Investigation of FRP and SFRC Technologies for Efficient Tunnel Reinforcement Using the Cohesive Zone Model

Amid urbanization and the continuous expansion of transportation networks,the necessity for tunnel construction and maintenance has become paramount.Addressing this need requires the investigation of efficient,economical,and robust tunnel reinforcement techniques.This paper explores fiber reinforced polymer(FRP)and steel fiber reinforced concrete(SFRC)technologies,which have emerged as viable solutions for enhancing tunnel structures.FRP is celebrated for its lightweight and high-strength attributes,effectively augmenting load-bearing capacity and seismic resistance,while SFRC’s notable crack resistance and longevity potentially enhance the performance of tunnel segments.Nonetheless,current research predominantly focuses on experimental analysis,lacking comprehensive theoretical models.To bridge this gap,the cohesive zone model(CZM),which utilizes cohesive elements to characterize the potential fracture surfaces of concrete/SFRC,the rebar-concrete interface,and the FRP-concrete interface,was employed.A modeling approach was subsequently proposed to construct a tunnel segment model reinforced with either SFRC or FRP.Moreover,the corresponding mixed-mode constitutive models,considering interfacial friction,were integrated into the proposed model.Experimental validation and numerical simulations corroborated the accuracy of the proposed model.Additionally,this study examined the reinforcement design of tunnel segments.Through a numerical evaluation,the effectiveness of innovative reinforcement schemes,such as substituting concrete with SFRC and externally bonding FRP sheets,was assessed utilizing a case study from the Fuzhou Metro Shield Tunnel Construction Project.

Numerical simulation of the mechanical behavior of superconducting tape in conductor on round core cable using the cohesive zone model

Cables composed of rare-earth barium copper oxide(REBCO)tapes have been extensively used in various superconducting devices.In recent years,conductor on round core(CORC)cable has drawn the attention of researchers with its outstanding current-carrying capacity and mechanical properties.The REBCO tapes are wound spirally on the surface of CORC cable.Under extreme loadings,the REBCO tapes with layered composite structures are vulnerable,which can lead to degradation of critical current and even quenching of superconducting devices.In this paper,we simulate the deformation of CORC cable under external loads,and analyze the damage inside the tape with the cohesive zone model(CZM).Firstly,the fabrication and cabling of CORC are simulated,and the stresses and strains generated in the tape are extracted as the initial condition of the next step.Then,the tension and bending loads are applied to CORC cable,and the damage distribution inside the tape is presented.In addition,the effects of some parameters on the damage are discussed during the bending simulations.

IMPROVED COHESIVE ZONE MODEL AND ITS APPLICATION IN INTERFACE CONTACT ANALYSIS

An improved interface cohesive zone model is developed for the simulation of interface contact, under mixed-mode loading. A new debonding initiation criterion and propagation of debonding law, taking into account the pressure stress influence on contact shear strength, is proposed. The model is implemented in a finite-element program using subroutine VUINTER of ABAQUS Explicit. An edge-notch four-point bending process and laminated vibration damping steel sheet punch forming test are simulated with the improved model in ABAQUS Explicit. The numerical predictions agree satisfactorily with the corresponding experimental results.

CRACK PROPAGATION IN POLYCRYSTALLINE ELASTIC-VISCOPLASTIC MATERIALS USING COHESIVE ZONE MODELS

Cohesive zone model was used to simulate two-dimensional plane strain crack propagation at the grain level model including grain boundary zones. Simulated results show that the original crack-tip may not be separated firstly in an elastic-viscoplastic polycrystals. The grain interior＇s material properties （e.g. strain rate sensitivity） characterize the competitions between plastic and cohesive energy dissipation mechanisms. The higher the strain rate sensitivity is, the larger amount of the external work is transformed into plastic dissipation energy than into cohesive energy, which delays the cohesive zone rupturing. With the strain rate sensitivity decreased, the material property tends to approach the elastic-plastic responses. In this case, the plastic dissipation energy decreases and the cohesive dissipation energy increases which accelerates the cohesive zones debonding. Increasing the cohesive strength or the critical separation displacement will reduce the stress triaxiality at grain interiors and grain boundaries. Enhancing the cohesive zones ductility can improve the matrix materials resistance to void damage.

COHESIVE ZONE FINITE ELEMENT-BASED MODELING OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURES

Hydraulic fracturing is a powerful technology used to stimulate fluid production from reservoirs. The fully 3-D numerical simulation of the hydraulic fracturing process is of great importance to the efficient application of this technology, but is also a great challenge because of the strong nonlinear coupling between the viscous flow of fluid and fracture propagation. By taking advantage of a cohesive zone method to simulate the fracture process, a finite element model based on the existing pore pressure cohesive finite elements has been established to investigate the propagation of a penny-shaped hydraulic fracture in an infinite elastic medium. The effect of cohesive material parameters and fluid viscosity on the hydraulic fracture behaviour has been investigated. Excellent agreement between the finite element results and analytical solutions for the limiting case where the fracture process is dominated by rock fracture toughness demonstrates the ability of the cohesive zone finite element model in simulating the hydraulic fracture growth for this case.

Isogeometric cohesive zone model for thin shell delamination analysis based on Kirchhoff-Love shell model

We present a cohesive zone model for delamination in thin shells and composite structures.The isogeometric(IGA)thin shell model is based on Kirchhoff-Love theory.Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines(NURBS)are used to discretize the exact mid-surface of the shell geometry exploiting their C 1-continuity property which avoids rotational degrees of freedom.The fracture process zone is modeled by interface elements with a cohesive law.Two numerical examples are presented to test and validate the proposed formulation in predicting the delamination behavior of composite structures.

Progressive fragmentation of granular assemblies within rockslides: Insights from discrete-continuous numerical modeling

Rock fragmentation plays a critical role in rock avalanches,yet conventional approaches such as classical granular flow models or the bonded particle model have limitations in accurately characterizing the progressive disintegration and kinematics of multi-deformable rock blocks during rockslides.The present study proposes a discrete-continuous numerical model,based on a cohesive zone model,to explicitly incorporate the progressive fragmentation and intricate interparticle interactions inherent in rockslides.Breakable rock granular assemblies are released along an inclined plane and flow onto a horizontal plane.The numerical scenarios are established to incorporate variations in slope angle,initial height,friction coefficient,and particle number.The evolutions of fragmentation,kinematic,runout and depositional characteristics are quantitatively analyzed and compared with experimental and field data.A positive linear relationship between the equivalent friction coefficient and the apparent friction coefficient is identified.In general,the granular mass predominantly exhibits characteristics of a dense granular flow,with the Savage number exhibiting a decreasing trend as the volume of mass increases.The process of particle breakage gradually occurs in a bottom-up manner,leading to a significant increase in the angular velocities of the rock blocks with increasing depth.The simulation results reproduce the field observations of inverse grading and source stratigraphy preservation in the deposit.We propose a disintegration index that incorporates factors such as drop height,rock mass volume,and rock strength.Our findings demonstrate a consistent linear relationship between this index and the fragmentation degree in all tested scenarios.

Finite Element Simulations of the Localized Failure and Fracture Propagation in Cohesive Materials with Friction

Strain localization frequently occurs in cohesive materials with friction(e.g.,composites,soils,rocks)and is widely recognized as a fundamental cause of progressive structural failure.Nonetheless,achieving high-fidelity simulation for this issue,particularly concerning strong discontinuities and tension-compression-shear behaviors within localized zones,remains significantly constrained.In response,this study introduces an integrated algorithmwithin the finite element framework,merging a coupled cohesive zone model(CZM)with the nonlinear augmented finite elementmethod(N-AFEM).The coupledCZMcomprehensively describes tension-compression and compressionshear failure behaviors in cohesive,frictional materials,while the N-AFEM allows nonlinear coupled intraelement discontinuities without necessitating extra nodes or nodal DoFs.Following CZM validation using existing experimental data,this integrated algorithm was utilized to analyze soil slope failure mechanisms involving a specific tensile strength and to assess the impact of mechanical parameters(e.g.,tensile strength,weighting factor,modulus)in soils.

3D Cohesive Finite Element Minimum Invasive Surgery Simulation Based on Kelvin‑Voigt Model

Minimally invasive surgery is an important technique used for cytopathological examination.Recently,multiple studies have been conducted on a three-dimensional(3D)puncture simulation model as it can reveal the internal deformation state of the tissue at the micro level.In this study,a viscoelastic constitutive equation suitable for muscle tissue was derived.Additionally,a method was developed to define the fracture characteristics of muscle tissue material during the simulation process.The fracture of the muscle tissue in contact with the puncture needle was simulated using the cohesive zone model and a 3D puncture finite element model was established to analyze the deformation of the muscle tissue.The stress nephogram and reaction force under different parameters were compared and analyzed to study the deformation of the biological soft tissue and guide the actual operation process and reduce pain.

Mesoscale Modeling of Hooked-End Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete under Uniaxial Compression Using Cohesive Elements

Based on the cohesive zone model, the 2D mesostructures were developed for numerical studies of multi-phase hooked-end steel fiber reinforced concrete under uniaxial compression. The zero-thickness cohesive interface elements were inserted within the mortar, on interfaces of mortar and aggregates and interfaces of mortar and fibers to simulate the failure process of fiber reinforced concrete. The results showed that the numerical results matched well the experimental results in both failure modes and stress-strain behavior. Hooked-end steel fiber reinforced concrete exhibited ductile failure and maintained integrity during a whole failure process. Compared with normal concrete, HES fiber reinforced concrete was greater stiffness and compressive strength;the descending branch of the stress-strain curve was significantly flatter;the residual stress was higher.

Effect of intermittent joint distribution on the mechanical and acoustic behavior of rock masses

The mechanical characteristics and acoustic behavior of rock masses are greatly influenced by stochastic joints.In this study,numerical models of rock masses incorporating intermittent joints with different numbers and dip angles were produced using the finite element method(FEM)with the intrinsic cohesive zone model(ICZM).Then,the uniaxial compressive and wave propagation simulations were performed.The results indicate that the joint number and dip angle can affect the mechanical and acoustic properties of the models.The uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)and wave velocity of rock masses decrease monotonically as the joint number increases.However,the wave velocity grows monotonically as the joint dip angle increases.When the joint dip angle is 45°–60°,the UCS of the rock mass is lower than that of other dip angles.The wave velocity parallel to the joints is greater than that perpendicular to the joints.When the dip angle of joints remains unchanged,the UCS and wave velocity are positively related.When the joint dip angle increases,the variation amplitude of the UCS regarding the wave velocity increases.To reveal the effect of the joint distribution on the velocity,a theoretical model was also proposed.According to the theoretical wave velocity,the change in wave velocity of models with various joint numbers and dip angles was consistent with the simulation results.Furthermore,a theoretical indicator(i.e.fabric tensor)was adopted to analyze the variation of the wave velocity and UCS.

Impact Analysis of Microscopic Defect Types on the Macroscopic Crack Propagation in Sintered Silver Nanoparticles

Sintered silver nanoparticles(AgNPs)arewidely used in high-power electronics due to their exceptional properties.However,the material reliability is significantly affected by various microscopic defects.In this work,the three primary micro-defect types at potential stress concentrations in sintered AgNPs are identified,categorized,and quantified.Molecular dynamics(MD)simulations are employed to observe the failure evolution of different microscopic defects.The dominant mechanisms responsible for this evolution are dislocation nucleation and dislocation motion.At the same time,this paper clarifies the quantitative relationship between the tensile strain amount and the failure mechanism transitions of the three defect types by defining key strain points.The impact of defect types on the failure process is also discussed.Furthermore,traction-separation curves extracted from microscopic defect evolutions serve as a bridge to connect the macro-scale model.The validity of the crack propagation model is confirmed through tensile tests.Finally,we thoroughly analyze how micro-defect types influence macro-crack propagation and attempt to find supporting evidence from the MD model.Our findings provide a multi-perspective reference for the reliability analysis of sintered AgNPs.

Constitutive Behavior of the Interface between UHPC and Steel Plate without Shear Connector:From Experimental to Numerical Study

The application of ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC)as a covering layer for steel bridge decks has gained widespread popularity.By employing a connection without a shear connector between the steel plate and UHPC,namely,the sandblasted interface and the epoxy adhesive with sprinkled basalt aggregate interface,the installation cannot only be simplified but also the stress concentration resulting from the welded shear connectors can be eliminated.This study develops constitutive models for these two interfaces without shear connectors,based on the interfacial pull-off and push-out tests.For validation,three-point bending tests on the steel-UHPC composite plates are conducted.The results indicated that the proposed bilinear traction-separation model for the sandblasted interface and the trapezoidal traction-separation model for the epoxy adhesive with sprinkled basalt aggregate interface can generally calibrate the interfacial behavior.However,the utilization of the experimentally determined pure shear strength underestimates the load-carrying capacity of the composite plates in the case of three-point bending tests.By recalling the Mohr-Coulomb criterion,this underestimation is attributed to the enhancement of the interface shear strength by the presence of normal stress.

Separation work analysis of cohesive law and consistently coupled cohesive law

An appropriate coupled cohesive law for predicting the mixed mode failure is established by combining normal separation and tangential separation of surfaces in the cohesive zone model （CZM） and the cohesive element method. The Xu-Needleman exponential cohesive law with the fully shear failure mechanism is one of the most popular models. Based on the proposed consistently coupled rule/principle, the Xu-Needleman law with the fully shear failure mechanism is proved to be a non-consistently coupled cohesive law by analyzing the surface separation work. It is shown that the Xu-Needleman law is only valid in the mixed mode fracture when the normal separation work equals the tangential separation work. Based on the consistently coupled principle and the modification of the Xu-Needleman law, a consistently coupled cohesive （CCC） law is given. It is shown that the proposed CCC law has already overcome the non-consistency defect of the Xu-Needleman law with great promise in mixed mode analyses.

An incremental elastic-plastic cohesive constitutive model with considering damage

The interface has a significant influence on the macroscopic mechanical behaviors of composite materials,with interface cracking being a typical failure event.The ability to precisely describe the mechanical behavior of the interface is critical for analyzing the failure of composite materials.Based on plasticity theory and damage mechanics,an elastic-plastic interface constitutive model is developed to simulate the irreversible plastic deformation at the interface under the cyclic loading condition.Furthermore,by incorporating a damage factor in scalar form,the model is able to simulate mixed loading forms(Modes I and II).The influence of interfacial strength and toughness on the overall mechanical properties of unidirectional fiber reinforced composites under transverse loading is studied with this model.The simulation results are consistent with the experimental data in the literature,demonstrating the model's effectiveness.The model can be used to simulate the mechanical behavior of composites with interfaces under cyclic loading,and it is helpful for understanding the plastic behavior and damage accumulation at the interfaces in the composites.

Numerical Simulation of Particle/Matrix Interface Failure in Composite Propellant

Interface debonding between particle and matrix in composite propellant influences its macroscopic mechanical properties greatly. For this, the laws of interface cohesive damage and failure were analyzed. Then, its microscopic computational model was established. The interface mechanical response was modeled by the bilinear cohesive zone model. The effects of interface properties and particle sizes on the macroscopic mechanical behavior were investigated. Numerical simulation of debonding damage evolution of composite propellant under finite deformation was carried out. The debonding damage nucleation, propagation mechanism and non-uniform distribution of microscopic stress-strain fields were discussed. The results show that the finite element simulation method based on microstructure model can effectively predict the trend of macroscopic mechanical behavior and particle/matrix debonding evolution process. It can be used for damage simulation and failure assessment of composite propellants.

Mechanical characteristic variation of ballastless track in highspeed railway:effect of train–track interaction and environment loads

Due to the fact that ballastless tracks in highspeed railways are not only subjected to repeated train–track dynamic interaction loads,but also suffer from complex environmental loads,the fundamental understanding of mechanical performance of ballastless tracks under sophisticated service conditions is an increasingly demanding and challenging issue in high-speed railway networks.This work aims to reveal the effect of train–track interaction and environment loads on the mechanical characteristic variation of ballastless tracks in high-speed railways,particularly focusing on the typical interface damage evolution between track layers.To this end,a finite element model of a double-block ballastless track involving the cohesive zone model for the track interface is first established to analyze the mechanical properties of the track interface under the loading–unloading processes of the negative temperature gradient load(TGL)followed by the same cycle of the positive TGL.Subsequently,the effect of wheel–rail longitudinal interactions on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the track interface is investigated by using a vehicle-slab track vertical-longitudinal coupled dynamics model.Finally,the influence of dynamic water pressure induced by vehicle dynamic load on the mechanical characteristics and damage evolution of the track interface is elucidated using a fluid–solid coupling method.Results show that the loading history of the positive and negative TGLs has a great impact on the nonlinear development and distribution of the track interface stress and damage;the interface damage could be induced by the wheel–rail longitudinal vibrations at a high vehicle running speed owing to the dynamic amplification effect caused by short wave irregularities;the vehicle dynamic load could produce considerable water pressure that presents nonlinear spatial–temporal characteristics at the track interface,which would lead to the interface failure under a certain condition due to the coupled dynamic effect of vehicle load and water pressure.

STRENGTH ANALYSIS OF CLAMPING IN MICRO/NANO SCALE EXPERIMENTS

Two kinds of clamping in micro/nano scale experiments are investigated in this paper, one based on electron-beam-induced deposition, and the other on the van der Waals interaction. The clamping strength and mechanism are analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. The influence of relative humidity on the micro/nano clamping and the method of electrostatic clamping are discussed. The clamping strength and performance of different clamping methods are compared considering the size and material of the clamped objects, and the application environments.

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FRACTURE WORK FOR DUCTILE FILM UNDERGOING THE MICRO-SCRATCH

The interface adhesion strength(or interface toughness)of a thin film/substrate system is often assessed by the micro-scratch test.For a brittle film material,the interface adhesion strength is easily obtained through measuring the scratch driving forces.However,to measure the interface adhesion strength(or in- terface toughness)for a metal thin film material(the ductile material)by the micro- scratch test is very difficult,because intense plastic deformation is involved and the problem is a three-dimensional elastic-plastic one.In the present research,using a double-cohesive zone model,the failure characteristics of the thin film/substrate system can be described and further simulated.For a steady-state scratching pro- cess,a three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element method based on the double cohesive zone model is developed and adopted,and the steady-state fracture work of the total system is calculated.The parameter relations between the horizontal driving forces(or energy release rate of the scratching process)and the separation strength of thin film/substrate interface,and the material shear strength,as well as the material parameters are developed.Furthermore,a scratch experiment for the Al/Si film/substrate system is carried out and the failure mechanisms are explored. Finally,the prediction results are applied to a scratch experiment for the Pt/NiO material system given in the literature.

Study of Debond Fracture Toughness of Sandwich Composites with Metal Foam Core

Two types of experiments were designed and performed to evaluate the adhesive bond in metal foam composite sandwich structures. The tensile bond strength of face/core was determined through the flatwise tensile test （FWT）. The test results show that the interfacial peel strength is lower than the interlaminar peel strength in FWT test. The mode I interracial fracture toughness （GIC） of sandwich structures containing a pre-crack on the upper face/core interface is determined by modified cracked sandwich beam （MCSB） experiment. It is found that the crack propagates unsynchronously on the two side of the specimen and the propagation of interfacial debonding always stays on the face/core interface during the MCSB tests. In order to simulate the failure of metal foam composite sandwich structures, a computational model based on the Tsai-Hill failure criterion and cohesive zone model is used. By comparing with experiment results, it can be concluded that the computational model can validly simulate the interracial failure of metal foam composite sandwich structures with reasonable accuracy.