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Prof. Dr. Guomin (Kevin) Zhang
RMIT University, Melbourne Australia

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Research article
Published: 16 August 2021 in PLOS ONE
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The geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankment (GRPSE) system has been widely used in road construction on soft soil. However, the application of the GRPSE system is often restricted by its high-cost. The reason is that they are designed for bearing control as defined in the past. During the construction process, the pile spacing is reduced to meet the requirements for the embankment bearing capacity and settlement. These factors cause the membrane effect to not be exploited. As a result, the utilization efficiency of the bearing capacity of the soil between the piles is low and the project cost is high. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of insufficient bearing capacity of soil between piles, we established a settlement calculation model of soil between piles based on membrane effect. The model considers the relationship between the geosynthetic reinforcement (GR) and the pile spacing. Based on the obtained model, a method for optimizing the soil bearing capacity of GRPSEs is proposed. By controlling the settlement of soil between piles, the bearing capacity of soil between piles and the membrane effect of embankment can be fully utilized. Therefore, the project cost can be reduced. Finally, the method is applied to field tests for comparison. The results show that the method is reasonable and applicable. This method can effectively exploit the membrane effect and improve the utilization efficiency of the bearing capacity of the soil between piles. An economical and reasonable arrangement scheme for the piles and GR was obtained. This scheme can not only ensure the safety of the project, but also fully utilize the bearing capacity of the soil between the piles and provide a new method for engineering design.

ACS Style

Zhen Liu; Aobo Zhang; Jiangping Xu; Cuiying Zhou; Lihai Zhang. Calculation model and bearing capacity optimization method for the soil settlement between piles in geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments based on the membrane effect. PLOS ONE 2021, 16, e0256190 .

AMA Style

Zhen Liu, Aobo Zhang, Jiangping Xu, Cuiying Zhou, Lihai Zhang. Calculation model and bearing capacity optimization method for the soil settlement between piles in geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments based on the membrane effect. PLOS ONE. 2021; 16 (8):e0256190.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhen Liu; Aobo Zhang; Jiangping Xu; Cuiying Zhou; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Calculation model and bearing capacity optimization method for the soil settlement between piles in geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments based on the membrane effect." PLOS ONE 16, no. 8: e0256190.

Journal article
Published: 03 August 2021 in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
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This paper presents a novel tool developed to assess the social, environmental and economic costs of disaster induced bridge failure and consequent impacts during reconstruction. This tool takes a holistic and localistic approach to assess impacts of bridge damage, which is found to be lacking in most decision-making tools and is designed to assist decision-makers in the road infrastructure sector to optimise reconstruction processes. The tool is designed to incorporate local knowledge and experience to formal decision-making processes encouraging local initiative and adaptation practices, with less reliance on state level intervention. The research adopted a participatory design approach and was validated through a case-study in a disaster affected region. Results showed that the socio-economic and environmental impacts could account for 25–30 % of the total impacts of bridge failure. The analysis showed that the duration of road closure was the most significant parameter influencing the wider impacts. This tool provides an opportunity for decision makers to assess the wider impacts of reconstruction processes and to select options that increase sustainability and resilience of communities.

ACS Style

Akvan Gajanayake; Tehmina Khan; Guomin Zhang. A decision-making tool to assess external costs of disaster induced bridge failure. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 2021, 64, 102506 .

AMA Style

Akvan Gajanayake, Tehmina Khan, Guomin Zhang. A decision-making tool to assess external costs of disaster induced bridge failure. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 2021; 64 ():102506.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Akvan Gajanayake; Tehmina Khan; Guomin Zhang. 2021. "A decision-making tool to assess external costs of disaster induced bridge failure." International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 64, no. : 102506.

Journal article
Published: 14 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Due to its dynamic nature in construction, benchmarking environmental emissions of road construction projects can be a daunting task. Often stakeholders will have to prioritize the economic and environmental indicators based on the project objectives. The study presents a methodological framework to compare economic and environmental impacts to benchmark sustainable transport construction projects. Through findings, the study aims to inform focus areas and key stages of infrastructure projects to benchmark sustainable performance. Process-based emission and cost estimation models are presented with an AHP based weighting factor that enables prioritization of emissions and costs based on project scopes and objectives. Using a case study, results are represented to validate the framework and methodology. Concrete and steel are identified as the main materials that contribute to total carbon emissions, while soil and gravel are responsible for the highest costs. Electricity consumption is discovered as the major fuel type contributing to carbon emissions. Concrete and dump trucks are discovered as the top two sources of emissions and costs, respectively. Scenario analyses revealed that the choice of equipment significantly affects the project’s emissions and costs. The application of sustainable materials can significantly reduce emissions and cost. The use of the case study approach results in a lack of generalizability. However, the same methodology and process can be adopted for the sustainable benchmarking of different projects. Researchers are encouraged to investigate processes to automate sustainable benchmarking of transport infrastructure construction projects. The study is one of the first attempts to compare cost and environmental impacts using a systematic methodology of transportation infrastructure construction projects.

ACS Style

Wenkai Luo; Malindu Sandanayake; Guomin Zhang; Yongtao Tan. Construction Cost and Carbon Emission Assessment of a Highway Construction—A Case towards Sustainable Transportation. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7854 .

AMA Style

Wenkai Luo, Malindu Sandanayake, Guomin Zhang, Yongtao Tan. Construction Cost and Carbon Emission Assessment of a Highway Construction—A Case towards Sustainable Transportation. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7854.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wenkai Luo; Malindu Sandanayake; Guomin Zhang; Yongtao Tan. 2021. "Construction Cost and Carbon Emission Assessment of a Highway Construction—A Case towards Sustainable Transportation." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7854.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2021 in Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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Interface management has been viewed as one of the important organizational capabilities to promote coordination and integration among stakeholders in construction project delivery, especially for large-scale projects. This paper examines the role of formal governance, partnering, and organizational boundary activities and their interactions in interface management performance. An integrated framework with consideration of the influence of formal governance, partnering, and boundary activities on interface management performance and associated project outcomes was developed and empirically tested with data collected from 85 large-scale international projects. The results show that formal governance is the dominant determinant of interface management performance and can indirectly influence it through improving partnering and boundary activities. Partnering and boundary activities are also significant antecedents of interface management performance, which, in turn, improves project outcomes of large-scale construction projects. Formal governance and partnering mutually reinforce each other. Interface management performance is positively related to project outcomes in terms of quality, cost, and schedule. This empirical research contributes to the fundamental understanding of the critical factors that govern the interface management performance and, ultimately, the project outcomes. In addition, the outcomes of this study highlighted the broad managerial implications for participants in large-scale projects.

ACS Style

Wenxin Shen; Wenzhe Tang; Yunhong Wang; Colin F. Duffield; Felix Kin Peng Hui; Lihai Zhang. Managing Interfaces in Large-Scale Projects: The Roles of Formal Governance and Partnering. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 2021, 147, 04021064 .

AMA Style

Wenxin Shen, Wenzhe Tang, Yunhong Wang, Colin F. Duffield, Felix Kin Peng Hui, Lihai Zhang. Managing Interfaces in Large-Scale Projects: The Roles of Formal Governance and Partnering. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. 2021; 147 (7):04021064.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wenxin Shen; Wenzhe Tang; Yunhong Wang; Colin F. Duffield; Felix Kin Peng Hui; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Managing Interfaces in Large-Scale Projects: The Roles of Formal Governance and Partnering." Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 147, no. 7: 04021064.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2021 in Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
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Acidic environments constitute serious chemical threats to concrete-like cementitious materials. The purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate the degradation of alkali-activated slag/fly ash mortars with different slag/fly ash ratios: 80/20, 60/40, and 40/60 in acidic environments. Mortar samples were exposed to three different types of aggressive acidic solutions: phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and a mixture of phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid maintained at a constant pH value of 2.5±0.5 for a period of 150 days. Results showed that, for all mortar samples, the aggressivity of the phosphoric acid is greater compared to the other acids. Moreover, samples with a slag/fly ash ratio of 60/40 demonstrate the highest resistance against the three types of acidic environments. In addition, it shows that the degradation process of alkali-activated mortars can be divided into two degradation stages: an early stage and a subsequent stage. The chemical-reaction dominated early degradation stage is described by using Hill function, whereas a diffusion process–dominated subsequent stage is simulated with Fick’s second law. Finally, the results of theoretical analysis predicted that the degradation depth of alkali-activated slag/fly ash mortars exposed to sulfuric acid environment (pH=2.0) for 50 years could be reduced by about 52%–60% compared to that of an ordinary Portland cement (OPC)-based mortar.

ACS Style

Jie Ren; Lihai Zhang; Rackel San Nicolas. Degradation of Alkali-Activated Slag and Fly Ash Mortars under Different Aggressive Acid Conditions. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering 2021, 33, 04021140 .

AMA Style

Jie Ren, Lihai Zhang, Rackel San Nicolas. Degradation of Alkali-Activated Slag and Fly Ash Mortars under Different Aggressive Acid Conditions. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. 2021; 33 (7):04021140.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jie Ren; Lihai Zhang; Rackel San Nicolas. 2021. "Degradation of Alkali-Activated Slag and Fly Ash Mortars under Different Aggressive Acid Conditions." Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering 33, no. 7: 04021140.

Original article
Published: 29 June 2021 in Annals of Biomedical Engineering
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The application of volar locking plate (VLP) is promising in the treatment of dorsally comminuted and displaced fracture. However, the optimal balance between the mechanical stability of VLP and the mechanobiology at the fracture site is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to develop numerical models in conjunction with experimental studies to identify the favourable mechanical microenvironment for indirect healing, by optimizing VLP configuration and post-operative loadings for different fracture geometries. The simulation results show that the mechanical behaviour of VLP is mainly governed by the axial compression. In addition, the model shows that, under relatively large gap size (i.e., 3–5 mm), the increase of FWL could enhance chondrocyte differentiation while a large BPD could compromise the mechanical stability of VLP. Importantly, bending moment produced by wrist flexion/extension and torsion moment produced from forearm rotation could potentially hinder endochondral ossification at early stage of healing. The developed model could potentially assist orthopaedic surgeons in surgical pre-planning and designing post-operation physical therapy for treatment of distal radius fractures.

ACS Style

Xuanchi Liu; Saeed Miramini; Minoo Patel; Jinjing Liao; Darpan Shidid; Lihai Zhang. Balance Between Mechanical Stability and Mechano-Biology of Fracture Healing Under Volar Locking Plate. Annals of Biomedical Engineering 2021, 1 -21.

AMA Style

Xuanchi Liu, Saeed Miramini, Minoo Patel, Jinjing Liao, Darpan Shidid, Lihai Zhang. Balance Between Mechanical Stability and Mechano-Biology of Fracture Healing Under Volar Locking Plate. Annals of Biomedical Engineering. 2021; ():1-21.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xuanchi Liu; Saeed Miramini; Minoo Patel; Jinjing Liao; Darpan Shidid; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Balance Between Mechanical Stability and Mechano-Biology of Fracture Healing Under Volar Locking Plate." Annals of Biomedical Engineering , no. : 1-21.

Journal article
Published: 21 June 2021 in Thin-Walled Structures
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The thin-walled grid plate is one of the passive aerodynamic measures for suppressing vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of twin-box girder bridges. However, the effectiveness of the grid plate in aerodynamic stabilization is not fully known. In this study, we compared the flutter performance and aerostatic performance, as well as VIV performance, of a twin-box girder suspension bridge with four different grid porosities, through a series of wind-tunnel tests and three-dimensional nonlinear finite-element analyses. Results show that a thin-walled grid plate with larger grid porosity could effectively improve both the flutter performance and aerostatic performance of the bridge. This was particularly true with a plate of 100% grid porosity. Based on the 3D nonlinear bridge finite-element model, the flutter divergence mode of a 3D bridge is caused mainly by symmetrical vertical bending as grid porosity increases. Furthermore, the torsional VIV performance of a twin-box girder with smaller grid porosity is superior to those with larger grid porosity, and the application of grid plates of 30% and 50% porosity can result in VIV performance that complies fully with both the wind-resistance specification of China and the Sperling indicator.

ACS Style

Rui Zhou; Yaojun Ge; Qingkuan Liu; Yongxin Yang; Lihai Zhang. Experimental and numerical studies of wind-resistance performance of twin-box girder bridges with various grid plates. Thin-Walled Structures 2021, 166, 108088 .

AMA Style

Rui Zhou, Yaojun Ge, Qingkuan Liu, Yongxin Yang, Lihai Zhang. Experimental and numerical studies of wind-resistance performance of twin-box girder bridges with various grid plates. Thin-Walled Structures. 2021; 166 ():108088.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rui Zhou; Yaojun Ge; Qingkuan Liu; Yongxin Yang; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Experimental and numerical studies of wind-resistance performance of twin-box girder bridges with various grid plates." Thin-Walled Structures 166, no. : 108088.

Conference paper
Published: 08 June 2021 in Proceedings of the 24th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate
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Buildings are critical assets in most owner’s asset packages. Maintaining and rehabilitating buildings under various constraints is a crucial challenge for most owners due to the complexity of building components and the uncertainty of their deteriorations. The Markov process based probabilistic approach is an effective solution to develop an asset deterioration prediction model helping owner implementing proactive building asset management. This paper takes one Australian city council as an example to discuss the benefits of an asset deterioration prediction model to the proactive building management and explain how to calibrate and validate the Markov transition matrices from the chronologic discrete assets condition datasets. Two identical findings are that curves derived from the short-period dataset are steeper than that from the long-period dataset, and C2, C3 curves derived from the short-period dataset are not significant.

ACS Style

Wenkai Luo; Guomin Zhang; Huu Dung Tran; Sujeeva Setunge; Lei Hou. Implementing Proactive Building Asset Management Through Deterioration Prediction: A Case Study in Australia. Proceedings of the 24th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate 2021, 951 -965.

AMA Style

Wenkai Luo, Guomin Zhang, Huu Dung Tran, Sujeeva Setunge, Lei Hou. Implementing Proactive Building Asset Management Through Deterioration Prediction: A Case Study in Australia. Proceedings of the 24th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate. 2021; ():951-965.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wenkai Luo; Guomin Zhang; Huu Dung Tran; Sujeeva Setunge; Lei Hou. 2021. "Implementing Proactive Building Asset Management Through Deterioration Prediction: A Case Study in Australia." Proceedings of the 24th International Symposium on Advancement of Construction Management and Real Estate , no. : 951-965.

Geotechnical engineering
Published: 05 June 2021 in KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering
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Polymer soil stabilisers have been shown to improve soil strength and erosion resistance, for example on slopes where topsoil can be easily eroded. However, fundamental mechanisms of soil stabilisers in soil enhancement through modifying the soil-water characteristic and microstructure of soil (e.g., distribution of pore size) have not been fully understood. This gap in understanding is not conducive to the subsequent development and engineering applications of soil stabilisers. This paper reports a series of experimental studies on the influence of nano-aqueous adhesive (NAA) in modifying the pore size distribution and water content of the soil. The results show that NAA can change the soil-water characteristic curve and has the potential to increase water retention capacity, which is essential for vegetation growth on a slope. In addition, they indicate that NAA could improve soil microstructure and pore uniformity by blocked small pores. The results also show that the NAA could reduce wilting coefficient, improve air entry value, and thereby protect vegetation, which helps stabilise the slope.

ACS Style

Wei Huang; Cuiying Zhou; Zhen Liu; Hao Sun; Jiaxin Du; Lihai Zhang. Improving Soil-Water Characteristics and Pore Structure of Silty Soil Using Nano-aqueous Polymer Stabilisers. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering 2021, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Wei Huang, Cuiying Zhou, Zhen Liu, Hao Sun, Jiaxin Du, Lihai Zhang. Improving Soil-Water Characteristics and Pore Structure of Silty Soil Using Nano-aqueous Polymer Stabilisers. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering. 2021; ():1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wei Huang; Cuiying Zhou; Zhen Liu; Hao Sun; Jiaxin Du; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Improving Soil-Water Characteristics and Pore Structure of Silty Soil Using Nano-aqueous Polymer Stabilisers." KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering , no. : 1-8.

Materials science
Published: 04 June 2021 in PLOS ONE
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Shield tunneling in karst areas poses significant challenges, as vibration caused by the shield machine can disturb the stability of the karst caves, ultimately resulting in the collapse of a tunnel. In the present study, a numerical model involving an iteration process was developed based on the Mindlin solution scheme to identify the optimal shield tunneling speed for minimizing the disturbance to karst cave stability. The developed model was then implemented to investigate an underground tunnel constructed in a karst region with different shield tunneling strategies. By using the variation in the energy density of a karst cave as a performance index, the model predicts that when approaching the affected zone of a karst carve (e.g., approximately 5 m from the carve), the shield tunneling machine should be controlled within a certain speed (i.e., < 30 mm/min). Once the shield tunneling machine moves into the affected zone of the cave, the speed of the machine needs to be decelerated to 11 mm/min, and the speed of 30 mm/min can be restored when the shield machine moves out of the affected zone. This finding demonstrates that the developed model could potentially be used to identify the optimal shield tunneling speed to minimize the disturbance to karst cave stability and ensure the safety of tunnel construction in karst regions.

ACS Style

Zhen Liu; Weihua Ming; Jieming Li; Cuiying Zhou; Lihai Zhang. Numerical prediction of the optimal shield tunneling strategy for tunnel construction in karst regions. PLOS ONE 2021, 16, e0252733 .

AMA Style

Zhen Liu, Weihua Ming, Jieming Li, Cuiying Zhou, Lihai Zhang. Numerical prediction of the optimal shield tunneling strategy for tunnel construction in karst regions. PLOS ONE. 2021; 16 (6):e0252733.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhen Liu; Weihua Ming; Jieming Li; Cuiying Zhou; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Numerical prediction of the optimal shield tunneling strategy for tunnel construction in karst regions." PLOS ONE 16, no. 6: e0252733.

Journal article
Published: 02 June 2021 in International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics
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The mechanical properties of bridge bearings gradually deteriorate over time resulting from daily traffic loading and harsh environmental conditions. However, structural health monitoring of in-service bridge bearings is rather challenging. This study presents a bridge bearing condition assessment framework which integrates the vibration data from a non-contact interferometric radar (i.e. IBIS-S) and a simplified analytical model. Using two existing concrete bridges in Australia as a case study, it demonstrates that the developed framework has the capability of detecting the structural condition of the bridge bearings in real-time. In addition, the results from a series of parametric studies show that the effectiveness of the developed framework is largely determined by the stiffness ratio between bridge bearing and girder ([Formula: see text], i.e. the structural condition of the bearings can only be effectively captured when the value of [Formula: see text] ranges from 1/100 and 100.

ACS Style

Babar Nasim Khan Raja; Saeed Miramini; Colin Duffield; Shilun Chen; Lihai Zhang. A Simplified Methodology for Condition Assessment of Bridge Bearings Using Vibration Based Structural Health Monitoring Techniques. International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Babar Nasim Khan Raja, Saeed Miramini, Colin Duffield, Shilun Chen, Lihai Zhang. A Simplified Methodology for Condition Assessment of Bridge Bearings Using Vibration Based Structural Health Monitoring Techniques. International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Babar Nasim Khan Raja; Saeed Miramini; Colin Duffield; Shilun Chen; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "A Simplified Methodology for Condition Assessment of Bridge Bearings Using Vibration Based Structural Health Monitoring Techniques." International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2021 in Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
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It is known that weight-bearing exercises under Ilizarov circular fixators (ICF) could enhance bone fracture healing by mechano-regulation. However, interfragmentary movements at the fracture site induced by weight-bearing may inhibit angiogenesis and ultimately delay the healing process. To tackle this challenge, a computational model is presented in this study which considers the spatial and temporal changes in mechanical properties of fracture callus to predict optimal levels of weight-bearing during fracture healing under ICF. The study takes sheep fractures as example and shows that the developed model has the capability of predicting patient specific, time-dependent optimal levels of weight-bearing which enhances mechano-regulation mediated healing without hindering the angiogenesis process. The results demonstrate that allowable level of weight-bearing and timings depend on fracture gap size. For normal body weights (BW) and moderate fracture gap sizes (e.g. 3 mm), weight-bearing with 30% BW could start by week 4 post-operation and gradually increase to 100% BW by week 11. In contrast, for relatively large fracture gap sizes (i.e. 6 mm), weight-bearing is recommended to commence in later stages of healing (e.g. week 11 post-operation). Furthermore, increasing ICF stiffness (e.g. using half pins instead of pretension wires) can increase the level of weight-bearing significantly in the early stages up to a certain time point (e.g. week 8 post-operation) beyond which no noticeable benefits could be achieved. The findings of this study have potential applications in designing post-operative weight bearing exercises.

ACS Style

Ganesharajah Ganadhiepan; Saeed Miramini; Minoo Patel; Priyan Mendis; Lihai Zhang. Optimal time-dependent levels of weight-bearing for bone fracture healing under Ilizarov circular fixators. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 2021, 121, 104611 .

AMA Style

Ganesharajah Ganadhiepan, Saeed Miramini, Minoo Patel, Priyan Mendis, Lihai Zhang. Optimal time-dependent levels of weight-bearing for bone fracture healing under Ilizarov circular fixators. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials. 2021; 121 ():104611.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ganesharajah Ganadhiepan; Saeed Miramini; Minoo Patel; Priyan Mendis; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Optimal time-dependent levels of weight-bearing for bone fracture healing under Ilizarov circular fixators." Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 121, no. : 104611.

Research article
Published: 14 May 2021 in Land Degradation & Development
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Soil erosion is a major environmental threat. The purpose of this study was to develop new polymer soil improvers that could mitigate the risk of soil erosion by modifying the microstructure of the soil and improving the ecological self‐repair ability. In particular, this study investigated new polymer composites (ADNB) based on different combination ratios of nano‐aqueous adhesive (NAB) and superabsorbent resin (SARn). The effects of different types of ADNB on soil water characteristics and pore size distribution were systematically investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In addition, an empirical model based on experimental data was developed to describe the effects of ADNB on the soil‐water characteristic curves. The results showed that in comparison to natural soil, the application of ADNB could significantly increase the peak signal strength of the relaxation time curve. In addition, ADNB can effectively reduce the number of pores with diameters of 1.11–8.3 μm, increase the number of pores with diameters of 0.5–1.8 μm, but had little effect on the number of pores with diameters of 0–0.5 μm. Through NMR imaging analysis, the effects of ADNB on soil moisture absorption and storage were quantified. The results showed that the ratio and content of ADNB have an obvious effect on the soil‐water characteristic curve under low suction but showed little effect under high suction conditions, indicating that the water‐holding capacity has been improved.

ACS Style

Wei Huang; Jiaxin Du; Hao Sun; Cuiying Zhou; Zhen Liu; Lihai Zhang. New polymer composites improve silty clay soil microstructure: an evaluation using NMR. Land Degradation & Development 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Wei Huang, Jiaxin Du, Hao Sun, Cuiying Zhou, Zhen Liu, Lihai Zhang. New polymer composites improve silty clay soil microstructure: an evaluation using NMR. Land Degradation & Development. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wei Huang; Jiaxin Du; Hao Sun; Cuiying Zhou; Zhen Liu; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "New polymer composites improve silty clay soil microstructure: an evaluation using NMR." Land Degradation & Development , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 12 May 2021 in Construction and Building Materials
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3D printed concrete (3DPC) has become increasingly popular in the last decade. However, the mechanical and microstructural evolution of the 3DPC under extremely high-temperature environments has not been fully understood. The purpose of this study is to experimentally investigate the influence of recycled sand and polyethylene (PE) fiber on the mechanical properties and pore structure of the 3DPC under high temperatures. A series of compressive, flexural, and CT scanning tests were conducted for 3DPC specimens under 20 °C, 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C, respectively. It shows that there is a similar degradation trend of the compressive and flexural strengths of 3D printed and mold-casted specimens with the same mixture at elevated temperatures. 3DPC specimens delaminated through the interface between layers and strips in the layer at 600 °C and 800 °C, respectively, due to the weak adhesion between layers and strips. The addition of recycled sand and PE fiber into the 3DPC could modify its pore structure and mitigate the risks of explosive spalling.

ACS Style

Jianzhuang Xiao; Nv Han; Lihai Zhang; Shuai Zou. Mechanical and microstructural evolution of 3D printed concrete with polyethylene fiber and recycled sand at elevated temperatures. Construction and Building Materials 2021, 293, 123524 .

AMA Style

Jianzhuang Xiao, Nv Han, Lihai Zhang, Shuai Zou. Mechanical and microstructural evolution of 3D printed concrete with polyethylene fiber and recycled sand at elevated temperatures. Construction and Building Materials. 2021; 293 ():123524.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jianzhuang Xiao; Nv Han; Lihai Zhang; Shuai Zou. 2021. "Mechanical and microstructural evolution of 3D printed concrete with polyethylene fiber and recycled sand at elevated temperatures." Construction and Building Materials 293, no. : 123524.

Research article application
Published: 17 April 2021 in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering
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Bone fracture treatments using Ilizarov circular fixator (ICF) involve dealing with uncertainties about a range of critical factors that control the mechanical microenvironment of the fracture site such as ICF configuration, fracture gap size, physiological loading etc. To date, the effects of the uncertainties about these critical factors on the mechanical microenvironment of the fracture site have not been fully understood. The purpose of this study is to tackle this challenge by using computational modelling in conjunction with engineering reliability analysis. Particularly, the effects of uncertainties in fracture gap size (GS), level of weight‐bearing (P), ICF wire pretension (T) and wire diameter (WD) on the fracture site mechanical microenvironment at the beginning of the reparative phase of healing was investigated in this study. The results show that the mechanical microenvironment of fracture site stabilised with ICF is very sensitive to the uncertainties in P and GS. For example, an increase in the coefficient of variation of P (COVP) from 0.1 to 0.9 (i.e., an increase in the uncertainty in P) could reduce the probability of achieving a favourable mechanical microenvironment within the fracture site (i.e., Probability of Success, PoS) by more than 50%, while an increase in the coefficient of variation of GS (COVGS) from 0.1 to 0.9 could decrease PoS by around 30%. In contrast, an increase in the uncertainties in T and WD (COV increase from 0.1 to 0.9) has little influence on the fracture site mechanical microenvironment (PoS changes <5%).

ACS Style

Ganesharajah Ganadhiepan; Saeed Miramini; Priyan Mendis; Minoo Patel; Lihai Zhang. A probabilistic approach for modelling bone fracture healing under Ilizarov circular fixator. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering 2021, e3466 .

AMA Style

Ganesharajah Ganadhiepan, Saeed Miramini, Priyan Mendis, Minoo Patel, Lihai Zhang. A probabilistic approach for modelling bone fracture healing under Ilizarov circular fixator. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering. 2021; ():e3466.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ganesharajah Ganadhiepan; Saeed Miramini; Priyan Mendis; Minoo Patel; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "A probabilistic approach for modelling bone fracture healing under Ilizarov circular fixator." International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering , no. : e3466.

Review
Published: 07 April 2021 in Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments
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Three main categories of occupant behaviors were summarized for building through this literature review, including the occupancy, interactions and behavioral efficiency. The results of the review confirmed that the actual occupancy and the interactions with buildings are the key influencing factors determining the energy building consumption. Behavioral efficiency has been identified as an efficient and economical method compared with retrofitting technologies. But, categorizing and quantifying the behavioral inputs as well as the validations are needed to be improved in the future. Window opening behavior has been seldom taken into account when calculates the energy impact because window opening behavior is rare in most of the centrally air-conditioned buildings. Also, the energy impacts of genders are not as much as engineering significance in energy consumption, but they are important for understanding the variation of the personal and other environmental control. The results are important to identify the key factors and address the determining considerations from those factors, in order to avoid unnecessary and redundant data collection. That is also significant to the energy simulation and the development of software packages in future work.

ACS Style

Shuo Chen; Guomin Zhang; Xiaobo Xia; Yixing Chen; Sujeeva Setunge; Long Shi. The impacts of occupant behavior on building energy consumption: A review. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 2021, 45, 101212 .

AMA Style

Shuo Chen, Guomin Zhang, Xiaobo Xia, Yixing Chen, Sujeeva Setunge, Long Shi. The impacts of occupant behavior on building energy consumption: A review. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 2021; 45 ():101212.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shuo Chen; Guomin Zhang; Xiaobo Xia; Yixing Chen; Sujeeva Setunge; Long Shi. 2021. "The impacts of occupant behavior on building energy consumption: A review." Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 45, no. : 101212.

Journal article
Published: 07 April 2021 in Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
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Geocells are increasingly used in engineering applications, but the design of riverbank slope reinforcements that use only geocells limits reinforcement performance. Moreover, the design and use of anti-slide piles with geocells are mainly based on experiences that are unsupported by theoretical models. In this paper, by combining the confinement effect and vertical action mechanism of geocells, the horizontal friction mechanism of the geocell layer and the vertical support mechanism of piles, a theoretical model of riverbank slope reinforced by anti-slide piles with geocells was constructed. In addition, to describe the mechanical behavior of a riverbank slope reinforced by anti-slide piles with geocells, the slip-resisting mechanism of the anti-slide pile with interaction between geocells and their internal filler is considered in the model. Furthermore, to investigate the influence of changes in water level on riverbank slope stability, the developed model takes into account settlement, lateral displacement, pile bending moment and pile axial force. The model predications were validated by the field measurement data. The results from a series of parametric studies show that the use of anti-slide pile and geocells can effectively reduce the settlement and the lateral displacement of a riverbank slope. The developed model could contribute to an optimal design of anti-slide pile with geocells for enhancing the stability of a riverbank slope.

ACS Style

Zhen Liu; Pengzhen Liu; Cuiying Zhou; Yasheng Li; Lihai Zhang. Modeling Riverbank Slope Reinforcement Using Anti-Slide Piles with Geocells. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 2021, 9, 394 .

AMA Style

Zhen Liu, Pengzhen Liu, Cuiying Zhou, Yasheng Li, Lihai Zhang. Modeling Riverbank Slope Reinforcement Using Anti-Slide Piles with Geocells. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2021; 9 (4):394.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhen Liu; Pengzhen Liu; Cuiying Zhou; Yasheng Li; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Modeling Riverbank Slope Reinforcement Using Anti-Slide Piles with Geocells." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9, no. 4: 394.

Journal article
Published: 06 April 2021 in Energies
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Environment management is one of the key aspects of hydropower development in acquiring sustainable energy. However, there has been limited research demonstrating the overall aspects of environment management of hydropower development with support of sound empirical evidence. In present study, the status of environment management in hydropower development was comprehensively investigated by conducting a case study based on the data collected from a field survey. The results show that, as environment management is largely subject to legal requirements, the environment management system needs to be established by integrating the legal requirements and needs of project implementation. This could potentially reduce the influence of legal restrictions on hydropower development. The main hydropower project environment management processes include identifying key environmental factors, implementation, monitoring, and performance measurement, which deal with environmental issues such as terrestrial and aquatic ecology protection, wastewater treatment, solid waste disposal, and acoustic-environment protection. Project participants should establish partnering relationships to cooperatively deal with environmental impacts of hydropower project development, in which public participation and sufficient resources input into environmental protection are essential for project success. The results of this study provide a sound basis for participants to deal with the key issues of environmental protection such as meeting legal requirements, training for improving environment management process, cost control, and cooperative environment management. The results of this study could help practitioners to tackle the interactions among project delivery, environmental protection, and engagement of local communities in an optimized way with the aim of maximizing effectiveness of the resources of all participants.

ACS Style

Yakun Zhang; Wenzhe Tang; Colin Duffield; Lihai Zhang; Felix Hui. Environment Management of Hydropower Development: A Case Study. Energies 2021, 14, 2029 .

AMA Style

Yakun Zhang, Wenzhe Tang, Colin Duffield, Lihai Zhang, Felix Hui. Environment Management of Hydropower Development: A Case Study. Energies. 2021; 14 (7):2029.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yakun Zhang; Wenzhe Tang; Colin Duffield; Lihai Zhang; Felix Hui. 2021. "Environment Management of Hydropower Development: A Case Study." Energies 14, no. 7: 2029.

Journal article
Published: 04 April 2021 in Engineering Structures
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The development of effective life cycle management strategies for transport infrastructure assets is of importance for meeting the defined public policies and levels of service. In the last decades, much progress has been made in assessing the life-cycle performance of bridges using reliability-based approaches. However, the goal of developing a comprehensive life-cycle performance assessment framework for bridges has not been fully achieved. This is due to the uncertainties surrounding model parameters as well as the correlation between these parameters (e.g. the complex correlation between the reinforcement corrosion and the concrete cracking). It becomes more challenging due to the limited access to bridge inspection data by bridge research communities resulting from confidentiality issues. Using a typical highway concrete bridge as a case study, the present study systematically investigated the impact of concrete crack induced reinforcement corrosion on the serviceability of concrete bridges by developing an engineering reliability-based approach involving an auto-regressive crack propagation model and a steel corrosion prediction model. The model parameters were calibrated using the eight-year inspection data of an operating bridge. The influence of different external environments in the reinforcement corrosion, ultimately the residual life of the bridges, was also investigated through conducting a series of parametric studies. Based on the collected bridge inspection data, the model results predict that, although the surface crack of a RC bridge is repairable through periodic maintenance, the corrosion of the steel bars in the bridge still continues over time with a corrosion rate which depends on different maintenance intervention cycle periods (Tcycle). For example, reducing Tcycle from 12 years to 4 years could potentially prolong the service life of the bridge by around 15 years. The developed model could assist bridge managers to estimate the optimal Tcycle to prolong the service life of bridges.

ACS Style

Shilun Chen; Colin Duffield; Saeed Miramini; Babar Nasim Khan Raja; Lihai Zhang. Life-cycle modelling of concrete cracking and reinforcement corrosion in concrete bridges: A case study. Engineering Structures 2021, 237, 112143 .

AMA Style

Shilun Chen, Colin Duffield, Saeed Miramini, Babar Nasim Khan Raja, Lihai Zhang. Life-cycle modelling of concrete cracking and reinforcement corrosion in concrete bridges: A case study. Engineering Structures. 2021; 237 ():112143.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shilun Chen; Colin Duffield; Saeed Miramini; Babar Nasim Khan Raja; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Life-cycle modelling of concrete cracking and reinforcement corrosion in concrete bridges: A case study." Engineering Structures 237, no. : 112143.

Journal article
Published: 26 March 2021 in Soils and Foundations
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The fundamental understanding of the consolidation and deformation behaviour of soft soil is of critical importance in engineering geology. The purpose of this study is to develop a nonlinear consolidation model for investigating the deformation behaviour of the montmorillonite soft soil under different engineering loading conditions and the effectiveness of various drainage plate configurations for soil enhancement. The model considers the change of soil microstructure and spatially dependent permeability during the consolidation process. The model predictions were also validated by using collected engineering geology field-testing data and developing advanced imaging processing techniques. The results show that model predictions can reproduce the experimentally observed deformation behaviour of soft soil reasonably well. In addition, the permeability of the soft soil decreases with the decrease of the volume and diameter of pores with the discharge of water from pores during the consolidation process, and there is a negative exponential relationship between pore ratio and depth of the soft soil. Furthermore, it indicates that the vacuum drainage preloading could effectively accelerate the consolidation settlement of the soft soil through playing the role of vertical drainage and reducing the distance of the soil drainage, whereas the increase of the length of the drainage plate has no obvious effect on the settlement of the soil.

ACS Style

Cuiying Zhou; Lei Yu; Zirong Huang; Zhen Liu; Lihai Zhang. Analysis of microstructure and spatially dependent permeability of soft soil during consolidation deformation. Soils and Foundations 2021, 61, 708 -733.

AMA Style

Cuiying Zhou, Lei Yu, Zirong Huang, Zhen Liu, Lihai Zhang. Analysis of microstructure and spatially dependent permeability of soft soil during consolidation deformation. Soils and Foundations. 2021; 61 (3):708-733.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cuiying Zhou; Lei Yu; Zirong Huang; Zhen Liu; Lihai Zhang. 2021. "Analysis of microstructure and spatially dependent permeability of soft soil during consolidation deformation." Soils and Foundations 61, no. 3: 708-733.