Article Article
Finite Element Modeling of Trunnion Rods for Reverse Engineering of Tension

Post-tensioned trunnion anchor rods are widely used as structural support for Tainter gates. Current methods to test the integrity of the rods involve mechanical lift-off procedures that can pose safety hazards and be uneconomical. The ability to nondestructively identify rods with tension loss, as an indicator of failure, is a concern and the subject of this research. This paper describes an approach for experimentally calibrating a three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of in-situ trunnion rods to a series of full-scale tests using a full-size trunnion anchor prototype. Ultimately, this approach could serve as a basis for calibration of models to determine tension from only vibration tests, thereby eliminating the need for rod manual lift-off testing.

References
1. Holt, J.D., Mark A. Cesare and Jeff Peek, “Anchor Rod Tension Determination by Dispersive Wave Propagation USACE Dam –West Point, GA,” Prepared for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, February 2011. 2. Holt, J.D., Mark A. Cesare and Jeff Peek, “Anchor Rod Tension Determination by Dispersive Wave Propagation USACE Dam –Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam, AL,” Prepared for US Army Corps of Engineers, February 2011. 3. Cesare, Mark and Darrin Holt, Method for Determining Tension in a Rod, U.S. Patent 8,176,800, filed August 17, 2009, and issued May 15, 2012. 4. Cesare, Mark and Darrin Holt, Method of Determining Tension in a Rod, U.S. Patent 8,096,800, filed January 4, 2011, and issued January 17, 2012
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