A Highly Transparent Photo-Electro-Thermal Film with Broadband Selectivity for All-Day Anti-/De-Icing.

A photo- and electro-thermal film can convert sunlight and electricity into heat to solve icing problems. Combination of them provides an efficient strategy for all-day anti-/de-icing. However, only opaque surfaces have been reported, due to the mutual exclusiveness between photon absorption and transmission. Herein, a highly transparent and scalable solution-processed photo-electro-thermal film is reported, which exhibits an ultra-broadband selective spectrum to separate the visible light from sunlight and a countertrend suppress of emission in longer wavelength. It absorbs ≈ 85% of invisible sunlight (ultraviolet and near-infrared) for light-heat conversion, meanwhile maintains luminous transmittance > 70%. The reflection of mid-infrared leads to low emissivity (0.41), which further preserves heat on the surface for anti-/de-icing purpose. This ultra-broadband selectivity enables temperature elevation > 40 °C under 1-sun illumination and the mutual support between photo-thermal and electro-thermal effects contributes to > 50% saving of electrical consumption under weak solar exposure (0.4-sun) for maintaining unfrozen surfaces at -35 °C environment. The reverberation from photo-electro-thermal and super-hydrophobic effects illustrates a lubricating removal of grown ice in short time (< 120 s). The self-cleaning ability and the durability under mechanical, electrical, optical, and thermal stresses render the film stable for long-term usage in all-day anti-/de-icing applications.

Effects of Polyoxymethylene Fiber on Fresh and Hardened Properties of Seawater Sea-Sand Concrete.

Seawater and sea sand are used in concrete to reduce the consumption of freshwater and river sand. To improve the mechanical properties and cracking resistance of concrete, polymer fiber is commonly used. In this study, polyoxymethylene (POM) fiber was innovatively applied to seawater sea-sand concrete (SWSSC), and the workability, early-age cracking behavior, and mechanical properties of SWSSC reinforced with POM fiber were investigated experimentally. A total of 6 kinds of SWSSC mixtures and 72 specimens were included. The test results indicated that with increases in fiber volume fractions (ρ), the workability of SWSSC decreased correspondingly. Compared with plain SWSSC, for SWSSC with ρ = 1%, the decreases in slump and expansibility were 110.6 and 91.9 mm, respectively. POM fiber had a significant enhancing effect on the early-age cracking resistance of SWSSC. Compared with those of plain SWSSC, the cracking indices ac, bc, and cc of the POM-1 specimen decreased by 77.0%, 89.4%, and 97.6%, respectively. Cube and axial compressive tests, splitting tensile tests, and flexural tests were conducted to clarify the effects of POM fiber on the mechanical properties of SWSSC. Compared with plain SWSSC, SWSSC with POM fiber performed better in terms of mechanical properties. Predictive equations were proposed to quantify the effects of POM fiber on the mechanical properties of SWSSC. The failure performances of the SWSSC specimens were discussed and their complete stress-strain curve was analyzed. A stress-strain model for SWSSC was suggested. According to the model, the complete stress-strain curve of SWSSC with any POM fiber content could be determined.

Numerical and Field Measurement Investigation on Foundation Pit Excavation Blasting of Anchor in Suspension Bridge.

The foundation pit of a suspension bridge project in the Three Gorges Reservoir area is investigated in this paper. The pit is located under an unstable rock mass and landslide body; its base lithology is mudstone. The bridge foundation pit project mainly adopts blasting excavation to accelerate construction progress. However, as a hazardous technique to engineering safety, the explosion vibration easily causes deterioration of the surrounding strata, thereby inducing slope instability and rock mass collapse. Besides, three major challenges should be considered: complex terrain conditions, difficulties in the blasting excavation of anchors, and the extremely high risk of construction. Therefore, comprehensive risk control measures using the methods of hierarchical excavation and minimum charge blasting are put forward. After the measures were verified to be feasible through finite element simulation, it was successfully applied to actual construction. In addition, this paper proposes using fiber concrete to reinforce slope retaining walls, and simulates the reinforced effect based on the research above. The results indicate that the risk control scheme is reasonable, which not only ensures the construction process but also guarantees the stability of the slope and unstable rock body. At the same time, the slope is reinforced with fiber concrete, which effectively decreases the protection wall thickness. Finally, the article can provide a valuable reference for similar engineering projects around the world.

Design Suggestions on Resistance from Flange of Sorbite Stainless Steel Plate Girder under Shear.

A new S600E sorbite stainless steel (SS), which performs outstanding mechanical properties, was introduced in a plate girder to enhance the resistant performance and durability. The resistance from the flange for S600E sorbite SS plate girders developing post-buckling capacity was investigated through numerical analyses, which included the material and geometrical nonlinearity. The value of distance between plastic hinges performed significant effects on resistance from flange. There was a certain distribution range of the flange plastic hinge. Hence, it was difficult to determine the value of distance between plastic hinges accurately based merely on the failure behavior. Considering the theoretical basis of EN 1993-1-4: 2006+A1, the new methods to obtain resistance from the flange and determine the value of distance between the plastic hinges were proposed to avoid the aforementioned error. The parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of key parameters on the resistance from the flange. To take the above effect into account, a correction factor was proposed for the design equation in EN 1993-1-4: 2006+A1 to predict the distance between flange plastic hinges accurately. The comparison was conducted to validate the accuracy of the proposed equations. The results indicated that the new modified equation could be used to predict the resistance from the flange of the S600E sorbite SS plate girder more accurately.

Anti-Corrosion Reinforcements Using Coating Technologies-A Review.

Coated reinforcements are expected to improve the performance of reinforced concrete in aggressive environments, but different kinds of coated reinforcements can express a variety of properties, which can confuse researchers and engineers. This paper reviews the manufacture, corrosion mechanisms, behaviors, and applications of popular or promising coated reinforcements, incorporating galvanized reinforcements (GRs), epoxy coated reinforcements (ECRs), stainless cladding reinforcements (SCRs), and steel-fiber reinforced polymer composite bars (SFCBs). In terms of manufacture, GRs and ECRs should focus on minimizing the negative effect of manufacture on performance, while SCRs and SFCBs should reduce the cost and increase the production capacity. Behaviors of GRs and ECRs are primarily determined by the steel substrate, but the behaviors of SCRs and SFCBs are primarily affected by the coat and core, and their interaction. The corrosion mechanism of GRs and SCRs is about oxidation, while that of SFCBs is about hydrolysis. ECRs are usually corroded under film, which can be a cause of premature failure. Corrosion embrittles SCRs, as well as bare bars, but corrosion of SFCBs usually causes a reduction in maximum strength. The investigation of the corrosion behaviors of GRs and ECRs focuses on bond strength. GRs have controversial performance. ECRs have been proven to have drawbacks regarding bond strength. The use of anti-corrosion reinforcement is uneven in regions, which may correlate with the development of technology and the economy.

Hydrodynamic pressure law of ground-rested circular RC tank under bi-directional horizontal seismic action.

The research object is the ground-rested circular RC tank. The innovation is to reveal the hydrodynamic pressure law of ground-rested circular RC tanks under bi-directional horizontal seismic action. The relationship between the sloshing wave height and hydrodynamic pressure is determined, the hydrodynamic pressure components and their combination are verified, calculation methods for hydrodynamic pressure are developed, and their distribution laws are presented. The results show that convective hydrodynamic pressure cannot be ignored when the tank is subjected to seismic action. Hydrodynamic pressure under unidirectional horizontal seismic action in X or Y direction is obtained by square root of the sum of impulsive pressure squared and convective pressure squared. Total hydrodynamic pressure under bi-directional horizontal seismic action is obtained by the square root of the sum of X-direction hydrodynamic pressure squared and Y-direction hydrodynamic pressure squared. This method can ensure the accuracy and reliability of hydrodynamic pressure calculation.

Baseline Correction of Acceleration Data Based on a Hybrid EMD-DNN Method.

Measuring displacement response is essential in the field of structural health monitoring and seismic engineering. Numerical integration of the acceleration signal is a common measurement method of displacement data. However, due to the circumstances of ground tilt, low-frequency noise caused by instruments, hysteresis of the transducer, etc., it would generate a baseline drift phenomenon in acceleration integration, failing to obtain an actual displacement response. The improved traditional baseline correction methods still have some problems, such as high baseline correction error, poor adaptability, and narrow application scope. This paper proposes a deep neural network model based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD-DNN) to solve baseline correction by removing the drifting trend. The feature of multiple time sequences that EMD obtains is extracted via DNN, achieving the real displacement time history of prediction. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, two natural waves (EL centro wave, Taft wave) and one Artificial wave are selected to test in a shaking table test. Comparing the traditional methods such as the least squares method, EMD, and DNN method, EMD-DNN has the best baseline correction effect in terms of the evaluation indexes: Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Square Error (MSE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and degree of fit (R-Square).

Aerodynamic Characteristics and Lateral Displacements of a Set of Two Buildings in a Linked Tall Building System.

This study evaluates the aerodynamic characteristics and lateral displacements of two staggered buildings in a linked-building (LB) system. Particle image velocimetry and pressure measurements are employed, and the lateral displacement is evaluated using a 3-dimensional analytical model. When the gap distance between two non-linked buildings is small, the wind flows in a narrow jet, and a strong suction is generated on the inner surfaces of the two buildings, leading to a large cross-wind-induced response. However, the cross-wind-induced response is significantly reduced when a link is installed, because the suction forces generated from the buildings are in opposite directions and have a negative aerodynamic correlation. Conversely, with a large gap distance, the buildings at the front obstruct the wind blowing toward the rear buildings. Therefore, while the pressure distribution, wind-force coefficients, and wind-induced responses of the front and rear buildings show similar trends, the magnitude of impact on the front building is larger than that on the rear building. Installing a link is demonstrated to reduce the wind-induced response of the buildings in an LB system. However, the reduction in the along-wind-induced response is less than that in the cross-wind-induced response when the gap distance is small.

Wind Tunnel Measurement Systems for Unsteady Aerodynamic Forces on Bluff Bodies: Review and New Perspective.

Wind tunnel tests have become one of the most effective ways to evaluate aerodynamics and aeroelasticity in bluff bodies. This paper has firstly overviewed the development of conventional wind tunnel test techniques, including high frequency base balance technique, static synchronous multi-pressure sensing system test technique and aeroelastic test, and summarized their advantages and shortcomings. Subsequently, two advanced test approaches, a forced vibration test technique and hybrid aeroelastic- force balance wind tunnel test technique have been comprehensively reviewed. Then the characteristics and calculation procedure of the conventional and advanced wind tunnel test techniques were discussed and summarized. The results indicated that the conventional wind tunnel test techniques ignored the effect of structural oscillation on the measured aerodynamics as the test model is rigid. A forced vibration test can include that effect. Unfortunately, a test model in a forced vibration test cannot respond like a structure in the real world; it only includes the effect of structural oscillation on the surrounding flow and cannot consider the feedback from the surrounding flow to the oscillation test model. A hybrid aeroelastic-pressure/force balance test technique that can observe unsteady aerodynamics of a test model during its aeroelastic oscillation completely takes the effect of structural oscillation into consideration and is, therefore, effective in evaluation of aerodynamics and aeroelasticity in bluff bodies. This paper has not only advanced our understanding for aerodynamics and aeroelasticity in bluff bodies, but also provided a new perspective for advanced wind tunnel test techniques that can be used for fundamental studies and engineering applications.

Influence of Reinforcement Bars on Concrete Pore Structure and Compressive Strength.

In this research, the influence of reinforcement bars on concrete pore structure and compressive strength was experimentally investigated. Concrete samples with two mixture ratios and nine reinforcement ratios were provided. Tests were conducted on concrete pore structure and compressive strength at three ages (3 d, 7 d, and 28 d). It was found that reinforcement bars changed the concrete pore structure. In terms of size, the pore structure of concrete increased with the increase of reinforcement ratio. At the same age, concrete compressive strength in reinforced concrete specimens saw a gradual reduction when reinforcement ratio increased. A formula was proposed to calculate the compressive strength of concrete in reinforced specimens according to the strength of unreinforced concrete.

Mechanical Properties and Shrinkage Behavior of Concrete-Containing Graphene-Oxide Nanosheets.

Graphene oxide (GO) has been widely used as an additive due to its numerous unique properties. In this study, the compressive strength, flexural strength and elasticity modulus of concrete containing 0.02 wt%, 0.05 wt % and 0.08 wt % GO, and its dry shrinkage performance have been experimentally investigated. After the sample preparation, apparatus for compression test and flexural test were used to test the relevant properties of concrete containing GO. The dial indicators were used to measure the shrinkage of samples. The results indicate that GO can considerably improve the compressive strength, flexural strength, and elasticity modulus of concrete at the concrete age of 28 days by 4.04-12.65%, 3.8-7.38%, and 3.92-10.97%, respectively, which are substantially smaller than the increment at the age of 3 d by 5.02-21.51%, 4.25-13.06%, and 6.07-27.45% under a water-cement ratio of 0.35. It was also found that GO can increase the shrinkage strain of concrete. For example, at the age of 60 days, 0.02 wt%, 0.05 wt% and 0.08 wt% GO can increase the shrinkage strain of ordinary concrete by 1.99%, 5.79% and 7.45% respectively under a water-cement ratio of 0.49. The study has advanced our understanding on mechanical and shrinkage behavior of concrete containing GO.

Modeling Shrinkage and Creep for Concrete with Graphene Oxide Nanosheets.

In this study, the shrinkage and creep of concrete containing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were experimentally and theoretically investigated. Experiments for the shrinkage and creep of concrete with 0.02% and 0.08% GO nanosheets by the weight of cement and common concrete were carried out. Subsequently, the influence of GO nanosheets on the shrinkage and creep of concrete was analyzed and discussed. A modified model was developed to accurately predict the shrinkage and creep of concrete containing GO nanosheets after models for predicting shrinkage and creep of common concrete were compared and the influential factors and application scope were determined. Results indicate that: (1) GO nanosheets can increase the shrinkage strain and reduce the creep coefficient of concrete, and (2) a modified ACI209 (92) model can accurately predict the shrinkage and creep of concrete containing GO nanosheets. Factors considering concrete strength can be introduced in the model to improve the model accuracy.

Deployment of a Smart Structural Health Monitoring System for Long-Span Arch Bridges: A Review and a Case Study.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) technology for surveillance and evaluation of existing and newly built long-span bridges has been widely developed, and the significance of the technique has been recognized by many administrative authorities. The paper reviews the recent progress of the SHM technology that has been applied to long-span bridges. The deployment of a SHM system is introduced. Subsequently, the data analysis and condition assessment including techniques on modal identification, methods on signal processing, and damage identification were reviewed and summarized. A case study about a SHM system of a long-span arch bridge (the Jiubao bridge in China) was systematically incorporated in each part to advance our understanding of deployment and investigation of a SHM system for long-span arch bridges. The applications of SHM systems of long-span arch bridge were also introduced. From the illustrations, the challenges and future trends for development a SHM system were concluded.

Wind Tunnel Measurements for Flutter of a Long-Afterbody Bridge Deck.

Bridges are an important component of transportation. Flutter is a self-excited, large amplitude vibration, which may lead to collapse of bridges. It must be understood and avoided. This paper takes the Jianghai Channel Bridge, which is a significant part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, as an example to investigate the flutter of the bridge deck. Firstly, aerodynamic force models for flutter of bridges were introduced. Then, wind tunnel tests of the bridge deck during the construction and the operation stages, under different wind attack angles and wind velocities, were carried out using a high frequency base balance (HFBB) system and laser displacement sensors. From the tests, the static aerodynamic forces and flutter derivatives of the bridge deck were observed. Correspondingly, the critical flutter wind speeds of the bridge deck were determined based on the derivatives, and they are compared with the directly measured flutter speeds. Results show that the observed derivatives are reasonable and applicable. Furthermore, the critical wind speeds in the operation stage is smaller than those in the construction stage. Besides, the flutter instabilities of the bridge in the construction and the operation stages are good. This study helps guarantee the design and the construction of the Jianghai Channel Bridge, and advances the understanding of flutter of long afterbody bridge decks.

Field Measurements and Numerical Simulations of Temperature and Moisture in Highway Engineering Using a Frequency Domain Reflectometry Sensor.

This paper presents a systematic pioneering study on the use of agricultural-purpose frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors to monitor temperature and moisture of a subgrade in highway extension and reconstruction engineering. The principle of agricultural-purpose FDR sensors and the process for embedding this kind of sensors for subgrade engineering purposes are introduced. Based on field measured weather data, a numerical analysis model for temperature and moisture content in the subgrade's soil is built. Comparisons of the temperature and moisture data obtained from numerical simulation and FDR-based measurements are conducted. The results show that: (1) the embedding method and process, data acquisition, and remote transmission presented are reasonable; (2) the temperature and moisture changes are coordinated with the atmospheric environment and they are also in close agreement with numerical calculations; (3) the change laws of both are consistent at positions where the subgrade is compacted uniformly. These results suggest that the data measured by the agricultural-purpose FDR sensors are reliable. The findings of this paper enable a new and effective real-time monitoring method for a subgrade's temperature and moisture changes, and thus broaden the application of agricultural-purpose FDR sensors.