Mechanical responses of anchoring structure under triaxial cyclic loading

Dynamic load on anchoring structures(AS)within deep roadways can result in cumulative damage and failure.This study develops an experimental device designed to test AS under triaxial loads.The device enables the investigation of the mechanical response,failure mode,instability assessment criteria,and anchorage effect of AS subjected to combined cyclic dynamic-static triaxial stress paths.The results show that the peak bearing strength is positively correlated with the anchoring matrix strength,anchorage length,and edgewise compressive strength.The bearing capacity decreases significantly when the anchorage direction is severely inclined.The free face failure modes are typically transverse cracking,concave fracturing,V-shaped slipping and detachment,and spallation detachment.Besides,when the anchoring matrix strength and the anchorage length decrease while the edgewise compressive strength,loading rate,and anchorage inclination angle increase,the failure intensity rises.Instability is determined by a negative tangent modulus of the displacement-strength curve or the continued deformation increase against the general downward trend.Under cyclic loads,the driving force that breaks the rock mass along the normal vector and the rigidity of the AS are the two factors that determine roadway stability.Finally,a control measure for surrounding rock stability is proposed to reduce the internal driving force via a pressure relief method and improve the rigidity of the AS by full-length anchorage and grouting modification.

Reinforcing effects of polypropylene on energy absorption and fracturing of cement-based tailings backfill under impact loading

Polypropylene(PP)fiber-reinforced cement-based tailings backfill(FRCTB)is a green compound material with superior crack resistance and has good prospects for application in underground mining.However,FRCTB exhibits susceptibility to dynamic events,such as impact ground pressure and blast vibrations.This paper investigates the energy and crack distribution behavior of FRCTB under dynamic impact,considering the height/diameter(H/D)effect.Split Hopkinson pressure bar,industrial computed tomography scan,and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)experiments were carried out on six types of FRCTB.Laboratory outcomes confirmed fiber aggregation at the bottom of specimens.When H/D was less than 0.8,the proportion of PP fibers distributed along theθangle direction of80°-90°increased.For the total energy,all samples presented similar energy absorption,reflectance,and transmittance.However,a rise in H/D may cause a rise in the energy absorption rate of FRCTB during the peak phase.A positive correlation existed between the average strain rate and absorbed energy per unit volume.The increase in H/D resulted in a decreased crack volume fraction of FRCTB.When the H/D was greater than or equal to 0.7,the maximum crack volume fraction of FRCTB was observed close to the incidence plane.Radial cracks were present only in the FRCTB with an H/D ratio of 0.5.Samples with H/D ratios of 0.5 and 0.6 showed similar distributions of weakly and heavily damaged areas.PP fibers can limit the emergence and expansion of cracks by influencing their path.SEM observations revealed considerable differences in the bonding strengths between fibers and the FRCTB.Fibers that adhered particularly well to the substrate were attracted together with the hydration products adhering to surfaces.These results show that FRCTB is promising as a sustainable and green backfill for determining the design properties of mining with backfill.

Damage evolution of rock-encased-backfill structure under stepwise cyclic triaxial loading

Rock-encased-backfill(RB)structures are common in underground mining,for example in the cut-andfill and stoping methods.To understand the effects of cyclic excavation and blasting activities on the damage of these RB structures,a series of triaxial stepwise-increasing-amplitude cyclic loading experiments was conducted with cylindrical RB specimens(rock on outside,backfill on inside)with different volume fractions of rock(VF=0.48,0.61,0.73,and 0.84),confining pressures(0,6,9,and 12 MPa),and cyclic loading rates(200,300,400,and 500 N/s).The damage evolution and meso-crack formation during the cyclic tests were analyzed with results from stress-strain hysteresis loops,acoustic emission events,and post-failure X-ray 3D fracture morphology.The results showed significant differences between cyclic and monotonic loadings of RB specimens,particularly with regard to the generation of shear microcracks,the development of stress memory and strain hardening,and the contact forces and associated friction that develops along the rock-backfill interface.One important finding is that as a function of the number of cycles,the elastic strain increases linearly and the dissipated energy increases exponentially.Also,compared with monotonic loading,the cyclic strain hardening characteristics are more sensitive to rising confining pressures during the initial compaction stage.Another finding is that compared with monotonic loading,more shear microcracks are generated during every reloading stage,but these microcracks tend to be dispersed and lessen the likelihood of large shear fracture formation.The transition from elastic to plastic behavior varies depending on the parameters of each test(confinement,volume fraction,and cyclic rate),and an interesting finding was that the transformation to plastic behavior is significantly lower under the conditions of 0.73 rock volume fraction,400 N/s cyclic loading rate,and 9 MPa confinement.All the findings have important practical implications on the ability of backfill to support underground excavations.

Liquefaction susceptibility and deformation characteristics of saturated coral sandy soils subjected to cyclic loadings-a critical review

Coral sandy soils widely exist in coral island reefs and seashores in tropical and subtropical regions.Due to the unique marine depositional environment of coral sandy soils,the engineering characteristics and responses of these soils subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings have been a subject of intense interest among the geotechnical and earthquake engineering communities.This paper critically reviews the progress of experimental investigations on the undrained behavior of coral sandy soils under monotonic and cyclic loadings over the last three decades.The focus of coverage includes the contractive-dilative behavior,the pattern of excess pore-water pressure(EPWP)generation and the liquefaction mechanism and liquefaction resistance,the small-strain shear modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus and damping,the cyclic softening feature,and the anisotropic characteristics of undrained responses of saturated coral sandy soils.In particular,the advances made in the past decades are reviewed from the following aspects:(1)the characterization of factors that impact the mechanism and patterns of EPWP build-up;(2)the identification of liquefaction triggering in terms of the apparent viscosity and the average flow coefficient;(3)the establishment of the invariable form of strain-based,stress-based,or energy-based EPWP ratio formulas and the unique relationship between the new proxy of liquefaction resistance and the number of cycles required to reach liquefaction;(4)the establishment of the invariable form of the predictive formulas of small strain modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus;and(5)the investigation on the effects of stress-induced anisotropy on liquefaction susceptibility and dynamic deformation characteristics.Insights gained through the critical review of these advances in the past decades offer a perspective for future research to further resolve the fundamental issues concerning the liquefaction mechanism and responses of coral sandy sites subjected to cyclic loadings associated with seismic events in marine environments.

Lateral earth pressure of granular backfills on retaining walls with expanded polystyrene geofoam inclusions under limited surcharge loading

Existing studies have focused on the behavior of the retaining wall equipped with expanded polystyrene(EPS)geofoam inclusions under semi-infinite surcharge loading rather than limited surcharge loading.In this paper,the failure mode and the earth pressure acting on the rigid retaining wall with EPS geofoam inclusions and granular backfills(henceforth referred to as EPS-wall),under limited surcharge loading are investigated through two-and three-dimensional model tests.The testing results show that different from the sliding of almost all the backfill in the EPS-wall under semi-infinite surcharge loading,only an approximately triangular backfill slides in the wall under limited surcharge loading.The distribution of the lateral earth pressure on the EPS-wall under limited surcharge loading is non-linear,and the distribution changes from the increase of the wall depth to the decrease with the increase of the limited surcharge loading.An approach based on the force equilibrium of a differential element is developed to predict the lateral earth pressure behind the EPS-wall subjected to limited surcharge loading,and its performance was fully validated by the three-dimensional model tests.

Sandwich structures with tapered tubes as core:A quasi-static investigation

In this article,the experimental and finite element analysis is utilized to investigate the quasi-static compression features of sandwich constructions built with tapered tubes.3D printing technology was utilized to create the hollow centers of the tapering tubes,with and without corrugations.The results demonstrate that the energy absorption(EA)and specific energy absorption(SEA)of the single corrugated tapered tube sandwich are 51.6% and 19.8% higher,respectively,than those of the conical tube sandwich.Furthermore,the results demonstrate that energy absorbers can benefit from corrugation in order to increase their efficiency.Additionally,the tapered corrugated tubes'resistance to oblique impacts was studied.Compared to a straight tube,the tapered tube is more resistant to oblique loads and has a lower initial peak crushing force(PCF),according to numerical simulations.After conducting a parametric study,it was discovered that the energy absorption performance of the sandwich construction is significantly affected by the amplitude,number of corrugations,and wall thickness.EA and SEA of DTS with corrugation number of 8 increased by 17.4%and 29.6%,respectively,while PCF decreased by 9.2% compared to DTS with corrugation number of 10.

Quasi-static and dynamic compressive behaviour of additively manufactured Menger fractal cube structures

This paper presents the first-ever investigation of Menger fractal cubes'quasi-static compression and impact behaviour.Menger cubes with different void ratios were 3D printed using polylactic acid(PLA)with dimensions of 40 mm×40 mm×40 mm.Three different orders of Menger cubes with different void ratios were considered,namely M1 with a void ratio of 0.26,M2 with a void ratio of 0.45,and M3with a void ratio of 0.60.Quasi-static Compression tests were conducted using a universal testing machine,while the drop hammer was used to observe the behaviour under impact loading.The fracture mechanism,energy efficiency and force-time histories were studied.With the structured nature of the void formation and predictability of the failure modes,the Menger geometry showed some promise compared to other alternatives,such as foams and honeycombs.With the increasing void ratio,the Menger geometries show force-displacement behaviour similar to hyper-elastic materials such as rubber and polymers.The third-order Menger cubes showed the highest energy absorption efficiency compared to the other two geometries in this study.The findings of the present work reveal the possibility of using additively manufactured Menger geometries as an energy-efficient system capable of reducing the transmitting force in applications such as crash barriers.

Experimental crushing behavior and energy absorption of angular gradient honeycomb structures under quasi-static and dynamic compression

The high variability of shock in terrorist attacks poses a threat to people's lives and properties,necessitating the development of more effective protective structures.This study focuses on the angle gradient and proposes four different configurations of concave hexagonal honeycomb structures.The structures'macroscopic deformation behavior,stress-strain relationship,and energy dissipation characteristics are evaluated through quasi-static compression and Hopkinson pressure bar impact experiments.The study reveals that,under varying strain rates,the structures deform starting from the weak layer and exhibit significant interlayer separation.Additionally,interlayer shear slip becomes more pronounced with increasing strain rate.In terms of quasi-static compression,symmetric gradient structures demonstrate superior energy absorption,particularly the symmetric negative gradient structure(SNG-SMS)with a specific energy absorption of 13.77 J/cm~3.For dynamic impact,unidirectional gradient structures exhibit exceptional energy absorption,particularly the unidirectional positive gradient honeycomb structure(UPG-SML)with outstanding mechanical properties.The angle gradient design plays a crucial role in determining the structure's stability and deformation mode during impact.Fewer interlayer separations result in a more pronounced negative Poisson's ratio effect and enhance the structure's energy absorption capacity.These findings provide a foundation for the rational design and selection of seismic protection structures in different strain rate impact environments.

Commentary on"Speed and surface steepness affect internal tibial loading during running"

It is a pleasure to write a commentary on the work of Dr.Hannah Rice and colleagues,l who have advanced our understanding of how the mechanical loading environment of the tibia changes as a function of running grade and speed.It is important that we understand how the tibia is loaded during conditions that an individual is likely to encounter when running as it is these internal loads which we believe are responsible for the development of bone-stress injuries.

Evolution of molecular structure of TATB under shock loading from transient Raman spectroscopic technique

By combination of the transient Raman spectroscopic measurement and the density functional theoretical calculations,the structural evolution and stability of TATB under shock compression was investigated.Due to the improvement in synchronization control between two-stage light gas gun and the transient Raman spectra acquisition,as well as the sample preparation,the Raman peak of the N-O mode of TATB was firstly observed under shock pressure up to 13.6 GPa,noticeably higher than the upper limit of 8.5 GPa reported in available literatures.By taking into account of the continuous shift of the main peak and other observed Raman peaks,we did not distinguish any structural transition or any new species.Moreover,both the present Raman spectra and the time-resolved radiation of TATB during shock loading showed that TATB exhibits higher chemical stability than previous declaration.To reveal the detailed structural response and evolution of TATB under compression,the density functional theoretical calculations were conducted,and it was found that the pressure make N-O bond lengths shorter,nitro bond angles larger,and intermolecular and intra-molecular hydrogen bond interactions enhanced.The observed red shift of Raman peak was ascribed to the abnormal enhancement of H-bound effect on the scissor vibration mode of the nitro group.

Experimental study of the damage characteristics of rocks containing non-penetrating cracks under cyclic loading

The damage evolution process of non-penetrating cracks often causes some unexpected engineering disasters.Gypsum specimens containing non-penetrating crack(s)are used to study the damage evolution and characteristics under cyclic loading.The results show that under cyclic loading,the relationship between the number of non-penetrating crack(s)and the characteristic parameters(cyclic number,peak stress,peak strain,failure stress,and failure strain)of the pre-cracked specimens can be represented by a decreasing linear function.The damage evolution equation is fitted by calibrating the accumulative plastic strain for each cycle,and the damage constitutive equation is proposed by the concept of effective stress.Additionally,non-penetrating cracks are more likely to cause uneven stress distribution,damage accumulation,and local failure of specimen.The local failure can change the stress distribution and relieve the inhibition of non-penetrating crack extension and eventually cause a dramatic destruction of the specimen.Therefore,the evolution process caused by non-penetrating cracks can be regarded as one of the important reasons for inducing rockburst.These results are expected to improve the understanding of the process of spalling formation and rockburst and can be used to analyze the stability of rocks or rock structures.

Design,Development and Testing of the JTech Bolt for Use in Static,Quasi-Static and Dynamic Domains

Designing a rock reinforcement element requires knowledge of:geomechanical behaviour,interaction of the reinforcement element with rock mass and the element’s mechanistic response in static and dynamic environments.Using this knowledge the JTech bolt was developed and subjected to a thorough program to test,gather data and validate the bolt performance in varying domains.By conducting FE(finite element)modeling,the simulation reviews the JTech bolt design evaluating the effects of threadbar geometric variation,threadbar and nut engagement results under high stress,coating friction response and effects of thread tolerance extremes on the failure mode.These results determine safety factors,tolerances and quality management criteria.Once manufactured,in-situ system testing,laboratory and underground short encapsulation testing,resin mixing testing,double shear testing and dynamic testing at varying velocity and mass,determine the system’s capacity and effectiveness in static,quasi-static and dynamic mining environments.In this paper,the process and results are described.

Study on the tunnel shape and soil-lining interaction influencing the lining behavior under seismic loading

The response of tunnels subjected to seismic loading is a complex mechanism and depends not only on the seismic nature but also on tunnel structure and surrounding soil properties.The individual behavior of circular,rectangular,and sub-rectangular tunnels subjected to seismic loadings has already been studied in the literature.In the present research,two case scenarios of circular,rectangular tunnels and four sub-rectangular shaped tunnels,with similar cross-section areas,were adopted to perform a comprehensive numerical investigation.The purpose of the study was to determine the mechanical behavior of tunnels of different shapes,depending upon seismic conditions.Analyses were performed by considering the influence of soil-lining interaction,soil parameters,and lining thickness,as well as lining rigidity.Computations were performed for no-slip and full-slip conditions.The results indicate that the tunnel shape design is of great importance when regarding the mechanical behavior of the surrounding soil.This concerns no-slip as well as full-slip soil-lining interaction,especially when the lining is subjected to seismic loading.Moreover,it is shown that changes in incremental bending moments for circular,rectangular and sub-rectangular tunnels that depend upon the soil-lining interaction conditions differ significantly.

Comparison of microwave- and thermal-assisted rock fragmentation methods at different temperatures and loading rates

Understanding the effects of microwave irradiation and thermal treatment on the dynamic compression and fragmentation properties of rocks is essential to quantify energy consumption in rock engineering.In this study,Fangshan granite(FG)specimens were exposed to microwave irradiation and heat treatment.The damage of FG specimens induced by these two methods was compared using X-ray CT scanning and ultrasonic wave method.The temperatures of FG after microwave irradiation and thermal treatment were effectively evaluated using a newly proposed technique.A novelty method for precisely determining the geometric features of fragments is developed to estimate the fragmentation energy.Thus,the dynamic uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),the dynamic fragmentation characteristics,and the fragmentation energy of FG after these two pretreatment methods can be reasonably compared.The noticeable distinction of loading rate effect on the dynamic UCS of FG between these two pretreatment methods is first observed.A relationship is established between the dynamic UCS and the damage induced by microwave irradiation and heat treatment.Moreover,fragmentation energy fan analysis is introduced to accurately compare the fragmentation properties of FG after two pretreatment methods in dynamic compression tests.

Crack propagation and damage evolution of metallic cylindrical shells under internal explosive loading

This paper investigates the three-dimensional crack propagation and damage evolution process of metallic column shells under internal explosive loading.The calibration of four typical failure parameters for 40CrMnSiB steel was conducted through experiments and subsequently applied to simulations.The numerical simulation results employing the four failure criteria were compared with the differences and similarities observed in freeze-recovery tests and ultra-high-speed tests.This analysis addressed the critical issue of determining failure criteria for the fracture of a metal shell under internal explosive loads.Building upon this foundation,the damage parameter D_(c),linked to the cumulative crack density,was defined based on the evolution characteristics of a substantial number of cracks.The relationship between the damage parameter and crack velocity over time was established,and the influence of the internal central pressure on the damage parameter and crack velocity was investigated.Variations in the fracture modes were found under different failure criteria,with the principal strain failure criterion proving to be the most effective for simulating 3D crack propagation in a pure shear fracture mode.Through statistical analysis of the shell penetration fracture radius data,it was determined that the fracture radius remained essentially constant during the crack evolution process and could be considered a constant.The propagation velocity of axial cracks ranged between 5300 m/s and 12600 m/s,surpassing the Rayleigh wave velocity of the shell material and decreasing linearly with time.The increase in shell damage exhibited an initial rapid phase,followed by deceleration,demonstrating accelerated damage during the propagation stage of the blast wave and decelerated damage after the arrival of the rarefaction wave.This study provides an effective approach for investigating crack propagation and damage evolution.The derived crack propagation and damage evolution law serves as a valuable reference for the development of crack velocity theory and the construction of shell damage evolution modes.

Dynamic failure process of expanded polystyrene particle lightweight soil under cyclic loading using discrete element method

Expanded polystyrene(EPS)particle-based lightweight soil,which is a type of lightweight filler,is mainly used in road engineering.The stability of subgrades under dynamic loading is attracting increased research attention.The traditional method for studying the dynamic strength characteristics of soils is dynamic triaxial testing,and the discrete element simulation of lightweight soils under cyclic load has rarely been considered.To study the meso-mechanisms of the dynamic failure processes of EPS particle lightweight soils,a discrete element numerical model is established using the particle flow code(PFC)software.The contact force,displacement field,and velocity field of lightweight soil under different cumulative compressive strains are studied.The results show that the hysteresis curves of lightweight soil present characteristics of strain accumulation,which reflect the cyclic effects of the dynamic load.When the confining pressure increases,the contact force of the particles also increases.The confining pressure can restrain the motion of the particle system and increase the dynamic strength of the sample.When the confining pressure is held constant,an increase in compressive strain causes minimal change in the contact force between soil particles.However,the contact force between the EPS particles decreases,and their displacement direction points vertically toward the center of the sample.Under an increase in compressive strain,the velocity direction of the particle system changes from a random distribution and points vertically toward the center of the sample.When the compressive strain is 5%,the number of particles deflected in the particle velocity direction increases significantly,and the cumulative rate of deformation in the lightweight soil accelerates.Therefore,it is feasible to use 5%compressive strain as the dynamic strength standard for lightweight soil.Discrete element methods provide a new approach toward the dynamic performance evaluation of lightweight soil subgrades.

R-Factor Analysis of Data Based on Population Models Comprising R- and Q-Factors Leads to Biased Loading Estimates

Effects of performing an R-factor analysis of observed variables based on population models comprising R- and Q-factors were investigated. Although R-factor analysis of data based on a population model comprising R- and Q-factors is possible, this may lead to model error. Accordingly, loading estimates resulting from R-factor analysis of sample data drawn from a population based on a combination of R- and Q-factors will be biased. It was shown in a simulation study that a large amount of Q-factor variance induces an increase in the variation of R-factor loading estimates beyond the chance level. Tests of the multivariate kurtosis of observed variables are proposed as an indicator of possible Q-factor variance in observed variables as a prerequisite for R-factor analysis.

Two-Stage IoT Computational Task Offloading Decision-Making in MEC with Request Holding and Dynamic Eviction

The rapid development of Internet of Things(IoT)technology has led to a significant increase in the computational task load of Terminal Devices(TDs).TDs reduce response latency and energy consumption with the support of task-offloading in Multi-access Edge Computing(MEC).However,existing task-offloading optimization methods typically assume that MEC’s computing resources are unlimited,and there is a lack of research on the optimization of task-offloading when MEC resources are exhausted.In addition,existing solutions only decide whether to accept the offloaded task request based on the single decision result of the current time slot,but lack support for multiple retry in subsequent time slots.It is resulting in TD missing potential offloading opportunities in the future.To fill this gap,we propose a Two-Stage Offloading Decision-making Framework(TSODF)with request holding and dynamic eviction.Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM)-based task-offloading request prediction and MEC resource release estimation are integrated to infer the probability of a request being accepted in the subsequent time slot.The framework learns optimized decision-making experiences continuously to increase the success rate of task offloading based on deep learning technology.Simulation results show that TSODF reduces total TD’s energy consumption and delay for task execution and improves task offloading rate and system resource utilization compared to the benchmark method.

Strength and damage evolution mechanism of rock mass with holes under cyclic loading

The damage and failure law of rock mass with holes is of great significance to the stability control of roadways. This study investigates the mechanical properties and failure modes of porous rock masses under cyclic loading, elucidates the acoustic emission (AE) characteristics and their spatial evolution, and establishes the interrelation among AE, stress, strain, time, and cumulative damage. The results reveal that the rock mass with holes and the intact rock mass show softening and hardening characteristics after cyclic loading. The plastic strain of the rock mass with holes is smaller than that of the intact rock mass, and the stress −strain curve shows hysteresis characteristics. Under uniaxial compression, the pore-bearing rock mass shows the characteristics of higher ringing count, AE energy, b-value peak, and more cumulative ringing count in the failure stage, while it shows lower characteristics under cyclic action. At the initial stage of loading, compared with the intact rock mass, the pore-containing rock mass shows the characteristics of a low b-value. The AE positioning and cumulative damage percentage are larger, and the AE positioning is denser around the hole. The specimen with holes is mainly shear failure, and the complete specimen is mainly tensile shear failure.

An isogeometric analysis approach for dynamic response of doubly-curved magneto electro elastic composite shallow shell subjected to blast loading

For the first time, the isogeometric analysis(IGA) approach is used to model and analyze free and forced vibrations of doubly-curved magneto-electro-elastic(MEE) composite shallow shell resting on the visco-Pasternak foundation in a hygro-temperature environment. The doubly-curved MEE shallow shell types include spherical shallow shell, cylindrical shallow shell, saddle shallow shell, and elliptical shallow shell subjected to blast load are investigated. The Maxwell equation and electromagnetic boundary conditions are used to determine the vary of the electric and magnetic potentials. The MEE shallow shell's equations of motion are derived from Hamilton's principle and refined higher-order shear theory. Then, the IGA method is used to derive the laws of natural frequencies and dynamic responses of the shell under various boundary conditions. The accuracy of the model and method is verified through reliable numerical comparisons. Aside from this, the impact of the input parameters on the free and forced vibration of the doubly-curved MEE shallow shell is examined in detail. These results may be useful in the design and manufacture of military structures such as warships, fighter aircraft, drones and missiles.