This research is focused on exploring the fluid loading effects on the dispersion curves of Lamb modes propagating in a piezoelectric plate. A theoretical treatment based on a partial wave analysis is developed to model the dispersion curves of Lamb modes propagating in an X-LiNbO3 plate loaded by a fluid with combined mechanical/dielectric properties. In particular, the mode-shifting characteristics caused by the fluid loading as a function of the propagation orientation are illustrated with numerical examples. Finally, for the case of water as an immersing fluid, individual attributions of the mechanical and dielectric loading effects causing the mode-shifting are analyzed. It is found that the dielectric loading effect dominates the mode-shifting while the mechanical density loading can be neglected while Lamb waves propagate in an X-LiNbO3 plate immersing in water. The current results provides useful information for the applications of acoustic plate mode (APM) devices used in liquid sensor applications.

The stationary values (maximum, minimum, saddle point) of Young modulus E(n) for a general anisotropic elastic materials is studied. The general results are then spcialized for monoclinic materials. Equations that provide the direction n for a stationary value are given. Some have an explicit solution. Other may require a numerical computation. The equations that required numerical solutions are two coupled polynomials of degree no more than four.

Stair locomotion has been used in the rehabilitation of the lower extremity as a motor performance test and multi-joint exercise. Controversies exist regarding joint loads during stair locomotion. The purposes of the study were to investigate the three-dimensional kinetics of the lower limb joints during stair locomotion, and to compare them with those during level walking. Ten normal young adults walked, and ascended and descended stairs in a gait laboratory while kinematic and kinetic data were collected and analyzed. The results showed that the intersegmental resultant forces at the joints during the activities were generally similar in pattern but the force magnitudes, moments and angular impulses were significantly different. The general impression that the loads in the lower limb were larger during stair descent than stair ascent only holds for certain kinetic variables. Most of the peak joint moments and angular impulses over the entire stance phase were bigger during stair ascent than descent. The study provides a complete knowledge of the three-dimensional loading patterns at and dynamic functions of the lower limb joints during level walking and stair locomotion. It will be helpful for the planning and evaluation of treatment programs for patients with neuromusculoskeletal pathologies in the lower extremities.

The elastic fields of a torsional dislocation loop in a homogeneous material are first derived. The solution is based on torsional symmetry. The stress and displacement solutions are then extended to the case of a torsional loop in a bi-material. A main utility of basic dislocation solutions is in fracture mechanics. In particular, circular loop solutions can be used in the modeling of both cylindrical and penny-shaped cracks. In the present study we use them to model a Mode III cylindrical crack via the application of a “distributed-dislocation technique”. Stress intensity factors at the crack tips are presented. The influences of crack radius and material pair on the stress intensity factor of interfacial cracks are investigated.

For performance-based seismic engineering of buildings, the direct displacement-based seismic design method is different from the coefficient method used in FEMA-273 and the capacity spectrum method adopted in ATC-40. The method not only is a linear static procedure but also is applied to the design of new constructions. This paper concerns with experimental studies on the accuracy of the direct displacement-based design procedure. Experimental results of three reinforced concrete (RC) columns designed by the displacement procedure are presented and discussed through pseudo-dynamic tests and cyclic loading tests. From the tests, it is shown that the stiffness degrading factor of RC columns plays a key role. The direct displacement-based seismic design method can reliably capture the maximum displacement demand of the test RC columns if the stiffness degrading factor adopted in the displacement design method for RC material is adequate.

Reusable launch vehicles (RLV) currently envisioned incorporate a wide variety of propulsion types. Various propulsion devices have been designed, or are being designed. The Integral-Rocket-Ramjet (IRR) propulsion mainly applies to a tactical missile boost system and few have mentioned this system in RLV design. According to the technological ability of Taiwan and a feasibility study, it shows that the present reusable launch system can exploit the potential benefit of IRR propulsion for the RLV system. A conceptual study of an unmanned two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) launch vehicle is designed in this paper. The first stage of the vehicle is reusable with IRR engines. The second stage is expendable and rocket powered. The assumed mission is designed to insert a 100kg payload into a low earth circular orbit at various inclination angles. The calculations are made for the case where the TSTO system is used in Taiwan. The fundamentals of launch vehicle design are examined using simplified two-stage performance equations. Launch vehicle design is optimized when the performance and programmatic drivers are balanced. There is an acceptable set of launch and landing sites on islands off the coast of Taiwan.

Explicit expressions of the direction n and the stationary values (maximum, minimum and saddle point) of Young's modulus E(n) for orthotropic, tetragonal, trigonal, hexagonal and cubic materials are presented. For the shear modulus G(n, m), explicit expressions of the extrema (maximum and minimum) and the two mutually orthogonal unit vectors n, m are given for cubic and hexagonal materials. We also present a general procedure for computing the extrema of G(n, m) for more general anisotropic elastic materials. It is shown that Young's modulus E(n) can be made as large as we wish for certain n without assuming that the elastic compliance s11, s22 or s33 is very small. As to the shear modulus G(n,m), it can be made as large as we wish for certain n and m without assuming that any one of the elastic compliance sαβ is very small. We also show that Young's modulus E(n) can be independent of n for orthotropic and hexagonal materials while the shear modulus G(n, m) can be independent of n and m for hexagonal materials.

Applying the concept of minimum potential energy and the variational method proposed in this paper, one can derive the governing equation and transversality conditions for the critical slip surface of a cohesive land slope described by simplified Janbu's model where both horizontal and vertical inter-slice forces are neglected. The governing equation, transversality conditions and boundary conditions were solved by the boundary integral equation method, which is a one dimensional BIEM, so that the critical slip surface and its associated minimal factor of safety can be determined effectively. By comparison of the results gotten from the boundary integral equation method and other numerical methods, it can be concluded, that, for some simplified cases, by using the boundary integral equation method on slope stability analysis of a cohesive land slope, a more reasonable result can be obtained.

An improved two-load method for whole-field complete determination of photoelastic parameters is presented. The dark-field isoclinic images are used to determine the isoclinic angles. Using two isoclinic maps obtained from two different loads effectively compensates the indeterminable points. The use of dark-field and light-field photoelastic images for normalization extends the two-load method to analyze dark-field photoelastic fringe patterns and avoids model movement. Larger errors on the determined fringe orders are further reduced by a least-squares quadric fitting. The results are compared well to the theoretical ones. Further comparison of the improved two-load method and the two-wavelength method are given.

Element-free Galerkin method (EFGM) based on moving least-square curve fitting concept is presented and applied to elastic fracture problems. Because no element connectivity data are needed, EFGM is very convenient and effective numerical method for crack growth analysis. This paper is intended as an investigation of crack trajectory for different notch locations under three-point bending test. The initial crack growth angles obtained by element-free Galerkin method in comparison with those obtained by lab test reveal that both results are very close. However, numerical results also show that the location of an original notch can stronger affect the variation of crack path for different increment. The stress intensity factors (SIF) of cracks under three-point bending test with different increment are also investigated by EFGM.

A series of forced vibration tests were conducted on a proto-type pile foundation which is built in the Tainan Science-Based Industrial Park and is modeled on the foundation type of Taiwan High Speed Rail. The test method, analysis procedure and results of test are briefly introduced in this paper. Besides, a finite element method by using the computer program ABAQUS is used to simulate the test. Results obtained are in good agreement with the results of in-situ test, and both are helpful for understanding the characteristics of the ground responses of the site and for identification of the soil-structure interaction of Taiwan High Speed Rail foundation system.

An analysis is performed to the study of the momentum, heat and mass transfer of a viscous fluid-saturated porous medium past an impermeable, non-isothermal stretching sheet with internal heat generation or absorption and chemical reaction. The governing partial differential equations are converted into ordinary differential equations by means of a similarity transformation. Exact solutions of velocity components together with the pressure distribution, which can not be found in the boundary layer theory, are obtained analytically; in addition, the temperature and concentration functions are given in terms of confluent hypergeometric functions. The velocity, temperature (concentration) profiles and thermal characteristics at the sheet for relevant parameters are plotted, tabulated and discussed.