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An offshore energy transition, even if only a gradual one, from carbon-emitting fossil fuel extraction to cleaner sources is recommended, if we are to slow the harmful impacts of climate change. The potential for sustainable reuse of decommissioned offshore jacket platforms to support wind turbines is being considered as an attractive proposition in such a transition. To maximize the benefits of such reuse of assets, what is needed is a rational optimization strategy that considers the remaining life of a repurposed platform, associated retrofit and construction costs, and a future period of gross renewable energy generation following installation of the wind turbine. We outline a study that employs a fatigue reliability-based framework, based on the global fatigue approach and Palmgren–Miner’s rule, to aid in such sustainable reuse planning and optimization. The framework proposed identifies an optimized reuse plan that incorporates metocean data analysis, structural analysis, life cycle evaluation, and revenue optimization. We employ a case study and sustainable reuse scenario for a site in the vicinity of Porto (Leixões), Portugal.

Fatigue assessment in the presence of intricate geometries is critical for ensuring structural integrity and reliability of engineering components. Based on the energy field intensity (EFI) approac...

Structural components with different scales normally show different fatigue behaviors, which are virtually dominated by defects originated from multiple sources, including manufacturing processes. This paper reviews three types of size effects (statistical, geometrical, technological) as well as their recent advances in metal fatigue, aiming to provide a guide for fatigue strength assessment of engineering components containing defects, inclusions and material inhomogeneity. Firstly, the background of inherent defects and defect-based failure mechanism are briefly outlined, and fatigue failure analysis based on fracture mechanics as well as statistics theory are emphasized. Then, two approaches commonly applied in statistical size effect modeling, i.e. critical defect method and weakest link method, are elaborated. In addition, the highly stressed volume method is introduced for considering the geometrical size effects, and the technological (production and surface) size effect is briefly overviewed. Finally, further directions on size effect in metal fatigue under defects are explored.

PurposeThe purpose of this scientific work is to simulate the fatigue damage under random loading, taking into account the mean stress effect on fatigue lifetime and using the Rainflow counting technique to assess the fatigue damage by the Ansys software. The used material is aluminum alloy 6082-T6. A comparison with literature results has confirmed this investigation in this paper.Design/methodology/approachThe study of fatigue under random loading is based on the same concepts as constant loading with the addition of damage summation. The proportion of damage caused by a stress cycle depends not only on the alternating stress but also on the mean stress.FindingsAnalysis of the fatigue damage shows that the number of relative damage due to each cycle.Originality/valueThis paper aims to simulate the fatigue damage under random loading for aluminum alloys.

In this study, the simultaneous application of sacrificial piles and cable was experimentally examined as a pier scour countermeasure. The experiments were carried out for a single pier, a group of two and three piers using a clear-water regime. It is believed that applying the sacrificial piles and cable at the same time decreases the scour depth at a single pier and a group of two piers efficiently. In a group of three piers, the sacrificial piles with triangular configuration were able to decrease the scour depth considerably with a value of 69% reduction at the first pier. Nevertheless, the cable affects the scour depth reduction negatively at the group of three piers. This research highlights that the combination of cable and sacrificial piles is a suitable method to decrease the local scour at a single and a group of two piers, while sacrificial piles alone can be highly recommended for the group of three piers.

PurposeEngineered stone is a material which can be described as an artificial stone. The exemplary application area is sink production. There are very few research projects about this type of material. In fact, most of them are research conducted by the manufacturing company, which are limited to the basic properties of the material. However, knowledge about fracture mechanic of this material may be crucial in terms of usage. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis of the inside structure was made using an optical microscope as well as SEM. In the paper, methods which can be used to obtain data about fracture behaviour of material are presented. Using eXtended Finite Element Method and experimental data from three-point bending of notched specimens stress intensity factors (SIFs) for I and II load modes were obtained. Finally, a comparison between the fracture initiation angle in the function of the ration of SIFs for I/II load modes and maximum tangential stress hypothesis prediction was presented.FindingsAnalysis of the inside structure proves that this type of material has an uneven distribution of particle size. This can follow to void and micronotches formation and, later, to the failure of the material. A method of obtaining stress intensity factors for the discussed type of material and specimens can be successfully applied to other similar material, as proposed in this work. Standard crack angle propagation criteria are not sufficient for this type of material.Originality/valueThere are very few research papers about this type of material. The subject of fracture mechanic is not properly discovered, despite the fact that IT is important in terms of the application area of these materials.

Modeling of the notch and size effects on fatigue behavior of materials is vital for ensuring structural integrity and reliability of engineering components. This study presents a methodology considering both effects of notch and size to analyze the fatigue life distribution of specimens with different geometries using the highly stressed volume approach. Specifically, a dynamic model coefficient considering the influence of different maximum local stresses is developed by modeling the size effect of highly stressed volumes with Weibull distribution. Experimental data of three aluminum and titanium alloys are utilized for model validation and comparison. Fatigue lives of three materials with different geometries are evaluated respectively, and predicted P-S-N curves indicate that proposed model predictions agree well with the probabilistic scatter band of experimental results.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the fatigue process through the dynamic analysis of the global structural model and local static sub-modelling in a critical detail using the hot-spot stress approach. The detail was studied in three different positions at the “Alcácer do Sal” access viaduct, and the methodologies from the IIW and Eurocode EN 1993-1-9 were compared. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the fatigue life process based on the hot-spot stress approach was evaluated using a global dynamic analysis and a local sub-modelling based on a static analysis of welded connections in the “Alcácer do Sal” railway structure, Portugal, taking into consideration the recommendations from IIW and Eurocode EN 1993-1-9. The hot-spot stresses were calculated through the static analysis of the sub-model of the welded connection for each vibration mode with the aim to obtain the temporal stresses using the modal coordinates and modal stresses of the extrapolation points. The Ansys® and Matlab® softwares were used for the numerical analysis and the hot-spot stress calculations, respectively. Findings The proposed methodology/approach to obtain fatigue assessment is based on the modal analysis of the global structural model and local static sub-modelling. The modal analysis was used to extract the boundary conditions to be used in the local model to determine the temporal stresses of the extrapolation points. Based on the modal superposition method, the stresses as function of time were obtained for fatigue life evaluation of a critical detail by the hot-spot stress approach. The detail was studied in three different positions. Originality/value In the present study, a global-local fatigue methodology based on dynamic analysis of the global structural model and local static sub-modelling of the critical detail using the hot-spot stress approach is proposed. Herein, the modal analysis of the global structural model supported by the modal superposition method was used to obtain the matrix of modal coordinates. The static analysis of the local sub-model for each mode from the modal analysis of global structural model was done to estimate the hot-spot stresses. The fatigue damage calculation was based on S-N curve of the critical detail and rainflow method. The IIW recommendation proved to be more conservative compared to the proposed rules in the Eurocode EN 1993-1-9. The global-local modelling based on dynamic analysis is an important and effective tool for fatigue evaluation in welded joints.

PurposeIn the last decades, the demand and use of renewable energies have been increasing. The increase in renewable energies, particularly wind energy, leads to the development and innovation of powerful wind energy converters as well as increased production requirements. Hence, a higher supporting structure is required to achieve higher wind speed with less turbulence. To date, the onshore wind towers with tubular connections are the most used. The maximum diameter of this type of tower is limited by transportation logistics. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative wind turbine lattice structure based on half-pipe steel connections.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, a new concept of steel hybrid tower has been proposed. The focus of this work is the development of a lattice structure. Therefore, the geometry of the lattice part of the tower is assessed to decrease the number of joints and bolts. The sections used in the lattice structure are constructed in a polygonal shape. The elements are obtained by cold forming and bolted along the length. The members are connected by gusset plates and preloaded bolts. A numerical investigation of joints is carried out using the finite element (FE) software ABAQUS.FindingsBased on the proposed study, the six “legs” solution with K braces under 45° angle and height/spread ratio of 4/1 and 5/1 provides the most suitable balance between the weight of the supporting structure, number of bolts in joints and reaction forces in the foundations, when compared with four “legs” solution.Originality/valueIn this investigation, the failure modes of elements and joints of an alternative wind turbine lattice structures, as well as the rotation stiffness of the joints, are determined. The FE results show good agreement with the analytical calculation proposed by EC3-1-8 standard.

Engineering components made of ductile cast irons and aluminum alloys, show fatigue lives which are normally dominated by crack initiation from defects raised by manufacturing processes. This study presents a probabilistic model to account for the influence of manufacturing defects on fatigue life, based on size and position of those defects. Specifically, a correction factor considering the influence of defect surface position is developed by modeling the damage mechanism of surface initial cracks with Weibull distribution. Experimental data of three cast irons and aluminum alloys are used for model validation and comparison. Moreover, the statistical size effect influence on fatigue life distribution under constant amplitude loading is explored. Fatigue lives of three materials with different sizes are evaluated respectively, and P–S–N diagrams show that proposed model predictions agree well with the probabilistic scatter bands.

This paper presents a fatigue analysis of a type of fillet welded joint representative of one main joint of the steel box girder of the Alcacer do Sal railway bridge. From previous studies, it was found that the welded joint between the box girder diagonal and the central hanger gusset is one of the most stressed details of the bridge. This welded joint was not fully manufactured according to current construction procedures, as regards the fillet weld end configuration. In order to assess the fatigue behaviour of such welded joint, the present study combines an experimental campaign and numerical analysis. A total of four welded joint series were produced in order to allow the comparison of the fatigue performance of similar type of welded joint of the Alcacer do Sal bridge with welded joints produced according to existing recommendations, such as EC3. Since scale-down specimens were considered, two different thicknesses were included in this study for each joint configuration, to allow the verification of any thickness effect. Concerning the numerical analyses, two main numerical tools were used: the standard Finite Element Method (FEM) with ANSYS and the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) with ABAQUS. Fatigue life predictions were performed including both fatigue crack initiation and fatigue crack propagation phases. The number of cycles to initiate a fatigue crack was computed using local notch strain-life approaches, and the number of cycles for fatigue crack propagation was computed by integrating the Paris fatigue crack growth law with stress intensity factors computed with ANSYS (virtual crack closure technique) and ABAQUS (contour integral method, 3D XFEM model). Experimental tests demonstrated little influence of fillet weld end geometry on fatigue behaviour of welded joints and plate thickness effects were also reduced as also confirmed by the similar fatigue crack propagation rates. Both numerical simulations provided very accurate predictions of the experimental S-N curves, however the XFEM modelling opens new possibilities for mix-mode fatigue crack propagation simulations.

In-situ high temperature measurement in a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) environment is an important technique for exploring the microstructure evolution and crack propagation within refractory materials and other advanced alloys. In this paper, in-situ tensile fatigue experiments under SEM environment at room temperature and elevated temperature are performed for studying the fatigue performance and crack propagation process of selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufactured Al-Si10-Mg materials. Firstly, in-situ SLM additive manufactured Al-Si10-Mg fatigue tensile samples are prepared, and micro-CT are employed for the characterization of void defects within SLM additive manufactured Al-Si10-Mg with different laser scanning speeds and laser energy; Secondly, in-situ fatigue experiments are carried out under SEM environment at 25 °C, 100 °C, 200 °C, 300 °C, 400 °C, 500 °C and 600 °C, respectively. The fatigue mechanical behaviors, microstructure evolution and crack propagations of as-fabricated Al-Si10-Mg samples are characterized. Finally, micro-CT tomography 3D imaging techniques are employed for exploring the link between SLM defects and fatigue performances.

A new formulation of a Logistic deterministic S-N curve is applied to fatigue data of metallic materials from ancient Portuguese riveted steel bridges. This formulation is based on a modified logistic relation that uses three parameters to fit the low-cycle- (LCF), finite-life- and high-cycle-fatigue (HCF) regions. This model is compared to the Kohout-Vechet fatigue model, which has a refined adjustment from very low-cycle fatigue (VLCF) to very high-cycle fatigue (VHCF). These models are also compared with other models, such as, power law and fatigue-life curve from the ASTM E739 standard. The modelling performance of the S-N curves was made using the fatigue data considering the stress fatigue damage parameter for the materials from the Eiffel, Luiz I, F�o and Trez�i riveted steel bridges. Using a qualitative methodology of graphical adjustment analysis and another quantitative using the mean square error, it was possible to evaluate the performance of the mean S-N curve formulation. The results showed that the formulation of the S-N curve using the Logistic equation applied to the metallic materials from the old bridges resulted in a superior performance when compared with others models under consideration, both in the estimation of fatigue behaviour in the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) region and in the lowest mean square error.

The effects of the secondary crystal orientations on the nickel-based single-crystal superalloy turbine blades were investigated. The stress concentration features were used for investigation of the optimal secondary crystal orientation leading to the higher strength of the single-crystal turbine blades. The crystal plastic finite element method coupled with micromechanics constitutive model is applied to study the effect of secondary crystal orientation on plastic deformation and mechanical behavior around the cooling holes and notches with the primary (load) orientation fixed at [001] direction. For nickel-based superalloy plates with holes or notches, the secondary crystal orientation effect on the strength needs to be clarified at various load levels. The maximum von Mises stress in the single-crystal alloy varies significantly with variation in the secondary crystal orientations. It was found that only two slip systems dominate the deformation process of the material owing to their favorable orientation with loading. The secondary orientation of 45° was identified with lowest resolved shear stress in the dominating slip systems and potential of producing higher strength for single-crystal turbine blades.

Aero engine components like compressor discs normally operate under harsh conditions like complex multiaxial stress states. Notch effect is often critical for structural integrity assessment in virtue of complex structure and discontinuities. According to the notch effect under cyclic loadings, a computational framework for multiaxial fatigue analysis of compressor discs is established by coupling finite element (FE) simulation of stress gradient with Fatemi-Socie (FS) criterion. Specifically, a notch support extension method accounting for stress gradient effect is elaborated through elasto-plastic FE analysis, which can be determined for fatigue life prediction of arbitrary shaped components. Experimental fatigue data for smooth and notched specimens of TC4 and GH4169 alloys demonstrated the appropriateness of the proposed computational approach. The applicability and performance of the prediction model to a compressor blade-disc attachment subjected to field spectra is presented. Results show that testing effect can be significantly reduced by using this framework with acceptable prediction accuracy.

The fatigue resistance of welded connections made of high strength steel (HSS) is one of the most important topics for the application of HSS in the construction sector. One of the most challenging issues is how to predict the fatigue life of welded structures with complex geometry based on the test results from relatively simple coupon specimens. However, there are generally pre-existing residual stresses in the welded coupon specimens during fatigue tests, and these residual stresses vary greatly in welded structures with complex geometry. This increases the difficulty in predicting the fatigue behaviour of welded structures based on results at coupon scale. Hence, it is important to establish a relationship between the residual stress independent material characteristics and fatigue life. The fatigue behaviour of complex welded structures can be predicted by this residual stress independent material characteristics calibrated at the coupon level and simulated local residual stress distribution. In this paper, the residual stress-free characteristics, hardness, is employed to predict the fatigue life of butt-welded joints. Besides, the residual stress of V-shaped butt welds on a plate made of high strength steels are analysed by modelling of the welding process based on subsequent thermal analysis and mechanical stress analysis by implementing kill/birth strategies. The results show that it contributes to a better prediction compared with experimental results after considering the residual stress effects.

In this paper, a brief review of the main fatigue design criteria and some advanced fatigue approaches applied to offshore structures (e.g. offshore wind turbines) are presented. It is extremely important to understand the fatigue phenomenon and how it affects structures since offshore structures are constantly submitted to cyclic loading and corrosive attacks that aggravate the problem. All the influencing factors and approaches used during the design phase are also discussed.

The ductile performance of high strength steel (HSS) from different steel grades, producers, manufacturing processes varies a lot. It is also difficult to conduct all kinds of reliable experiments to generate different stress status through different initial specimen geometries or by applying different load combinations in the civil engineering sector. One of the common issues for HSS structures is to identify the parameters of the ductile fracture model conveniently from the uniaxial stress–strain relationship obtained from common coupon specimens. An attempt is made in this paper to use the proposed mesoscale critical equivalent plastic strain (MCEPS) to calibrate the fracture locus of the uncoupled phenomenological model based only on the engineering stress–strain relationship. The proposed method is successfully validated by the Sandia fracture challenge in 2014.

The main goal of the present research is to propose an integrated methodology to address the fatigue performance of topology optimized components, produced by additive manufacturing. The main steps of the component design will be presented, specially the methods and parameters applied to the topology optimization and the post-smoothing process. The SIMP method was applied in order to obtain a lighter component and a suitable stiffness for the desired application. In addition, since residual stresses are intrinsic to every metallic additive manufacturing process, the influence of those stresses will be also analyzed. The Laser Powder Bed Fusion was numerically simulated aiming at evaluating the residual stresses the workpiece during the manufacturing process and to investigate how they could influence the fatigue behavior of the optimized component. The effect of the built orientation of the workpiece on the residual stresses at some selected potential critical points are evaluated. The final design solution presented a stiffness/volume ratio nearly 6 times higher when compared to the initial geometry. By choosing the built orientation, it is possible impact favorably in the fatigue life of the component.

This paper presents a new approach to estimate the fatigue life of metallic details retrofitted with bonded CFRP patch. Existing phenomenological and analytical methods to predict the fatigue life of metallic structural details retrofitted with bonded CFRP patch do not consider the cyclic degradation of the composite patch. As for all materials the composite patch (CFRP and adhesive) will experience degradation during fatigue cyclic loading. In this regard, a new approach that takes into account the fatigue cyclic degradation of the composite patch is proposed in this paper by introducing in the fatigue damage accumulation model of the metallic element, a cycle-dependent stiffness degradation parameter of the composite patch. The stiffness degradation parameter is obtained using a fatigue stiffness degradation model calibrated from experimental fatigue data of CFRP adhesively bonded double strap joints. Experimental data available in the literature of central hole aluminium plates bonded with CFRP are utilized for validation of the approach.

In this research, a novel approach of the fatigue crack growth rate description has been proposed. Based on theoretical and experimental approach, the mean stress effect expressed by R-ratio is present in classical da/dN–Δ K diagram. According to energy approach – based on the irrevocably dissipated energy accumulated in material (hysteresis loop) during fatigue process – the mean stress effect can be minimalized. Experimental validation of the proposed model was performed using results of fatigue crack propagation data for S355 and 41Cr4 steels in terms of strain energy density parameter Δ S or cyclic J-integral range –Δ J. In contrast to the force approach based on Kmax (or Δ K), the energy parameters Δ S or Δ J represent unambiguously the fatigue crack propagation rate, without influence of mean stress effect – R-ratio. However, in near threshold range of kinetic fatigue fracture diagram, the energy parameter displays a slight dispersion of the experimental data. According to the crack closure theory and its U-Elber parameter, the dispersion of experimental data is decreased. Therefore, the crack closure effects have a high significance in energy model – similar to the ‘force approach’ based on Δ K concept.

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation about fatigue crack paths and fatigue crack growth on S355J0 steel subjected to I + II and I + III mixed mode conditions both under load ratios R = 0 and 0.1 and different mode mixities. In particular, compact specimens with distinct notch inclinations were exposed to mixed mode I + II (tension and shear) whereas prismatic specimens provided with an external one-sided sharp notch were subjected to mixed mode I + III under distinct bending to torsion ratios. The influences of distinct load mixities on fatigue crack growth rates and fatigue crack growth directions are analysed and discussed in relation to existing theories. Also the influence of each loading mode for the resulting mixed mode fatigue crack propagation is also discussed.

This paper conducts a comparative evaluation on typical critical plane criteria, including Fatemi-Socie, Wang-Brown, modified Smith-Watson-Topper (MSWT) and proposed modified generalized strain energy (MGSE) criteria for multiaxial fatigue analysis of ductile/brittle materials. Experimental datasets of four materials under uniaxial tension, torsion and proportional/non-proportional multiaxial loadings are introduced for model comparison. This study results indicate that criteria with additional material constants yield robust life predictions for different materials. Moreover, the criteria with shear and uniaxial fatigue properties are respectively suitable for ductile and brittle materials, particularly the MGSE superior to others for ductile/brittle materials while MSWT only for brittle materials.

The evaluation of the failure probability of corroded pipelines is an important calculation to quantify the risk assessment and integrity of pipelines. Traditional Monte Carlo simulation method has been widely used to solve this type of problems, where it generates a very large number of simulations and takes longer time in computing. In this study, enhanced computational method called Separable Monte Carlo is employed to evaluate the time-dependent reliability of pipeline segments containing active corrosion defects, where a practical example was used. The results show that the Separable Monte Carlo simulation method not only minimizes the computational cost strongly but also improves the calculation precision.

Purpose The case-study building of this work is the Medieval Inn of Gralheira (“Pousada Medieval da Gralheira”) located in Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Portugal. This building is an example of the structures of that time, located in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. A large amount of the built heritage suffers from advanced degradation, making the recovery, increasing the complexity of the rehabilitation and restoration intervention and implying a highly specialized interdisciplinary component. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to carry out a study of the building in order to perform an analysis of its wood floor and assess its structural behaviour and conservation status. This work also presents some examples of intervention methods and rehabilitation techniques used to solve problems in the masonry structure and wood structures. Design/methodology/approach In this work, a numerical model of a wood pavement of a medieval building is presented, which was developed and calibrated with values obtained in an experimental campaign of wood specimens extracted from the floor structure and the deformation measured in situ. This model aims to analyse and predict the behaviour of the structure in terms of serviceability limit states. Rehabilitation and reinforcing techniques are described, for specific damages, complemented with a critical comparative analysis to define the most appropriate rehabilitation measures for each situation. Findings In this work, for the numerical model of the medieval building under consideration, the support of the beams in the walls between 50 per cent embedded and simply supported (hinge supports) was used. Since the beams have some restriction imposed by the wall, they have a delivery about 20 cm in the wall. The consideration of the delivery between beam and columns as simply supported (hinge supports) is a reasonable approximation. There is a difference between the values of deformation obtained in the numerical model and in situ due to the support conditions and also due to the consideration of the pavement loads as a distributed load, which does not correspond entirely to reality, since the pavement confers rigidity to the floor, behaving like a diaphragm. The presented intervention techniques are not applicable in all structures because each building has different characteristics, in terms of materials and construction. The pathologies occur due to many sources and each case is unique, and must be carefully studied before taking decisions about the rehabilitation methods to use. Originality/value This work presents a numerical model of wood pavement of a medieval building developed according to some experimental values obtained in an experimental campaign using wood specimens extracted from original beams and based on in situ measurements. This study is part of master thesis of Michael Andrade, an original research work.

Purpose The antique structures are part of the inheritance that our elders left, being important to preserve their memories. It is important to preserve, rehabilitate and restore the historic buildings protecting the cultural patrimony, attending to the actual comfort and habitability requirements. It is necessary to study the behaviour of the various elements that compose antique structures (masonry and wood) in order to develop assessment measures according to the characteristics of the original materials. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach An experimental campaign to characterize the mechanical behaviour of the wood of the roof of the “sequeiro” of “Quinta Lobeira de Cima”, a building from the twentieth century located in Minho, was carried out. The tested wood specimens are from two different species: chestnut and oak. Compression, tension and static flexion tests according to parallel to the grain direction were performed. Other parameters, such as density, moisture content and longitudinal modulus of elasticity in compression and in tension, were also obtained. The measurement of displacements was made with Digital Image Correlation (DIC). Findings The results of this study show the similarity between experimental and empirical values for the studied woods species. Originality/value This original study aimed at characterizing the mechanical properties using DIC of wood of the roof of the “sequeiro” of “Quinta Lobeira de Cima”, a building from the twentieth century located in Minho (Portugal). This study is part of master thesis of João Martins, an original research work.

Purpose Recent studies have proposed the application of local fatigue approaches based on fracture mechanics or on strain-life material relations for the fatigue analysis of metallic structures. However, only few studies in the literature apply local approaches in the riveted bridges analysis; although these approaches can be applied to any type of connections, requiring a detailed stress analysis of joints and, consequently, considerable computational resources costs. The approach based on S-N curves, formulated in nominal or net stresses, is more usual in the fatigue analysis of riveted bridges. Due to economic factors, riveted bridges have had their operating life extended, while changes in the transport system over the years have subjected such structures to overloads different from those originally planned. These bridges, most of them centenary, were not originally designed accounting for fatigue damage; they represent an important group of structures that are very likely subjected to significant fatigue damage indexes. These factors make necessary detailed residual fatigue life studies to substantiate the decisions of extend (or not) the operational period of these bridges. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The present paper presents a methodology aiming at applying the local approaches in the fatigue analysis of riveted joints of metallic bridges, through the use of sub-modeling techniques and procedures automation. The use of such techniques made such an application viable by keeping the computational costs involved at a moderate level. The proposed procedures were demonstrated using the Trezói Railway Bridge, located on the Beira Alta line, Portugal, built shortly after the Second World War. The proposed set of procedures allowed, through finite elements analysis, to obtain the relevant stresses to perform local fatigue damage analysis. A global structural model was constructed, using beam elements, and local models of a critical node were built with solid finite elements. The structure is analyzed under the passage of regulatory trains. The details of the modeling performed and the computation of the principal stresses in the vicinity of a node and the tangential/circumferential stresses at the holes of two critical riveted connections of that node are analyzed and a fatigue damage analysis is carried out. Findings In the proposed submodelling approach, disassembling the complex riveted nodes into riveted subassemblies allowed the evaluation of the local stresses at riveted holes at an affordable computational cost. Originality/value A methodology is proposed to allow the application of local fatigue analysis in real complex riveted joints, mitigating the computational costs that would result from a full model of the node with all rivets.

Purpose For nowadays construction purposes, it is necessary to define the life cycle of elements with defects. As steels 42CrMo4 and 41Cr4 are typical materials used for elements working under fatigue loading conditions, it is worth to know how they will behave after different heat treatment. Additionally, typical mechanical properties of material (hardness, tensile strength, etc.) are not defining material’s fatigue resistance. Therefore, it is worth to compare, except mechanical properties, microstructure of the samples after heat treatment as well. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Samples of normalized 42CrMo4 (and 41Cr4) steel were heat treated under three different conditions. All heat treatments were designed in order to change microstructural properties of the material. Fatigue tests were carried out according to ASTM E647-15 standard using compact tension specimens. Later on, based on obtained results, coefficients C and m of Paris’ Law for all specimens were estimated. Similar procedure was performed for 41Cr4 steel after quenching and tempering in different temperatures. Findings The influence of heat treatment on the fatigue crack growth rates (42CrMo4, 41Cr4 steel) has been confirmed. The higher fatigue crack growth rates were observed for lower tempering temperatures. Originality/value This study is associated with influence of microstructural properties of the material on its’ fatigue fracture. The kinetic fatigue fracture diagrams have been constructed. For each type of material (and its heat treatment), the Paris law constants were determined.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to observe an influence of different Composite Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) patches, whose application to metals is very easy, in suppling and significantly elongating the service time; and second, the numerical calculation of the reduced stress intensity factor (SIF) range for strengthened cracked steel specimens. Design/methodology/approach One of the successful strengthening methods is the CFRP patching along the fatigue crack paths. The presented approach has been studied and discussed in this paper on the background of the numerical and experimental data. As it was expected, the proposed strengthening method is efficient and promising in case of the “immediate” repairs of critical members with cracks. The manufacturing process of specimens and test methodology as well as numerical approach to calculate SIFs for various reinforcements of steel specimens are presented. For this purpose, the Extended Finite Element Method was involved and described. Findings The main mechanism of fatigue crack growth retardation is associated with local ΔK reduction due to CFRP patches; any type of reinforcement results in an increase in af and a significant decrease in SIF values. The beach-marking method is described as a good, reliable and comprehensive method to capture the crack propagation in structures consisting of various materials and could be applied successfully for mixed mode testing. Originality/value A detailed experimental-numerical approach for fatigue crack growth in long-term operated structures made of steel is presented. The strengthening methodology is presented with consideration of the various CFRP patches configurations.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the technical state of old and repair steels of Shukhov’s tower elements after operation during ~ 110 and 70 years of the water tower in Nikolaev, basing on their mechanical tests, metallography and fractography investigations. Design/methodology/approach For their certification, the fractographic and structural features and mechanical properties (hardness, strength, plasticity and impact toughness) were analyzed. Both the steels under consideration were characterized by low values of hardness and brittle fracture resistance. The mechanical characteristics of the old steel are lower compared with the repair one. It cannot be only explained by the quality of metal rolling. Moreover, the plasticity characteristics of both steels, defined in synthetic acid rain environment, are lower than in the air. Using fractography investigation, the operational damages in the bulk metal in the form of the elements of cleavage fracture in the central part of the fracture surfaces of specimens tested at the hydrogenation condition by synthetic acid rain environment were revealed. Findings The results of this study suggested a degradation of steels’ characteristics caused by the development of scattering damages during their operation. Higher relative elongation of the old steel at lower hardness and impact toughness were also evidenced in that. The metallography and fractography investigations also supported this finding. Originality/value This original study aimed at characterizing the microstructural and mechanical degradation of mild steels that was collected from Shukhov’s tower structural elements.

This work presents global and local fatigue approaches for snug-tight (common in rack structures) and preloaded bolted joints using thin hot-dip galvanized steel plates, where the zinc coating results in a low friction coefficient. Moreover, S-N data supporting the current revision of Eurocode 3 (EN 1993-1-9) is generated by considering remote and net stresses computed directly or by numerical analysis. Additionally, a master S-N curve based on elastic peak stresses is obtained encompassing the effects of the various tested conditions. Finally, a local fatigue life prediction based on the modified Morrow model combined with elastoplastic numerical analysis returns satisfactory results.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:42:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-12-01 Fatigue is one of the main causes of failures as well as mechanical fractures in structural details made of aluminium alloys under cyclic loading, where the materials (during the crack growth process) are subject to the stress R-ratio effects and crack closure phenomenon. In this research work, a comparison of the effect of various crack closure/opening models on the fatigue crack growth behaviour of 6061-T651 aluminium alloy is presented. The crack closure models under consideration are the following: Elber; Katcher and Kaplan; Clerivet and Bathias; Schijve; Zhang; Newman; Savaidis; Codrington-Kotousov; and, Correia. A comparison between these models and experimental data is also done. Deterministic quadratic relations based on experimental results between U vs R and Reff vs. R are suggested and compared with various crack closure models under consideration, where U is a quantitative parameter function of crack opening and closing concept. This investigation into the crack closure/opening effects is made using experimental results from the first cycle and stabilised measurements (U1 and Us). Correia's and Newman's models presented a better agreement with the experimental results (Ud,s or Reff,s). In this study, the crack closure quantitative parameters based on the first cycle and stabilised measurements reveal to be different, where Uand Reff vary with the crack growth process, which suggests the assumptions listed by Hudak and Davidson, Ellyin, and Correia seem to be correct. Therefore, it can be concluded that the simultaneous monitoring of CTOD-based experimental measurements of the crack closure effects and getting the crack tip stress–strain field based on digital image correlation (DIC) measurements, supported by analytical/numerical solutions, seems to be a good way to describe the fatigue crack growth. Mechanical Engineering Department São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Engineering, Av. Brasil Sul, 56 - Centro CONSTRUCT Faculty of Engineering University of Porto, Campus FEUP Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanics Materials and Biomedical Engineering Wroclaw University of Science and Technology INEGI Faculty of Engineering University of Porto, Campus FEUP Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Mechanical Engineering Department São Paulo State University (UNESP) School of Engineering, Av. Brasil Sul, 56 - Centro

This article describes an innovative methodology for estimating in-plane horizontal displacements of Civil Engineering structures based on video systems integrated on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). As the structure and the UAV are both in motion, estimating absolute structural displacements involves, first, assessing the relative displacements of the UAV-structure based on target tracking, and second, subtracting movement of the UAV based on the data derived from an embedded Inertial Measuring Unit (IMU). Computer-vision processing tools based on heuristic features were developed for target tracking, while an efficient numerical integration strategy was implemented for processing IMU data. A successful integration process requires a baseline correction of the records through the application of high-pass filters and a rigorous control of distortion errors. The validation of the proposed methodology was based on exploratory dynamic tests performed in the laboratory and in the field. The laboratory test involved measuring the displacements of a moving target, positioned over a seismic table using a Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT), a DC accelerometer and the UAV video system in a stationary position. An excellent agreement was achieved for the three estimated displacements, both in the time and frequency domains. In particular, the comparison between the video and the LVDT displacement records showed a peak value error of 0.096 mm and a Root Mean Square (RMS) error of 3.1%. The field test consisted of measuring the displacements of a target fixed to a massive Reinforced Concrete (RC) wall based on the UAV video system in motion. Under these circumstances, the target does not experience any movement, and therefore, the virtual displacement of the target estimated by the video is due exclusively to the self-movements of the UAV. The comparison between the video and the IMU displacement records shows a good agreement, with a peak value error of 1.47 mm (15.5% relative error) and a RMS error of 9.3%. The results of this study are a step forward in estimating the absolute displacements of a vibrating structure based on camera-based measurement from UAVs, specifically with the support of IMU systems for the elimination of measurement inaccuracies as a result of the UAV motion.