Tensile strength and failure behavior of rock-mortar interfaces: Direct and indirect measurements

The tensile strength at the rock-concrete interface is one of the crucial factors controlling the failure mechanisms of structures,such as concrete gravity dams.Despite the critical importance of the failure mechanism and tensile strength of rock-concrete interfaces,understanding of these factors remains very limited.This study investigated the tensile strength and fracturing processes at rock-mortar interfaces subjected to direct and indirect tensile loadings.Digital image correlation(DIC)and acoustic emission(AE)techniques were used to monitor the failure mechanisms of specimens subjected to direct tension and indirect loading(Brazilian tests).The results indicated that the direct tensile strength of the rock-mortar specimens was lower than their indirect tensile strength,with a direct/indirect tensile strength ratio of 65%.DIC strain field data and moment tensor inversions(MTI)of AE events indicated that a significant number of shear microcracks occurred in the specimens subjected to the Brazilian test.The presence of these shear microcracks,which require more energy to break,resulted in a higher tensile strength during the Brazilian tests.In contrast,microcracks were predominantly tensile in specimens subjected to direct tension,leading to a lower tensile strength.Spatiotemporal monitoring of the cracking processes in the rock-mortar interfaces revealed that they show AE precursors before failure under the Brazilian test,whereas they show a minimal number of AE events before failure under direct tension.Due to different microcracking mechanisms,specimens tested under Brazilian tests showed lower roughness with flatter fracture surfaces than those tested under direct tension with jagged and rough fracture surfaces.The results of this study shed light on better understanding the micromechanics of damage in the rock-concrete interfaces for a safer design of engineering structures.

Effect of the mineral spatial distribution heterogeneity on the tensile strength of granite:Insights from PFC3D-GBM numerical analysis

The mechanical characteristics of crystalline rocks are affected by the heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of minerals.In this paper,a novel three-dimensional(3D)grain-based model(GBM)based on particle flow code(PFC),i.e.PFC3D-GBM,is proposed.This model can accomplish the grouping of mineral grains at the 3D scale and then filling them.Then,the effect of the position distribution,geometric size,and volume composite of mineral grains on the cracking behaviour and macroscopic properties of granite are examined by conducting Brazilian splitting tests.The numerical results show that when an external load is applied to a sample,force chains will form around each contact,and the orientation distribution of the force chains is uniform,which is independent of the external load level.Furthermore,the number of high-strength force chains is proportional to the external load level,and the main orientation distribution is consistent with the external loading direction.The main orientation of the cracks is vertical to that of the high-strength force chains.The geometric size of the mineral grains controls the mechanical behaviours.As the average grain size increases,the number of transgranular contacts with higher bonding strength in the region connecting both loading points increases.The number of high-strength force chains increases,leading to an increase in the stress concentration value required for the macroscopic failure of the sample.Due to the highest bonding strength,the generation of transgranular cracks in quartz requires a higher concentrated stress value.With increasing volume composition of quartz,the number of transgranular cracks in quartz distributed in the region connecting both loading points increases,which requires many high-strength force chains.The load level rises,leading to an increase in the tensile strength of the numerical sample.

Size effects on the tensile strength and fracture toughness of granitic rock in different tests

This study investigates the tensile failure mechanisms in granitic rock samples at different scales by means of different types of tests.To do that,we have selected a granitic rock type and obtained samples of different sizes with the diameter ranging from 30 mm to 84 mm.The samples have been subjected to direct tensile strength(DTS)tests,indirect Brazilian tensile strength(BTS)tests and to two fracture toughness testing approaches.Whereas DTS and fracture toughness were found to consistently grow with sample size,this trend was not clearly identified for BTS,where after an initial grow,a plateau of results was observed.This is a rather complete database of tensile related properties of a single rock type.Even if similar databases are rare,the obtained trends are generally consistent with previous scatter and partial experimental programs.However,different observations apply to different types of rocks and experimental approaches.The differences in variability and mean values of the measured parameters at different scales are critically analysed based on the heterogeneity,granular structure and fracture mechanics approaches.Some potential relations between parameters are revised and an indication is given on potential sample sizes for obtaining reliable results.Extending this database with different types of rocks is thought to be convenient to advance towards a better understanding of the tensile strength of rock materials.

Correction of dynamic Brazilian disc tensile strength of rocks under preloading conditions considering the overload phenomenon and invoking the Griffith criterion

Dynamic tensile failure is a common phenomenon in deep rock practices,and thus accurately evaluating the dynamic tensile responses of rocks under triaxial pressures is of great significance.The Brazilian disc(BD)test is the suggested method by the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering(ISRM)for measuring both the static and dynamic tensile strengths of rock-like materials.However,due to the overload phenomenon and the complex preloading conditions,the dynamic tensile strengths of rocks measured by the BD tests tend to be overestimated.To address this issue,the dynamic BD tensile strength(BTS)of Fangshan marble(FM)under different preloading conditions were measured through a triaxial split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB).The fracture onset in BD specimen was captured through a strain gage around the disc center.The discrepancy between the traditional tensile strength(TTS,determined by the peak load P_(f) of the BD specimen)and the nominal tensile strength(NTS,obtained from the load P_(i) when the diametral fracture commences in the tested BD specimen)was applied to quantitatively evaluating the overload phenomenon.The Griffith criterion was used to rectify the calculation of the tensile stress at the disc center under triaxial stress states.The results demonstrate that the overload ratio(s)increases with the loading rate(σ)and decreases with the hydrostatic pressure(σ_(s)).The TTS corrected by the Griffith criterion is independent of theσ_(s)due to the overload phenomenon,while the NTS corrected by the Griffith criterion is sensitive to both the andσ.Therefore,it is essential to modify the tensile stress in dynamic confined BD tests using both the overload correction and the Griffith criterion rectification to obtain the accurate dynamic BTS of rocks.

The Characteristics of Glued Tensile Shear Strength Constituted of Wood Cut by CO_(2) Laser

The performance of engineered wood products is highly associated with proper bonding and an efficient cutting method.This paper investigates the influence of CO_(2) laser cutting on the wetting properties,the modified che-mical component of the laser-cut surface,and the strength and adhesive penetration near the bondline.Beech-wood is cut by the laser with varying processing parameters,cutting speeds,gas pressures,and focal point positions.The laser-cut samples were divided into two groups,sanded and non-sanded samples.Polyvinyl acetate adhesive(PVAc)was used to bond the groups of laser-cut samples.After assembly with cold pressing,the tensile shear test was carried out.Numerical modelling was carried out to determine the partial elongation and shear strain of the glue line.Based on this,the shear modulus and linear elasticity of the glue line were estimated.Scan-ning electron microscopy was used to assess the adhesive penetration into the porosity structure of the laser-cut samples,and the depth of the heat-affected zone.The laser-cut surface was analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.The wetting properties of the laser-cut surface were investigated by using a contact angle goni-ometer.The numerical model of the strain-stress curve confirmed the experimental model.The highest modulus of the linear elasticity of the glue in the numerical calculation belongs to the joint containing laser-cut samples at a gas pressure of 21(bar).The penetration depth of PVAc adhesive into the porosity structure of the laser-cut sam-ples was similar to that of sawn samples.The deepest heat-affected zone in the laser-cut samples was 150µm.A PVAc drop disappeared immediately on the laser-cut surface without sanding,but gradually on the sanded surface.In contrast,the drop on the sawn surface remained with an angle of 32°–48°.The degradation of hemi-cellulose and lignin was proven by the lower intensity of the C=O and C-O Bonds,compared to the sawn surface.

A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Predict Tensile Strength in TIG Mild Steel Welds

Welding defects influence the desired properties of welded joints giving fabrication experts a common problem of not being able to produce weld structures with optimal strength and quality. In this study, the fuzzy logic system was employed to predict welding tensile strength. 30 sets of welding experiments were conducted and tensile strength data was collected which were converted from crisp variables into fuzzy sets. The result showed that the fuzzy logic tool is a highly effective tool for predicting tensile strength present in TIG mild steel weld having a coefficient of determination value of 99%.

TENSILE STRENGTH AND CREEP RESISTANCE OF Mg-9Al-1Zn BASED ALLOYS WITH CALCIUM ADDITION

Small amount of calcium addition to the Mg-9Al-0.8Zn-0.2Mn (AZ91) alloy resulted in obvious influence on mechanical properties. The yield strength of the alloys increased with the increase of Ca addition and the maximum strength was obtained from the alloy containing 0.15% of Ca. The creep resistance at the temperatures between 150-220°C was also significantly increased with Ca addition. The creep rate (at 200°C, 50 MPa) of the alloy with 0.15% Ca addition was one order of magnitude lower than that of the base alloy (AZ91). Microstructural observations revealed that the addition of calcium refined the microstructure and enhanced the thermal stability of the β precipitates, which accounted for the improvement of creep resistance at high temperatures.

Effects of laser energy density on forming accuracy and tensile strength of selective laser sintering resin coated sands

Baozhu sand particles with size between 75 μm and 150 μm were coated by resin with the ratio of 1.5 wt.% of sands. Laser sintering experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of laser energy density(E = P/v), with different laser power(P) and scanning velocity(v), on the dimensional accuracy and tensile strength of sintered parts. The experimental results indicate that with the constant scanning velocity, the tensile strength of sintered samples increases with an increase in laser energy density; while the dimensional accuracy apparently decreases when the laser energy density is larger than 0.032 J·mm-2. When the laser energy density is 0.024 J·mm-2, the tensile strength shows no obvious change; but when the laser energy density is larger than 0.024 J·mm-2, the sample strength is featured by the initial increase and subsequent decrease with simultaneous increase of both laser power and scanning velocity. In this study, the optimal energy density range for laser sintering is 0.024-0.032 J·mm-2. Moreover, samples with the best tensile strength and dimensional accuracy can be obtained when P = 30-40 W and v = 1.5-2.0 m·s-1. Using the optimized laser energy density, laser power and scanning speed, a complex coated sand mould with clear contour and excellent forming accuracy has been successfully fabricated.

Influence of root suction on tensile strength of Chrysopogon zizanioides roots and its implication on bioslope stabilization

Root tensile strength is an important factor controlling the performance of bio-slope stabilization works. Due to evapotranspiration and climate factors, the root moisture content and its suction can vary seasonally in practice and may not equal soil suction. The influences of suction and root moisture contents were investigated on Chrysopogon zizanioides(vetiver grass) root tensile strength. The root specimens were equilibrated with moist air in different suction conditions(0, 10, 20, and 50 kPa), prior to root tension tests. The root-water characteristic curve or relationship between root moisture and suction, was determined. The increase in suction resulted in decreased tensile strengths of the grass roots, particularly those with diameter of about 0.2 mm, which constituted 50.7% of all roots. For 1 mm roots, the tensile strength appeared to be unaffected by suction increase. The average root tensile strengths were used to estimate the root cohesion in slope stability analysis to find variation of safety factors of a bioengineered slope in different suction conditions. The analysis showed that the critical condition of slope with the lowest factor of safety would happen when the soil suction was zero and the root suction was high. Such condition may occur during a heavy rain period after a prolonged drought.

A Study of Tensile Strength Tests of Arborous Species Root System in Forest Engineering Technique of Shallow Landslide

One experiment was conducted, through tensile tests of Albazzia and Eucalypt roots culled from the fields. The other experiment was conducted, by testing anti-drawing strength of these root systems in the Albazzia and Eucalypt lands. These two experiments had an aim to give insights into the maximum tensile strength and anti-drawing strength of the root systems. Results indicated that the maximum tensile strength of root system is in an exponential relation with the diameter of root system while the maximum tensile strength is positively correlative with the diameter of root system. Anti-drawing force of root system together with root diameter, length, and soil bulk density are folded into a regression equation in an attempt to figure out the static friction coefficient between root system and its ambient soil.

Effect of Polypropylene Fibers on the Long-term Tensile Strength of Concrete

The influence of low volume fraction of polypropylene（PP） fibers on the tensile properties of normal and high strength concretes was studied. The experimental results indicate that the addition of PP fibers in concrete leads to a reduction in tensile strength during the age of 28 d. Whereas, after 28 days, there is a notable effect in tensile strength due to PP fibers restraining the formation and growth of microcracks in concrete, which improves the continuity and integrality of concrete structure, Thus, a low volume fraction of PP fibers is beneficial to enhancing the long-term tensile strength of concrete materials and improving the durability of concrete structures.

Stress-deformed state of cylindrical specimens during indirect tensile strength testing

In this study, the interaction between cylindrical specimen made ofhomogeneous, isotropic, and linearlyelastic material and loading jaws of any curvature is considered in the Brazilian test. It is assumed thatthe specimen is diametrically compressed by elliptic normal contact stresses. The frictional contactstresses between the specimen and platens are neglected. The analytical solution starts from the contactproblem of the loading jaws of any curvature and cylindrical specimen. The contact width, correspondingloading angle （2 ^0）, and elliptical stresses obtained through solution of the contact problems are used asboundary conditions for a cylindrical specimen. The problem of the theory of elasticity for a cylinder issolved using Muskhelishvili＇s method. In this method, the displacements and stresses are represented interms of two analytical functions of a complex variable. In the main approaches, the nonlinear interactionbetween the loading bearing blocks and the specimen as well as the curvature of their surfacesand the elastic parameters of their materials are taken into account. Numerical examples are solved usingMATLAB to demonstrate the influence of deformability, curvature of the specimen and platens on thedistribution of the normal contact stresses as well as on the tensile and compressive stresses actingacross the loaded diameter. Derived equations also allow calculating the modulus of elasticity, totaldeformation modulus and creep parameters of the specimen material based on the experimental data ofradial contraction of the specimen.

Dynamic rock tensile strengths of Laurentian granite: Experimental observation and micromechanical model

Tensile strength is an important material property for rocks. In applications where rocks are subjected to dynamic loads, the dynamic tensile strength is the controlling parameter. Similar to the study of static tensile strength, there are various methods proposed to measure the dynamic tensile strength of rocks.Here we examine dynamic tensile strength values of Laurentian granite(LG) measured from three methods: dynamic direct tension, dynamic Brazilian disc(BD) test, and dynamic semi-circular bending(SCB). We found that the dynamic tensile strength from direct tension has the lowest value, and the dynamic SCB gives the highest strength at a given loading rate. Because the dynamic direct tension measures the intrinsic rock tensile strength, it is thus necessary to reconcile the differences in strength values between the direct tension and the other two methods. We attribute the difference between the dynamic BD results and the direct tension results to the overload and internal friction in BD tests. The difference between the dynamic SCB results and the direct tension results can be understood by invoking the non-local failure theory. It is shown that, after appropriate corrections, the dynamic tensile strengths from the two other tests can be reduced to those from direct tension.

Study of the theoretical tensile strength of Fe by a first-principles computational tensile test

This paper employs a first-principles total-energy method to investigate the theoretical tensile strengths of bcc and fcc Fe systemically. It indicates that the theoretical tensile strengths are shown to be 12.4, 32.7, 27.5 GPa for bcc Fe, and 48.1, 34.6, 51.2 GPa for fcc Fe in the [001], [110] and [111] directions, respectively. For bcc Fe, the [001] direction is shown to be the weakest direction due to the occurrence of a phase transition from ferromagnetic bcc Fe to high spin ferromagnetic fcc Fe. For fcc Fe, the [110] direction is the weakest direction due to the formation of an instable saddle-point ＇bct structure＇ in the tensile process. Furthermore, it demonstrates that a magnetic instability will occur under a tensile strain of 14%, characterized by the transition of ferromagnetic bcc Fe to paramagnetic fcc Fe. The results provide a good reference to understand the intrinsic mechanical properties of Fe as a potential structural material in the nuclear fusion Tokamak.

APPROXIMATE MEANS FOR EVALUATING TENSILE STRENGTH OF HIGH POROSITY MATERIALS

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Tensile Strength Characteristics of GFRP Bars in Concrete Beams with Work Cracks under Sustained Loading and Severe Environments

To investigate the effect of different environmental conditions of GFRP bars in concrete beams with work cracks subjected to sustained loads, the beams were exposed in indoor, freeze/thaw cycles and immersed in alkaline solution at elevated temperature. The bars were carefully extracted from the beams and tested in order to evaluate residual tensile properties. The results show that the tensile strength decreased significantly in the highly aggressive conditions but not in the natural conditions. The effect of GFRP bars casting in concrete beams demonstrated approximately 2.5% decrease of tensile strength caused by pore water environment in concrete beams on basis of those of the original bars. The effect of sustained loading plus work cracks demonstrated about 10.5% tensile strength decrease on basis of those of the bars only casted in concrete beams. The effect of environments under sustained loading plus work cracks demonstrated about 17% tensile strength decrease caused by a saturated solution of Ca（OH）2 and 60-2 ℃ tap water （pH=12-13） and about 8% tensile strength decrease caused by freezing and thawing cycle （F/T）, both on basis of those of the bars of the indoor beams only under sustained loading plus work cracks. The results demonstrate the effects of the tensile strengths under different environmental conditions of GFRP bars in concrete beams with work cracks subjected to sustained loads.

Effect of Process Parameters on Tensile Strength of Friction Stir Welded Cast LM6 Aluminium Alloy Joints

This paper reports the effect of friction stir welding （FSW） process parameters on tensile strength of cast LM6 aluminium alloy. Joints were made by using different combinations of tool rotation speed, welding speed and axial force each at four levels. The quality of weld zone was investigated using macrostructure and microstructure analysis. Tensile strength of the joints were evaluated and correlated with the weld zone hardness and microstructure. The joint fabricated using a rotational speed of 900 r/min, a welding speed of 75 mm/min and an axial force of 3 kN showed superior tensile strength compared with other joints. The tensile strength and microhardness of the welded joints for the optimum conditions were 166 MPa and 64.8 Hv respectively.

Effect of kaolin on tensile strength and humidity resistance of a water-soluble potassium carbonate sand core

Water soluble cores(WSCs) have been widely applied in manufacture of complex metal components with hollow configurations or internal channels. However, the WSCs without any additons have low tensile strength and low humidity resistance. The purpose of this study is to prepare a water-soluble potassium carbonate sand core with addition of kaolin by the hot-temping method. The effects of kaolin on tensile strength, humidity resistance, fracture mechanism, as well as the gas evolution and collapsibility of WSCs were investigated. Results show that both the crystal morphology and the fracture mechanism of the inorganic salt are changed under the participation of kaolin, contributing to the increase of the tensile strength and the humidity resistance of the core. With the addition of 3wt.% kaolin, the tensile strength could be increased by a factor of 2, reached 1.50 MPa and the hygroscopic rate could be decreased by 14%, achieved 0.559%(after stored for 8 h), respectively. As the addition amount of kaolin increases from 0wt.% to 3wt.%, the main fracture mechanism changes from a adhesive to a cohesive fracture mechanism. The water-soluble potassium carbonate core obtained has the low gas evolution and excellent collapsibility, which makes it suitable for casting low melting metal with complex cavities and crooked channels.

Distribution and tensile strength of Hornbeam(Carpinus betulus) roots growing on slopes of Caspian Forests,Iran

Biomechanical characteristics of the root system of hornbeam(Carpinus betulus) were assessed by measuring Root Area Ratio(RAR) values and tensile strength of root specimens of eight hornbeam trees growing on hilly terrain of Northern Iran.RAR values of the roots were obtained using profile trenching method at soil depth of the top 0.1 m.In total 123 root specimens were analyzed for tensile strength.Results indicate that in general, RAR decreases with depth, following a power function.The RAR values in up and down slopes have no significant statistical differences.In most cases, the maximum RAR values were located in soil depth of the top 0.1 m, with maximum rooting depth at about 0.75 m.The minimum and maximum RAR values along the profiles were 0.004% and 6.431% for down slope and 0.004% and 3.995% for up slope, respectively.The number of roots in the up and down slope trenches was not significantly different.In the same manner as for RAR, number of roots distributing with depth was satisfactorily approximated a power function.The penetration depths of above 90 percent of the roots were at soil depths of 50 cm and 60 cm for up and down slopes, respectively.Results of Spearman's bivariate correlation showed no significant correlation between the RAR value with tree diameter and gradient of slope and number of roots.The mean value of root tensile strength was 31.51 ± 1.05 MPa and root tensile strength decreased with the increase in root diameter, follow-ing a power law equation.Using ANCOVA, we found intraspecies variation of tensile strength.

Residual Tensile Strength of Plain Concrete Under Tensile Fatigue Loading

The functional relation between the residual tensile strength of plain concrete and number of cycles was determined. 99 tappered prism specimens of plain concrete were tested under uniaxial tensile fatigue loading. Based on the probability distribution of the residual tensile strength, the empirical expressions of the residual tensile strength corresponding to the number of cycles were obtained. The residual tensile strength attenuating curves can be used to predict the residual fatigue life of the specimen under variable-amplitude fatigue loading. There is a good correlation between residual tensile strength and residual secant elastic modulus. The relationship between the residual secant elastic modulus and number of cycles was also established.