressure resulting in a substantial augmentation of the shear strength. The failure mode of frozen WCM is significantly influenced by freezing temperatures. At low temperatures, the specimen of mudstone exhibits a shear failure behavior, while at high temperatures, it predominantly demonstrates expansion failure. This phenomenon can be attributed to the increased brittleness of specimens caused by ice crystals, rendering it more susceptible to brittle failure under shearing forces. These findings signify an enhancement in the mechanical behavior of WCM within the tunnel sidewall under artificial freezing conditions.

Modeling interactions between hydraulic fracture and pre-existing microcracks in crystalline rocks using hydro-grain-texture model

The heterogeneity of the mineral grains and pre-existing microcracks significantly impacts the cracking behavior of crystalline rocks. However, these characteristics have not been adequately addressed in the existing hydraulic fracturing studies. To bridge this gap, this study introduces a fluid-solid coupling method enhanced by a microcrack simulation component, called Hydro-Grain-Texture Model (HGTM), to investigate the influence of mineral structures and pre-existing microcracks on hydraulic fracturing processes in granite. Compared with existing methods, the HGTM incorporates a “grain growth” algorithm that can more accurately represent the characteristics of mineral grains. This study investigates the base case of intact rock, and four additional cases featuring microcracks oriented in various directions, i.e., horizontal, diagonal, vertical and complex microcracks, under both hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic in-situ stress conditions. The HGTM effectively captures a range of microscopic behaviors during the hydraulic fracturing of granite, including the formation of rock fragments, fracture branches, and dry fractures, among others. Furthermore, by comparing numerical results for breakdown pressure with analytical results, the accuracy of the HGTM in predicting breakdown pressure is substantiated. The findings indicate that mineral structures (grain boundaries) and microcracks contribute to a more intricate pattern of hydraulic fractures propagation. The pre-existing microcracks significantly influence the propagation path of primary hydraulic fractures. Under fluid-driven pressures, these pre-existing microcracks experience shear failure distinct from tensile failure observed in the surrounding rock matrix.

Experiments and FE Modeling on the Seismic Behavior of Partially Precast Steel-Reinforced Concrete Squat Walls

This paper proposed an innovative precast steel-reinforced concrete (PPSRC) squat wall to simplify on-site construction. In PPSRC squat shear walls, the hollowly precast RC wall panel can be assembled on-site through the pre-erected steel shapes, and the boundary cores will be filled using fresh concrete together with the slab system. The seismic performance of PPSRC squat walls, influenced by different construction techniques (cast-in-place vs. precast) and steel ratios, was examined through pseudo-static experiments on three specimens. Some key performance indicators, including hysteretic behavior, skeleton curves, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation, and load-carrying capacity, were analyzed in detail. The test results indicated that all the PPSRC squat walls failed in typical shear failure, and no significant slippage between the precast and fresh concrete sections was observed during the loading process, indicating that the composite action could be fully achieved via the novel throat connectors. In addition, the PPSRC squat walls could achieve comparable seismic performance compared with that of cast-in-place SRC shear walls (the peak load of the PPSRC squat wall only increased by 0.26% compared with the control specimen), and the load-carrying capacity and deformability could be enhanced by increasing the steel ratio in the boundary elements. Finally, an elaborate finite element model was developed and validated using ABAQUS software. The parametric analysis of the concrete strengths of precast and cast-in-place parts and the axial load was conducted further to investigate the seismic performance of PPSRC squat walls.

Experimental Investigation on Rock Failure Characteristics of Large-Span Goafs Using Digital Image Correlation Analysis and Acoustic Emission Monitoring

Rockmass in deep mining is highly susceptible to large-scale collapses under high stress and blast-induced disturbances, leading to casualties and economic losses. To investigate the evolution characteristics of goaf instability and the types of seismic sources that induce instability, an experiment on goaf instability was designed under uniaxial compression conditions based on actual mining operations. The entire experimental process was monitored using digital image correlation analysis and acoustic emission monitoring. By calculating the digital speckle field on the surface of the rock specimen during the experiment, the evolution characteristics of the deformation and strain fields from the beginning of loading to complete failure were analyzed. The study explored the dynamic behavior of cracks from initiation to propagation and eventually inducing large-scale collapse. The results show that the instability process of the goaf begins with the formation of tensile cracks. As stress increases, shear cracks occur in the specimen, leading to macroscopic failure. Furthermore, based on the differences in overall microfracture types measured by RA-AF characteristic parameters during specimen failure, large amplitude acoustic emission events corresponding to the formation of dominant macroscopic cracks were selected, and the focal mechanisms of these events were inverted. The results indicate that shear failure sources are significantly more prevalent than tensile failure sources in acoustic emission events leading to goaf instability. These findings can provide useful guidance for the support design and the prevention and control of rockmass instability disasters.

Advanced modeling of seepage dynamics and control strategies in thick coal seams under high-confined aquifer conditions: A case study

The hydraulic behavior of the connection between the floor failure area and the aquifer water-conductive zone is considered to be the root cause of mine water inrush disasters. Therefore, unraveling the floor failure mechanism is particularly important for safe coal mining above the high-confined aquifer. This paper estimates the depth of the baseplate failure to be 18.4–27.3 m by combining network parallel electrical methods with drilling visualization technology. The FLAC3D-based numerical model considering the strain hardening of caved rock was established with rigorous calibration and verification. The results showed that the depth of damage to the floor is 23.1 m, and the dominating floor failure mechanism is shear failure caused by the vertical stress exceeding the rock bearing capacity. Moreover, the stress recovery process of the baseplate does not alter the failure morphology of the baseplate. Based on the above research findings, the in-situ floor control technique of the working face No. 4305 is proposed and practiced in the field. Field measurements show that floor control performance is satisfactory with water inflow in the goaf being roughly stable at 50 m3/h. Our results can provide useful reference for safe mining above confined aquifer and prevention and mitigation of water-related hazards.

Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Squat RC Shear Walls with Corrosion Along the Base

In corrosive environments containing chloride and sulfate, the corrosion of steel bars is common along the base of squat RC shear walls (SRCSW) due to problems such as construction quality, concrete stress concentration, local defects, and accumulation of water and corrosive media. In this paper, three SRCSWs are designed and constructed and their mechanical properties assessed. One side of each SRCSW was exposed to a corrosive environment for 70 days, while the other side was subject to the same conditions over different corrosion times (i.e., 0 day, 42 days, and 70 days). Then, the corrosion-induced cracking process, the mechanical properties of SRCSWs corroded along the base, the relationship between the mass loss of total steel bars (MLTSB) in the corroded area and the wall mechanical properties, and the relationship between the average width of corrosion-induced cracks (CICs) and the wall mechanical properties were studied through an accelerated corrosion test and a loading failure test. The results indicate that the area of corrosion-induced cracking on SRCSWs increased with the corrosion time, and the cracking area on the different SRCSWs was approximately identical when the SRCSWs were exposed to the same corrosion time. When the degree of corrosion was different, the loading failure characteristics of the SRCSWs were obviously different, but the failure mode always corresponded to shear failure. The load–displacement curves of the SRCSWs with different degrees of corrosion along the base basically coincided and were linear when the loading was in the elastic stage. Compared to SW-1, the peak load of SW-2 decreased by 4.0%, but that of SW-3 increased by 2.7%. Compared to SW-1, the yield loads of SW-2 and SW-3 decreased by 22.4% and 11.8%, respectively. When the MLTSB increased from 13.05% to 16.71%, the crack, yield, and peak loads of the SRCSWs corroded along the base decreased by 8.8%, 22.4%, and 6.8%, respectively. The cracking, yield, and peak loads of the SRCSWs corroded along the base decreased linearly with the increase in MLTSB and the average width of the CICs, and the corresponding fitting relations were established. The results of this study can serve as a reference for the durability design of SRCSWs in corrosive environments.

Failure of the SRC under freeze- thaw cycles by the push-out tests

This paper explores the impact of freeze-thaw cycles, the thickness of the protective layer, embedment length, and volumetric hoop ratio on the bond performance at the SRC interface, assessed through freeze-thaw and push-out tests. Results from SEM indicated significant cracking in concrete exposed to freeze-thaw cycles, with an increase in both the number and diameter of pores. Despite significant damage to the concrete exterior, the interface exhibited considerably less deterioration. Following 200 freeze-thaw cycles, the specimens displayed a maximum crack depth of 2.3 mm and a porosity rate of 35.1 %. As the cycles progressed, the failure mode of specimens under push-out loading transitioned from splitting to interfacial shear failure. Notably, the length of cracks on the end surfaces was markedly reduced, and the majority of specimens exhibited minimal cracking on the side surfaces. Additionally, interfacial bond stress decreased progressively with the increasing number of cycles. The ultimate bond stress declined more rapidly than residual bond stress, with the rate of decrease stabilizing after surpassing 100 cycles. Enhancements in protective layer thickness, embedment length, and volumetric hoop ratio effectively mitigated the reductions in bond stress. Among these, the protective layer had the most significant impact, followed by the volumetric hoop ratio, while embedment length had the least influence. The study concludes with proposed formulas for calculating bond stress and slip eigenvalues after freeze-thaw cycles, integrating experimental results and theoretical analysis.

Flexural performance of UHPC two-way slab reinforced with FRP bars

The flexural behaviors of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) two-way square slabs reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bars were studied experimentally. Flexural tests were conducted on eight specimens, varying in reinforcement type, reinforcement ratio and confinement condition in compressive zone. Test results showed that the bridging effects of steel fibers in UHPC can mitigate the brittle characteristics of slab experiencing punching shear failure. The failure modes of slabs shifted from tensile failure to compressive failure by increasing the tensile strength of bar, leading to an improvement on the flexural capacity and ductility. The ultimate capacity of the slab with a reinforcement ratio of 1.06 % was 15.8 % greater than that of the slab with a reinforcement ratio of 0.67 %. By incorporating a layer of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) grid in the compressive zone to confine UHPC, the bearing capacity and ductility index of the slab increased by 17.8 % and 56.7 %, respectively. Introducing an enhancement coefficient to account for the confinement effect induced by the BFRP grid, a method was developed for predicting the flexural capacity of FRP reinforced UHPC two-way slab subjected to a local load at the mid-span, and its prediction accuracy was well verified.