Compressive Strength of Tubular Members with Combined Pitting Corrosion and Crack Damage

Tubular members subject to combined pitting corrosion and crack damage were numerically studied to clarify the reduction of ultimate strength and failure behavior,based on numerical models validated against available experi-ments.The effects of length,location and inclined angle of a crack under combined damage were studied to disclose the mechanism of interaction between the crack and corrosion pits.The methods,named as linear superposition directly accumulating the effects of solo crack and solo pitting damage,as well as crack projection transferring an inclined crack to a transverse one,were discussed and verified in the view of assessing ultimate strength of tubular members with combined damage.It was shown that the former is practical but complex while the next always over-estimates the residual strength.Besides,the location and inclined angle of a crack have a subtle effect on the reduction of ultimate strength under combined damage,especially at higher level of pitting damage,due to the synergistic effect between corrosion pits and cracks.Such effect can lead to early occurrence of plasticity and local buckling by inducing stress interaction between crack tips and pits,and causing more significant strength reduction compared with a solo type of damage.A practical method was proposed to determine the loss ratio of cross-sectional area on the equivalent weakest section of a damaged member.Based on the loss ratio,a formula was presented to predict the ultimate strength of damaged members with combined damage,showing good applicability.

Study on Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Deformation Damage Process of Zirconia Ceramics

Zirconia ceramics have become increasingly widely used in recent years and are favored by relevant enterprises. From the traditional dental field to aerospace, parts manufacturing has been used, but there is limited research on the deformation and damage process of zirconia ceramics. This article analyzes the acoustic emission characteristics of each stage of ceramic damage from the perspective of acoustic emission, and explores its deformation process characteristics from multiple perspectives such as time domain, frequency, and EWT modal analysis. It is concluded that zirconia ceramics exhibit higher brittleness and acoustic emission strength than alumina ceramics, and when approaching the fracture, it tends to generate lower frequency acoustic emission signals.

Degradation mechanism of rock under impact loadings by integrated investigation on crack and damage development

Failure of rock under impact loadings involves complex micro-fracturing and progressive damage. Strength increase and splitting failure have been observed during dynamic tests of rock materials. However, the failure mechanism still remains unclear. In this work, based on laboratory tests, numerical simulations with the particle flow code(PFC) were carried out to reproduce the micro-fracturing process of granite specimens. Shear and tensile cracks were both recorded to investigate the failure mode of rocks under different loading conditions. At the same time, a dynamic damage model based on the Weibull distribution was established to predict the deformation and degradation behavior of specimens. It is found that micro-cracks play important roles in controlling the dynamic deformation and failure process of rock under impact loadings. The sharp increase in the number of cracks may be the reason for the strength increase of rock under high strain rates. Tensile cracks tend to be the key reason for splitting failure of specimens. Numerical simulation of crack propagation by PFC can give vivid description of the failure process. However, it is not enough for evaluation of material degradation. The dynamic damage model is able to predict the stress-strain relationship of specimens reasonably well, and can be used to explain the degradation of specimens under impact loadings at macro-scale. Crack and damage can describe material degradation at different scales and can be used together to reveal the failure mechanism of rocks.

3D random Voronoi grain-based models for simulation of brittle rock damage and fabric-guided micro-fracturing

A grain-based distinct element model featuring three-dimensional （3D） Voronoi tessellations （randompoly-crystals） is proposed for simulation of crack damage development in brittle rocks. The grainboundaries in poly-crystal structure produced by Voronoi tessellations can represent flaws in intact rockand allow for numerical replication of crack damage progression through initiation and propagation ofmicro-fractures along grain boundaries. The Voronoi modelling scheme has been used widely in the pastfor brittle fracture simulation of rock materials. However the difficulty of generating 3D Voronoi modelshas limited its application to two-dimensional （2D） codes. The proposed approach is implemented inNeper, an open-source engine for generation of 3D Voronoi grains, to generate block geometry files thatcan be read directly into 3DEC. A series of Unconfined Compressive Strength （UCS） tests are simulated in3DEC to verify the proposed methodology for 3D simulation of brittle fractures and to investigate therelationship between each micro-parameter and the model＇s macro-response. The possibility of numericalreplication of the classical U-shape strength curve for anisotropic rocks is also investigated innumerical UCS tests by using complex-shaped （elongated） grains that are cemented to one another alongtheir adjoining sides. A micro-parameter calibration procedure is established for 3D Voronoi models foraccurate replication of the mechanical behaviour of isotropic and anisotropic （containing a fabric） rocks. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NONLINEAR BUCKLING BEHAVIOR OF DAMAGED COMPOSITE SANDWICH PLATES CONSIDERING THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

On the basis of the first-order shear deformation plate theory andthe zig-zag deformation as- sumption, an incremental finite elementformulation for nonlinear buckling analysis of the composite sandwichplate is deduced and the temperature-dependent thermal and mechanicalproperties of composite is consid- ered. A finite element method forthermal or thermo-mechanical coupling nonlinear buckling analysis ofthe composite sandwich plate with an interfacial crack damage betweenface and core is also developed.

A Finite Element Method for Cracked Components of Structures

In this paper, a method is developed for determining the effective stiffness of the cracked component. The stiffness matrix of the cracked component is integrated into the global stiffness matrix of the finite element model of the global platform for the FE calculation of the structure in any environmental conditions. The stiffness matrix equation of the cracked component is derived by use of the finite variation principle and fracture mechanics. The equivalent parameters defining the element that simulates the cracked component are mathematically presented, and can be easily used for the FE calculation of large scale cracked structures together with any finite element program. The theories developed are validated by both lab tests and numerical calculations, and applied to the evaluation of crack effect on the strength of a fixed platform and a self-elevating drilling rig.

DAMAGE TOLERANCE ANALYSIS ON HOLLOW AXLES OF HIGH SPEED MOTOR TRAINS

According to the rules of UIC515-3, the service loads of the axles are defined, which include some different loads cases as follows： the static loads; the impact loads resulted from running through the rail joints and unevenness rails; the loads through curves and from braking. Through the calculating and analysis, the stress distribution of the hollow axles is obtained for 200 km/h high speed motor trains used in China. At the same time, the fatigue crack growth of hollow axles is studied, and the initial surface cracks of 2 mm depth caused by hard objects strike or the other causes are discussed. On the basis of the linear elastic fracture mechanics theory, the stress intensity factor of the crack of the geometry transition outside the wheel seat is also studied. Associated with fatigue crack propagation equation and the corresponding crack propagation threshold, the crack propagation characteristics under different shapes are calculated. Then the running distances are educed with different shapes propagating to the critical length, and the estimation of the residual lives about hollow axles which are the reference values of examine and repair limit of the hollow axle is given.

Predicting triaxial compressive strength of high-temperature treated rock using machine learning techniques

The accurate prediction of the strength of rocks after high-temperature treatment is important for the safety maintenance of rock in deep underground engineering.Five machine learning(ML)techniques were adopted in this study,i.e.back propagation neural network(BPNN),AdaBoost-based classification and regression tree(AdaBoost-CART),support vector machine(SVM),K-nearest neighbor(KNN),and radial basis function neural network(RBFNN).A total of 351 data points with seven input parameters(i.e.diameter and height of specimen,density,temperature,confining pressure,crack damage stress and elastic modulus)and one output parameter(triaxial compressive strength)were utilized.The root mean square error(RMSE),mean absolute error(MAE)and correlation coefficient(R)were used to evaluate the prediction performance of the five ML models.The results demonstrated that the BPNN shows a better prediction performance than the other models with RMSE,MAE and R values on the testing dataset of 15.4 MPa,11.03 MPa and 0.9921,respectively.The results indicated that the ML techniques are effective for accurately predicting the triaxial compressive strength of rocks after different high-temperature treatments.

Analysis of the stress ratio of anisotropic rocks in uniaxial tests

The effect of structural discontinuities on the progressive failure process of anisotropic rocks should be paid particular attention.The crack damage stress σ_(cd),also considered as the yield strength,and the relationship between σ_(cd) and the uniaxial peak strength σ_(ucs) of anisotropic rocks for different orientations 8 of the isotropy planes with respect to the loading directions were investigated theoretically and experimentally.A theoretical relation of σ_(cd)/σ_(ucs) with the function of the shape parameter m was established.Additionally,uniaxial compression tests of shale samples were conducted for several inclinations θ.The test result of σ_(cd)/σ_(ucs) was close to the theoretical value for a given orientation.Furthermore,both experimental results and theoretical solutions of σ_(cd)/σ_(ucs) were independent of the inclination θ while σ_(cd) andσ_(ucs) were strongly affected by θ.The strength ratio σ_(cd)/σ_(ucs) may therefore be an intrinsic property of anisotropic rocks and could be used to predict the failure of rock samples.

Damage evolution and crack propagation in rocks with dual elliptic flaws in compression

To give an insight into the understanding of damage evolution and crack propagation in rocks,a series of uniaxial and biaxial compression numerical tests are carried out.The investigations show that damage evolution occurs firstly in the weak rock,the area around the flaw and the area between the flaw and the neighboring rock layer.Cracks mostly generate as tensile cracks under uniaxial compression and shear cracks under biaxial compression.Crack patterns are classified and divided.The relationship between the accumulated lateral displacement and the short radius（b）is fitted,and the equation of crack path is also established.

Investigating fatigue behavior of gear components with the acoustic emission technique

A novel method is presented to evaluate the complicated fatigue behavior of gears made of20Cr2Ni4 A.Fatigue tests are conducted in a high-frequency push-pull fatigue tester,and acoustic emission（AE）technique is used to acquire metal fatigue signals.After analyzing large number of AE frequency spectrum,we find that：the crack extension can be expressed as the energy of specific frequency band,which is abbreviated as F-energy.To further validate the fatigue behavior,some correlation analysis is applied between F-energy and some AE parameters.Experimental results show that there is significant correlation among the Fenergy,root mean square（RMS）,relative energy,and hits.The findings can be used to validate the effectiveness of the F-energy in predicting fatigue crack propagation and remaining life for parts in-service.F-energy,as a new AE parameter,is first put forward in the area of fatigue crack growth.

Application of viscoelastic continuum damage approach to predict fatigue performance of Binzhou perpetual pavements

For this study, the Binzhou perpetual pavement test sections constructed in Shandong Province, China, were simulated for long-term fatigue performance using the layered viscoelastic pavement analysis for critical distresses （LVECD） finite element software package. In this framework, asphalt concrete was treated in the context of linear visco- elastic continuum damage theory. A recently developed unified fatigue failure criterion that defined the boundaries of the applicable region of the theory was also incorporated. The mechanistic modeling of the fatigue mechanisms was able to accommodate the complex temperature variations and loading conditions of the field pavements in a rigorous manner. All of the material models were conveniently characterized by dynamic modulus tests and direct tension cyclic fatigue tests in the laboratory using cylindrical specimens. By comparing the obtained damage characteristic curves and failure criteria, it is found that mixtures with small aggregate particle sizes, a dense gradation, and modified asphalt binder tended to exhibit the best fatigue resistance at the material level. The 15 year finite element structural simulation results for all the test sections indicate that fa- tigue performance has a strong dependence on the thickness of the asphalt pavements. Based on the predicted location and severity of the fatigue damage, it is recommended that Sections 1 and 3 of the Binzhou test sections be emoloved for perpetual pavement design.

Crack monitoring using multiple smart materials;fiber-optic sensors&piezo sensors

This article focuses on health monitoring of structures using multiple smart materials.In this research,two fiber-optic sensors,namely fiber Bragg grating(FBG)and fiber-optic polarimetric sensor(FOPS),are investigated for damage detection in the beam specimen.FBG is used for local strain measurement while FOPS is used for global strain measurement.Both FBG and FOPS show significant changes in the strain due to damages in the specimen.Also,at the center of the specimen,piezoelectric wafer active sensor(PWAS)is attached.The electromechanical admittance(EMA)signature of the specimen beam is recorded by PWAS.The changes in the amplitudes of the peaks obtained at various frequencies in this EMA signature are analyzed,and it is shown that the peak amplitudes respond differently to damages and to change in loading.Thus,multiple smart materials(FBG,FOPS,and PWAS)are used to get improved information on the health of the beam.