Cyclic shear behavior of en-echelon joints under constant normal stiffness conditions

To reveal the mechanism of shear failure of en-echelon joints under cyclic loading,such as during earthquakes,we conducted a series of cyclic shear tests of en-echelon joints under constant normal stiffness(CNS)conditions.We analyzed the evolution of shear stress,normal stress,stress path,dilatancy characteristics,and friction coefficient and revealed the failure mechanisms of en-echelon joints at different angles.The results show that the cyclic shear behavior of the en-echelon joints is closely related to the joint angle,with the shear strength at a positive angle exceeding that at a negative angle during shear cycles.As the number of cycles increases,the shear strength decreases rapidly,and the difference between the varying angles gradually decreases.Dilation occurs in the early shear cycles(1 and 2),while contraction is the main feature in later cycles(310).The friction coefficient decreases with the number of cycles and exhibits a more significant sensitivity to joint angles than shear cycles.The joint angle determines the asperities on the rupture surfaces and the block size,and thus determines the subsequent shear failure mode(block crushing and asperity degradation).At positive angles,block size is more greater and asperities on the rupture surface are smaller than at nonpositive angles.Therefore,the cyclic shear behavior is controlled by block crushing at positive angles and asperity degradation at negative angles.

Recent advances in the in-plane shear testing of Mg alloy sheets

Sheet-metal products are integral parts of engineering industries and academia research. Various testing techniques have revealed the deformation behaviors of sheet metals under complex stress states. Information obtained from tensile and compression tests, however, are insufficient for the identification of material parameters relevant to modern constitutive laws, which require experimental setups capable of generating various loading conditions and applying great amounts of strain to sheet metals. In-plane shear testing has emerged as an important method to overcome the challenges associated with tension and compression tests and can provide additional information about deformation behaviors under large plastic strains. Materials such as Mg alloys with poor levels of both ductility and formability cannot accommodate large plastic strains. Therefore, tension and compression tests have limitations in explaining the material behaviors that occur during sheet metal forming where large plastic strains are introduced. Many studies have been conducted to explain the deformation behaviors of Mg alloys under shear deformation techniques. These include severe plastic deformation(SPD), especially the equal channel angular pressing(ECAP)and equal channel angular extrusion, rolling combined with shear deformation i.e. differential speed rolling(DSR), and also in-plane shear for sheet metals, particularly under large levels of plastic strain. These in-plane shear technique involves the Miyauchi shear test, ASTM shear test, and twin bridge shear tests. Moreover, many experimental results have revealed that the evolution of microstructure and texture during in-plane shear is closely related to the failure behavior of materials. Therefore, this review is focused on techniques for in-plane shear testing that have been reported thus far, on the effect of in-plane shear on the microstructure development of Mg alloy sheets, and on the usefulness of in-plane shear testing to evaluate the formability of Mg alloy sheets.

Analytical solution of rectangular plate with in-plane variable stiffness

The bending problem of a thin rectangular plate with in-plane variable stiffness is studied. The basic equation is formulated for the two-opposite-edge simply supported rectangular plate under the distributed loads. The formulation is based on the assumption that the flexural rigidity of the plate varies in the plane following a power form, and Poisson＇s ratio is constant. A fourth-order partial differential equation with variable coefficients is derived by assuming a Levy-type form for the transverse displacement. The governing equation can be transformed into a Whittaker equation, and an analytical solution is obtained for a thin rectangular plate subjected to the distributed loads. The validity of the present solution is shown by comparing the present results with those of the classical solution. The influence of in-plane variable stiffness on the deflection and bending moment is studied by numerical examples. The analytical solution presented here is useful in the design of rectangular plates with in-plane variable stiffness.

Study of detection times for liver stiffness evaluation by shear wave elastography

AIM: To investigate enough valid measurements (VMs) to assess liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients (CHB).

Anisotropic surface roughness and shear behaviors of rough-walled plaster joints under constant normal load and constant normal stiffness conditions

In this context,we experimentally studied the anisotropic mechanical behaviors of rough-walled plaster joints using a servo-controlled direct shear apparatus under both constant normal load(CNL)and constant normal stiffness(CNS)conditions.The shear-induced variations in the normal displacement,shear stress,normal stress and sheared-off asperity mass are analyzed and correlated with the inclination angle of the critical waviness of joint surfaces.The results show that CNS condition gives rise to a smaller normal displacement due to the larger normal stress during shearing,compared with CNL condition.Under CNL conditions,there is one peak shear stress during shearing,whereas there are no peak shear stress for some cases and two peaks for other cases under CNS conditions depending on the geometry of joint surfaces.The inclination angle of the critical waviness has been verified to be capable of describing the joint surface roughness and anisotropy.The joint surface is more significantly damaged under CNS conditions than that under CNL conditions.With increment of the inclination angle of the critical waviness,both the normal displaceme nt and shea red-off asperity mass increase,following power law functions;yet the coefficient of deternination under CNL conditions is larger than that under CNS conditions.This is because the CNS condition significantly decreases the inclination angle of the critical waviness during shearing due to the larger degree of asperity degradation.

Evaluation of internal and shell stiffness in the differential diagnosis of breast non-mass lesions by shear wave elastography

BACKGROUND The diagnostic specificity of conventional ultrasound for breast non-mass lesions(NMLs)is low at approximately 21%-43%.Shear wave elastography(SWE)can distinguish benign from malignant lesions by evaluating the internal and peripheral stiffness.SWE has good reproducibility and high diagnostic efficacy.However,there are very few independent studies on the diagnostic value of SWE in breast NMLs.AIM To determine the value of SWE in the differential diagnosis of breast NMLs.METHODS This study enrolled a total of 118 patients with breast NMLs who underwent SWE examinations in the Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University and The Second Hospital of Shandong University from January 2019 to January 2020.The internal elastic parameters of the lesions were recorded,including maximum(Emax),mean(Emean)and minimum elastic values and the standard deviation.The following peripheral parameters were noted:Presence of a“stiff rim”sign;Emax,and Emean elasticity values within 1 mm,1.5 mm,2 mm,2.5 mm and 3 mm from the edge of NMLs.The receiver operating characteristic curve of each parameter was drawn,and the areas under the curve were calculated.RESULTS Emax,Emean and elastic values,and the standard deviation of the internal elastic values in malignant NMLs were significantly higher than those in benign NMLs(P<0.05).The percentage with the“stiff rim”sign in malignant NMLs was significantly higher than that in the benign group(P<0.05),and Emax and Emean at the shell of 1 mm,1.5 mm,2 mm,2.5 mm and 3 mm in the malignant group were all higher than those in the benign group(P<0.05).Of the surrounding elasticity values,Emax of the shell at 2.5 mm in malignant NMLs had maximum areas under the curve of 0.900,and the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 94.57%and 85.86%,respectively.CONCLUSION The“stiff rim”sign and multiple quantitative elastic values within and around the lesion had good diagnostic performance in the differential diagnosis of breast NMLs.Emax in peripheral tissue had better diagnostic efficiency than other parameters.

Laboratory investigation into effect of bolt profiles on shear behaviors of bolt-grout interface under constant normal stiffness (CNS) conditions

Rock bolts have been widely used for stabilizing rock mass in geotechnical engineering.It is acknowledged that the bolt profiles have a sound influence on the support effect of the rock bolting system.Previous studies have proposed some optimal rib parameters(e.g.rib spacing);unfortunately,the interface shear behaviors are generally ignored.Therefore,determination of radial stress and radial displacement on the bolt-grout interface using traditional pull-out tests is not possible.The load-bearing capacity and deformation capacity vary as bolt profiles differ,suggesting that the support effect of the bolting system can be enhanced by optimizing bolt profiles.The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of bolt profiles(with/without ribs,rib spacing,and rib height)on the shear behaviors between the rock bolt and grout material using direct shear tests.Thereby,systematic interfacial shear tests with different bolt profiles were performed under both constant normal load(CNL)and constant normal stiffness(CNS)boundary conditions.The results suggested that rib spacing has a more marked influence on the interface shear behavior than rib height does,in particular at the post-yield stage.The results could facilitate our understanding of bolt-grout interface shear behavior under CNS conditions,and optimize selection of rock bolts under in situ rock conditions.

An Application of the Modified Shear Lag Model to Study the Influence of Thermal Residual Stresses on the Stiffness and Yield Strength of Short Fiber Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites

The modified shear lag model proposed recently was applied to calculate thermal residual stresses and subsequent stress distributions under tensile and compressive loadings. The expressions for the elastic moduli and the yield strengths under tensile and compressive loadings were derived which take account of thermal residual stresses. The asymmetries in the elastic modulus and the yield strength were interpreted using the derived expressions and the obtained results of the stress calculations. The model predictions have exhibited good agreements with the experimental results and also with the other theoretical predictions

Application of real-time shear wave elastography to Achilles tendon hardness evaluation in older adults

BACKGROUND Real-time shear wave elastography(SWE)is a non-invasive imaging technique used to measure tissue stiffness by generating and tracking shear waves in real time.This advanced ultrasound-based method provides quantitative information regarding tissue elasticity,offering valuable insights into the mechanical properties of biological tissues.However,the application of real-time SWE in the musculoskeletal system and sports medicine has not been extensively studied.AIM To explore the practical value of real-time SWE for assessing Achilles tendon hardness in older adults.METHODS A total of 60 participants were enrolled in the present study,and differences in the elastic moduli of the bilateral Achilles tendons were compared among the following categories:(1)Age:55-60,60-65,and 65-70-years-old;(2)Sex:Male and female;(3)Laterality:Left and right sides;(4)Tendon state:Relaxed and tense state;and(5)Tendon segment:Proximal,middle,and distal.RESULTS There were no significant differences in the elastic moduli of the bilateral Achilles tendons when comparing by age or sex(P>0.05).There were,however,significant differences when comparing by tendon side,state,or segment(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Real-time SWE plays a significant role compared to other examination methods in the evaluation of Achilles tendon hardness in older adults.

Method to analyze wrinkled membranes with zero shear modulus and equivalent stiffness

To solve the problems of divergence,low accuracy and project application of membrane wrinkling analysis,an analysis method of zero shear modulus and equivalent stiffness was proposed.This method is an improvement to the previous method (Method I) of local coordinate transposition and stiffness equivalence.The new method is derived and the feasibility is theoretically proved.A small-scale membrane structure is analyzed by the two methods,and the results show that the computational efficiency of the new method (Method II) is approximately 23 times that of Method I.When Method II is applied to a large-scale membrane stadium structure,it is found that this new method can quickly make the second principal stress of one way wrinkled elements zero,and make the two principal stresses of two-way wrinkled elements zero as well.It could attain the correct load responses right after the appearance of wrinkled elements,which indicates that Method II can be applied to wrinkling analysis of large-scale membrane structures.

Evaluation of in-plane shear test methods for composite material laminates

In-plane shear properties of composite material laminates are very important in structural design of composite material. Four commonly used in-plane shear test methods were introduced in this paper. In order to study the differences of various shear test methods, two ASTM standard in-plane shear test methods for composite material laminates were experimentally investigated. They are ±45° tensile shear test (ASTM D3518) and V-notched rail shear test (ASTM D7078). Five types of composite material laminates composed of E-glass fiber fabric and vinyl ester resin were utilized, whose stacking sequences are 03s, 0/903s, CSM/0/902s, ±453s and (0/90)2/(±45)2/(0/90)2s, respectively. The test results indicate that the ±45° tensile shear test can predict shear moduli of composite material laminates accurately. However, the predictions of shear strength using ±45° tensile shear test are significantly lower than those of V-notched rail shear test.

The Effects of the Longitudinal Axis of Loading upon Bending, Shear and Torsion of a Thin-Walled Cantilever Channel Beam

Three aluminium channel sections of US standard extruded dimension are mounted as cantilevers with x-axis symmetry. The flexural bending and shear that arise with applied axial torsion are each considered theoretically and numerically in terms of two longitudinal axes of loading not coincident with the shear centre. In particular, the warping displacements, stiffness and stress distributions are calculated for torsion applied to longitudinal axes passing through the section’s centroid and its web centre. The stress conversions derived from each action are superimposed to reveal a net sectional stress distribution. Therein, the influence of the axis position upon the net axial and shear stress distributions is established compared to previous results for each beam when loading is referred to a flexural axis through the shear centre. Within the net stress analysis is, it is shown how the constraint to free warping presented by the end fixing modifies the axial stress. The latter can be identified with the action of a ‘bimoment’ upon each thin-walled section.

Effect of Eccentric Shear Stiffness of Walls on Structural Response of RC Frame Buildings

Current research study consists of determining the optimum location of the shear wall to get the maximum structural efficiency of a reinforced concrete frame building. It consists of a detailed analysis and design review of a seven-story reinforced concrete building to understand the effect of shear wall location on the response of reinforced concrete structures when subjected to different earthquake forces. Three trail locations of shear walls are selected and their performance is monitored in terms of structural response under different lateral loads. Required objectives are achieved by obtaining design and construction drawings of an existing reinforced concrete structure and modeling it on Finite Element Method (FEM) based computer software. The structure is redesigned and discussed with four different configurations (one without shear wall and three with shear walls). Main framing components (Beams, Columns and Shear walls) of the superstructure are designed using SAP 2000 V. 19.0 whereas substructure (foundation) of RC building was?designed using SAFE. American Concrete Institute (ACI) design specifications were used to calculate the cracked section stiffness or non-linear geometrical properties of the cracked section. Uniform Building Code (UBC-97) procedures were adopted to calculate the lateral earthquake loading on the structures. Structural response of the building was monitored at each story level for each earthquake force zone described by the UBC-97. The earthquake lateral forces were considered in both X and Y direction of the building. Each configuration of shear wall is carefully analyzed and effect of its location is calibrated by the displacement response of the structure. Eccentricity to the lateral stiffness of the building is imparted by changing the location of shear walls. Results of the study have shown that the location of shear wall significantly affects the lateral response of the structure under earthquake forces. It also motivates to carefully decide the center of lateral stiffness of building prior to deciding the location of shear walls.

A New Modification to Shear Lag Model as Applied to Stiffness and Yield Strength of Short Fiber Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites

A new modification for the shear lag model is given and the expressions for the stiffness and yield Strength of short fiber metal matri×composite are derived. These expressions are then compared with our experimental data in a SiCw/Al-Li T6 composite and the published experimental data on different SiCw/Al T6 composites and also compared with the previous shear lag models and the other theoretical models.

An efficient stiffness analysis model based on shear deformation theory for flexible skin shear variable-sweep wing

Fixed-wing aircraft cannot maintain optimal aerodynamic performance at different flight speeds. As a type of morphing aircraft, the shear variable-sweep wing(SVSW) can dramatically improve its aerodynamic performance by altering its shape to adapt to various flight conditions.In order to achieve smooth continuous shear deformation, SVSW's skin adopts a flexible composite skin design instead of traditional aluminum alloy materials. However, this also brings about the non-linear difficulty in stiffness modeling and calculation. In this research, a new SVSW design and efficient stiffness modeling method are proposed. Based on shear deformation theory, the flexible composite skin is equivalently modeled as diagonally arranged nonlinear springs, simulating the elastic force interaction between the skin and the mechanism. By shear loading tests of flexible composite skin, the accuracy of this flexible composite skin modeling method is verified. The SVSW stiffness model was established, and its accuracy was verified through static loading tests. The effects of root connection, sweep angles, and flexible composite skin on the SVSW stiffness are analyzed. Finally, considering three typical flight conditions of SVSW: low-speed flow(Ma = 0.3,Re = 5.82 × 10^(6)), transonic flow(Ma = 0.9, Re = 3.44 × 10^(6)), and supersonic flow(Ma = 3,Re = 7.51 × 10^(6)), the stiffness characteristics of SVSW under flight conditions were evaluated.The calculated results guide the application of SVSW.

Stiffness Degradation of Undisturbed Saturated Soft Clay in the Yangtze Estuary Under Complex Stress Conditions

Stiffness degradation will occur due to the generation of accumulated pore pressure in saturated soft clays under cyclic loading. The soil static-dynamic multi-purpose triaxial and torsional shear apparatus in Dalian University of Technology was employed to perform different types of test on the saturated soft marine clay in the Yangtze Estuary. Undisturbed samples of the clay were subjected to undrained cyclic vertical and torsional coupling shear and cyclic torsional shear after three-directional anisotropic consolidation with different initial consolidation parameters. Investigated were the effects of the initial orientation angle of the major principal stress, initial ratio of deviatoric stress, initial coefficient of intermediate principal stress and continuous rotation of principal stress axes on the stiffness degradation. It is found that the degradation index decreases （or degradation degree increases） significantly with increasing initial orientation angle of the major principal stress and initial ratio of deviatoric stress. Compared with the effects of the initial orientation angle of the major principal stress and initial ratio of deviatoric stress, the effect of initial coefficient of intermediate principal stress is less evident and this trend is more clearly reflected by the results of the cyclic torsional shear tests than those of the cyclic coupling shear tests. At the same cycle number, the degradation index obtained from the cyclic torsional shear test is higher than that from the cyclic coupling shear test. The main reason is that the continuous rotation in principal stress directions during cyclic coupling shear damages the original structure of the soil more than the cyclic torsional shear does.Based on a series of experiments, a mathematical model for stiffness degradation is proposed and the relevant parameters are determined.

Influence of anisotropic stress path and stress history on stiffness of calcareous sands from Western Australia and the Philippines

Investigation of dynamic properties of carbonate/calcareous soils is important in earthquake and offshore engineering as these soils are commonly encountered in large-scale projects related with energy geomechanics and land reclamation.In this study,the stiffness and stiffness anisotropy of two types of calcareous sands(CS)from the Western Australia and the Philippines were examined using bender elements configured in different directions in stress path setups.Stiffness measurements were taken on specimens subjected to constant p’compression/extension and biaxial stress paths and additional tests were performed on three types of silica sands with different geological origins and particle shapes,which were used as benchmark materials in the study.Compared with the three brands of silica sands,the stiffness of the CS was found to be more significantly influenced by anisotropic loading;an important observation of the experimental results was that stress anisotropy had different weighted influences on the stiffness in different directions,thus influencing stiffness anisotropy.Comparisons were made between the specimens subjected to complex loading paths,and respected model parameters as suggested from published expressions in the literature.These comparisons further highlighted that calcareous soils have different responses in terms of stiffness,stiffness anisotropy and loading history,compared with that of silica-based sands.

A Modified approach for calculating dynamic shear modulus of stiff specimens by resonant column tests

An error analysis of the dynamic shear modulus of stiff specimens from tests performed by a new resonant column device developed by the Institute of Engineering Mechanics, China was conducted. A modified approach for calculating the dynamic shear modulus of the stiff specimens is presented. The error formula of the tests was deduced and parameters that impact the accuracy of the test were identified. Using six steel specimens with known standard stiffness as a base, a revised dynamic shear modulus calculation for stiff specimens was formulated by comparing three of the models. The maximum error between the test results and the calculated results shown by curves from both the free-vibration and the resonant-vibration tests is less than 6%. The free-vibration and resonant-vibration tests for three types of stiff samples with a known modulus indicate that the maximum deviation between the actual and the tested value using the modified approach were less than 10%. As a result, the modified approach presented here is shown to be reliable and the new device can be used for testing dynamic shear modulus of any stiff materials at low shear strain levels

Skeletal muscle stiffness as measured by magnetic resonance elastography after chronic spinal cord injury:a cross-sectional pilot study

Skeletal muscle stiffness is altered after spinal cord injury(SCI).Assessing muscle stiffness is essential for rehabilitation and pharmaceutical interventions design after SCI.The study used magnetic resonance elastography to assess the changes in stiffness after chronic SCI compared to matched able-bodied controls and determine its association with muscle size,spasticity,and peak torque in persons with SCI.Previous studies examined the association between muscle stiffness and spasticity,however,we are unaware of other studies that examined the effects of muscle composition on stiffness after SCI.Ten participants(one female)with chronic SCI and eight(one female)matched able-bodied controls participated in this cross-sectional study.Magnetic resonance elastography was utilized to monitor stiffness derived from shear waves propagation.Modified Ashworth scale was used to evaluate spasticity scores in a blinded fashion.Peak isometric and isokinetic torques were measured using a biodex dynamometer.Stiffness values were non-significantly lower(12.5%;P=0.3)in the SCI group compared to able-bodied controls.Moreover,stiffness was positively related to vastus lateralis whole muscle cross-sectional area(CSA)(r2=0.64,P<0.005)and vastus lateralis absolute muscle CSA after accounting for intramuscular fat(r2=0.78,P<0.0007).Stiffness was also positively correlated to both isometric(r2=0.55-0.57,P<0.05)and isokinetic peak(r2=0.46-0.48,P<0.05)torques.Our results suggest that larger clinical trial is warranted to confirm the preliminary findings that muscle stiffness is altered after SCI compared to healthy controls.Stiffness appeared to be influenced by infiltration of intramuscular fat and modestly by the spasticity of the paralyzed muscles.The preliminary data indicated that the relationship between muscle stiffness and peak torque is not altered with changing the frequency of pulses or angular velocities.All study procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center,USA(IRB#:02314)on May 3,2017.

Plate reinforced square hollow section X-joints subjected to in-plane moment

The static test of 13 square hollow section(SHS) X-joints with different β and different types of plate reinforcement under in-plane moment in brace was carried out. Experimental test schemes, failure modes of specimens, moment-vertical displacement curves, moment-deformation of the chord, and strain strength distribution curves were presented. The effect of β and plate reinforcement types on in-plane flexural property of SHS X-joints was studied. Results show that punching shear of chord face disappears, brace material fracture appears and concave and convex deformation of chord decrease when either collar plates or doubler plates were welded on chord face. Moment-vertical displacement curves of all specimens have obvious elastic, elastic-plastic and plastic stages. As β increases, the in-plane flexural ultimate capacity and initial stiffness of joints of the same plate reinforcement type increase, but ductility of joints decreases. With the same β, the in-plane flexural initial stiffness and ultimate capacity of doubler plate reinforced joints, collar plate reinforced joints, and unreinforced joints decrease progressively. Thickness of reinforcement plate has no obvious effect on in-plane flexural initial stiffness and ultimate capacity of joints. As thickness of reinforcement plate increases, the ductility of reinforced X-joints decreases. The concave and convex deformation of every specimen has good symmetry;as β increases, the yield and ultimate deformation of chord decrease.