Quadrilateral isoparametric finite elements for plane elastic Cosserat bodies

4-node, 8-node and 8（4）-node quadrilateral plane isoparametric elements are used for the solution of boundary value problems in linear isotropic Cosserat elasticity. The patch test is applied to validate the finite elements. Engineering problems of stress concentration around a circular hole in plane strain condition and mechanical behaviors of heterogeneous materials with rigid inclusions and pores are computed to test the accuracy and capability of these three types of finite elements.

Simulation study on ultrasonic tomography for grouted reinforced concrete by finite element

A finite element reconstruction algorithm for ultrasound tomography based on the Helmholtz equation in frequency domain is presented to monitor the grouting defects in reinforced concrete structures.In this algorithm,a hybrid regularizations-based iterative Newton method is implemented to provide stable inverse solutions.Furthermore,a dual mesh scheme and an adjoint method are adopted to reduce the computation cost and improve the efficiency of reconstruction.Simultaneous reconstruction of both acoustic velocity and attenuation coefficient for a reinforced concrete model is achieved with multiple frequency data.The algorithm is evaluated with numerical simulation under various practical scenarios including varied transmission/receiving modes,different noise levels,different source/detector numbers,and different contrast levels between the heterogeneity and background region.Results obtained suggest that the algorithm is insensitive to noise,and the reconstructions are quantitatively accurate in terms of the location,size and acoustic properties of the target over a range of contrast levels.

Assessment of liquefaction potential based on shear wave velocity:Strain energy approach

Liquefaction assessment based on strain energy is significantly superior to conventional stress-based methods.The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the correlation between shear wave velocity and strain energy capacity of silty sands.The dissipated energy until liquefaction occurs was calculated by analyzing the results of three series of comprehensive cyclic direct simple shear and triaxial tests on Ottawa F65,Nevada,and Firoozkuh sands with varying silt content by weight and relative densities.Additionally,the shear wave velocity of each series was obtained using bender element or resonant column tests.Consequently,for the first time,a liquefaction triggering criterion,relating to effective overburden normalized liquefaction capacity energy(WL=s’c)to effective overburden stresscorrected shear wave velocity(eVs1)has been introduced.The accuracy of the proposed criteria was evaluated using in situ data.The results confirm the ability of shear wave velocity as a distinguishing parameter for separating liquefied and non-liquefied soils when it is calculated against liquefaction capacity energy(WL=s’c).However,the proposed WL=s’c-Vs1 curve,similar to previously proposed cyclic resistance ratio(CRR)-Vs1 relationships,should be used conservatively for fields vulnerable to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading.

Effects of humidity on shear behavior of bamboo

Bamboo is a naturally occurring biological composite, however its microstructure and hence its properties are very complex compared to the manmade composites. Due to optimization, it can be assumed that the variation in properties along the thickness of the culm be a smooth transition for better bonding strength between layers and to prevent non uniformity in stress concentration. As a consequence, biological structures are complicated and functionally graded. Hence, a realistic model that can capture the mechanical performance of bamboo is valuable in future design of robust multifunctional composites. This paper presents the results of experimental and numerical studies on the torsional （shear） properties of bamboo. The hierarchical and multi-scale structure of bamboo and the distribution of micro-scale fibers are revealed via laser scanning and atomic force microscopy. This information was incorporated into a finite element model to analyze the mechanical behavior of bamboo under torsion and to estimate the shear modulus of bamboo along the fibers. Moreover, the effects of humidity and therefore water content on the mechanical properties of bamboo were evaluated by performing torsion tests on samples maintained in environments with different humidities. Increasing the humidity does not cause a drop in the shear modulus, however, a jump in the shear modulus did occur at around 60% humidity. Results of this study indicate that the highest strength values in samples occurred in environments with humidity levels between 60% and 80% and undergo a significant drop after that. In higher humidities, the samples behave more ductile.

BRAKE TEST OF SiCp/A356 BRAKE DISK AND INTERPRETATION OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Material properties are obvious different between aluminum matrix composites and iron and steel materials. After the brake disk braked at the same speed, the average temperature of the aluminum brake disk is 1.5 times as high as one of iron and steel brake disk, the thermal expansion value of the aluminum brake disk is 2 times as big as one of iron and steel brake disk. Mechanical property of the material decreases with the temperature increasing generally during braking, on the other hand, the big thermal stress in the brake disk happens because the material expansion is constrained. Firstly, the reasons of the thermal stress generation and the fracture failure of brake disks during braking are analyzed qualitatively by virtue of three-bar stress frame and sandwich deformation principles in physic, and then the five constraints which cause the thermal stress are summarized. On the base of the experimental results on the 1：1 emergency brake test, the thermal stress and temperature fields are simulated; The behavior of the fracture failure is interpreted semi-quantitatively by finite element analysis, There is the coincident forecast for the fraction position in term of the two methods. In the end, in the light of the analysis and calculation results, it is the general principles observed by the structure design and assembly of the brake disk that are summarized.

DETERMINATION OF CREEP PROPERTIES OF THERMAL BARRIER COATING(TBC)SYSTEMS FROM THE INDENTATION CREEP TESTING WITH ROUND FLAT INDENTERS

Indentation creep behavior with cylindrical flat indenters on the thermal barrier coating (TBC) was studied by finite element method (FEM). On ike constant applied indentation creep stress, there is a steady creep rate for each case studied for different creep properties of the TBC system. The steady creep depth rate depends on the applied indentation creep stress and size of the indenters as well as the creep properties of the bond coat of the TBC and the substrate. The possibilities to determine the creep properties of a thermal barrier system from indention creep testing were discussed. As an example, with two different size indenters, the creep properties of bond coat of the TBC system can be derived by an inverse FEM method. This study not only provides a numerical method to obtain the creep properties of the TBC system, but also extends the application of indentation creep method with cylindrical flat indenters.

Test Elements, Generic Elements and Almost Primitivity in Free Products

In [5, 6] the relationships between test words, generic elements, almost primitivity and tame almost primitivity were examined in free groups. In this paper we extend the concepts and connections to general free products and in particular to free products of cyclic groups.

Macro- and micromechanical evaluation of cyclic simple shear test by discrete element method

Direct simple shear tests are considered to be simple laboratory tests that are capable of imposing a cyclic loading that is analogous to that induced by earthquakes. A realistic evaluation of the test results demands a profound micromechanical investigation of specimens. Three-dimensional discrete element method models of a stacked-ring simple shear test were constructed, in which monotonic and cyclic loadings were applied under constant-volume conditions, and good agreement between the monotonic and cyclic macromechanical behaviors was noted. Micromechanical properties of specimens that were subjected to a cyclic loading are discussed in terms of lateral and intermediate principal stress development, fabric anisotropy, and principal stress rotation. The stress and strain states inside the specimen were investigated and it was shown that despite the uniform stress distribution inside the specimen, the volumetric strain distributes non-uniformly during loading and the non-uniformity grows with cycling, which leads to localized zones of dilative and contractive behavior.

A new approach on necking constitutive relationships of ductile materials at elevated temperatures

A new method is presented to determine the full-range, uniaxial constitutive relationship of materials by tensile tests on funnel specimens with small curvature radius and finite element analysis(FEA). An iteration method using FEA APDL(ANSYS parametric design language) programming has been developed to approach the necking constitutive relationship of materials. Test results from SAE 304 stainless steel at room temperature show that simulated load vs displacement curve,diameter at funnel root vs displacement curve, and funnel deformation contours are close to modeled results. Due to this new method, full-range constitutive relationships and true stress and effective true strain at failure are found for 316 L stainless steel, TA17 titanium alloy and A508-III stainless steel at room temperature, and 316 L stainless steel at various elevated temperatures.

Effects of Vertical Angle of Conical Punch on Stretch Flangeability of High Strength Steel

To clarify the effects of the vertical angle of a conical punch on stretch flangeability, hole expansion forming tests were conducted. Test results showed that the hole expansion ratio becomes larger as the vertical angle decreases.Results also showed that the fracture strain at the fracture location on the hole edge was constant and independent of the vertical angle. This is because the hole expansion ratio was controlled not only by the fracture strain, which is independent of the vertical angle, but also by deformation uniformity along the hole edge. From the result of numerical analyses, it was determined that deformation uniformity depends on the gradient of circumferential stress along the radius direction. When the vertical angle is sharp, the circumferential stress showed a steep decline and the deformation localization was suppressed. Consequently, the hole edge deformed more uniformly and the hole expansion ratio became larger. It is concluded that in order to improve stretch flangeability of high strength steel, it is important to uniformly deform the hole edge by applying a conical punch with a sharp vertical angle.