Three-Dimensional Mesoscopic Investigation on the Impact of Specimen Geometry and Bearing Strip Size on the Splitting-Tensile Properties of Coral Aggregate Concrete

The use of coral aggregate concrete(CAC)as a novel construction material has attracted significant attention for the construction of reef engineering structures.To investigate the static splitting-tensile behaviors of CAC under the influence of two factors,namely specimen geometry and bearing strip size,a three-dimensional(3D)mesoscale modeling approach with consideration for aggregate randomness in shape and distribution was adopted in this study.We established 12 different specimen models with two specimen shapes(i.e.,a cube with an edge length of 150 mm and a cylinder with dimensions ofφ150 mm×300 mm)and six strip widths(i.e.,6,9,12,15,18,and 20 mm)for calculation.The effects of specimen geometry and strip width on the splitting-tensile properties of CAC,such as failure processes,final failure patterns,and splitting-tensile strength(fst),are analyzed and discussed systematically.The results indicate the high reliability of the developed mesoscale modeling approach and reveal the optimal computational parameters for simulating and predicting the splitting-tensile properties of CAC.The fstvalues of CAC are associated with both the specimen geometry and width of the bearing strip.The fstvalues of the cube model are slightly higher than those of the cylinder model for the same bearing strip size,representing geometry effects that can be explained by differences in fracture area.Additionally,the fstvalue of CAC gradually increases with the relative width of the bearing strip ranging from 0.04 to 0.13.Based on the elastic solution theory,the variation area of CAC fstvalues with the relative width of the bearing strip was determined preliminarily,which has great significance for studying the tensile performance of CAC.

Influence of Specimen Geometry of Hot Torsion Test on Temperature Distribution During Reheating Treatment of API-X70

The commercial finite element package ANSYSTM was utilized for prediction of temperature distribution during reheating treatment of hot torsion test （HTT） samples with different geometries for API-X70 microalloyed steel. Simulation results show that an inappropriate choice of test specimen geometry and reheating conditions before deformation could lead to non-uniform temperature distribution within the gauge section of specimen. Therefore, assumptions of isothermal experimental conditions and zero temperature gradient within the specimen cross section appear unjustified and led to uncertainties of flow curve obtained. Recommendations on finding proper specimen geometry for reducing temperature gradient along the gauge part of specimen will be given to create homogeneous initial microstructure as much as possible before deformation in order to avoid uncertainty in consequent results of HTT.