Experimental Study on Non-proportional Multiaxial Strain Cyclic Characteristics and Ratcheting of U71Mn Rail Steel

An experimental study was carried out on the strain cyclic characteristics and ratcheting of U71Mn rail steel subjected to non-proportional multiaxial cyclic loading. The strain cyclic characteristics were researched under the strain-controlled circular load path. The ratcheting was investigated for the stress-controlled multiaxial circular, elliptical and rhombic load paths with different mean stresses, stress amplitudes and their histories. The experiment shows that U71Mn rail steel features the cyclic non-hardening/softening, and its strain cyclic characteristics depend greatly on the strain amplitude but slightly on its history. However, the ratcheting of U71Mn rail steel depends greatly not only on the values of mean stress and stress amplitude, but also on their histories. In the meantime, the shape of load path and its history also apparently influence the ratcheting. The ratcheting changes with the different loading paths.

A Statistical Model with Non-Linear Effects and Non-Proportional Hazards for Breast Cancer Survival Analysis

The Cox proportional hazard model is being used extensively in oncology in studying the relationship between survival times and prognostic factors. The main question that needs to be addressed with respect to the applicability of the Cox PH model is whether the proportional hazard assumption is met. Failure to justify the subject assumption will lead to misleading results. In addition, identifying the correct functional form of the continuous covariates is an important aspect in the development of a Cox proportional hazard model. The purpose of this study is to develop an extended Cox regression model for breast cancer survival data which takes non-proportional hazards and non-linear effects that exist in prognostic factors into consideration. Non-proportional hazards and non-linear effects are detected using methods based on residuals. An extended Cox model with non-linear effects and time-varying effects is proposed to adjust the Cox proportional hazard model. Age and tumor size were found to have nonlinear effects. Progesterone receptor assay status and age violated the proportional hazard assumption in the Cox model. Quadratic effect of age and progesterone receptor assay status had hazard ratio that changes with time. We have introduced a statistical model to overcome the presence of the proportional hazard assumption violation for the Cox proportional hazard model for breast cancer data. The proposed extended model considers the time varying nature of the hazard ratio and non-linear effects of the covariates. Our improved Cox model gives a better insight on the hazard rates associated with the breast cancer risk factors.

EFFECT OF NON-PROPORTIONAL OVERLOADING ON FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH

The effect of proportional and non-proportional overloading on mode l fatigue crack growth have been studied,and the influences of crack tip plastic zone,crack tip blunting as well as crack closure were discussed.Proportional(model I)overloading may cause more serious crack growth retardation than non-proportional(mixed mode)overloading.Therefore,for estimating the fatigue life of engineering structures to simplify a real overload which may of- ten be non-proportional as a proportional one is not always safe.

SIMULATION OF COMPLEX THERMOMECHANICAL FATIGUE

Two different types of experimental techniques to perform non-isothermal, uniax-ial and biaxial fatigue tests were described. A new miniaturised electrothermal-mechanical test rig was presented and discussed. It enables testing of small specimens under complex thermomechanical loading conditions. In order to cope with the simulation of well defined biaxial proportional and non-proportional loadings with in-phase and out-of-phase superposition of thermal loads a cruciform biaxial fatigue testing machine has been developed. Special design features of both machines, and the specimens tested, as well as typical test results were discussed.

FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION FOR BIAXIAL STRESS CYCLING

Based on the experimental study of complex biaxial mode Ⅰ fatigue crack growth and the discussion on Von Mises'theory,a new approach is proposed for correlating crack propaga- tion rate under both in-phase and out-of-phase biaxial stress cycling.The results emphasize the contribution of plasticity to fatigue crack growth.

Survival Model Inference Using Functions of Brownian Motion

A family of tests for the presence of regression effect under proportional and non-proportional hazards models is described. The non-proportional hazards model, although not completely general, is very broad and includes a large number of possibilities. In the absence of restrictions, the regression coefficient, β(t), can be any real function of time. When β(t) = β, we recover the proportional hazards model which can then be taken as a special case of a non-proportional hazards model. We study tests of the null hypothesis;H0:β(t) = 0 for all t against alternatives such as;H1:∫β(t)dF(t) ≠ 0 or H1:β(t) ≠ 0 for some t. In contrast to now classical approaches based on partial likelihood and martingale theory, the development here is based on Brownian motion, Donsker’s theorem and theorems from O’Quigley [1] and Xu and O’Quigley [2]. The usual partial likelihood score test arises as a special case. Large sample theory follows without special arguments, such as the martingale central limit theorem, and is relatively straightforward.

MATRIX ALGEBRA ALGORITHM OF STRUCTURE RANDOM RESPONSE NUMERICAL CHARACTERISTICS

A new algorithm of structure random response numerical characteristics, namedas matrix algebra algorithm of structure analysis is presented. Using the algorithm, structurerandom response numerical characteristics can easily be got by directly solving linear matrixequations rather than structure motion differential equations. Moreover, in order to solve thecorresponding linear matrix equations, the numerical integration fast algorithm is presented. Thenaccording to the results, dynamic design and life-span estimation can be done. Besides, the newalgorithm can solve non-proportion damp structure response.

On dissipative gradient effect in higher-order strain gradient plasticity: the modelling of surface passivation

The phenomenological flow theory of higher-order strain gradient plasticity proposed by Fleck and Hutchinson(J.Mech.Phys.Solids,2001)and then improved by Fleck and Willis(J.Mech.Phys.Solids,2009)is used to investigate the surface-passivation problem and micro-scale plasticity.An extremum principle is stated for the theory involving one material length scale.To solve the initial boundary value problem,a numerical scheme based on the framework of variational constitutive updates is developed for the strain gradient plasticity theory.The main idea is that,in each incremental time step,the value of the effective plastic strain is obtained through the variation of a functional in regard to effective plastic strain,provided the displacement or deformation gradient.Numerical results for elasto-plastic foils under tension and bending,thin wires under torsion,are given by using the minimum principle and the numerical scheme.Implications for the role of dissipative gradient effect are explored for three non-proportional loading conditions:(1)stretch-passivation problem,(2)bending-passivation problem,and(3)torsion-passivation problem.The results indicate that,within the Fleck-Hutchinson-Willis theory,the dissipative length scale controls the strengthening size effect,i.e.the increase of initial yielding strength,while the surface passivation gives rise to an increase of strain hardening rate.

Application of an efficient stochastic calculation method on the seismic analysis of an isolated structure

An isolated structure often possesses distinct non-proportional damping characteristics.However,traditional seismic calculation theory and methods are derived based on the assumption that damping is proportional.Based on this drawback,a new,more efficient stochastic calculation method,an improvement on the pseudo-excitation method,is introduced.This method is then applied to the seismic analysis of an isolated structure.By comparing it with the forced decoupling,matrix inversion and iteration methods,it is shown that the presented method can produce accurate results while increasing the efficiency of the stochastic analysis.Moreover,the calculation process of the seismic response of an isolated structure is convergent.Based on the results of the example presented in this paper,the given method is applicable to the seismic analysis of an isolated structure and can be utilized in practice.

Viscoplastic constitutive model of a nickel-based superalloy under multiaxial loading conditions

Based on Chaboche constitutive model,a viscoplastic constitutive model of nickel-based alloy under multiaxial loading is proposed by introducing Lemaitre damage model and non-proportional hardening factor.Lemaitre damage model can characterize the effect of microscopic defects on the fatigue behavior and non-proportional hardening factor is used to describe non-proportional hardening phenomenon.Subsequently,the stress–strain hysteresis loops at room and high temperatures under different loading conditions are simulated by the proposed constitutive model.Comparison between experiments and simulations confirms that the proposed model can reasonably predict the fatigue behavior of nickel-based alloy under different multiaxial loadings.At last,the fatigue life predictions under different multiaxial loadings are investigated,and comparison between experiments and simulations verifies the accuracy of the proposed model.