The predicted compressive strength of a pyramidal lattice made from case hardened steel tubes

A sandwich panel with a core made from solid pyramidal struts is a promising candidate for multifunctional application such as combined structural and heat-exchange function. This study explores the performance enhancement by making use of hollow struts, and examines the elevation in the plastic buckling strength by either strain hardening or case hardening. Finite element simulations are performed to quantify these enhancements. Also, the sensitivity of competing collapse modes to tube geometry and to the depth of case hardening is determined. A comparison with other lattice materials reveals that the pyramidal lattice made from case hardened steel tubes outperforms lattices made from solid struts of aluminium or titanium and has a comparable strength to a core made from carbon fibre reinforced polymers. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compressive failure of finite size unidirectional composite laminates with a region of fibre waviness

The compressive behaviour of finite unidirectional composites with a region of misaligned reinforcement is investigated via finite element analyses. Models with and without fibre bending stiffness are compared, confirming that compressive strength is accurately predicted without modelling fibre bending stiffness for real composite components which typically have waviness defects of several millimetres wavelength. Various defect parameters are investigated. Results confirm the well-known sensitivity of compressive strength to misalignment angle, and also show that compressive strength falls rapidly with the proportion of laminate width covered by the wavy region. A simple empirical equation is proposed to model the effect of a single patch of waviness in finite specimens. Other parameters such as length and position of the wavy region are found to have a smaller effect on compressive strength. The modelling approach is finally adapted to model distributed waviness and thus determine the compressive strength of composites with realistic waviness defects. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary model development for predicting strength and stiffness of cement-stabilized soils using artificial neural networks

This paper presents ongoing work on data collection and collation from a large number of laboratory cement-stabilization projects worldwide. The aim is to employ Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to establish relationships between variables, which define the properties of cement-stabilized soils, and the two parameters determined by the Unconfined Compression Test, the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), and stiffness, using E50 calculated from UCS results. Bayesian predictive neural network models are developed to predict the UCS values of cement-stabilized inorganic clays/silts, as well as sands as a function of selected soil mix variables, such as grain size distribution, water content, cement content and curing time. A model which can predict the stiffness values of cement-stabilized clays/silts is also developed and compared to the UCS model. The UCS model results emulate known trends better and provide more accurate estimates than the results from the E50 stiffness model. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

Strength correlations of cement-mixed soils using data mapping

Development of comparisons and correlations between the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and the undrained triaxial compressive strength, qu, is essential for generalising performance and optimising the design of cement-stabilised soils. This paper introduces current work in collecting and collating data from a number of research projects involving both laboratory strength tests performed on identical cement-stabilised soil samples. The research project on cement-stabilised Singapore marine clays at the National University of Singapore has been used as an example to explain the work on comparing and correlating results from both tests by normalising data and constructing contour plots. The effect of variables on strength comparison and correlations was evaluated. The variation in strength correlations was found to be dependent on a number of factors including: soil properties, cement content, curing time and stress, total water/cement ratio, confining stress and strain rate. The results showed that at ~ 100 kPa confining stress, UCS and qu, had similar magnitudes. Correlations between strengths and other design variables are discussed and presented.

Mechanical and leaching behaviour of slag-cement and lime-activated slag stabilised/solidified contaminated soil.

Stabilisation/solidification (S/S) is an effective technique for reducing the leachability of contaminants in soils. Very few studies have investigated the use of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) for S/S treatment of contaminated soils, although it has been shown to be effective in ground improvement. This study sought to investigate the potential of GGBS activated by cement and lime for S/S treatment of a mixed contaminated soil. A sandy soil spiked with 3000mg/kg each of a cocktail of heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Zn, Cu and Pb) and 10,000mg/kg of diesel was treated with binder blends of one part hydrated lime to four parts GGBS (lime-slag), and one part cement to nine parts GGBS (slag-cement). Three binder dosages, 5, 10 and 20% (m/m) were used and contaminated soil-cement samples were compacted to their optimum water contents. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed using unconfined compressive strength (UCS), permeability and acid neutralisation capacity (ANC) tests with determination of contaminant leachability at the different acid additions. UCS values of up to 800kPa were recorded at 28days. The lowest coefficient of permeability recorded was 5×10(-9)m/s. With up to 20% binder dosage, the leachability of the contaminants was reduced to meet relevant environmental quality standards and landfill waste acceptance criteria. The pH-dependent leachability of the metals decreased over time. The results show that GGBS activated by cement and lime would be effective in reducing the leachability of contaminants in contaminated soils.