This project report presents a laboratory investigation of the dynamic behavior of saturated alluvial silty soils from sites in Oregon and Washington. The focus of the study was to document the liquefaction susceptibility, post cyclic strength, and volumetric strain behavior of the silt soils based on cyclic, undrained triaxial compression...
Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are one of the fastest-growing sectors of the
wood composites industry. However, the strengths of WPCs are typically low
because of the poor interfacial adhesion between hydrophilic wood and
hydrophobic thermoplastics. A compatibilizer that can form bridges between wood
and plastics is required to give WPCs desirable...
In wood-plastic composites (WPCs) a compatibilizer is often used to improve
the interfacial adhesion between the hydrophilic wood filler and the hydrophobic
plastic matrix. At present, while the basic concepts of compatibilization are
understood, the optimized chemical structures of an effective compatibilizer, including
the ideal structures of the wood-binding domain...
This study examined the decay resistance of the pine and maple components of wood plastic composites (WPC' s) of varying thicknesses exposed on several culture media to wood decay fungi under laboratory conditions. The ability of malt agar extract (MEA), potato dextrose agar (PDA), amended basal salts, sawdust (maple and...
The tendency of wood to shrink and swell with changing moisture content remains as one of the most significant challenges to using wood in its many applications. Viscoelastic Thermal Compression (VTC) has been shown to significantly increase the density, strength and stiffness of wood. However, dimensional stability is still a...
High density polyethylene (HDPE) is a ubiquitous material with versatile properties. It is produced and used in greater volume than any other thermoplastic. HDPE is often filled with a variety of materials for various applications. Glass fiber and wood flour are two common fillers for HDPE. Recently there has been...
Polyethylene has been used extensively for natural gas transport since the mid-1970's. The pipeline system is sound and well-functioning, but there are some aspects of the system that could be improved. One of these is the repair method of leaking pipes. Presently if a natural gas pipe begins to leak,...
Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) are becoming more widely used for repair and strengthening of conventionally reinforced concrete (CRC) bridge members. Once installed, the repair may be exposed to millions of load cycles during service life. The anticipated life of FRP repairs for shear strengthening of bridge members under repeated service...
With the dominance of polyethylene as the building material for America's natural gas distribution system and a growing demand for natural gas, there exists and ever increasing need for improved methods of repairing damaged natural gas distribution pipe. This paper serves as the ground work for a multi-part study seeking...
This study examined the relationship of interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and
bending strength (MOR) of several different wood-plastic composites (WPC's).
Plastics utilized were high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP).
Pine and oak were used as the wood species. Compatibilizers used included maleicanhydride
polyethylene (MAPE), polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI),
KymeneTM,...