Fatigue debonding resistance of wrapped composite X-joints

Steel jacket support structures for offshore wind turbine towers made of circular hollow sections (CHS) are becoming a competitive solution compared to monopiles in deeper waters. The current limitation to improving the durability and cost-effectiveness of the CHS structures is the low fatigue endurance of their welded joints. Fatigue-driven...

Mode I fracture behavior of glass fiber composite-steel bonded interface: Experiments and CZM

Debonding is characterized as the governing failure mode in the innovative wrapped composite joints made with glass fiber composite material wrapped around steel hollow sections without welding. The prerequisite for predicting debonding failure of wrapped composite joints is to obtain fracture behavior of the composite-steel bonded interface....

Fatigue crack growth characterization of composite-to-steel bonded interface using ENF and 4ENF tests

In this paper, mode II fatigue crack growth properties of the composite-to-steel interface are characterised through different test configurations, namely ENF and 4ENF tests. Different loading types including force control and displacement control methods are compared. An innovative shear strain based method is proposed for monitoring the...

Determination Of Mode I Fracture Properties Of European Spruce

In this paper an efficient procedure for obtaining a cohesive law for Mode I timber fracture (crack opening), based on the Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) tests is given. DCB tests were performed on ten European spruce specimens in order to determine the energy release rate vs crack length (R curves). Two crucial parameters - crack length during...

Strain Hardening Cementitious Composite in Reinforced Concrete Cover Zone for Crack Width Control

In the current study, experiments were carried out to investigate the cracking behaviour of reinforced concrete beams consisting of 1-cm-thick layer of Strain Hardening Cementitious Composite (SHCC) in the concrete cover zone. The hybrid SHCC/concrete beams with different types of interfaces were tested and compared with control reinforced...

Ultra-thin Strain Hardening Cementitious Composite (SHCC) layer in reinforced concrete cover zone for crack width control

In the current study, experiments and numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the cracking behavior of reinforced concrete beams consisting of a very thin layer (i.e., 1 cm in thickness) of SHCC in the concrete cover, tension zone. A novel type of SHCC/concrete interface that features a weakened chemical adhesion but an enhanced...

Experimental Determination of R Curves for European Spruce Using DCB Tests

This paper presents an experimental procedure for obtaining the fracture resistance (R curve) of solid wood specimens made of spruce. Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) tests were performed in order to determine energy release rate vs crack length in Mode I wood fracture (crack opening). Ten wood specimens were loaded using the Universal Testing...

Influence of different corrosion solutions on reinforced concrete by DIC and traditional strain test

When the corrosion expansion stress of the steel reinforcement exceeds the ultimate tensile strength of the concrete, the concrete will crack and eventually cause structural damage. Therefore, direct characterization methods of steel corrosion expansion stress can help predict the concrete cracking time, prevent corrosion expansion and repair...

Monitoring and quantifying crack-based light damage in masonry walls with digital image correlation

Recent, induced earthquakes in the north of the Netherlands have led to a large number of damage claims. Many claims can be considered to fall into the category of ‘light damage’ to the ubiquitous, unreinforced masonry structures in the region. To evaluate and predict the behaviour of cracks, characteristic of light masonry damage, caused by...

Effect of coarse aggregate size on non-uniform stress/strain and drying-induced microcracking in concrete

Non-uniform stresses, strains and microcracking of the concretes with three coarse aggregate sizes (5–10 mm, 10–16 mm, 16–20 mm) dried under 40% relative humidity (RH) for 60 days were quantified using digital image correlation and lattice fracture modelling. The influencing mechanism of coarse aggregate size on the drying-induced...

Calcium silicate against clay brick masonry: an experimental comparison of the in-plane behaviour during light damage

The north of the Netherlands is prone to frequent, light earthquakes linked to economical losses and societal unrest due to the induced seismicity in the region. These light earthquakes produce correspondingly low values of in-plane drift on the typical masonry structures of the region, many of which are built with cavity walls composed of an...

High-resolution monitoring of the initial development of cracks in experimental masonry shear walls and their reproduction in finite element models

Induced seismicity in the north of the Netherlands has recently exposed unprepared, unreinforced masonry structures to considerable earthquake hazard. While the ultimate-limit state capacity of the structures is vital to assess the individual's risk, their behaviour during more frequent, lighter earthquakes leading to ‘light damage’, has...

Effect of relative humidity on drying-induced damage in concrete: A comparative study of digital image correlation and lattice modelling

To assess the effect of relative humidity (RH) on drying-induced damage in concrete, the non-uniform strains and microcracks in concrete under different RH conditions were obtained using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique and lattice fracture model. The simulated non-uniform displacements were consistent with those captured using...

A dot tracking algorithm to measure free surface deformations

The present study introduces an experimental technique based on a Free Surface-Synthetic Schlieren (FS-SS) method in order to characterize free surfaces subjected to strong deformations. Current synthetic Schlieren methods are based on local image correlation and thus limited to rather weak image deformations, implying that they can only resolve...