Seismic Performance of Hybrid Corrosion-Free Self-Centering Concrete Shear Walls

Reinforced concrete (RC) walls are extensively used in high-rise buildings to resist lateral loads, while ensuring an adequate level of ductility. Durability problems, including corrosion of conventional steel reinforcements, necessitate exploring alternative types of reinforcement. The use of glass fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars is a potential solution. However, these bars cannot be used in seismic applications because of their brittleness and inability to dissipate seismic energy. Superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) is a corrosion-free material with high ductility and unique self-centering ability. Its high cost is a major barrier to use in construction projects. The clear advantage of utilizing both SMA and FRP to achieve durable self-centering structures has motivated the development of a composite SMA-FRP bar. This paper investigates the hybrid use of FRP bars and either SMA bars or composite SMA-FRP in concrete shear walls. An extensive parametric study was conducted to study the effect of different design parameters on the lateral performance of hybrid RC walls. The seismic behavior of the hybrid walls was then examined. The hybrid walls not only solved the durability problem but also significantly improved the seismic performance.

Multiscale thermal and thermo-structural optimization of three-dimensional lattice structures

This paper develops a robust framework for the multiscale design of three-dimensional lattices with macroscopically tailored thermal and thermo-structural characteristics. A multiscale approach is implemented where the discrete evaluations of small-scale lattice unit cell characteristics are converted to response surface models so that the properties exist as continuous functions of the lattice micro-parameters. The derived framework constitutes free material optimization in the space of manufacturable lattice micro-architecture. The optimization of individual lattice member dimensions is enabled by the adjoint method and the explicit expressions of the response surface material property sensitivities. The approach is demonstrated by solving thermal and thermo-structural optimization problems, significantly extending previous work which focused on linear structural response. The thermal optimization solution shows a design with improved optimality compared to the SIMP methodology. The thermo-structural optimization solution demonstrates the method’s capability for attaining a prescribed displacement in response to temperature gradients.

Possibilities of Obtaining and Controlling Virus-Free Material in the Process of Selection and Seed Production of Main Crops

It is known that after being infected with phytoviruses plants do not recover. Breeding virus-resistant cultivars also does not give reliable results due to the high variability of pathogens and their diversity. And since it is impossible to obtain stable forms then one of the goals of protection a virus-free material and preventing its re-infection. To improve the health of vegetative propagated plant species, you can use the method of tissue culture of the apical meristem. In some cases true seeds can be healed by thermal or chemical treatment. The data on viruses infecting the main agricultural crops of the Russian Far East are presented; the features of their distribution and interaction with plants are described. Possible measures are given to prevent of phytoviruses spreading and re-infection of virus-free plants in the process of breeding and seed production, in gardening and landscape design.

Hybrid additive manufacturing of hot working tool steel H13 with dissimilar base bodies using Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion

Hybrid additive manufacturing (HAM) describes the combination of additively built structures onto a conventionally manufactured base body. The advantages of both manufacturing processes are combined in one process chain. As a result, new applications can be achieved with higher cost-effectiveness. With the Additive Manufacturing (AM) process a bonding zone is created that is comparable to a welded joint. In order to evaluate the quality and mechanical properties of the bonding zone, two steels (42CrMo4 and 25CrMo4) are investigated as base body materials with the hot working tool steel X40CrMoV5-1 (AISI H13) for the AM structure. Process parameters for Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion of X40CrMo4V5-1 are developed to achieve a crack and defect free structure as well as an optimized bonding zone in dependency of the base body material. Furthermore, the chemical and mechanical properties are examined in the as-built and heat-treated state. It is observed that a crack-free material bonding is possible and samples with relative densities above 99.5% are obtained. The size of the bonding zone depends on the material of the base body as well as post-process heat treatment. An average hardness of 600 HV1 can be achieved in the “as-built” state.

Influence of Br − /S 2− site-exchange on Li diffusion mechanism in Li 6 PS 5 Br: a computational study

We investigate how low degrees of Br − / S 2 − site-exchange influence the Li + diffusion in the argyrodite-type solid electrolyte Li 6 PS 5 Br by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Based on the atomic trajectories of the defect-free material, a new mechanism for the internal Li + reorganization within the Li + cages around the 4 d sites is identified. This reorganization mechanism is highly concerted and cannot be described by just one rotation axis. Simulations with Br − / S 2 − defects reveal that Li + interstitials ( L ii . ) are the dominant mobile charge carriers and originate from Frenkel pairs. These are formed because B rS . defects on the 4 d sites donate one or even two L ii . to the neighbouring cages. The L ii . then carry out intercage jumps via interstitial and interstitialcy mechanisms. With that, one single B rS . defect enables Li + diffusion over an extended spatial area explaining why low degrees of site-exchange are sufficient to trigger superionic conduction. The vacant sites of the Frenkel pairs, namely V Li ′ , are mostly immobile and bound to the B rS . defect. Because S Br ′ defects on 4 a sites act as sinks for L ii . they seem to be beneficial only for the local Li + transport. In their vicinity T4 tetrahedral sites start to get occupied. Because the Li + transport was found to be rather confined if S Br ′ and B rS . defects are direct neighbours, their relative arrangement seems to be crucial for effective long-range transport. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Understanding fast-ion conduction in solid electrolytes’.

OLED from solution-processed crystalline poly(triazine imide)

Crystalline semiconducting carbon nitrides are chemically and physically resilient, consist of earth abundant elements, and can be exfoliated into 2D atomically thin layers. In particular, poly(triazine imide) (PTI) is a highly crystalline semiconductor, and though no techniques exist to date that enable synthesis of macroscopic monolayers of PTI, it is possible to study it in thin layer device applications that are compatible with its polycrystalline, nanoscale morphology. In our study, we find that the by-product of conventional PTI synthesis is a C-C carbon rich phase that is detrimental for charge transport and photoluminescence. An optimised synthetic protocol yields a PTI material with an increased quantum yield, enabled photocurrent and electroluminescence. In addition, we report that protonation of the PTI structure happens preferentially at the pyridinic nitrogen atoms of the triazine (C3N3) rings, is accompanied by exfoliation of PTI layers, and contributes to increases in quantum yield and exciton lifetimes. This study describes structure-property relationships in PTI that link (i) the nature of defects, their formation, and how to avoid them with (ii) the optical and electronic performance of PTI. On the basis of our findings, we create an OLED prototype with PTI as the active, metal-free material, and we lay the foundations for device integration of solution-processable graphitic carbon nitride dispersions in semiconductor devices.

Recent Developments in The Use of Hip for The Offshore Industry

The use of additive manufacturing (AM) technology is growing rapidly for offshore use, whilst established production technologies such as powder metallurgy near-net-shape (PM-NNS) continue to be used. New standards are being introduced and many of the oil and gas majors are now developing supply chains to ensure rapid supply of high-quality complex parts. Environmental concerns are helping to drive this with use of near-net-shape technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through more efficient designs and metal forming methods. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) has been used to remove shrinkage porosity and internal defects in cast products for many years, predominantly to improve mechanical properties and fatigue resistance. Recently, there has been an increasing focus on AM processes for demanding applications where localized corrosion and similar internal defects and porosity are a concern. HIP technology is being used to either produce PM-NNS parts, or for the post processing of AM produced components to ensure defect free material prior to service in demanding environments. This paper will present a broad overview in the use of HIP equipment to produce parts and components to the offshore industry.