Надёжность конструкции пешеходных мостов, изготовленных из пултрузионного стеклопластика «АпАТэК СППС», подтверждена испытаниями распорки пилона, демонтированной для исследований с вантового моста из стеклопластиковых профилей, установленного в Дубне и эксплуатирующегося с 2005 г. по настоящее время. Сделан вывод о безопасности дальнейшей эксплуатации на основании стабильности упруго-прочностных характеристик при совместном долговременном воздействии климатических и эксплуатационных факторов.

An application of composites for construction of subway brackets is a very effective approach to extend their lifetime. However, this approach involves the necessity to prevent process-induced distortions of the bracket due to thermal deformation and chemical shrinkage. At present study, a process simulation has been carried out to support the design of the production tooling. The simulation was based on the application of viscoelastic model for the resin. Simulation results were verified by comparison with results of manufacturing experiments. To optimize the bracket structure the strength analysis was carried out as well.

The total design cycle of a new 19-5167 hopper car with the body and roof made of polymeric composite materials is presented. The construction design, the development of the reinforcing filler circuit calculation, the finite-element analysis of the intensely strained state, the tests of the elementary samples and construction joints, as well as the optimization of the vacuum infusion are implemented by Science and Technology Test Center Ap-ATeK Dubna together with Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology on request of the F.E. Dzerzhinskii Science and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod.

Composite materials based on thermoplastic matrix became a popular choice as a material for modern structures. Nevertheless, the manufacturing process of this type of materials have many technology parameters, which have to be determined before the first composite part is produced. The study of influence of all parameters on final quality of composite part by means of technological experiments are time and cost consuming. This makes engineers to study the way of the modeling of thermoplastic composite forming process. This research is dedicated to the modeling of thermoplastic material under different conditions. Several approaches to capture specific for this material features are performed. The method to model the influence of crystallinity on mechanical properties of composite material and on final residual stresses is analyzed. An approach to model shear nonlinearity in composite prepregs is performed. The analysis of defects initiation in the thermoplastic composites under technological temperature cycle is also performed. All numerical procedures and special subroutines based on Abaqus software are presented. Eventually a complete set of engineering tools using Abaqus software needed to model the forming process of thermoplastic composite details is realized.

This article studies the effects of manufacturing defects of laminate composite materials on the first ply failure load and ultimate strength of the laminate, which are calculated using finite element modelling with Zinoviev's damage model. The following types of defects are considered for cross-ply and quasi-isotropic layups: in-plane misalignement and out-of-plane waviness of fibres, misorientation of the layers and void content. The list of laminates studied in this article includes cross-ply and quasi-isotropic layups, loaded in tension and compression in 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 45 degrees and 5 degrees directions. The limits of the first ply failure load and strength degradation for a realistic range of the defect intensities are estimated.

In 2012 the Russian scientific and production enterprise of "Applied Advanced Technologies" (ApATeCh), in cooperation with Lightweight Structures B.V. started to work on the development of a composite roof and body of a railroad freight train or hopper car. The advantage of composites in this traditionally steel application would be the reduced weight and better durability when corrosive goods like fertiliser are transported. The challenging objective was to have the complete composite hopper car roof and hopper car body (see Figure 1), including all structural components such as frames and stiffeners, produced in one shot, with no need for subsequent assembly.Manufacturing of composite structures by the vacuum infusion process has its own advantages, but it requires a detailed understanding of the resin infusion process. To enable fabrication of the car body as an integrated monolithic structure without manufacturing defects, advanced resin flow simulations were used in combination with simple small-scale laboratory infusion tests to calibrate the models. In this way, it was possible to produce first-time-right parts, without the need for a lot of expensive experiments, which are normally needed for development of the final configuration of infusion process. This approach of process modelling and simulation in combination with practical validation experiments has been applied successfully for other large composite structures before [[3]]. Impregnation process modeling was conducted with PAM-RTM software [1].

A complete cycle of design, manufacturing and finite element strength analysis of the tank-container with fiberglass composite tank for multimodal transportation of chemically aggressive fluids and petrochemical products is presented. The tank-container has been designed for road, rail and offshore deep-water transportations that places high demands on the structure in accordance with RID/ADR and IMDG requirements. The tank itself was manufactured by use of the both filament winding and vacuum infusion technologies. 3D finite element model was developed for representation of actual layups and geometry of the wound and infused composite layers of the tank. That model analysed all normative load cases. Besides the normative load cases the FE simulation of the dynamic crash test was carried out by coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian analyses. As a result of such dynamic simulation the threshold SRS curves were obtained to guarantee the requested minimum 4g longitudinal acceleration at low front fittings of the container frame. For the first step of validation of the developed FE model, the calculated results were compared with results of the hydraulic test of the tank. Some idea of subcomponent tests is proposed as well for analysis of the critical zones of the structure and verification of the FE models.

A method for estimating the strength of structural elements made of composite materials with a thermosetting matrix, which was characterized by the presence of exfoliation-like defects and process-induced deformations, was proposed. In order to determine the process-induced deformations, a mathematical model, which considered thermal and chemical deformations, heat release in the course of matrix polymerization, as well as changes in the matrix properties in transition from the superelastic to the solid state, was implemented. A modeling of the deformation of a standard blank with an interstitial exfoliation-like defect was carried out. A quantitative defect of the effect of the process-induced deformations and the initial dimensions of the defects on the load at which the defect begins to grow was made.

A methodology of computing the damageability of composite materials at low-speed impact is suggested. The methodology is based on applying a fracture criterion of the monolayer and following computation of material damageability taking the interaction of different damage evolution mechanisms into account. This approach allows us to obtain the distribution of damageability param-eters in the surface of the monolayer and the width of material at an arbitrary moment of time until complete destruction of the construction component, computing the degradation of elastic properties, and the position and sizes of delamination regions after the impact. Applying this methodology for estimating residual strength permits the avoidance of excessive conservatism of the projected strength of construction components from composite materials which have incurred impact damage.

Preparation for the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014 requires new solutions in the building of seashore infrastructures.The building of a second track was organised along the seashore in order to expand and improve transport capacity.In order to protect the railway's embankment from the wash-out it was necessary to build protective walls along the seashore.For this purpose it was proposed by ApATeCh to use a new structure of protective seaside wall using FRP."ApATeCh" has developed a conceptually new structure of sub-grade support combined with a protective seaside structure.The traditional materials used for this type of structure, such as concrete and stone, have been fully replaced by composite materials.Within the wall's designing process the complete cycle of calculation and experimental research has been executed for the confirmation of the wall's bearing capacity.In order to determine the actual loads of different elements of the protective wall, the system of strain-measuring monitoring was integrated inside the wall.In order to determine the possible deformation of the composite panels and of the whole structure, the method of engineering and geodesic monitoring was developed.The application of composite materials for the protective seaside wall enabled a substantial decrease in the installation period and expenses whilst increasing the service life of the structure by threefour times.

The impact of sea waves creates considerable problems for the operation of the Tuapse-Adler railway which runs along the Russian Black Sea coast.The traditional means of protecting the railway against the impact of waves include pebble beaches, concrete seawalls, piers and shaped blocks.The disadvantages of today's concrete seawalls are high costs and long construction periods.To address these disadvantages a high-tech structure was developed made of composite materials which is lighter and more durable compared with traditional means.

In a southern part of Russia at the Black Sea coast influence of sea waves essentially complicates work of the railway of Tuapse-Adler. Existing protection frames of a railroad line from influence of sea waves do not provide full traffic safety. Traditional concrete walls it is necessary to carry duration of term of building, the big weight and susceptibility of sea corrosion to lacks and rotting. For elimination of lacks concrete walls the hi-tech design is developed and constructed of the composite materials, possessing in smaller weight and the increased service life in comparison with traditional means.

Preparation for the Sochi Olympic Games 2014 requires new solutions in the building of seashore infrastructure. For the expansion of transport carrying capacity a new structure of protective seaside wall with the use of FRP has been suggested. Technical requirements for the structure have been developed, designing; production and installation of protective seaside wall testing section have been executed. Periodical instrumental and visual monitoring is fulfilled for the wall state-of-the-art control.