A thermo-mechanical damage constitutive model for deep rock considering brittleness-ductility transition characteristics

This paper developed a statistical damage constitutive model for deep rock by considering the effects of external load and thermal treatment temperature based on the distortion energy.The model parameters were determined through the extremum features of stress−strain curve.Subsequently,the model predictions were compared with experimental results of marble samples.It is found that when the treatment temperature rises,the coupling damage evolution curve shows an S-shape and the slope of ascending branch gradually decreases during the coupling damage evolution process.At a constant temperature,confining pressure can suppress the expansion of micro-fractures.As the confining pressure increases the rock exhibits ductility characteristics,and the shape of coupling damage curve changes from an S-shape into a quasi-parabolic shape.This model can well characterize the influence of high temperature on the mechanical properties of deep rock and its brittleness-ductility transition characteristics under confining pressure.Also,it is suitable for sandstone and granite,especially in predicting the pre-peak stage and peak stress of stress−strain curve under the coupling action of confining pressure and high temperature.The relevant results can provide a reference for further research on the constitutive relationship of rock-like materials and their engineering applications.

A Modified Model for Soil–Structure Interface Considering Random Damage of Mesoscopic Contact Elements

The interaction between soil and marine structures like submarine pipeline/pipe pile/suction caisson is a complicated geotechnical mechanism process.In this study,the interface is discretized into multiple mesoscopic contact elements that are damaged randomly throughout the shearing process due to the natural heterogeneity.The evolution equation of damage variable is developed based on the Weibull function,which is able to cover a rather wide range of distribution shapes by only two parameters,making it applicable for varying scenarios.Accordingly,a statistical damage model is established by incorporating Mohr–Coulomb strength criterion,in which the interfacial residual strength is considered whereby the strain softening behavior can be described.A concept of“semi-softening”characteristic point on shear stress–displacement curve is proposed for effectively modeling the evolution of strain softening.Finally,a series of ring shear tests of the interfaces between fine sea sand and smooth/rough steel surfaces are conducted.The predicted results using the proposed model are compared with experimental data of this study as well as some results from existing literature,indicating that the model has a good performance in modeling the progressive failure and strain softening behavior for various types of soil–structure interfaces.

Damage evolution and dynamic response of cement asphalt mortar layer of slab track under vehicle dynamic load

The damage evolution and dynamic performance of a cement asphalt(CA)mortar layer of slab track subjected to vehicle dynamic load is investigated in this paper.Initially,a statistical damage constitutive model for the CA mortar layer is developed using continuous damage mechanics and probability theory.In this model,the strength of the CA mortar elements is treated as a random variable,which follows the Weibull distribution.The inclusion of strain rate dependence affords considering its influence on the damage development and the transition between viscosity and elasticity.Comparisons with experimental data support the reliability of the model.A three-dimensional finite element(FE)model of a slab track is then created with the commercial software ABAQUS,where the devised model for the CA mortar is implemented as a user-defined material subroutine.Finally,a vertical vehicle model is coupled with the FE model of the slab track,through the wheel-rail contact forces,based on the nonlinear Hertzian contact theory.The evolution of the damage and of the dynamic performance of the CA mortar layer with various initial damage is investigated under the train and track interaction.The analysis indicates that the proposed model is capable of predicting the damage evolution of the CA mortar layer exposed to vehicle dynamic load.The dynamic compressive strain,the strain rate,and the induced damage increase significantly with an increase in the initial damage,whereas the dynamic compressive stress exhibits a sharp decrease with the increasing initial damage.Also,it is found that the strain rate dependence significantly influences the damage evolution and the dynamic behavior of the CA mortar layer.