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Due to the development of new technologies and materials, optimized bridge design has recently gained more attention. The aim is to reduce the bridge components materials and the CO2 emission from the cement manufacturing process. Thus, most long-span bridges are designed to be with high flexibility, low structural damping, and longer and slender spans. Such designs lead, however, to aeroelastic challenges. Moreover, the consideration of both the structural and aeroelastic behavior in bridges leads to contradictory solutions as the structural constraints lead to deck prototypes with high depth which provide high inertia to material volume ratios. On the other hand, considering solely the aerodynamic requirements, slender airfoil-shaped bridge box girders are recommended since they prevent vortex shedding and exhibit minimum drag. Within this framework comes this study which provides approaches to find optimal bridge deck cross-sections while considering the aerodynamic effects. Shape optimization of deck cross-section is usually formulated to minimize the amount of material by finding adequate parameters such as the depth, the height, and the thickness and while ensuring the overall stability of the structure by the application of some constraints. Codes and studies have been implemented to analyze the wind phenomena and the structural responses towards bridge deck cross-sections where simplifications have been adopted due to the complexity and the uniqueness of such components besides the difficulty of obtaining a final model of the aerodynamic behavior. In this thesis, two main perspectives have been studied; the first is fully deterministic and presents a novel framework on generating optimal aerodynamic shapes for streamlined and trapezoidal cross-sections based on the meta-modeling approach. Single and multi-objective optimizations were both carried out and a Pareto Front is generated. The performance of the optimal designs is checked afterwards. In the second part, a new strategy based on Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO) to mitigate the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) on the Trans-Tokyo Bay bridge is proposed. Small changes in the leading and trailing edges are presented and uncertainties are considered in the structural system. Probabilistic constraints based on polynomial regression are evaluated and the problem is solved while applying the Reliability Index Approach (RIA) and the Performance Measure Approach (PMA). The results obtained in the first part showed that the aspect ratio has a significant effect on the aerodynamic behavior where deeper cross-sections have lower resistance against flutter and should be avoided. In the second part, the adopted RBDO approach succeeded to mitigate the VIV, and it is proven that designs with narrow or prolonged bottom-base length and featuring an abrupt surface change in the leading and trailing edges can lead to high vertical vibration amplitude. It is expected that this research will help engineers with the selections of the adequate deck cross-section layout, and encourage researchers to apply concepts of optimization regarding this field and develop the presented approaches for further studies.
The reduction of the cement clinker content is an important prerequisite for the improvement of the CO2-footprint of concrete. Nevertheless, the durability of such concretes must be sufficient to guarantee a satisfactory service life of structures. Salt frost scaling resistance is a critical factor in this regard, as it is often diminished at increased clinker substitution rates. Furthermore, only insufficient long-term experience for such concretes exists. A high salt frost scaling resistance thus cannot be achieved by applying only descriptive criteria, such as the concrete composition. It is therefore to be expected, that in the long term a performance based service life prediction will replace the descriptive concept.
To achieve the important goal of clinker reduction for concretes also in cold and temperate climates it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms for salt frost scaling. However, conflicting damage theories dominate the current State of the Art. It was consequently derived as the goal of this thesis to evaluate existing damage theories and to examine them experimentally. It was found that only two theories have the potential to describe the salt frost attack satisfactorily – the glue spall theory and the cryogenic suction theory.
The glue spall theory attributes the surface scaling to the interaction of an external ice layer with the concrete surface. Only when moderate amounts of deicing salt are present in the test solution the resulting mechanical properties of the ice can cause scaling. However, the results in this thesis indicate that severe scaling also occurs at deicing salt levels, at which the ice is much too soft to damage concrete. Thus, the inability of the glue spall theory to account for all aspects of salt frost scaling was shown.
The cryogenic suction theory is based on the eutectic behavior of salt solutions, which consist of two phases – water ice and liquid brine – between the freezing point and the eutectic temperature. The liquid brine acts as an additional moisture reservoir, which facilitates the growth of ice lenses in the surface layer of the concrete. The experiments in this thesis confirmed, that the ice formation in hardened cement paste increases due to the suction of brine at sub-zero temperatures. The extent of additional ice formation was influenced mainly by the porosity and by the chloride binding capacity of the hardened cement paste.
Consequently, the cryogenic suction theory plausibly describes the actual generation of scaling, but it has to be expanded by some crucial aspects to represent the salt frost scaling attack completely. The most important aspect is the intensive saturation process, which is ascribed to the so-called micro ice lens pump. Therefore a combined damage theory was proposed, which considers multiple saturation processes. Important aspects of this combined theory were confirmed experimentally.
As a result, the combined damage theory constitutes a good basis to understand the salt frost scaling attack on concrete on a fundamental level. Furthermore, a new approach was identified, to account for the reduced salt frost scaling resistance of concretes with reduced clinker content.
Revisiting vernacular technique: Engineering a low environmental impact earth stabilisation method
(2022)
The major drawbacks of earth as a construction material — such as its low water stability and moderate strength — have led mankind to stabilize earth. Different civilizations developed vernacular techniques mainly focussing on lime, pozzolan or gypsum stabilization. Recently, cement has become the most commonly used additive in earth stabilization as it improves the strength and durability of plain earth. Also, it is a familiar and globally available construction material. However, using cement as an additive reduces the environmental advantages of earth and run counter to global targets regarding the reduction of CO2 emissions. Alternatives to cement stabilization are currently neither efficient enough to reduce its environmental impact nor allow the possibility of obtaining better results than those of cement. As such, this thesis deals with the rediscovery of a reverse engineering approach for a low environmental impact earth stabilization technique, aiming to replace cement in earth stabilization.
The first step in the method consists in a comprehensive review of earth stabilization with regards to earthen building standards and soil classification, which allows us to identify the research gap. The review showed that there is great potential in using other additives which result in similar improvements as those achieved by cement. However, the studies that have been conducted so far either use expansive soils, which are not suitable for earth constructions or artificial pozzolans that indirectly contribute to CO2 emissions. This is the main research gap.
The key concept for the development in the second step of the method is to combine vernacular additives to both improve the strength and durability of plain earth and to reduce the CO2 emissions. Various earth-mixtures were prepared and both development and performance tests were done to investigate the performance of this technique. The laboratory analyses on mix-design have proven a high durability and the results show a remarkable increase in strength performance. Furthermore, a significant reduction in CO2 emissions in comparison to cement stabilization could be shown.
The third step of the method discusses the results drawn from the experimental programme. In addition, the potential of the new earth mixture with regards to its usability in the field of building construction and architectural design is further elaborated on.
The method used in this study is the first of its kind that allows investors to avoid the very time-consuming processes such as finding a suitable source for soil excavation and soil classification. The developed mixture has significant workability and suitability for production of stabilized earthen panels — the very first of its kind. Such a panel is practically feasible, reasonable, and could be integrated into earthen building standards in general and in particular to DIN 18948, which is related to earthen boards and published in 2018.
Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, neuartige Fließmittel auf Basis von Stärke als nachwachsenden Rohstoff zu synthetisieren und die Wechselwirkung mit Portlandzement zu charakterisieren. Die Notwendigkeit, Alternativen zu synthetischen Zusatzmittel zu erforschen, ergibt sich aus der benötigten Menge zur Verarbeitung von ca. 4,1 Gt/a, wobei ca. 85 % der Zusatzmittel auf die Fließmittel entfallen.
Um Fließmittel aus Stärke zu synthetisieren, wurden drei Basisstärken unterschiedlicher Herkunft verwendet. Es wurde eine Maniokstärke mit einer niedrigen Molekularmasse und eine Weizenstärke mit einer hohen Molekularmasse verwendet. Darüber hinaus wurde eine Kartoffelstärke mit einer mittleren Molekularmasse, die ein Abfallprodukt der kartoffelverarbeitenden Industrie darstellt, genutzt. Die Stärkefließmittel wurden durch chemische Modifikation in einem zweistufigen Prozess synthetisiert. Im ersten Schritt wurde das Molekulargewicht der Weizen- und Kartoffelstärke durch säurehydrolytischen Abbau verringert. Für die kurzkettige Maniokstärke war eine Degradation der Molekularmasse nicht notwendig. Im zweiten Syntheseschritt wurden anionische Ladungen durch das Versetzen der degradierten Stärken und Maniokstärke mit Natriumvinylsulfonat in die Stärkemoleküle eingeführt.
Beurteilung der Synthesemethode zur Erzeugung von Stärkefließmitteln
In diesem Zusammenhang sollten molekulare Parameter der Stärkefließmittel gezielt eingestellt werden, um eine Fließwirkung im Portlandzement zu erhalten. Insbesondere die Molekularmasse und die Menge anionischer Ladungen sollte variiert werden, um Abhängigkeiten mit der Dispergierleistung zu identifizieren.
1. Es konnte durch GPC-Messungen gezeigt werden, dass die Molekularmasse der langkettigen Weizenstärke durch die gewählten Modifizierungsbedingungen zum säurehydrolytischen Abbau verringert werden konnte. Durch Variation der säurehydrolytischen Bedingungen wurden 4 degradierte Weizenstärken erzeugt, die eine Reduzierung der Molekularmasse um 27,5 – 43 % aufwiesen. Die Molekularmasse der Kartoffelstärke konnte durch säurehydrolytischen Abbau um ca. 26 % verringert werden.
2. Durch PCD-Messungen wurde gezeigt, dass anionische Ladungen durch Sulfoethylierung der freien Hydroxylgruppen in die degradierten Stärken eingeführt werden konnten. Durch Variation der Dauer der Sulfoethylierung konnte die Menge der anionischen Ladungen gesteuert und gezielt variiert werden, so dass Stärkefließmittel mit steigender Ladungsmenge in folgender Reihenfolge synthetisiert wurden:
W-3 < W-2 < K-1 < W¬-4 < W¬1 < M-1
Im Ergebnis der chemischen Modifizierung konnten 6 Stärkefließmittel mit variierten Molekularmassen und anionischen Ladungen erzeugt werden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Herkunft der Stärke für die chemische Modifizierung unerheblich ist. Die Fließmittel lagen synthesebedingt als basische, wässrige Suspensionen mit Wirkstoffgehalten im Bereich von 23,5 – 50 % vor.
Beurteilung der Dispergierleistung der synthetisierten Stärkefließmittel
Die Dispergierperformance wurde durch rheologische Experimente mit einem Rotationsviskosimeter erfasst. Dabei wurden der Einfluss auf die Fließkurven und die Viskositätskurven betrachtet. Durch Vergleich der Dispergierleistung mit einem Polykondensat- und einem PCE-Fließmittel konnte eine Einordnung und Bewertung der Fließmittel vorgenommen werden.
3. Die rheologische Experimente haben gezeigt, dass die Stärkefließmittel eine vergleichbar hohe Dispergierleistung aufweisen, wie das zum Vergleich herangezogen PCE-Fließmittel. Darüber hinaus zeigte sich, dass die Fließwirkung der 6 Stärkefließmittel gegenüber dem Polykondensatfließmittel deutlich höher ist. Das aus der Literatur bekannte Einbrechen der Dispergierleistung der Polykondensat-fließmittel bei w/z-Werten < 0,4 konnte bestätigt werden.
4. Alle 6 Stärkefließmittel führten zu einer Verringerung der Fließgrenze und der dynamischen Viskosität des Zementleimes bei einem w/z-Wert von 0,35.
5. Der Vergleich der Dispergierleistung der Stärkefließmittel untereinander zeigte, dass die anionische Ladungsmenge einen Schlüsselparameter darstellt. Die Stärkefließmittel M-1, K-1, W-1 und W-4 mit anionischen Ladungsmengen > 6 C/g zeigten die höchste Dispergier¬performance. Die vergleichend herangezogenen klassischen Fließmittel wiesen anionische Ladungsmengen im Bereich von 1,2 C/g (Polycondensat) und 1,6 C/g (PCE) auf. Die Molekularmasse schien für die Dispergierleistung zunächst unerheblich zu sein. Aus diesem Grund wurde die Basisweizenstärke erneut chemisch modifiziert, indem anionische Ladungen eingeführt wurden, ohne die Molekularmasse jedoch zu verringern. Das Stärkederivat wies verdickende Eigenschaften im Zementleim auf. Daraus konnte geschlussfolgert werden, dass eine definierte Grenzmolekularmasse (150.000 Da) existiert, die unterschritten werden muss, um Fließmittel aus Stärke zu erzeugen. Des Weiteren zeigen die Ergebnisse, dass durch die chemische Modifizierung sowohl Fließmittel als auch Verdicker aus Stärke erzeugt werden können.
Beurteilung der Beeinflussung der Hydratation und der Porenlösung des Portlandzementes
Aus der Literatur ist bekannt, dass Fließmittel die Hydratation von Portlandzement maßgeblich beeinflussen können. Aus diesem Grund wurden kalorimetrische und konduktometrische Untersuchungen an Zementsuspensionen, die mit den synthetisierten Stärkefließmitteln versetzt wurden, durchgeführt. Ergänzt wurden die Untersuchungen durch Porenlösungsanalysen zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten der Hydratation.
6. Die kalorimetrischen Untersuchungen zur Beeinflussung der Hydratation des Portlandzementes zeigten, dass die dormante Periode durch die Zugabe der Stärkefließmittel z.T. erheblich verlängert wird. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass, je höher die anionische Ladungsmenge der Stärkefließmittel ist, desto länger dauert die dormante Periode andauert. Darüber hinaus zeigte sich, dass eine niedrige Molekularmasse der Stärkefließmittel die Verlängerung der dormanten Periode begünstigt.
7. Durch die konduktometrischen Untersuchungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass alle Stärkefließmittel die Dauer des freien- und diffusionskontrollierten CSH-Phasenwachstums verlangsamen. Insbesondere die Ausfällung des Portlandits, welches mit dem Erstarrungsbeginn korreliert, erfolgt zu deutlich späteren Zeitpunkten. Des Weiteren korrelierten die konduktometrischen Untersuchungen mit der zeitlichen Entwicklung der Calciumkonzentration der Porenlösungen. Der Vergleich der Stärkefließmittel untereinander zeigte, dass die Molekularmasse ein Schlüsselparameter ist. Das Stärkefließmittel M-1 mit der geringsten Molekularmasse, welches geringe Mengen kurzkettiger Anhydroglucoseeinheiten aufweist, verzögert die Hydratphasenbildung am stärksten. Diese Wirkung ist vergleichbar mit der von Zuckern. Darüber hinaus deuteten die Ergebnisse daraufhin, dass die Stärkefließmittel auf den ersten Hydratationsprodukten adsorbieren, wodurch die Hydratphasenbildung verlangsamt wird.
Die kalorimetrischen und konduktometrischen Daten sowie die Ergebnisse der Porenlösungsanalytik des Zementes, erforderten eine genauere Betrachtung der Beeinflussung der Hydratation der Klinkerphasen C3A und C3S, durch die Stärkefließmittel. Demzufolge wurden die Untersuchungen mit den Klinkerphasen C3A und C3S in Analogie zum Portlandzement durchgeführt.
Beurteilung der Beeinflussung der Hydratation und der Porenlösung des C3A
Während die kalorimetrischen Untersuchungen zur C3A-Hydratation eine Tendenz zur verlangsamten Hydratphasenbildung durch die Stärkefließmittel aufzeigten, lieferten die konduktometrischen Ergebnisse grundlegende Erkenntnisse zur Beeinflussung der C3A-Hydratation. Das Stadium I der C3A-Hydratation ist durch einen Abfall der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit geprägt. Dies korreliert mit dem Absinken der Calciumionenkonzentration und dem Anstieg der Aluminiumionenkonzentration in der Porenlösung der C3A-Suspensionen. Im Anschluss an das Stadium I bildet sich ein Plateau in den elektrischen Leitfähigkeitskurven aus.
8. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Stärkefließmittel das Stadium I der C3A-Hydratation, d.h. die Auflösung und Bildung erster Calciumaluminathydrate verlangsamen. Insbesondere die Stärkefließmittel mit höherer Molekularmasse erhöhten die Dauer des Stadium I. Das Stadium II wird durch die Stärkefließmittel in folgender Reihenfolge am stärksten verlängert: M-1 > W-3 > K-1 > W-2 ≥ W-4 und verdeutlicht, dass keine Abhängigkeit von der anionischen Ladungsmenge identifiziert werden konnte. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass speziell die kurzkettige Stärke M-1, das Stadium II länger aufrechterhalten.
9. Das Stadium III und IV der C3A-Hydratation wird insbesondere durch die Stärkefließmittel mit höherer Molekularmasse verlängert.
Die Ergebnisse der Porenlösungsanalytik korrelieren mit den Ergebnissen der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit. Speziell die zeitlichen Verläufe der Calciumionenkonzentration bildeten die Verläufe der Konduktivitätskurven der C3A-Hydratation mit großer Übereinstimmung ab.
Beurteilung der Beeinflussung der Hydratation und der Porenlösung des C3S
Die Ergebnisse der kalorimetrischen Untersuchungen zur Beeinflussung der C3S-Hydratation durch die Stärkefließmittel zeigen, dass diese maßgeblich verlangsamt wird. Das Maximum des Haupthydratationspeaks wird zu späteren Zeiten verschoben und auch die Höhe des Maximums wird deutlich verringert. Durch die konduktometrischen Experimente wurde aufgeklärt, welche Stadien der C3S-Hydrataion beeinflusst wurden.
10. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass sowohl die Menge der eingebrachten anionischen Ladungen als auch das Vorhandensein sehr kleiner Stärkefließmittelmoleküle (Zucker), Schlüsselparameter der verzögerten Hydratationskinetik des C3S sind. Der grundlegende Mechanismus der Hydratationsverzögerung beruht auf einer Kombination aus verminderter CSH-Keimbildung und Adsorptionsprozessen auf den ersten gebildeten CSH-Phasen der C3S-Partikel.
Beurteilung des Adsorptionsverhaltens am Zement, C3A und C3S
Die Bestimmung des Adsorptionsverhaltens der Stärkefließmittel erfolgte mit der Phenol-Schwefelsäure-Methode an Zement,- C3A- und C3S-Suspensionen. Durch den Vergleich der Adsorptionsraten und Adsorptionsmengen in Abhängigkeit von den molekularen Parametern der Stärkefließmittel wurde ein Wechselwirkungsmodell identifiziert.
11. Die Ursache für die hohe Dispergierleistung der Stärkefließmittel liegt in Adsorptionsprozessen an den ersten gebildeten Hydratphasen des Zementes begründet. Die Molekularmasse der Stärkefließmittel ist ein Schlüsselparameter der entscheidend für den Mechanismus der Adsorption ist. Während anionische, langkettige Stärken an mehreren Zementpartikeln gleichzeitig adsorbieren und für eine Vernetzung der Zementpartikel untereinander sorgen (Verdickerwirkung), adsorbieren kurzkettige anionische Stärken lediglich an den ersten gebildeten Hydratphasen der einzelnen Zementpartikel und führen zu elektrostatischer Abstoßung (Fließmittelwirkung).
12. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Stärkefließmittel mit geringerem Molekulargewicht bei höheren Konzentrationen an den Hydratphasen des Zementes adsorbieren. Die Stärkefließmittel mit höherer Molekularmasse erreichen bei einer Zugabemenge von 0,7 % ein Plateau. Daraus wird geschlussfolgert, dass die größeren Fließmittelmoleküle einen erhöhten Platzbedarf erfordern und zur Absättigung der hydratisierenden Oberflächen bei geringeren Zugabemengen führen. Darüber hinaus konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Stärkefließmittel mit höherer anionischer Ladungsmenge zu höheren Adsorptionsmengen auf den Zement-, C3A- und C3S-Partikeln führen.
13. Die Adsorptionsprozesse finden an den ersten gebildeten Hydratphasen der C3A-Partikel statt, wodurch sowohl die Auflösung des C3A als auch die Bildung der Calciumhydroaluminate verlangsamt wird. Darüber hinaus wurde festgestellt, dass die Verlangsamung des freien- und diffusionskontrollierten Hydratphasenwachstums des C3S, durch die Adsorption der Stärkefließmittel auf den ersten gebildeten CSH-Phasen hervorgerufen wird. Des Weiteren wurde festgestellt, dass sehr kleine zuckerähnliche Moleküle in der kurzkettigen Maniokstärke in der Lage sind, die Bildung der ersten CSH-Keime zu unterdrücken. Dadurch kann die langanhaltende Plateauphase der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit der C3S-Hydratation erklärt werden.
Beurteilung der Porenstruktur- und Festigkeitsausbildung
Die Beurteilung der Qualität der Mikrostruktur erfolgte durch die Bestimmung der Rohdichte und der Porenradienverteilung mit Hilfe der Quecksilberhochdruckporosimetrie. Durch das Versetzen der Zementleime mit den Stärkefließmitteln konnten bei gleichbleibender Verarbeitbarkeit Zementsteinprobekörper mit einem um 17,5 % geringeren w/z-Wert von 0,35 hergestellt werden. Die Absenkung des w/z-Wertes führt zu einem Anstieg der Rohdichte des Zementsteins.
14. Durch die Zugabe der Stärkefließmittel und den verringerten w/z-Wert wird die Porenstruktur der Zementsteinproben im Vergleich zum Referenzzementstein verfeinert, da die Gesamtporosität sinkt. Insbesondere der Kapillarporenanteil wird verringert und der Gelporenanteil erhöht. Im Unterschied zu den PCE-Fließmitteln führt die Zugabe der Stärkefließmittel zu keinem erhöhten Eintrag von Luftporen. Dies wiederum hat zur Folge, dass bei der Verwendung der Stärkefließmittel auf Entschäumer verzichtet werden kann.
15. Entsprechend der dichteren Zementsteinmatrix wurden für die Zementsteine mit den Stärkefließmitteln nach 7 d und 28 d, erhöhte Biegezug- und Druckfestigkeiten ermittelt. Insbesondere die 28 d Druckfestigkeit wurde durch den verringerten w/z-Wert um die Faktoren 3,5 - 6,6 erhöht.
In recent years, lightweight materials, such as polymer composite materials (PNCs) have been studied and developed due to their excellent physical and chemical properties. Structures composed of these composite materials are widely used in aerospace engineering structures, automotive components, and electrical devices. The excellent and outstanding mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of Carbon nanotube (CNT) make it an ideal filler to strengthen polymer materials’ comparable properties. The heat transfer of composite materials has very promising engineering applications in many fields, especially in electronic devices and energy storage equipment. It is essential in high-energy density systems since electronic components need heat dissipation functionality. Or in other words, in electronic devices the generated heat should ideally be dissipated by light and small heat sinks.
Polymeric composites consist of fillers embedded in a polymer matrix, the first ones will significantly affect the overall (macroscopic) performance of the material. There are many common carbon-based fillers such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), carbon nanobuds (CNB), fullerene, and graphene. Additives inside the matrix have become a popular subject for researchers. Some extraordinary characters, such as high-performance load, lightweight design, excellent chemical resistance, easy processing, and heat transfer, make the design of polymeric nanotube composites (PNCs) flexible. Due to the reinforcing effects with different fillers on composite materials, it has a higher degree of freedom and can be designed for the structure according to specific applications’ needs. As already stated, our research focus will be on SWCNT enhanced PNCs. Since experiments are timeconsuming, sometimes expensive and cannot shed light into phenomena taking place for instance at the interfaces/interphases of composites, they are often complemented through theoretical and computational analysis.
While most studies are based on deterministic approaches, there is a comparatively lower number of stochastic methods accounting for uncertainties in the input parameters. In deterministic models, the output of the model is fully determined by the parameter values and the initial conditions. However, uncertainties in the input parameters such as aspect ratio, volume fraction, thermal properties of fiber and matrix need to be taken into account for reliable predictions. In this research, a stochastic multiscale method is provided to study the influence of numerous uncertain input parameters on the thermal conductivity of the composite. Therefore, a hierarchical multi-scale method based on computational homogenization is presented in to predict the macroscopic thermal conductivity based on the fine-scale structure. In order to study the inner mechanism, we use the finite element method and employ surrogate models to conduct a Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA). The SA is performed in order to quantify the influence of the conductivity of the fiber, matrix, Kapitza resistance, volume fraction and aspect ratio on the macroscopic conductivity. Therefore, we compute first-order and total-effect sensitivity indices with different surrogate models.
As stochastic multiscale models are computational expensive, surrogate approaches are commonly exploited. With the emergence of high performance computing and artificial intelligence, machine learning has become a popular modeling tool for numerous applications. Machine learning (ML) is commonly used in regression and maps data through specific rules with algorithms to build input and output models. They are particularly useful for nonlinear input-output relationships when sufficient data is available. ML has also been used in the design of new materials and multiscale analysis. For instance, Artificial neural networks and integrated learning seem to be ideally for such a task. They can theoretically simulate any non-linear relationship through the connection of neurons. Mapping relationships are employed to carry out data-driven simulations of inputs and outputs in stochastic modeling.
This research aims to develop a stochastic multi-scale computational models of PNCs in heat transfer. Multi-scale stochastic modeling with uncertainty analysis and machine learning methods consist of the following components:
-Uncertainty Analysis. A surrogate based global sensitivity analysis is coupled with a hierarchical multi-scale method employing computational homogenization. The effect of the conductivity of the fibers and the matrix, the Kapitza resistance, volume fraction and aspect ratio on the ’macroscopic’ conductivity of the composite is systematically studied. All selected surrogate models yield consistently the conclusions that the most influential input parameters are the aspect ratio followed by the volume fraction. The Kapitza Resistance has no significant effect on the thermal conductivity of the PNCs. The most accurate surrogate model in terms of the R2 value is the moving least square (MLS).
-Hybrid Machine Learning Algorithms. A combination of artificial neural network (ANN) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied to estimate the relationship between variable input and output parameters. The ANN is used for modeling the composite while PSO improves the prediction performance through an optimized global minimum search. The thermal conductivity of the fibers and the matrix, the kapitza resistance, volume fraction and aspect ratio are selected as input parameters. The output is the macroscopic (homogenized) thermal conductivity of the composite. The results show that the PSO significantly improves the predictive ability of this hybrid intelligent algorithm, which outperforms traditional neural networks.
-Stochastic Integrated Machine Learning. A stochastic integrated machine learning based multiscale approach for the prediction of the macroscopic thermal conductivity in PNCs is developed. Seven types of machine learning models are exploited in this research, namely Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Regression Tree (RT), Bagging Tree (Bag), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) and Cubist. They are used as components of stochastic modeling to construct the relationship between the variable of the inputs’ uncertainty and the macroscopic thermal conductivity of PNCs. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is used for hyper-parameter tuning to find the global optimal values leading to a significant reduction in the computational cost. The advantages and disadvantages of various methods are also analyzed in terms of computing time and model complexity to finally give a recommendation for the applicability of different models.
Tropical coral reefs, one of the world’s oldest ecosystems which support some of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet, are currently facing an unprecedented ecological crisis during this massive human-activity-induced period of extinction. Hence, tropical reefs symbolically stand for the destructive effects of human activities on nature [4], [5]. Artificial reefs are excellent examples of how architectural design can be combined with ecosystem regeneration [6], [7], [8]. However, to work at the interface between the artificial and the complex and temporal nature of natural systems presents a challenge, i.a. in respect to the B-rep modelling legacy of computational modelling.
The presented doctorate investigates strategies on how to apply digital practice to realise what is an essential bulwark to retain reefs in impossibly challenging times. Beyond the main question of integrating computational modelling and high precision monitoring strategies in artificial coral reef design, this doctorate explores techniques, methods, and linking frameworks to support future research and practice in ecology led design contexts.
Considering the many existing approaches for artificial coral reefs design, one finds they often fall short in precisely understanding the relationships between architectural and ecological aspects (e.g. how a surface design and material composition can foster coral larvae settlement, or structural three-dimensionality enhance biodiversity) and lack an integrated underwater (UW) monitoring process. Such a process is necessary in order to gather knowledge about the ecosystem and make it available for design, and to learn whether artificial structures contribute to reef regeneration or rather harm the coral reef ecosystem.
For the research, empirical experimental methods were applied: Algorithmic coral reef design, high precision UW monitoring, computational modelling and simulation, and validated through parallel real-world physical experimentation – two Artificial Reef Prototypes (ARPs) in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia (2012–today). Multiple discrete methods and sub techniques were developed in seventeen computational experiments and applied in a way in which many are cross valid and integrated in an overall framework that is offered as a significant contribution to the field. Other main contributions include the Ecosystem-aware design approach, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for coral reef design, algorithmic design and fabrication of Biorock cathodes, new high precision UW monitoring strategies, long-term real-world constructed experiments, new digital analysis methods and two new front-end web-based tools for reef design and monitoring reefs. The methodological framework is a finding of the research that has many technical components that were tested and combined in this way for the very first time.
In summary, the thesis responds to the urgency and relevance in preserving marine species in tropical reefs during this massive extinction period by offering a differentiated approach towards artificial coral reefs – demonstrating the feasibility of digitally designing such ‘living architecture’ according to multiple context and performance parameters. It also provides an in-depth critical discussion of computational design and architecture in the context of ecosystem regeneration and Planetary Thinking. In that respect, the thesis functions as both theoretical and practical background for computational design, ecology and marine conservation – not only to foster the design of artificial coral reefs technically but also to provide essential criteria and techniques for conceiving them.
Keywords: Artificial coral reefs, computational modelling, high precision underwater monitoring, ecology in design.
In recent years, the discussion of digitalization has arrived in the media, at conferences, and in committees of the construction and real estate industry. While some areas are producing innovations and some contributors can be described as pioneers, other topics still show deficits with regard to digital transformation. The building permit process can also be counted in this category. Regardless of how architects and engineers in planning offices rely on innovative methods, building documents have so far remained in paper form in too many cases, or are printed out after electronic submission to the authority. Existing resources – for example in the form of a building information model, which could provide support in the building permit process – are not being taken advantage of. In order to use digital tools to support decision-making by the building permit authorities, it is necessary to understand the current situation and to question conditions before pursuing the overall automation of internal authority processes as the sole solution.
With a substantive-organizational consideration of the relevant areas that influence building permit determination, an improvement of the building permit procedure within authorities is proposed. Complex areas – such as legal situations, the use of technology, as well as the subjective alternative action – are determined and structured. With the development of a model for the determination of building permitability, both an understanding of influencing factors is conveyed and an increase in transparency for all parties involved is created.
In addition to an international literature review, an empirical study served as the research method. The empirical study was conducted in the form of qualitative expert interviews in order to determine the current state in the field of building permit procedures. The collected data material was processed and subsequently subjected to a software-supported content analysis. The results were processed, in combination with findings from the literature review, in various analyses to form the basis for a proposed model.
The result of the study is a decision model that closes the gap between the current processes within the building authorities and an overall automation of the building permit review process. The model offers support to examiners and applicants in determining building permit eligibility, through its process-oriented structuring of decision-relevant facts. The theoretical model could be transferred into practice in the form of a web application.
The detailed structural analysis of thin-walled circular pipe members often requires the use of a shell or solid-based finite element method. Although these methods provide a very good approximation of the deformations, they require a higher degree of discretization which causes high computational costs. On the other hand, the analysis of thin-walled circular pipe members based on classical beam theories is easy to implement and needs much less computation time, however, they are limited in their ability to approximate the deformations as they cannot consider the deformation of the cross-section.
This dissertation focuses on the study of the Generalized Beam Theory (GBT) which is both accurate and efficient in analyzing thin-walled members. This theory is based on the separation of variables in which the displacement field is expressed as a combination of predetermined deformation modes related to the cross-section, and unknown amplitude functions defined on the beam's longitudinal axis. Although the GBT was initially developed for long straight members, through the consideration of complementary deformation modes, which amend the null transverse and shear membrane strain assumptions of the classical GBT, problems involving short members, pipe bends, and geometrical nonlinearity can also be analyzed using GBT. In this dissertation, the GBT formulation for the analysis of these problems is developed and the application and capabilities of the method are illustrated using several numerical examples. Furthermore, the displacement and stress field results of these examples are verified using an equivalent refined shell-based finite element model.
The developed static and dynamic GBT formulations for curved thin-walled circular pipes are based on the linear kinematic description of the curved shell theory. In these formulations, the complex problem in pipe bends due to the strong coupling effect of the longitudinal bending, warping and the cross-sectional ovalization is handled precisely through the derivation of the coupling tensors between the considered GBT deformation modes. Similarly, the geometrically nonlinear GBT analysis is formulated for thin-walled circular pipes based on the nonlinear membrane kinematic equations. Here, the initial linear and quadratic stress and displacement tangent stiffness matrices are built using the third and fourth-order GBT deformation mode coupling tensors.
Longitudinally, the formulation of the coupled GBT element stiffness and mass matrices are presented using a beam-based finite element formulation. Furthermore, the formulated GBT elements are tested for shear and membrane locking problems and the limitations of the formulations regarding the membrane locking problem are discussed.
Mitigating Risks of Corruption in Construction: A theoretical rationale for BIM adoption in Ethiopia
(2021)
This PhD thesis sets out to investigate the potentials of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to mitigate risks of corruption in the Ethiopian public construction sector. The wide-ranging capabilities and promises of BIM have led to the strong perception among researchers and practitioners that it is an indispensable technology. Consequently, it has become the frequent subject of science and research. Meanwhile, many countries, especially the developed ones, have committed themselves to applying the technology extensively. Increasing productivity is the most common and frequently cited reason for that.
However, both technology developers and adopters are oblivious to the potentials of BIM in addressing critical challenges in the construction sector, such as corruption. This particularly would be significant in developing countries like Ethiopia, where its problems and effects are acute. Studies reveal that bribery and corruption have long pervaded the construction industry worldwide. The complex and fragmented nature of the sector provides an environment for corruption. The Ethiopian construction sector is not immune from this epidemic reality. In fact, it is regarded as one of the most vulnerable sectors owing to varying socio-economic and political factors. Since 2015, Ethiopia has started adopting BIM, yet without clear goals and strategies. As a result, the potential of BIM for combating concrete problems of the sector remains untapped. To this end, this dissertation does pioneering work by showing how collaboration and coordination features of the technology contribute to minimizing the opportunities for corruption. Tracing loopholes, otherwise, would remain complex and ineffective in the traditional documentation processes.
Proceeding from this anticipation, this thesis brings up two primary questions: what are areas and risks of corruption in case of the Ethiopian public construction projects; and how could BIM be leveraged to mitigate these risks? To tackle these and other secondary questions, the research employs a mixed-method approach. The selected main research strategies are Survey, Grounded Theory (GT) and Archival Study. First, the author disseminates an online questionnaire among Ethiopian construction engineering professionals to pinpoint areas of vulnerability to corruption. 155 responses are compiled and scrutinized quantitatively. Then, a semi-structured in-depth interview is conducted with 20 senior professionals, primarily to comprehend opportunities for and risks of corruption in those identified highly vulnerable project stages and decision points. At the same time, open interviews (consultations) are held with 14 informants to be aware of state of the construction documentation, BIM and loopholes for corruption in the country. Consequently, these qualitative data are analyzed utilizing the principles of GT, heat/risk mapping and Social Network Analysis (SNA). The risk mapping assists the researcher in the course of prioritizing corruption risks; whilst through SNA, methodically, it is feasible to identify key actors/stakeholders in the corruption venture. Based on the generated research data, the author constructs a [substantive] grounded theory around the elements of corruption in the Ethiopian public construction sector. This theory, later, guides the subsequent strategic proposition of BIM. Finally, 85 public construction related cases are also analyzed systematically to substantiate and confirm previous findings.
By ways of these multiple research endeavors that is based, first and foremost, on the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data analysis, the author conveys a number of key findings. First, estimations, tender document preparation and evaluation, construction material as well as quality control and additional work orders are found to be the most vulnerable stages in the design, tendering and construction phases respectively. Second, middle management personnel of contractors and clients, aided by brokers, play most critical roles in corrupt transactions within the prevalent corruption network. Third, grand corruption persists in the sector, attributed to the fact that top management and higher officials entertain their overriding power, supported by the lack of project audits and accountability. Contrarily, individuals at operation level utilize intentional and unintentional 'errors’ as an opportunity for corruption.
In light of these findings, two conceptual BIM-based risk mitigation strategies are prescribed: active and passive automation of project audits; and the monitoring of project information throughout projects’ value chain. These propositions are made in reliance on BIM’s present dimensional capabilities and the promises of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Moreover, BIM’s synchronous potentials with other technologies such as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Radio Frequency technologies are topics which received a treatment. All these arguments form the basis for the main thesis of this dissertation, that BIM is able to mitigate corruption risks in the Ethiopian public construction sector. The discourse on the skepticisms about BIM that would stem from the complex nature of corruption and strategic as well as technological limitations of BIM is also illuminated and complemented by this work. Thus, the thesis uncovers possible research gaps and lays the foundation for further studies.
Die Auseinandersetzung mit der Digitalisierung ist in den letzten Jahren in den Medien, auf Konferenzen und in Ausschüssen der Bau- und Immobilienbranche angekommen. Während manche Bereiche Neuerungen hervorbringen und einige Akteure als Pioniere zu bezeichnen sind, weisen andere Themen noch Defizite hinsichtlich der digitalen Transformation auf. Zu dieser Kategorie kann auch das Baugenehmigungsverfahren gezählt werden. Unabhängig davon, wie Architekten und Ingenieure in den Planungsbüros auf innovative Methoden setzen, bleiben die Bauvorlagen bisher zuhauf in Papierform oder werden nach der elektronischen Einreichung in der Behörde ausgedruckt. Vorhandene Ressourcen, beispielsweise in Form eines Bauwerksinformationsmodells, die Unterstützung bei der Baugenehmigungsfeststellung bieten können, werden nicht ausgeschöpft. Um mit digitalen Werkzeugen eine Entscheidungshilfe für die Baugenehmigungsbehörden zu erarbeiten, ist es notwendig, den Ist-Zustand zu verstehen und Gegebenheiten zu hinterfragen, bevor eine Gesamtautomatisierung der innerbehördlichen Vorgänge als alleinige Lösung zu verfolgen ist.
Mit einer inhaltlich-organisatorischen Betrachtung der relevanten Bereiche, die Einfluss auf die Baugenehmigungsfeststellung nehmen, wird eine Optimierung des Baugenehmigungsverfahrens in den
Behörden angestrebt. Es werden die komplexen Bereiche, wie die Gesetzeslage, der Einsatz von Technologie aber auch die subjektiven Handlungsalternativen, ermittelt und strukturiert. Mit der Entwicklung eines Modells zur Feststellung der Baugenehmigungsfähigkeit wird sowohl ein Verständnis für Einflussfaktoren vermittelt als auch eine Transparenzsteigerung für alle Beteiligten geschaffen.
Neben einer internationalen Literaturrecherche diente eine empirische Studie als Untersuchungsmethode. Die empirische Studie wurde in Form von qualitativen Experteninterviews durchgeführt, um den Ist-Zustand im Bereich der Baugenehmigungsverfahren festzustellen. Das erhobene Datenmaterial wurde aufbereitet und anschließend einer softwaregestützten Inhaltsanalyse unterzogen. Die Ergebnisse wurden in Kombination mit den Erkenntnissen der Literaturrecherche in verschiedenen Analysen als Modellgrundlage aufgearbeitet.
Ergebnis der Untersuchung stellt ein Entscheidungsmodell dar, welches eine Lücke zwischen den gegenwärtigen
Abläufen in den Baubehörden und einer Gesamtautomatisierung der Baugenehmigungsprüfung schließt. Die prozessorientierte Strukturierung entscheidungsrelevanter Sachverhalte im Modell ermöglicht eine Unterstützung bei der Baugenehmigungsfeststellung für Prüfer und Antragsteller. Das theoretische Modell konnte in Form einer Webanwendung in die Praxis übertragen werden.
Für die Verminderung der betonspezifischen CO2-Emissionen wird ein verstärkter Einsatz klinkerreduzierter Zemente bzw. Betone angestrebt. Die Reduzierung des Klinkergehaltes darf jedoch nicht zu einer lebensdauerrelevanten Beeinträchtigung der Betondauerhaftigkeit führen. In diesem Zusammenhang stellt der Frost-Tausalz-Widerstand eine kritische Größe dar, da er bei höheren Klinkersubstitutionsraten häufig negativ beeinflusst wird. Erschwerend kommt hinzu, dass für klinkerreduzierte Betone nur ein unzureichender Erfahrungsschatz vorliegt. Ein hoher Frost-Tausalz-Widerstand kann daher nicht ausschließlich anhand deskriptiver Vorgaben gewährleistet werden. Demgemäß sollte perspektivisch auch für frost-tausalzbeanspruchte Bauteile eine performancebasierte Lebensdauerbetrachtung erfolgen.
Eine unverzichtbare Grundlage für das Erreichen dieser Ziele ist ein Verständnis für die Schadensvorgänge beim Frost-Tausalz-Angriff. Der Forschungsstand ist jedoch geprägt von widersprüchlichen Schadenstheorien. Somit wurde als Zielstellung für diese Arbeit abgeleitet, die existierenden Schadenstheorien unter Berücksichtigung des aktuellen Wissensstandes zu bewerten und mit eigenen Untersuchungen zu prüfen und einzuordnen. Die Sichtung des Forschungsstandes zeigte, dass nur zwei Theorien das Potential haben, den Frost-Tausalz-Angriff umfassend abzubilden – die Glue Spall Theorie und die Cryogenic Suction Theorie.
Die Glue Spall Theorie führt die Entstehung von Abwitterungen auf die mechanische Schädigung der Betonoberfläche durch eine anhaftende Eisschicht zurück. Dabei sollen nur bei moderaten Tausalzkonzentrationen in der einwirkenden Lösung kritische Spannungszustände in der Eisschicht auftreten, die eine Schädigung der Betonoberfläche hervorrufen können. In dieser Arbeit konnte jedoch nachgewiesen werden, dass starke Abwitterungen auch bei Tausalz¬konzentrationen auftreten, bei denen eine mechanische Schädigung des Betons durch das Eis auszuschließen ist. Damit wurde die fehlende Eignung der Glue Spall Theorie aufgezeigt.
Die Cryogenic Suction Theorie fußt auf den eutektischen Eigenschaften von Tausalz-lösungen, die im gefrorenen Zustand immer als Mischung auf festem Wassereis und flüssiger, hochkonzentrierter Salzlösung bestehen, solange ihre Eutektikumstemperatur nicht unter¬schritten wird. Die flüssige Phase im salzhaltigen Eis stellt für gefrorenen Beton ein bisher nicht berücksichtigtes Flüssigkeitsreservoir dar, welches trotz der hohen Salzkonzentration die Eisbildung in der Betonrandzone verstärken und so die Entstehung von Abwitterungen verursachen soll. In dieser Arbeit wurde bestätigt, dass die Eisbildung im Zementstein beim Gefrieren in hochkonzentrierter Tausalzlösung tatsächlich verstärkt wird. Das Ausmaß der zusätzlichen Eisbildung wurde dabei auch von der Fähigkeit des Zementsteins zur Bindung von Chloridionen aus der Tausalzlösung beeinflusst.
Zusammenfassend wurde festgestellt, dass die Cryogenic Suction Theorie eine gute Beschreibung des Frost-Tausalz-Angriffes darstellt, aber um weitere Aspekte ergänzt werden muss. Die Berücksichtigung der intensiven Sättigung von Beton durch den Prozess der Mikroeislinsenpumpe stellt hier die wichtigste Erweiterung dar. Basierend auf dieser Überlegung wurde eine kombinierte Schadenstheorie aufgestellt. Wichtige Annahmen dieser Theorie konnten experimentell bestätigt werden. Im Ergebnis wurde so die Grundlage für ein tiefergehendes Verständnis des Frost-Tausalz-Angriffes geschaffen. Zudem wurde ein neuer Ansatz identifiziert, um die (potentielle) Verringerung des Frost-Tausalz-Widerstandes klinkerreduzierter Betone zu erklären.
In den letzten Jahrzehnten unterlag der Straßenbetriebsdienst tiefgreifenden Veränderungen. Diese Veränderungen schließt auch die betriebliche Steuerungsphilosophie ein, um eine planungsrationale und ökonomische Gestaltung des Straßenbetriebsdienstes zu unterstützen. Dabei erfolgt eine verbindliche Vorgabe der Leistungsinhalte und -umfänge und ermöglicht eine Budgetierung für das vorgesehene Jahresarbeitsprogramm.
Ziel der Untersuchung ist die Entwicklung eines Modells für die Ermittlung von leistungsbezogenen Musterjahresganglinien zur Unterstützung der Jahresarbeitsplanung. Dafür lagen für jede Leistung des Leistungsbereiches „Grünpflege“ jeweils 260 einzelne Jahresganglinien vor.
Im Ergebnis der Untersuchung wird die leistungsbezogene Musterjahresganglinie in vier Schritten ermittelt. Im ersten Schritt erfolgt die Prüfung der Datenqualität; im zweiten Schritt eine Korrelationsanalyse; im dritten Schritt die fachliche Überprüfung der Leistungsausprägung und im vierten Schritt die Ermittlung der leistungsbezogenen Musterjahresganglinie aus den verbliebenen leistungsbezogenen Jahresganglinien.
This work presents a robust status monitoring approach for detecting damage in cantilever structures based on logistic functions. Also, a stochastic damage identification approach based on changes of eigenfrequencies is proposed. The proposed algorithms are verified using catenary poles of electrified railways track. The proposed damage features overcome the limitation of frequency-based damage identification methods available in the literature, which are valid to detect damage in structures to Level 1 only. Changes in eigenfrequencies of cantilever structures are enough to identify possible local damage at Level 3, i.e., to cover damage detection, localization, and quantification. The proposed algorithms identified the damage with relatively small errors, even at a high noise level.
Die Arbeit leistet einen wissenschaftlichen Beitrag zur Erforschung der Einsatzmöglichkeiten eines Immobilienportfoliomanagements für öffentliche museale Schlösserverwaltungen in Deutschland. Insbesondere wird ein für deren Organisation spezifisches Modell zur Investitionssteuerung herausgearbeitet und dessen Anwendbarkeit in der Praxis mit Experten diskutiert.
Although it is impractical to avert subsequent natural disasters, advances in simulation science and seismological studies make it possible to lessen the catastrophic damage. There currently exists in many urban areas a large number of structures, which are prone to damage by earthquakes. These were constructed without the guidance of a national seismic code, either before it existed or before it was enforced. For instance, in Istanbul, Turkey, as a high seismic area, around 90% of buildings are substandard, which can be generalized into other earthquakeprone regions in Turkey. The reliability of this building stock resulting from earthquake-induced collapse is currently uncertain. Nonetheless, it is also not feasible to perform a detailed seismic vulnerability analysis on each building as a solution to the scenario, as it will be too complicated and expensive. This indicates the necessity of a reliable, rapid, and computationally easy method for seismic vulnerability assessment, commonly known as Rapid Visual Screening (RVS). In RVS methodology, an observational survey of buildings is performed, and according to the data collected during the visual inspection, a structural score is calculated without performing any structural calculations to determine the expected damage of a building and whether the building needs detailed assessment. Although this method might save time and resources due to the subjective/qualitative judgments of experts who performed the inspection, the evaluation process is dominated by vagueness and uncertainties, where the vagueness can be handled adequately through the fuzzy set theory but do not cover all sort of uncertainties due to its crisp membership functions. In this study, a novel method of rapid visual hazard safety assessment of buildings against earthquake is introduced in which an interval type-2 fuzzy logic system (IT2FLS) is used to cover uncertainties. In addition, the proposed method provides the possibility to evaluate the earthquake risk of the building by considering factors related to the building importance and exposure. A smartphone app prototype of the method has been introduced. For validation of the proposed method, two case studies have been selected, and the result of the analysis presents the robust efficiency of the proposed method.
In the last decades, Finite Element Method has become the main method in statics and dynamics analysis in engineering practice. For current problems, this method provides a faster, more flexible solution than the analytic approach. Prognoses of complex engineer problems that used to be almost impossible to solve are now feasible.
Although the finite element method is a robust tool, it leads to new questions about engineering solutions. Among these new problems, it is possible to divide into two major groups: the first group is regarding computer performance; the second one is related to understanding the digital solution.
Simultaneously with the development of the finite element method for numerical solutions, a theory between beam theory and shell theory was developed: Generalized Beam Theory, GBT. This theory has not only a systematic and analytical clear presentation of complicated structural problems, but also a compact and elegant calculation approach that can improve computer performance.
Regrettably, GBT was not internationally known since the most publications of this theory were written in German, especially in the first years. Only in recent years, GBT has gradually become a fertile research topic, with developments from linear to non-linear analysis.
Another reason for the misuse of GBT is the isolated application of the theory. Although recently researches apply finite element method to solve the GBT's problems numerically, the coupling between finite elements of GBT and other theories (shell, solid, etc) is not the subject of previous research. Thus, the main goal of this dissertation is the coupling between GBT and shell/membrane elements. Consequently, one achieves the benefits of both sides: the versatility of shell elements with the high performance of GBT elements.
Based on the assumptions of GBT, this dissertation presents how the separation of variables leads to two calculation's domains of a beam structure: a cross-section modal analysis and the longitudinal amplification axis. Therefore, there is the possibility of applying the finite element method not only in the cross-section analysis, but also the development for an exact GBT's finite element in the longitudinal direction.
For the cross-section analysis, this dissertation presents the solution of the quadratic eigenvalue problem with an original separation between plate and membrane mechanism. Subsequently, one obtains a clearer representation of the deformation mode, as well as a reduced quadratic eigenvalue problem.
Concerning the longitudinal direction, this dissertation develops the novel exact elements, based on hyperbolic and trigonometric shape functions. Although these functions do not have trivial expressions, they provide a recursive procedure that allows periodic derivatives to systematise the development of stiffness matrices. Also, these shape functions enable a single-element discretisation of the beam structure and ensure a smooth stress field.
From these developments, this dissertation achieves the formulation of its primary objective: the connection of GBT and shell elements in a mixed model. Based on the displacement field, it is possible to define the coupling equations applied in the master-slave method. Therefore, one can model the structural connections and joints with finite shell elements and the structural beams and columns with GBT finite element.
As a side effect, the coupling equations limit the displacement field of the shell elements under the assumptions of GBT, in particular in the neighbourhood of the coupling cross-section.
Although these side effects are almost unnoticeable in linear analysis, they lead to cumulative errors in non-linear analysis. Therefore, this thesis finishes with the evaluation of the mixed GBT-shell models in non-linear analysis.
Transformation of the Environment: Influence of “Urban Reagents.” German and Russian Case Studies
(2021)
An urban regeneration manifests itself through urban objects operating as change agents. The en-tailed diverse effects on the surroundings demonstrate experimental origin - an experiment as a preplanned but unpredictable method. An understanding of influences and features of urban ob-jects requires scrutiny due to a high potential of the elements to force an alteration and reactions. This dissertation explores the transformation of the milieu and mechanisms of this transformation.
In recent years, substantial attention has been devoted to thermoelastic multifield problems and their numerical analysis. Thermoelasticity is one of the important categories of multifield problems which deals with the effect of mechanical and thermal disturbances on an elastic body. In other words, thermoelasticity encompasses the phenomena that describe the elastic and thermal behavior of solids and their interactions under thermo-mechanical loadings. Since providing an analytical solution for general coupled thermoelasticity problems is mathematically complicated, the development of alternative numerical solution techniques seems essential.
Due to the nature of numerical analysis methods, presence of error in results is inevitable, therefore in any numerical simulation, the main concern is the accuracy of the approximation. There are different error estimation (EE) methods to assess the overall quality of numerical approximation. In many real-life numerical simulations, not only the overall error, but also the local error or error in a particular quantity of interest is of main interest. The error estimation techniques which are developed to evaluate the error in the quantity of interest are known as “goal-oriented” error estimation (GOEE) methods.
This project, for the first time, investigates the classical a posteriori error estimation and goal-oriented a posteriori error estimation in 2D/3D thermoelasticity problems. Generally, the a posteriori error estimation techniques can be categorized into two major branches of recovery-based and residual-based error estimators. In this research, application of both recovery- and residual-based error estimators in thermoelasticity are studied. Moreover, in order to reduce the error in the quantity of interest efficiently and optimally in 2D and 3D thermoelastic problems, goal-oriented adaptive mesh refinement is performed.
As the first application category, the error estimation in classical Thermoelasticity (CTE) is investigated. In the first step, a rh-adaptive thermo-mechanical formulation based on goal-oriented error estimation is proposed.The developed goal-oriented error estimation relies on different stress recovery techniques, i.e., the superconvergent patch recovery (SPR), L2-projection patch recovery (L2-PR), and weighted superconvergent patch recovery (WSPR). Moreover, a new adaptive refinement strategy (ARS) is presented that minimizes the error in a quantity of interest and refines the discretization such that the error is equally distributed in the refined mesh. The method is validated by numerous numerical examples where an analytical solution or reference solution is available.
After investigating error estimation in classical thermoelasticity and evaluating the quality of presented error estimators, we extended the application of the developed goal-oriented error estimation and the associated adaptive refinement technique to the classical fully coupled dynamic thermoelasticity. In this part, we present an adaptive method for coupled dynamic thermoelasticity problems based on goal-oriented error estimation. We use dimensionless variables in the finite element formulation and for the time integration we employ the acceleration-based Newmark-_ method. In this part, the SPR, L2-PR, and WSPR recovery methods are exploited to estimate the error in the quantity of interest (QoI). By using
adaptive refinement in space, the error in the quantity of interest is minimized. Therefore, the discretization is refined such that the error is equally distributed in the refined mesh. We demonstrate the efficiency of this method by numerous numerical examples.
After studying the recovery-based error estimators, we investigated the residual-based error estimation in thermoelasticity. In the last part of this research, we present a 3D adaptive method for thermoelastic problems based on goal-oriented error estimation where the error is measured with respect to a pointwise quantity of interest. We developed a method for a posteriori error estimation and mesh adaptation based on dual weighted residual (DWR) method relying on the duality principles and consisting of an adjoint problem solution. Here, we consider the application of the derived estimator and mesh refinement to two-/three-dimensional (2D/3D) thermo-mechanical multifield problems. In this study, the goal is considered to be given by singular pointwise functions, such as the point value or point value derivative at a specific point of interest (PoI). An adaptive algorithm has been adopted to refine the mesh to minimize the goal in the quantity of interest.
The mesh adaptivity procedure based on the DWR method is performed by adaptive local h-refinement/coarsening with allowed hanging nodes. According to the proposed DWR method, the error contribution of each element is evaluated. In the refinement process, the contribution of each element to the goal error is considered as the mesh refinement criterion.
In this study, we substantiate the accuracy and performance of this method by several numerical examples with available analytical solutions. Here, 2D and 3D problems under thermo-mechanical loadings are considered as benchmark problems. To show how accurately the derived estimator captures the exact error in the evaluation of the pointwise quantity of interest, in all examples, considering the analytical solutions, the goal error effectivity index as a standard measure of the quality of an estimator is calculated. Moreover, in order to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method and show the optimal behavior of the employed refinement method, the results of different conventional error estimators and refinement techniques (e.g., global uniform refinement, Kelly, and weighted Kelly techniques) are used for comparison.
Self-healing materials have recently become more popular due to their capability to autonomously and autogenously repair the damage in cementitious materials. The concept of self-healing gives the damaged material the ability to recover its stiffness. This gives a difference in comparing with a material that is not subjected to healing. Once this material is damaged, it cannot sustain loading due to the stiffness degradation. Numerical modeling of self-healing materials is still in its infancy. Multiple experimental researches were conducted in literature to describe the behavior of self-healing of cementitious materials. However, few numerical investigations were undertaken.
The thesis presents an analytical framework of self-healing and super healing materials based on continuum damage-healing mechanics. Through this framework, we aim to describe the recovery and strengthening of material stiffness and strength. A simple damage healing law is proposed and applied on concrete material. The proposed damage-healing law is based on a new time-dependent healing variable. The damage-healing model is applied on isotropic concrete material at the macroscale under tensile load. Both autonomous and autogenous self-healing mechanisms are simulated under different loading conditions. These two mechanisms are denoted in the present work by coupled and uncoupled self-healing mechanisms, respectively. We assume in the coupled self-healing that the healing occurs at the same time with damage evolution, while we assume in the uncoupled self-healing that the healing occurs when the material is deformed and subjected to a rest period (damage is constant). In order to describe both coupled and uncoupled healing mechanisms, a one-dimensional element is subjected to different types of loading history.
In the same context, derivation of nonlinear self-healing theory is given, and comparison of linear and nonlinear damage-healing models is carried out using both coupled and uncoupled self-healing mechanisms. The nonlinear healing theory includes generalized nonlinear and quadratic healing models. The healing efficiency is studied by varying the values of the healing rest period and the parameter describing the material characteristics. In addition, theoretical formulation of different self-healing variables is presented for both isotropic and anisotropic maerials. The healing variables are defined based on the recovery in elastic modulus, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, and bulk modulus. The evolution of the healing variable calculated based on cross-section as function of the healing variable calculated based on elastic stiffness is presented in both hypotheses of elastic strain equivalence and elastic energy equivalence. The components of the fourth-rank healing tensor are also obtained in the case of isotropic elasticity, plane stress and plane strain.
Recent research revealed that self-healing presents a crucial solution also for the strengthening of the materials. This new concept has been termed ``Super Healing``. Once the stiffness of the material is recovered, further healing can result as a strengthening material. In the present thesis, new theory of super healing materials is defined in isotropic and anisotropic cases using sound mathematical and mechanical principles which are applied in linear and nonlinear super healing theories. Additionally, the link of the proposed theory with the theory of undamageable materials is outlined. In order to describe the super healing efficiency in linear and nonlinear theories, the ratio of effective stress to nominal stress is calculated as function of the super healing variable. In addition, the hypotheses of elastic strain and elastic energy equivalence are applied. In the same context, new super healing matrix in plane strain is proposed based on continuum damage-healing mechanics.
In the present work, we also focus on numerical modeling of impact behavior of reinforced concrete slabs using the commercial finite element package Abaqus/Explicit. Plain and reinforced concrete slabs of unconfined compressive strength 41 MPa are simulated under impact of ogive-nosed hard projectile. The constitutive material modeling of the concrete and steel reinforcement bars is performed using the Johnson-Holmquist-2 damage and the Johnson-Cook plasticity material models, respectively. Damage diameters and residual velocities obtained by the numerical model are compared with the experimental results and effect of steel reinforcement and projectile diameter is studied.
Abstract In the first part of this research, the utilization of tuned mass dampers in the vibration control of tall buildings during earthquake excitations is studied. The main issues such as optimizing the parameters of the dampers and studying the effects of frequency content of the target earthquakes are addressed.
Abstract The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm method is improved by upgrading generic operators, and is utilized to develop a framework for determining the optimum placement and parameters of dampers in tall buildings. A case study is presented in which the optimal placement and properties of dampers are determined for a model of a tall building under different earthquake excitations through computer simulations.
Abstract In the second part, a novel framework for the brain learning-based intelligent seismic control of smart structures is developed. In this approach, a deep neural network learns how to improve structural responses during earthquake excitations using feedback control.
Abstract Reinforcement learning method is improved and utilized to develop a framework for training the deep neural network as an intelligent controller. The efficiency of the developed framework is examined through two case studies including a single-degree-of-freedom system and a high-rise building under different earthquake excitation records.
Abstract The results show that the controller gradually develops an optimum control policy to reduce the vibrations of a structure under an earthquake excitation through a cyclical process of actions and observations.
Abstract It is shown that the controller efficiently improves the structural responses under new earthquake excitations for which it was not trained. Moreover, it is shown that the controller has a stable performance under uncertainties.