Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete is a significant cause of structural failure, particularly in environments exposed to chloride ions and mechanical stress. The passivation film on steel reinforcement, composed of hematite or magnetite, plays a crucial role in protecting the steel from further corrosion. However, the intrusion of harmful ions or mechanical stress can compromise the film’s integrity, transforming it into a loose structure and accelerating the corrosion process, leading to structural failure. This study investigates the mechanical behaviors at the interfaces between corrosion products (hematite and magnetite) and C-S-H using reactive molecular dynamics. C-S-H and interfacial models incorporating hematite and magnetite were developed, with stress–strain analysis refined by filtering raw data and using true strain rather than engineering strain to improve the precision of the stress–strain responses. The results indicate that the Magnetite-CSH interface is more prone to loosening under external forces compared to the Hematite-CSH interface, thereby reducing its corrosion resistance. Structural evolution analysis under uniaxial tension highlights the detrimental effects of passivation film degradation on interfacial mechanical properties. This study contributes to improving the precision of stress–strain responses in MD models and facilitates comparison of mechanical properties at the nanoscale with results from other scales. The findings provide valuable guidance for improving the durability and performance of construction materials in corrosive environments, helping to bridge the gap between molecular-level simulations and macroscopic experimental data.

In this study, tension-tension fatigue tests were conducted to investigate the residual stiffness degradation of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) tendons. Different stress levels were used in the tests, and measurements of residual stiffness and the number of loading cycles were taken. Based on experimental data for CFRP tendons, a quantitative residual stiffness model was developed by modifying Yao's model. This model is applicable to various stress levels. To assess its accuracy and applicability, the predicted results of this model were compared with those of cited models from other researchers. The findings revealed a three-stage degradation of residual stiffness in CFRP tendons under different stress levels. Furthermore, it was observed that the proportion of fatigue life accounted for by Stage III decreased with smaller stress ranges, while the proportion accounted for by Stage II increased. The proposed quantitative residual stiffness model was verified using both experimental and cited data. Tension-tension fatigue tests of CFRP tendons were conducted at various stress levels. A quantitative model was proposed based on the residual stiffness of the CFRP tendon. Stress level influence on stiffness degradation of composite material was discussed. Model accuracy was verified against experimental and cited data.

Railway noise barriers should provide excellent sound insulation and sufficient load-bearing capacity. High-speed railway noise barriers experience significant and transient aerodynamic loads from passing trains, resulting in noticeable dynamic responses. In this study, three simplified load models were applied to a noise barrier to compare the dynamic responses to those obtained under a reference load from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, Results show that the natural frequency of target noise barriers exceeds 10 Hz, significantly surpassing the excitation frequency of the train-induced areodynamic load, thereby minimizing the likelhood of resonance. The displacement or stress evolution closely correlatesd with the variation of pressure over time. Along the longitudinal direction of the noise barrier, the stress range initially increases, stabilizes, and eventually decreases, reaching its maximum at the penultimate post. Compared to the two simplified rectangular load models, the triangular load model with a distribution load length of 12 m better represents the detailed time-varying aerodynamic load.

High-speed trains (HSTs) generate air disturbance, leading to significant aerodynamic pressure on the noise barriers. Differences in train geometry result in variations in the aerodynamic pressure on noise barriers, implying that existing European standard calculation models may not necessarily be suitable for all types of HSTs. In this paper, the influence of the width, height, and nose length of the train on the aerodynamic pressure on vertical noise barriers was studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Results showed that taller and wider trains result in greater aerodynamic loads on noise barriers. Conversely, an increase in the nose length of a train leads to a reduction in such pressure. Using grey relational analysis, correlation of various factors with the train-induced aerodynamic pressure is, from strong to weak: distance to the track center, width, height, and nose length of the train. Building upon the EN 14067-4 calculation model, the shape coefficients of trains with varying geometric characteristics were derived using the simulation data obtained in this study. A modified pressure calculation model was established accounting for the differences in geometric features of HSTs and pressure distribution in the vertical direction of noise barriers and validated using relevant data from the literature.

The poor durability of geopolymer is a major factor hindering its application, and erosion from high-velocity fluids exacerbates this drawback. This study aimed to characterize the microstructural features of geopolymer under high-velocity fluids erosion and investigate the influence of harmful ions on erosion damage. Models of geopolymer/water solution and geopolymer/NaCl solution were constructed to simulate the erosion of geopolymer by high-velocity fluids. The results indicated that under high-velocity fluids erosion, most of the atoms on the surface of the geopolymer experienced leaching, indicating destruction of the substrate. Additionally, water molecules in solution were able to form hydrogen bonds to the substrate surface, accelerating its degradation. Under NaCl solution erosion, Na ions interacted with the exposed bridging oxygen in the geopolymer, and ion exchange occurred between Na ions and the substrate, making the substrate more unstable and leaching more pronounced. The findings of this study provide nanoscale insights into the erosion resistance of geopolymer that could guide the development of new erosion-resistant materials and methods.

For high-speed railway sound barriers, determining the aerodynamic pressure generated by high-speed trains is crucial for their structural design. This paper investigates the distribution of aerodynamic pressure on the sound barrier caused by high-speed trains with different nose lengths, utilizing the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation method. The accuracy of the numerical simulation method employed is verified through comparison with field test results from the literature. Research findings reveal that when a high-speed train passes through a sound barrier, significant “head wave” and “wake wave” effects occur, with the pressure peak of the “head wave” being notably greater than that of the “wake wave”. As the distance between the sound barrier and the center of the train gradually increases, the aerodynamic pressure on the sound barrier gradually decreases. The nose length of the train has a considerable impact on the aerodynamic pressure exerted on the sound barrier. The streamlined shape of longer-nose trains can significantly reduce the aerodynamic effects on the sound barrier, resulting in a notably smaller pressure peak compared to shorter-nose trains. Finally, by establishing the relationship between the train nose length and the aerodynamic pressure peak, a calculation formula for the train-induced aerodynamic pressure acting on the sound barrier is proposed, taking into account the nose length of the high-speed train.

Noise barriers built parallel to the railway to reduce noise pollution, will be subjected to strong aerodynamic pressure from high-speed trains and have significant dynamic responses under such pressure. Based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a numerical simulation of train-induce aerodynamic pressure on noise barriers was performed. Time-varying pressure and its distribution along height direction of noise barriers were analysed, and the effect of different factors on results, i.e., the distance from noise barriers to track centre and the height of noise barrier, were discussed. Results show that the geometric changes in train nose and tail cause the obvious transient pressure pulse, and the pressure magnitude from nose is higher than that from tail. When the measuring height increases, the pressure gradually decreases, which can be well characterized by a height coefficient equation from Germany DB code. The pressure magnitude increases non-linearly when the distance to track centre decreases. Importantly, the height of noise barrier is also an important factor affecting pressure magnitude on noise barriers and when the height of noise barrier increases, the pressure magnitude gradually increases but tends to be stable at higher heights. An exponential equation can well characterize such effect of height of noise barrier on train-induced aerodynamic pressure.