Aided diagnosis of structural pathologies with an expert system

Sustainability and safety are social demands for long-life buildings. Suitable inspection and maintenance tasks on structural elements are needed for keeping buildings safely in service. Any malfunction that causes structural damage could be called pathology by analogy between structural engineering and medicine. Even the easiest evaluation tasks require expensive training periods that may be shortened with a suitable tool. This work presents an expert system (called Doctor House or DH) for diagnosing pathologies of structural elements in buildings. DH differs from other expert systems when it deals with uncertainty in a far easier but still useful way and it is capable of aiding during the initial survey 'in situ', when damage should be detected at a glance. DH is a powerful tool that represents complex knowledge gathered from bibliography and experts. Knowledge codification and uncertainty treatment are the main achievements presented. Finally, DH was tested and validated during real surveys.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Disseny i execució autònoma d'una pràctica d'extensometria

Desenvolupar una activitat d’aprenentatge autònom basada en l’aplicació pràctica dels coneixements adquirits a l’assignatura Anàlisis experimental de tensions (4t curs EA) i/o Tècniques d’anàlisi de tensions (4t curs EI). Els objectius parcials serien definir el guió bàsic així com el mode d’avaluació i retroacció

Analysis of unreinforced and TRM-strengthened brick masonry walls subjected to eccentric axial load

A significant number of buildings are supported by load-bearing masonry walls. The preservation of these worldwide used structures is a sustainable alternative. However, there is little research about the structural response of these particular elements if compared with others like concrete or steels framed structures. Hence, a further study of the load-bearing masonry walls is necessary as a starting point for the preservation activities. The load-bearing masonry walls are usually subjected to a vertical eccentric loading condition, which is related with their complex structural response. This response is characterised by the second-order bending effects due to the eccentricity of the load, the non-linear compressive response of the masonry and its almost negligible tensile strength. Thus, strengthening these walls, in order to increase their load-bearing capacity, is an interesting upgrading alternative to enhance their life-cycle. In this thesis, an experimental campaign has been carried out. It consisted of hundreds of characterisation tests to obtain the mechanical properties of the component materials which have been used to build twenty-nine full-scale walls. Twenty of these walls were unreinforced and the other nine were TRM (Textile Reinforced Mortar) strengthened. All of them have been tested under eccentric compressive loading conditions. The analysis of the strengthened walls has allowed studying the influence of the strengthening mortar type on the load-bearing capacity. The effects using anchors or embedding different types of fibre grids have been also analysed. A bidimensional (2D) simplified micro-model has been implemented to analyse these structural cases. This numerical tool has been validated using the data from the experimental campaign. Finally, analytical methodologies have been proposed to calculate the load-bearing capacity of unreinforced and TRM-strengthened brick masonry walls. Similarly, two current standards, Eurocode-6 and ACI-530 have been applied to the analysed cases and their results have been compared with the experimental ones. The results show that the TRM provides a load-bearing capacity increase over 100% and homogenises the structural response, which becomes stiffer. Regarding the simulations, the proposed numerical model provides accurate results, which are better for the cases with larger slenderness or larger eccentricity of the applied load. Finally, the proposed analytical methods provide acceptable results, which are more accurate than the ones obtained by applying the formulations included in the analysed standards.Un nombre significant d'edificis estan suportats per murs de càrrega d'obra de fàbrica. La preservació d’aquestes estructures que s’utilitzen arreu del món is una alternativa sostenible. No obstant això, hi ha molt poca recerca en relació a la resposta estructural d’aquests elements particulars si es compara amb altres com les estructures porticades d’acer o formigó. Per tant, és necessari un major estudi dels murs de càrrega d’obra de fàbrica com a punt de partida de les actuacions de preservació. Normalment, els murs de càrrega estan subjectes a patrons de càrrega vertical excèntrica, cosa que està relacionada amb la seva resposta estructural complexa. Aquesta resposta es caracteritza pels efectes de flexió de segon ordre degut a l’excentricitat de la càrrega, per la resposta no linear a compressió de l’obra de fàbrica i per la seva, pràcticament negligible, resistència a tracció. Per tant, el reforç d’aquests murs, per tal d’augmentar-ne la seva capacitat resistent is una alternativa de millora interessant per allargar la seva vida útil. En aquesta tesi s’ha dut a terme una campanya experimental. Aquesta ha consistit en centenars d’assaigs de caracterització de les propietats mecàniques dels materials components utilitzats per construir vint-i-nou murs. Nou d’aquests es van reforçar amb Textile Reinforced Mortar, TRM, i els altres vint van ser assajats sense reforç. Tots van ser sotmesos a compressió excèntrica. L’estudi dels murs reforçats ha permès analitzar la influència del tipus de morter de reforç, l’efecte de disposar ancoratges o la dependència de la capacitat resistent en el tipus de malla de fibra utilitzada. S’ha implementat un micromodel simplificat bidimensional (2D) per analitzar els casos estructurals proposats. Aquesta eina numèrica ha estat validada utilitzant les dades de la campanya experimental. Finalment, s’han proposat mètodes analítics per calcular la capacitat portant dels murs sense reforç i dels reforçats amb TRM. De forma semblant, s’han aplicat dos normes actuals, l’Eurocodi-6 i l’ACI-530, als casos d’estudi per tal de comparar-ne els resultats amb els experimentals. Els resultats mostren que el TRM aporta un augment de la capacitat resistent de més del 100% i homogeneïtza la resposta estructural que esdevé més rígida. En relació a les simulacions, el model numèric proposat obté resultats acurats, els quals són millors pels casos de major esveltesa o més excentricitat de la càrrega. Per acabar, els mètodes analítics que es proposen aporten resultats acceptables, els quals s’ajusten millor als experimentals que els obtinguts aplicant les formulacions de les normatives

Study of the compressive response of masonry using non-conventional joint materials

Winner of the International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation IJMRI Best Paper Award 2017The compressive response of masonry is influenced by geometric, material and execution variables. In addition, the nature of bricks and mortar typically introduces uncertainty to the experimental results. In order to reduce this uncertainty, an experimental campaign has been carried out to analyse the influence of the properties of the joints. Four non-conventional masonry typologies including resin, EPS and rubber joints have been considered for this purpose. In all, 60 compressive tests and 50 deformability tests on five stacked bricks prisms were performed. Obtained data are compared with data from the literature. A comparison with the current European standard is also carried out. The obtained results point out that the modulus of linear deformation of the joint is the most influent variable on the compressive response of masonry. Finally, it seems that current formulation (Eurocode-6) tends to overestimate the modulus of linear deformation of masonry.Peer ReviewedAward-winningPostprint (author's final draft

Análisis por elementos finitos para modelar muros de obra de fábrica sometidos a compresión excéntrica

Preprin

Sistema expert per a la diagnosi de patologies en elements estructurals

La present tesina emana de la creixent demanda de professionals dedicats a la diagnosis de patologies en edificacions. Aquesta necessitat creixent té diversos orígens, entre els quals cal destacar l’augment del volum d’aquest tipus d’obra que s’ha viscut darrerament. També hi influeix la creixent exigència de qualitat per part dels usuaris dels edificis i la preocupació, cada cop major, per els temes de seguretat que està arrelant fortament en la societat

Assessing the performance of CFRP strengthening on masonry walls using experimental modal analysis

Strengthening masonry structures using FRP laminates has been widely studied from a resistance point of view. However, there is a need of a non-destructive technique to validate strengthening interventions. In this paper, experimental modal analysis is proposed as a technique to assess practitioners’ works. Fifteen brick masonry walls were built and strengthened with five different patterns of carbon-FRP laminates. Experimental modal analysis was performed before and after strengthening interventions. Different vibration modes were compared to select the more sensitive one depending on the strengthening configuration. The change in the vibration frequency was analysed and correlated with cross-section stiffness modification. The obtained results showed changes up to 30% on the vibration frequencies due to strengthening installation. On the overall, the proposed experimental methodology is supported by theoretical analytical calculations with an error under 5% in most of the cases.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Piezoelectric elements subjected to low frequency excitation. Empirical determination of stress and frequency influence on piezoelectric parameters

Designing optimum energy harvesting devices is the aim of several developments based on numerical or analytical studies of different piezoelectric configurations that usually consider constant piezoelectric properties. Experimental tests on bending piezoelectric patches showed that the electrical response depended on the frequency and amplitude of the mechanical excitation for displacement-imposed systems. Analytical and numerical calculations required adapting piezoelectric parameters to properly represent experimental results. A novel formulation to calculate piezoelectric parameters using the mechanical stress and the excitation frequency as inputs is proposed and discussed. A linear dependency on the mechanical stress of the piezoelectric ceramic and a logarithmic dependency on the excitation frequency have been combined to propose a unique calculation procedure. Later, this procedure was applied to compute different piezoelectric parameters to set numerical (2% error) and analytical (1% error) calculations that accurately represented experimental results. Finally, the practical implications of considering or not considering the frequency and stress dependency of the piezoelectric properties was evaluated for a theoretical bimorph cantilever configuration, whose excitation frequency decreased whereas the amplitude was kept constant. Results showed that only 1/3 of the energy production that was predicted with constant piezoelectric properties can be expected when considering frequency and stress influence.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Partial financial support was received from COMSA company. Partial financial support was received from SORIGUÉ, S.A. (research contract PIEZOROAD)Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Taguchi techniques as an effective simulation-based strategy in the design of numerical simulations to assess contact stress in gerotor pumps

The contact problem of a trochoidal gear is a drawback and a well-known performance indicator of a gerotor pump. Although numerical simulations aid in the evaluation of contact stress, the difficult task of determining geometrical parameters, operating conditions, and the number of simulations to run falls to the designer. This paper presents the Taguchi techniques as an effective simulation-based strategy to narrow down the geometrical parameter combinations, reducing the solution space and optimizing the number of simulations. The work is first focused on the validation of the proposed numerical model by means of published contact stress results of recognized researchers in the field, as well as the unification of nomenclature and notation. Then, the Taguchi approach is based on a sequence of four experiments, ranging from the screening case with two levels and seven parameters to multiple levels and four parameters with three software input operating conditions (temperature, torque, and friction coefficient) emulating noise effects. The contact stresses of 128 gear sets, having common volumetric capacity and dimensional constraints to detach mechanical performance from flow rate and casing, were analyzed. Results prove the feasibility of the proposed methodology by identifying the most suitable gear set configuration and predicting the quantifiable performances of a real-working gerotor pumpE.B.-M. is a Serra Húnter fellow. The authors would like to acknowledge the Generalitat de Catalunya for providing the necessary support to the research groups IAFARG (SGR 286, https://iafarg.upc.edu, accessed on 1 September 2022), CATMech (Tecnio, https://catmech.upc.edu/home, accessed on 1 September 2022), and Doctorats Industrials (2020 DI 45). The authors would like to thank Byon Zambrano Risco for participating in the research reported in this paperPostprint (published version

Effect of Sporosarcina Pasteurii on the strength properties of compressed earth specimens

Microbial biodeposition of calcite induction for improving the performance of rammed earth is a research area that must be analysed in a representative environment. This analysis must consider the compaction force, particle size distribution and curing process as production variables. This paper investigates the effects of adding specific bacteria, Sporosarcina Pasteurii, into compressed earth cubes and the effect of production variables. Uniaxial compressive tests and direct shear tests have been conducted for 80 specimens. The results indicate that calcite precipitation interacts with the drying process of clay/silt resulting in reducing the compressive strength, the apparent cohesion and the friction angle. Finally, bacterial activity, which is more likely in samples cured in a high humidity environment, tends to reduce the dilatancy effect.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version