Increasing the mechanical properties of structural cast iron for machine-building parts by combined Mn – Al alloying

The object of research in this work was cast iron for machine-building parts, alloyed with Al. The possibility of improving the mechanical properties of cast iron by choosing the optimal Mn – Al combinations, depending on the carbon content in the cast iron, was determined. The study was carried out on the basis of available retrospective data of serial industrial melts by constructing the regression equation for the ultimate strength of cast iron in the three-factor space of the input variables C – Mn – Al. The optimization problem was solved by the ridge analysis method after reducing the dimension of the factor space by fixing the carbon content at three levels: C = 3 %, C = 3.3 %, and C = 3.6 %. It was found that the maximum values of the ultimate strength are achieved at the minimum level of carbon content (C = 3%) and are in the range of values close to 300 MPa. In this case, the Al content is in the range (2.4–2.6) %, and the Mn content is about 0.82 %. With an increase in the carbon content, there is a tendency to a decrease in the content of Mn and Al in the alloy, which is necessary to ensure the ultimate strength close to 300 MPa. The results of the ridge analysis of the response surface also showed that at the upper limit of the carbon content (C = 3.6%), it is not possible to reach the ultimate strength of 300 MPa in the existing range of Mn and Al variation. All solutions are verified for the following ranges of input variables C = (2.94–3.66) %, Mn = (0.5–1.1) %, Al = (1.7–2.9) %. Graphical-analytical descriptions of the optimal Mn – Al ratios are obtained, depending on the actual content of carbon in the alloy, which make it possible to purposefully select the optimal melting modes by controlling the tensile strength of the alloy

Comparison of Ultimate Capacities of RC Chimney Sections under Wind Loading

Diffusion of gaseous and particulate pollutants from tall stacks has formed an important element in the control of air pollution since the industrial revolution began. These tall reinforced concrete chimneys are considered to be cantilever columns subjected to axial load resulted from the self-weight of the shell, linings and other accessories and bending moments which are resulted from the lateral loads like wind forces and earthquake forces. The recently published IS: 4998 – 2015 adopted a limit state design concept which requires well defined stress-strain relationship for concrete and steel. It has been seen that there are many disparities lies between the stress-strain relationships of constituent materials adopted by IS: 4998 – 2015 and other design standards. This paper discusses various methods pertaining to the estimation of the ultimate strength of thin-walled hollow circular sections of reinforced concrete chimneys, subjected to wind loading. A comparative study of various methods based on the prevalent codes reveals considerable disparity in the predicted ultimate strength values. These differences have been critically analyzed and results are discussed in this paper in terms of ultimate strength along with the contribution of concrete and steel, ultimate curvature and depth of neutral axis. For the comparison of above-mentioned parameters, design recommendations of IS 4998 – 2015, CICIND 2011, ACI 307 – 08 are used. HIGHLIGHTS The recently published IS: 4998 – 2015 adopted a limit state design concept which requires well defined stress-strain relationship for concrete and steel which differs in terms of strain and stress limits when compared with other well established RC chimney design codes Various methods pertaining to the estimation of the ultimate strength of thin-walled hollow circular sections of reinforced concrete chimneys, subjected to wind loading are discussed using a comparative study with different parameters of RC chimney For the comparison of above-mentioned parameters, design recommendations of IS 4998 – 2015, CICIND 2011, ACI 307 – 08 are used Stress-strain relationship of concrete and steel also discussed with the bases of the same is also discussed in detail for each of the above codes GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Analysis of the stress-strain state of the spine model with posterior fusion in the treatment of scoliotic deformities in children

Background. Mathematical modeling of the correction of scoliotic deformities of the spine makes it possible to analyze the effectiveness of various methods of treatment without surgical intervention. In the study of traction, mainly experimental methods were used. The purpose was to investigate the stress-strain state of the spine models with varying degrees of scoliotic deformity during posterior spinal fusion. Materials and methods. Deformities of the spine of 40, 70 and 100° were modeled, with posterior spondylodesis of the Th1-Th12 vertebrae. A load of 300 N was used. Results. With a deformity of 40°, the most stressed are the areas of frontal plane curve. For the upper vertebrae Th1-Th4, a more even distribution of stress over the vertebral body is observed. For Th5-Th10 vertebrae, the concave side of the vertebral bodies is more stressed. In the thoracic spine, the more stressed vertebrae are Th2 and Th5. The main load is borne by the fixing structure, in which the level of stress is significantly higher than in the bone structures of the vertebrae. In the posterior supporting complex of the vertebrae, the stress concentration areas are located at the points where fixing screws enter the bone. An increase in the magnitude of the scoliotic deformity of the spine up to 70° causes an increase in the level of stresses in all elements of the model, with the exception of Th9-Th10 vertebrae. With a deformity of 100° in the posterior supporting complex of the vertebrae, the stress concentration areas are located at the points where fixing screws enter the bone. The stress level of 116.0 MPa exceeds the ultimate strength of the cortical layer of the bone tissue of the spine, which can lead to microdamage of the bone tissue and loosening of the screws. Conclusions. For all values of scoliotic deformity of the spine, the most stressed are Th4 and Th5 vertebrae. A decrease in the degree of deformity has a significant effect on the stress-strain state of the spinal column. In the Th4 vertebral body, the level of stresses with a deformity of 100° is more than twice as high as with a deformity of 70°, and more than 4 times higher than with a deformity of 40°. In the body of the Th5 vertebra, the stress level with a deformity of 70° is 1.5 times less than with a deformity of 100°, and with a deformity of 40°, it is 3 times less. The level of stress in the Th1-Th5 vertebral bodies is higher than that of Th6-Th12. In the posterior supporting complex, at the points where screws enter the bone, the maximum stress value at a deformity of 40° is 34.0 MPa, which is not critical for the bone tissue. With a deformity of 70°, the stresses are 85.0 MPa, which can exceed the ultimate strength for the cortical bone and lead to microdestruction of the bone tissue in the screw-bone contact area. With a deformity of 100°, the stresses are equal to 116.0 MPa, which exceeds the ultimate strength for the cortical bone and can lead to microfracture in the screw-bone contact area.

Seismic Analysis and Design of Composite Shear Wall with Stiffened Steel Plate and Infilled Concrete

Several experiments are conducted to investigate the seismic behavior of composite shear walls because of their advantages compared to traditional reinforced concrete (RC) walls. However, the numerical studies are limited due to the complexities for the steel and concrete behaviors and their interaction. This paper presents a numerical study of composite shear walls with stiffened steel plates and infilled concrete (CWSC) using ABAQUS. The mechanical mechanisms of the web plate and concrete are studied. FE models are used to conduct parametric analysis to study the law of parameters on the seismic behaviour. The finite element (FE) model shows good agreement with the test results, including the hysteresis curves, failure phenomenon, ultimate strength, initial stiffness, and ductility. The web plate and concrete are the main components to resist lateral force. The web plate is found to contribute between 55% and 85% of the lateral force of wall. The corner of web plate mainly resists the vertical force, and the rest of web plate resists shear force. The concrete is separated into several columns by stiffened plates, each of which is independent and resisted vertical force. The wall thickness, steel ratio, and shear span ratio have the greatest influence on ultimate bearing capacity and elastic stiffness. The shear span ratio and axial compression ratio have the greatest influence on ductility. The test and analytical results are used to propose formulas to evaluate the ultimate strength capacity and stiffness of the composite shear wall under cyclic loading. The formulas could well predict the ultimate strength capacity reported in the literature.