Academic literature on the topic 'Joint Shear Stiffness'

L'analyse biomécanique du geste sportif vise à mieux comprendre les mécanismes de la performance, en vue de l'améliorer tout en limitant le risque de blessures. Dans le sport de haut niveau, les appuis constituent une des clés de la performance. Couramment utilisée pour l'analyse de la marche, la dynamique inverse permet de quantifier les actions inter-segmentaires, potentiellement traumatiques, au cours du mouvement. Cette méthode comporte toutefois certains biais, dont deux peuvent être particulièrement importants au cours de mouvements sportifs à fortes accélérations : l'artefact des tissus mous et la précision du torseur dynamique. Ce travail a pour premier objectif de proposer des adaptations méthodologiques pour l'analyse par dynamique inverse d'appuis sportifs. D'abord, l'intérêt de la méthode des « centres articulaires moyens », basée sur l'utilisation de clusters rigides, est montré pour l'acquisition de la cinématique segmentaire. Ensuite, l'influence de la fréquence d'échantillonnage et de la méthode de dérivation discrète sur le calcul des accélérations est évaluée. Enfin, la validation d'un modèle volumique personnalisé permettant une meilleure estimation des paramètres inertiels que les modèles proportionnels couramment utilisés est présentée. Le second objectif de ce travail consiste en l'application des méthodes ainsi développées à l'analyse du comportement mécanique de la cheville au cours de sauts de type pliométrique et à l'évaluation personnalisée du risque de blessures du membre inférieur chez des athlètes d'élite en kungfu wushu. Ces analyses seront faites en parallèle de la mesure de caractéristiques spécifiques de l'athlète, telles que l'amplitude articulaire de la cheville et les modules d'élasticité de différentes structures du triceps sural obtenus par élastographie. Les perspectives pour l'application à l'entraînement seront abordées, en termes d'évolution des pratiques et de prévention personnalisée des blessures<br>Sports biomechanics aims at better understanding performance mechanisms, to improve them while limiting injury risk. At elite level, stances are a key aspect of performance. Often used in gait analysis, inverse dynamics enables quantification of mechanical actions during motion. However, there are some limits to this method, two of which can become important when studying sports stances: soft tissue artifact and accuracy of dynamic wrenches. The first objective of this work is to propose methodological adaptations for inverse dynamics analysis of sports stances. Firstly, the benefit of the “mean joint centers” method, based on the use of rigid clusters, is shown for segment kinematics acquisition. Secondly, the influences of the sampling frequency and the differentiation method on the calculation of accelerations are evaluated. Thirdly, the validation of a personalized volumetric model enabling better estimation of segment inertial parameters than common proportional models is presented. The second objective of this work is the application of the methods proposed to the analysis of the ankle joint mechanical behavior during plyometric jumps, and to personalized evaluation of the lower limb injury risk in elite wushu athletes. These analyses have been performed in parallel to specific measures of athletes' characteristics, such as the ankle range of motion and the shear modulii of different structures of the triceps surae, using shear wave elastography. Perspectives for training application will be discussed, to address the evolution of training habits and personalized injury prevention

Rock slope stability is considered as one of the most important fields in rock engineering. Developments of computation facilities and increase in application of sophisticated mathematical concepts in engineering problems have also affected the methods of slope stability analysis. In recent years, the numerical modeling methods have extensively applied instead of limit equilibrium methods. Also, the probabilistic methods are considered in rock slope designs to quantify the uncertainties of input effecting variables. In this research, a probabilistic-numerical approach was developed by integration of three dimensional Distinct Element Method (DEM) and probabilistic approach to analyze the stability of discontinuous rock slopes. Barton models have been used to model the behavior of rock discontinuities and the shear strain was considered as failure indicator of discontinuities. The proposed methodology was applied to a rock slope in Amasya, Turkey where the Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) was considered as the main random variable. The effect of basic friction angle and cohesion of joints infilling material and its strength reduction due to weathering were included in the analysis. In the slope the shearing behavior of fourteen discontinuities and the failure probability of each block were investigated, and the corresponding Reliability Index (&beta<br>) was derived for each of the discontinuities.

In high rise towers, reinforced concrete elevator shafts with coupling beams are extensively used as a principal structural element to resist lateral loads. The lateral load resistance of the tower is dominantly dependent on the stiffness of the load-bearing walls, and coupling beams connecting them. In an interest to study the reduction in the stiffness of high rise tower due to cracking in the coupling beams, variability in the reinforcement content, concrete grade and the effect of joint flexibility at the beam-wall intersection, this master thesis presents the analytical and finite element approaches to determine the equivalent height of the concrete coupling beams and the overall global stability of the high-rise tower. A comprehensive parametric study on 240 combinations of reinforced concrete coupling beams and 48 models of the global tower has been carried out to backtrack the effective stiffness of the RC coupling beams from the load-deflection curve. As a result, the stiffness and the equivalent height of coupling beams are computed and plotted as a function of the concretegrade, reinforcement content and aspect ratio. Additionally, the tip deflections of the towers for both the cracked &amp; reinforced and un-reinforced &amp; un-cracked models are also plotted as functions of the concrete grade, reinforcement content and aspect ratio.The obtained results show that the stiffness ratio and the ratio of the equivalent height to the normal height increase with the increase in the longitudinal reinforcement ratio and aspectratio but decrease with an increase in the concrete grade for both analytical and finite element methods. The tip deflection of tower is not significantly affected by an increase in the reinforcement content of slender coupling beams and vice versa for both the analytical and the finite element method. Independently of the slenderness of the composing coupling beams, the stiffness increases significantly with an increase in the concrete grade. These results show a good picture on how to choose the equivalent height in the model with no reinforcement. So, the developed diagram will be a more practical method for the designer of awhole building at the early stage design. Thick coupling beams need to be reinforced to reach the gross section’s stiffness while slender sections will have a higher stiffness with reinforcement. This would help the designer to find a more rational model without reinforcement. Using Hans Petersson’s analytical method, regarding the joint flexibility at the beam wall intersection, to exploit the full capacity of a concrete coupling beam section, the stiffness should be reduced. For global models, independently of the slenderness of the composing coupling beams, the stiffness increases significantly with an increase in the concrete grade.<br>I höghus används hisschakt av armerad betong tillsammans med kopplingsbalkar i stor utsträckning som främsta konstruktionselement för att motstå horisontella laster. Tornets horisontella bärförmåga är beroende av analytiska studier och studier med finita element metoden styvheten hos de bärande väggarna, och kopplingsbalkarna som förbinder dem. För att studera minskningen av styvheten i höghustorn på grund av sprickbildning i kopplingsbalkar, variationen i armeringsmängden, betongkvaliteten och effekten av ledflexibilitet vid balk-vägg-knutpunkten, presenterar detta examensarbete kopplingsbalkarnas effektiva styvhet och höghusets globala stabilitet. En omfattande parametrisk studie på 240 olika kombinationer av armerade kopplingsbalkar och 32 modeller av ett höghus har genomförts för att härleda den effektiva styvheten i de armerade kopplingsbalkarna från last-deformationskurvan. Som ett resultat beräknas styvheten och den ekvivalenta höjden av kopplingsbalkarna och plottas som funktion av betongkvaliteten och armeringsmängden. Dessutom modelleras höghuset för både spruckna &amp; armerade kopplingsbalkar samt oarmerade &amp; ospruckna kopplingsbalkar för att erhålla utböjningen av höghusets topp. Resultatet plottas som funktion av betongkvaliteten och armeringsmängden. De erhållna resultaten visar att styvhetsförhållandet och förhållandet mellan ekvivalent höjd till normal höjd ökar med mer längsgående armering och tvärsnittsförhållandet men minskar med en ökning av betongkvaliteten för både den analytiska och finita elementmetoden. Utböjningen av höghusets topp påverkas inte nämnbart av en ökning av armeringsmängden i de slanka kopplingsbalkarna och vice versa för både den analytiska och finita elementmetoden. Oberoende av slankheten av kopplingsbalkarna ökar styvheten betydligt med en ökning av betongkvaliteten. Dessa resultat visar en bra bild på hur man väljer ekvivalent höjd i modellen utan armering. Därmed kommer det framtagna diagrammet vara en mer praktisk metod för att i ett tidigt skede konstruera en hel byggnad. Tjocka kopplingsbalkar måste armeras för att nå tvärsnittets styvhet medan smala tvärsnitt kommer att ha en högre styvhet med armering. Detta skulle hjälpa konstruktören att hitta en mer rationell modell utan armering. Med hjälp av Hans Peterssons analytiska metod, angående ledflexibiliteten vid balk-väggknutpunkten, bör styvheten minskas för att utnyttja den fulla kapaciteten hos en betongkopplingsbalk. För globala modeller, oberoende av de slanka kopplingsbalkarna, ökar styvheten betydligt med en ökning av betongkvaliteten.

In this thesis an investigation of the shear stiffness and capacity of joints between pre- fabricated concrete elements regarding to different material properties is reported. Two different models of shear key joints, connected to prefabricated walls, were cre- ated in the non-linear finite element software, ATENA 3D, with the aim to estimate a realistic behaviour of the joints regarding to the external loads.

A parametric study was performed to determine the effect of flexible foundations on the response of timber shear walls. Timber shear walls, which typically consist of structural-use panels, such as plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), attached to a frame made from dimension lumber with dowel-type fasteners such as nails, provide resistance to lateral loading for many low-rise structures in North America. Research performed on shear walls has assumed that a wall is supported by a relatively stiff foundation, such as a concrete block wall, along the entire length of the wall. However, walls are sometimes supported by a relatively flexible foundation, such as a floor joist, which would alter the stiffness, and therefore the response of the wall. Research on flexible foundations is limited at best, and there is a string need to examine the behavior of shear walls on flexible foundations. <p>The study consisted of creating a shear wall numerical model, varying the conditions at the foundation of the model, and analyzing the model when subjected to both monotonic and dynamic loading for each foundation. The system modeled corresponded to a 2.4 m (8 ft) high by 3.7 m (12 ft) long shear wall supported by and parallel to a 7.3 m (24 ft) long joist with hold-downs at each chord of the wall. The joist was supported at each end, with one chord of the wall at an end of the joist and the other chord located at the center of the joist. Eleven joist cross-sections, with sizes determined based on deflection criteria ranging from L/180 to L/720, and a rigid base were included in the study, along with three different hold-down bolt sizes, for a total of thirty-six different foundations. The wall model was analyzed using WALSEIZ1, which is a modified version of the finite element program WALSEIZ (White and Dolan, 1995). Maximum displacements, internal forces, and maximum load were recorded when the model was subjected to monotonic loading, while the maximum displacements and base shear were recorded when the model was subjected to dynamic loading. Results from the study were examined to determine if modifications to the current design practices should be considered.<br>Master of Science

The stability of rock masses is influenced by the occurrence of rock joints. Therefore, the shear strength of rock joints must be considered in dimensioning of underground constructions. One way to predict the shear strength is through usage of failure criteria, which are validated from results of direct shear tests under controlled laboratory conditions. Consequently, the quality of the results from the tests are crucial to the accuracy with which the criteria will be able to predict the shear strength. Since rock joints are unique by nature usage of replicas (man-made copies of rock joints) is of importance in parameter studies. The overall objective of this work is to facilitate the development of improved criteria for predictions of the shear strength of rock joints. To support this objective, two sources of uncertainty have been investigated, namely the geometry of replicas and the influence of the normal stiffness of test systems. Two quality assurance parameters for evaluation of geometrical differences between replicas and rock joints based on scanning data have been derived. The first parameter describes the morphological deviations. The second parameter describes the deviations in orientation with respect to the shear plane. The effective normal stiffness approach, which compensates for the influence of the normal stiffness of the test system indirect shear testing, has been developed, validated, and applied. With help of the quality assurance parameters it is demonstrated that it is possible to reproduce replicas within narrow tolerances. Application of the effective normal stiffness approach basically eliminates the normal load error. In all, the results support generation of improved quality of test data and consequently, the development of shear strength criteria with improved accuracy will also be facilitated.<br>Bergmassors stabilitet påverkas av bergssprickor. Bergssprickors skjuvhållfasthet behöver därför beaktas vid fastställandet av vilka laster berganläggningar skall dimensioneras mot. Skjuvhållfastheten predikteras bland annat med hjälp av brottkriterier, vilka valideras med hjälp av resultaten från skjuvtester i kontrollerad laboratoriemiljö. Kvaliteten på resultaten från testerna är därför av avgörande betydelse för med vilken noggrannhet kriterierna kommer att kunna prediktera skjuvhållfastheten. Det övergripande målet med detta arbete är att underlätta utvecklingen av förbättrade kriterier för prediktioner av bergssprickors skjuvhållfasthet. Som ett bidrag till att uppnå detta mål har två osäkerhetsfaktorer undersökts, nämligen geometrin av replikor (kopior) av bergssprickor och inverkan av testsystems normalstyvhet. Två kvalitetssäkringsparametrar för utvärdering av de geometriska skillnaderna mellan replikor och bergprov baserade på skanningdata har tagits fram. Den första parametern beskriver de morfologiska avvikelserna. Den andra parametern beskriver avvikelserna i orientering med avseende på skjuvplanet. Ett tillvägagångssätt med en effektiv systemnormalstyvhet, vilken kompenserar för inverkan av testsystemets normalstyvhet, har utvecklats, validerats och tillämpats. Med hjälp av kvalitetssäkringsparametrarna påvisas att det ar möjligt att reproducera replikor inom snäva toleranser. Genom tillämpning av tillvägagångssättet med en effektiv normalstyvhet kan felet i normallast i princip elimineras. Sammantaget stödjer resultaten framtagning av testdata med förbättrad kvalitet och därigenom underlättas även utvecklingen av skjuvhållfasthetskriterier med förbättrad noggrannhet.<br><p>QC 210518</p>

Infill materials found in natural rock joints may cause a reduction in joint shear strength, influencing rock mass stability. The shear strength of rock mass, already reduced by these discontinuities, will further diminish if they are filled with sediments, thereby posing significant concerns for any construction or excavation carried out in rock. These concerns invite accurate quantification of the shear strength of infilled joints and proper understanding of the basic mechanics of discontinua and the principles involved in their shear deformation. The practical application of any models developed through such studies will be of immense help to mining, tunnelling, and all other underground construction works. The geotechnical research work carried out by the University of Wollongong in the late 90’s included infilled joint modelling using hyperbolic techniques. A new shear strength model was developed in these studies for predicting unfilled and infilled joint strength based on the Fourier transform method, energy balance principle and the hyperbolic stress-strain simulation. Taking into account the field conditions frequently encountered, the diversity observed in joint shear response and the occasional inadequacy of data (for the estimation of Fourier coefficients and the hyperbolic constants), this study was undertaken to develop a semi-empirical methodology for predicting the shear strength of infilled joints. In this research study joint shear behaviour was studied under CNS and CNL conditions and also the effect of joint orientation and confinement. The study aimed to develop a methodology which includes joint surface characteristics, joint properties, and infill materials. A new model for predicting the shear strength of infilled joints based on a series of tests carried out on two types of model joint surfaces (with asperity angles of 9.50 and 18.50) is presented. Graphite, bentonite and clayey sand were used as infill materials. All tests were carried out in a large-scale shear apparatus under constant normal stiffness (CNS) conditions. The results indicate that at low infill thickness to asperity height ratio (t/a), the combined effect of the basic friction angle (ϕb) and the joint asperity angle (i) is pronounced, but diminishes with increasing t/a ratio so that the shear strength converges towards the infill alone. This decrease in shear strength with increasing t/a ratio is represented in a normalised manner by dividing the peak shear stress by the corresponding normal stress. Summation of two algebraic functions (A and B) that represent the joint and infill characteristics, correctly model the decay of normalised shear strength with increasing t/a ratio. The new model successfully describes the shear strength of the graphite, clay (bentonite) and clayey sand filled model joints.