Este artigo avalia se, para especificações de betão correntes, a resistência à compressão de betão pronto é significativamente dependente da central que o produziu, bem como se a variabilidade entre amassaduras de uma determinada composição é dependente da classe de resistência especificada. É apresentado um parâmetro probabilístico que converte a resistência à compressão característica especificada para a resistência à compressão expectável em provetes de betão cúbicos em condições padronizadas.É feita uma análise estatística e probabilística dos resultados de ensaios de resistência à compressão aos 28 dias de betão pronto produzido em três centrais de betão portuguesas durante o ano de 2017. Após a avaliação da representatividade da base de dados analisada, é feito um estudo comparativo dos parâmetros estatísticos dos dados de produção das diferentes centrais e é avaliada a influência da classe de resistência à compressão do betão nestes parâmetros. Define-se e analisa-se um parâmetro probabilístico que converte a resistência à compressão especificada para a resistência potencial de betão, para cubos de 150 mm. Este parâmetro contribui para uma futura proposta de um modelo probabilístico, a ser utilizado em análises de fiabilidade, que converte a resistência à compressão especificada para a resistência à compressão de elementos de betão em obra.Quer a análise estatística dos ensaios de resistência à compressão, quer o parâmetro de conversão são comparados com os resultados de investigações internacionais na área, aferindo-se se a qualidade da produção de betão pronto nacional é semelhante à de outras regiões.

Concrete structures Externally Bonded Reinforced (EBR) with Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) have been studied and used since the end of the last century. However, several issues need to be better studied in order to improve performance. The influence of size of anchorage plates used on Reinforced Concrete (RC) structures strengthened with EBR FRP composites, the external compressive stress to be applied on the anchorage plate and the numerical simulation of this region are some of the topics that need to be more carefully studied in order to clarify the performance of the FRP-to-concrete interface within the anchorage plate region. This study proposes a design methodology to estimate the amount of external compressive stress necessary to be applied on the anchorage plate of EBR systems with FRP composites, in order to avoid premature debonding. The external compressive stress imposed on the FRP composite is intended to simulate the effect produced by a mechanical anchorage system tightened to the EBR system. The results from the design proposal, when compared with the numerical ones, were efficient enough on the prediction of the bond strength improvement of FRP-to-concrete interfaces.

Problem of the reliability increasing of the vehicles electric drives is discussed in context of the reduction of the electric motor heating during variable character of movement. Opportunities of the induction motor stator winding heating reduction by means of the control of the vehicles electric drives in transient and steady state modes of movement are shown. Analytical expressions for dynamic torque, optimal on minimal of the winding temperature rise during acceleration, as well as expressions for dynamic torque and value of the motor torque limitation, optimal on energy consumption during acceleration are presented. It is shown that desire to reduce the stator winding temperature rise by means of dynamic torque optimal value selection or motor torque limitation can lead to the rise of energy consumption. Results of the modeling are presented.

This paper presents a wireless energy transfer system operating at the frequency values of kHz order: modeling, simulation, and comparison with prototype measurement results. Wireless energy transfer system model using finite element method was carried out to simulate the electric field and the magnetic flux density for different air gap sizes between the transmitter and the receiver coils. Results are presented and compared with the electromagnetic emission measurements radiated by the wireless energy transfer system prototype. The electric field comparison between the simulated and the prototype measurement values shows an error of roughly 8.7{%}. In the recent years, the interest in the wireless energy transfer technology, especially for electric vehicles batteries charging, is rapidly increasing. As a result of the increasing application of this technology in the industrial and consumer electronic products, more concerns are raised about the electromagnetic compatibility, since the wireless energy transfer systems produce electromagnetic emissions in the surrounding environment.

The use of adhesively bonded joints between Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) and concrete elements have been spread out in the past decades. However, due to their recent applications, the durability aspects related with these bonded joints requires the use of high safety factors which strongly restricts the mechanical capacity of the FRP composites. The experimental assessment of the degradation of FRP-to-concrete interfaces is an important task because it provides useful data that can be used to calibrate analytical or numerical models with the aim of helping on the correct understanding of the interfacial degradation. In this work, a new and simple interfacial bond-slip model that needs only one parameter to be experimentally defined is proposed. Compared to unaged Glass (G) FRP-to-concrete interfaces, the relative degradation of these bonded interfaces is studied after being subjected to: (i) salt fog cycles; (ii) wet-dry cycles; (iii) temperature cycles between -10ºC and +30ºC; and (iv) between +7.5ºC and +47.5ºC. The subsequent full debonding processes are predicted through an analytical model that takes into account the degradations experimentally determined from the tests.

The effective stress transfer between the fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) and the steel substrate is crucial for the successful retrofit of existing steel structures with FRP composites. However, there are no standard tests for FRP-to-steel interfaces, wherefore different test configurations have been used in recent years to assess the bond behaviour in these interfaces. The present study shows that the choice of test configuration is highly important and leads to different transfer stresses between the FRP and steel composites and consequently, has a direct influence on the strength of the bonded joint. Therefore, it is important to understand the debonding process that occurs in each test and avoid misinterpretations, erroneous analyses and dangerous characterizations of the interfacial behaviour of these interfaces. The current study presents a new analytical approach for the prediction of the debonding of FRP-to-steel interfaces when double-lap pull or double-strap tests are used.

This article presents a nonlinear analytical solution for the prediction of the full-range debonding response of mechanically anchored, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites from the substrate. The nonlinear analytical approach predicts, for any monotonic loading history or bonded length, the relative displacements (or slips) between materials, the strains in the FRP composite, the bond stresses within the interface, and the stresses developed in the substrate. The load-slip responses of FRP-to-substrate interfaces with short and long bonded lengths are motives of analysis and discussion. The solutions obtained from the proposed approach are also compared with other experimental results found in the literature.

The adhesively bonded joints behaviour under cyclic loading is not yet well understood due to its inherent complexity. Numerical approaches appear, therefore, as the easiest way to simulate such mechanical behaviour. In this work, double strap bonded joints with Carbon Fibres Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) and aluminium are numerically simulated and subjected to a cyclic loading history. In the numerical simulation, the Distinct Element Method (DEM) is used and it is assumed cohesive bi-linear bond-slip models with local damage of the interface. The evaluation of the bonded joints under cyclic loading is made by comparing the results with those simulated with a monotonic loading.

Cellulosomes are highly sophisticated molecular nanomachines that participate in the deconstruction of complex polysaccharides, notably cellulose and hemicellulose. Cellulosomal assembly is orchestrated by the interaction of enzyme-borne dockerin (Doc) modules to tandem cohesin (Coh) modules of a non-catalytic primary scaffoldin. In some cases, as exemplified by the cellulosome of the major cellulolytic ruminal bacterium Ruminococcus flavefaciens, primary scaffoldins bind to adaptor scaffoldins that further interact with the cell surface via anchoring scaffoldins, thereby increasing cellulosome complexity. Here we elucidate the structure of the unique Doc of R. flavefaciens FD-1 primary scaffoldin ScaA, bound to Coh 5 of the adaptor scaffoldin ScaB. The RfCohScaB5-DocScaA complex has an elliptical architecture similar to previously described complexes from a variety of ecological niches. ScaA Doc presents a single-binding mode, analogous to that described for the other two Coh-Doc specificities required for cellulosome assembly in R. flavefaciens. The exclusive reliance on a single-mode of Coh recognition contrasts with the majority of cellulosomes from other bacterial species described to date, where Docs contain two similar Coh-binding interfaces promoting a dual-binding mode. The discrete Coh-Doc interactions observed in ruminal cellulosomes suggest an adaptation to the exquisite properties of the rumen environment.

A produção de betão com substituição de agregados naturais por agregados reciclados minimiza os impactes da indústria da construção. Contudo, o recurso a este tipo de agregado é limitado devido a dúvidas dos diferentes agentes da indústria da construção e à ausência de regulamentação específica para o projecto de betão com agregados reciclados. A percepção de betões com agregados reciclados como um material heterogéneo com comportamento imprevisível é o principal entrave, quer para a aceitação da indústria, quer para o desenvolvimento de regulamentação. Diferentes aspectos relacionados com o efeitos da variabilidade das propriedades de betão com agregados reciclados na regulamentação de estruturas são abordados conceptualmente: a heterogeneidade dos agregados reciclados, o efeito desta heterogeneidade nas propriedades mecânicas de betão e os efeitos da variabilidade das propriedades de betão na sua fiabilidade estrutural. Os primeiros resultados de uma campanha experimental desenvolvida especificamente para abordar o efeito de agregados grossos reciclados na fiabilidade são apresentados e as suas implicações no projecto de estruturas discutidas. São apresentadas sugestões de desenvolvimentos futuros que visam a calibração de coeficientes parciais de segurança que possibilitem o projecto de estruturas de betão armado dimensionadas segundo o formato do Eurocódigo 2 e mantendo os mesmos níveis de segurança de betão convencional.

In this paper, we identify the common mode impedance of a parallel converter cell and the impact of each converter on the entire system. The study is done in two cases, favorable when all the sane converters, and degraded when at least one converter in insulation fault. We also put the distinction load type to see their effect on the propagation path. The equivalent method of the Thevenin and impedance circuit is used for the prediction electromagnetic interference generated by these converters. The good knowledge of these electromagnetic interferences allows a proper optimization of the filters (volume/efficiency), and the optimum choice of exploitation of the whole of the cell. The model is tested by PSpice simulation with a wide frequency range up to 30 MHz.

Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) is one of the most promising topologies for high power-medium voltage application. However, the use of MMC in variable speed drive applications is still limited. This is due to the fact that the fluctuation of the submodules capacitor voltage is large at low speed constant torque operation. This paper proposes an improved balancing approach based on Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM). The proposed method uses only one SVPWM, which not only simplifies the calculation but also reduces the submodules capacitor fluctuation and the circulating current in the MMC, thereby allowing the operation of MMC-based variable speed drive over the entire operating speed range and improve the converter efficiency. The closed loop operation of the MMC-based variable speed drive is verified through extensive simulations.

Pseudo-cyclic and cyclic loading were applied to CFRP-to-steel bonded joints built with two different CFRP laminates. In this paper, the strength capacity and bond-slip curves are presented and compared. The modes of failure are also described and associated with the types of material used, and the observed performances are correlated. The analysis of the results showed a threshold value for loading and amplitude level, below which the cyclic loading caused no detectable damage. For cycles above that limit, the region of the joints around the loaded end presented degradation reflected on the bond-slip stiffness and on the increase of residual deformation. It was found that the normalized dissipated energies either obtained from the bond-slip relationship or from the load-slip response had the same trend. The experimental data allowed also to establish a relationship between the damage developed within the interface and the normalized slip. A preliminary estimate of fatigue limit based on those data is suggested.