scholarly journals A Feasibility Study on Monitoring Pile-Soil Bonding Condition Using Piezoceramic Transducer and Horizontal Impact

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Daopei Zhu ◽  
Siyuan Tian ◽  
Haocheng Yan ◽  
Zhangli Wang

The in situ evaluation of pile-soil bonding condition plays an important role for pile safety assessment in its life cycle. However, so far, there is still no fully mature tool to analyze such couplings, since the pile-soil coupling exhibits complex and time-varying relationships. This paper innovatively proposes a health monitoring approach to evaluate the bonding status of the soil and pile contact area. An impact method based on a piezoelectric ceramic sensor is proposed to monitor the bond of pile and soil. A horizontal impact was introduced near the top of the pile, and the induced stress waves were detected by the piezoceramic smart aggregate (SA) sensor embedded in the pile. Different crack damage sizes were made between the soil and the pile to investigate the change of the bonding. An energy index was developed to quantitatively evaluate the quality of the bonding as a pile-soil bonding index. The proposed approach inspired a potential way to directly judge if there is crack damage between the pile and soil and to evaluate pile safety.

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihang Gao ◽  
Hongnan Li ◽  
Siu Ho

Due to their multiple advantages, piezoceramic materials have been widely used in structural health monitoring (SHM). Piezoceramic patch-based smart aggregate (SA) and spherical piezoceramic-based smart aggregate (SSA) have been developed for damage detection of concrete structures. However, the stress waves generated by these two types of transducers are limited by their geometry and are unsuitable for use in two-dimensional concrete structures (e.g., shear walls, floors and cement concrete pavements). In this paper, a novel embeddable tubular smart aggregate (TSA) based on a piezoceramic tube was designed, fabricated and tested for use in two-dimensional (2D) structures. Due to its special geometry, radially uniform stress waves can be generated, and thus the TSA is suitable for damage detection in planar structures. The suitability of the transducer for use in structural health monitoring was investigated by characterizing the ability of the transducer to transmit and measure stress waves. Three experiments, including impedance analysis, time of arrival analysis and sweep frequency analysis, were conducted to test the proposed TSA. The experimental results show that the proposed TSA is suitable for monitoring the health condition of two-dimensional concrete structures.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-126
Author(s):  
Mahlinda Mahlinda ◽  
Fitriana Djafar

The main purpose of this research was to observer effect co-solvent type (n-Hexane, chloroform and without co-solvent)  toward yield and quality of biodiesel via in situ transesterification process using microwave irradiation. The process was studied at microwave power 450 watt, reaction time 4 minutes, methanol to seed ratio 25:1 and catalyst concentration 5%. The physicochemical parameters of the biodiesel produced such as viscosity, density and acid value were analysed and compared with the SNI 7182-2012 standard. The experimental result showed the maximum yield biodiesel 78,32% obtained by using co-solvent chloroform.Test result of physicochemical properties (viscosity, density and acid value) of biodiesel products using co solvent n-Hexane, chloroform and without co solvent showed that these products conform to the SNI 7182-2012 standars. The type of co-solvent only affectedon biodiesel yield dan not affected on biodiesel quality (viscosity, density and acid value).  ABSTRAKTujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mempelajari pengaruh jenis co-solvent (n-Hexane, chloroform dan tanpa co-solvent) terhadap rendemen dan mutu biodiesel secara trasesterifikasi in situ menggunakan radiasi gelombang mikro. Proses dilakukan pada daya gelombang mikro 450 watt, waktu reaksi 4 menit, perbandingan berat metanol terhadap bahan baku 25:1 dan jumlah katalis 5%. Parameter fisiko kimia dari produk biodiesel seperti viskositas, densitas dan angka asam di analisa dan dibandingkan dengan standar SNI 7182-2012 tentang biodiesel. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan rendemen maksimum biodiesel sebesar 78,32% diperoleh dengan menggunakan co-solvent chloroform. Hasil pengujian  karakteristik fisiko kimia (viskositas, densitas dan angka asam) dari produk biodiesel menggunakan co-solvent n-Hexane, chloroform dan tanpa co-solvent menunjukkan bahwa semua parameter ini masih memenuhi standar SNI 1782-2012 tentang biodiesel. Jenis co-solvent hanya berpengaruh pada rendemen biodiesel dan tidak berpengaruh terhadap mutu biodiesel (viskositas, densitas dan bilangan asam).Kata kunci: co-solvent, in situ transesterifikasi, microwave, rendemen, mutu   


2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (4I-II) ◽  
pp. 675-688
Author(s):  
Ghulam Murtaza ◽  
Muhammad Zahir Faridi

The present study has investigated the channels through which the linkage between economic institutions and growth is gauged, by addressing the main hypothesis of the study that whether quality of governance and democratic institutions set a stage for economic institutions to promote the long-term growth process in Pakistan. To test the hypothesis empirically, our study models the dynamic relationship between growth and economic institutions in a time varying framework in order to capture institutional developments and structural changes occurred in the economy of Pakistan over the years. Study articulates that, along with some customary specifics, the quality of government and democracy are the substantial factors that affect institutional quality and ultimately cause to promote growth in Pakistan. JEL Classification: O40; P16; C14; H10 Keywords: Economic Institutions, Growth, Governance and Democracy, Rolling Window Two-stage Least Squares, Pakistan


Author(s):  
Juan Alfredo Lino-Gamiño ◽  
Carlos Méndez-González ◽  
Eduardo José Salazar-Araujo ◽  
Pablo Adrián Magaña-Sánchez

In the value chain it is important to keep in mind the core business of the company, since it depends largely on the competitiveness of the company and its overall performance, bearing in mind that all business indicators depend on it. In this work we will study the washing process within the company WASH CONTAINERS SA DE CV, to improve the washing processes and in this way reduce times and movements in the process leading the company to reduce costs considerably within the operations company daily, having a more competitive operation and with greater profit margin in its business process. Goals: It Improve the logistics of the movement of containers for washing and with it the core business of the company. Methodology: The action research will be applied applying Business Process Management for the improvement of processes in situ, it will be developed in a certain period of time and with that it will establish an improvement projection. Contribution: The improvement of the times for the disposal of the containers and their subsequent use, allows a better competitiveness and with it the income of the company, on the other hand, the transport companies improve in performance in quantity, quality of disposition and with it their income.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1525
Author(s):  
Christian Ferrarin ◽  
Pierluigi Penna ◽  
Antonella Penna ◽  
Vedrana Spada ◽  
Fabio Ricci ◽  
...  

The aim of this study is to develop a relocatable modelling system able to describe the microbial contamination that affects the quality of coastal bathing waters. Pollution events are mainly triggered by urban sewer outflows during massive rainy events, with relevant negative consequences on the marine environment and tourism and related activities of coastal towns. A finite element hydrodynamic model was applied to five study areas in the Adriatic Sea, which differ for urban, oceanographic and morphological conditions. With the help of transport-diffusion and microbial decay modules, the distribution of Escherichia coli was investigated during significant events. The numerical investigation was supported by detailed in situ observational datasets. The model results were evaluated against water level, sea temperature, salinity and E. coli concentrations acquired in situ, demonstrating the capacity of the modelling suite in simulating the circulation in the coastal areas of the Adriatic Sea, as well as several main transport and diffusion dynamics, such as riverine and polluted waters dispersion. Moreover, the results of the simulations were used to perform a comparative analysis among the different study sites, demonstrating that dilution and mixing, mostly induced by the tidal action, had a stronger effect on bacteria reduction with respect to microbial decay. Stratification and estuarine dynamics also play an important role in governing microbial concentration. The modelling suite can be used as a beach management tool for improving protection of public health, as required by the EU Bathing Water Directive.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Moazzami Gudarzi ◽  
Maryana Asaad ◽  
Boyang Mao ◽  
Gergo Pinter ◽  
Jianqiang Guo ◽  
...  

AbstractThe use of two-dimensional materials in bulk functional applications requires the ability to fabricate defect-free 2D sheets with large aspect ratios. Despite huge research efforts, current bulk exfoliation methods require a compromise between the quality of the final flakes and their lateral size, restricting the effectiveness of the product. In this work, we describe an intercalation-assisted exfoliation route, which allows the production of high-quality graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and molybdenum disulfide 2D sheets with average aspect ratios 30 times larger than that obtained via conventional liquid-phase exfoliation. The combination of chlorosulfuric acid intercalation with in situ pyrene sulfonate functionalisation produces a suspension of thin large-area flakes, which are stable in various polar solvents. The described method is simple and requires no special laboratory conditions. We demonstrate that these suspensions can be used for fabrication of laminates and coatings with electrical properties suitable for a number of real-life applications.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1428
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Pluta-Kubica ◽  
Ewelina Jamróz ◽  
Gohar Khachatryan ◽  
Adam Florkiewicz ◽  
Pavel Kopel

There is a serious need to develop and test new biodegradable packaging which could at least partially replace petroleum-based materials. Therefore, the objective of this work was to examine the influence of the recently developed furcellaran nanocomposite film with silver nanoparticles (obtained by an in situ method) on the quality properties of two cheese varieties: a rennet-curd (gouda) and an acid-curd (quark) cheese. The water content, physicochemical properties, microbiological and organoleptic quality of cheese, and migration of silver nanoparticles were examined. Both the number of Lactococcus and total bacteria count did not differ during storage of gouda regardless of the packaging applied. The number of Lactococcus decreased in analogous quark samples. The use of the film slowed down and inhibited the growth of yeast in gouda and quark, respectively. An inhibitory effect of this film on mold count was also observed; however, only regarding gouda. The level of silver migration was found to be lower in quark than in gouda. The film improved the microbiological quality of cheeses during storage. Consequently, it is worth continuing research for the improvement of this film in order to enable its use in everyday life.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 6438
Author(s):  
Guangtao Lu ◽  
Xin Zhu ◽  
Tao Wang ◽  
Zhiqiang Hao ◽  
Bohai Tan

A novel piezoceramic stack-based smart aggregate (PiSSA) with piezoceramic wafers in series or parallel connection is developed to increase the efficiency and output performance over the conventional smart aggregate with only one piezoelectric patch. Due to the improvement, PiSSA is suitable for situations where the stress waves easily attenuate. In PiSSA, the piezoelectric wafers are electrically connected in series or parallel, and three types of piezoelectric wafers with different electrode patterns are designed for easy connection. Based on the theory of piezo-elasticity, a simplified one-dimensional model is derived to study the electromechanical, transmitting and sensing performance of PiSSAs with the wafers in series and parallel connection, and the model was verified by experiments. The theoretical results reveal that the first resonance frequency of PiSSAs in series and parallel decreases as the number or thickness of the PZT wafers increases, and the first electromechanical coupling factor increases firstly and then decrease gradually as the number or thickness increases. The results also show that both the first resonance frequency and the first electromechanical coupling factor of PiSSA in series and parallel change no more than 0.87% as the Young’s modulus of the epoxy increases from 0.5 to 1.5 times 3.2 GPa, which is helpful for the fabrication of PiSSAs. In addition, the displacement output of PiSSAs in parallel is about 2.18–22.49 times that in series at 1–50 kHz, while the voltage output of PiSSAs in parallel is much less than that in parallel, which indicates that PiSSA in parallel is much more suitable for working as an actuator to excite stress waves and PiSSA in series is suitable for working as a sensor to detect the waves. All the results demonstrate that the connecting type, number and thickness of the PZT wafers should be carefully selected to increase the efficiency and output of PiSSA actuators and sensors. This study contributes to providing a method to investigate the characteristics and optimize the structural parameters of the proposed PiSSAs.


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