Failure prediction for a glass/epoxy cruciform specimen under static biaxial loading

Material models were developed to predict the mechanical behavior of glass/epoxy multidirectional laminates under complex stress states. An incremental plane stress analysis was performed, taking into account the anisotropic material non-linearity, separate damage onset conditions and distinct post-failure stiffness degradation rules. Theoretical formulations were implemented in a shell element of the 1st order shear deformation theory. Numerical results were validated via comparison with test data from cruciform specimens subjected to static biaxial tensile loading. Local strain gauge and full-field strain measurements, obtained using the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique, corroborated numerical predictions. Improved strength and failure mode results were derived when, in addition to stiffness reduction, compressive strength degradation in the fiber direction was also considered.     

Investigation of mechanical behavior of transverse stitched T-joints with PR520 resin in flexure and tension

An investigation of the mechanical behavior of transverse stitched T-joints using a fiber insertion process and PR520 toughened epoxy resin was undertaken. Experimental and numerical analysis was performed under flexure loading and preliminary experiments were conducted under tensile loading. These conditions were selected as representative of the in-service loads found in the application of this type of joint in industry. Experiments were conducted to determine the modes of failure and ultimate failure strength for each load condition. Flexure specimens were instrumented with strain gages to measure far field strains. Initial and ultimate damage moment is investigated and failure mechanisms are discussed. The results indicate that the flexural specimens fail in part from unsymmetrical loading of the fiber insertions and in part from high stress concentration in the “resin-rich” fillet region. Tensile specimens have symmetric loading of both sets of fiber insertions and initially fail due to matrix cracking at the web-to-flange interface. Both flexure and tension specimens are shown to exhibit additional load-carrying capability beyond initial failure indicating a significant damage tolerance. A linear elastic finite element model was developed for flexural loading and results are compared to experimental data.     

玄武岩纤维增强泡沫混凝土的单轴拉伸及准静态压缩性能

为研究玄武岩纤维增强泡沫混凝土的力学性能,共设计了52组试件,讨论了玄武岩纤维体积掺量和纤维长度对各密度试件的拉伸和压缩性能的影响。结果表明：玄武岩纤维可显著提高试件的抗拉峰值应力(最大提升达到737%)和峰值应变(最大提升达到833%),可有效改善中高密度试件的受拉失效模式,使其出现伪应变硬化现象,提升了试件的抗拉承载能力和变形能力。试件抗拉峰值应力和峰值应变随纤维体积掺量增大而增大,随纤维长度增长先增大后降低;另一方面,玄武岩纤维能改变试件的受压破坏模式,使其从纵向劈裂破坏转变为斜向剪切破坏和横向压溃破坏,显著提高了中低密度试件的抗压承载力和吸能能力(最大提升达到328%)。试件的吸能能力随纤维体积掺量增大而增强,随纤维长度增长先提升后降低。     

The effect of carbon nanotube orientation and content on the mechanical properties of polypropylene based composites

Finite element method (FEM) is used to predict the tensile and compressive stress–strain curves of single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. The numerical simulations, using shell and tetrahedron elements, are first carried out to investigate the effect of SWCNT orientation on the mechanical properties of the nano-composites. Second, the Grunfest–Young constitutive equation is selected to determine the effect of strain rate and solve the finite element program to analyze the mechanical behavior of the nano-composites. Third, the effect of SWCNT volume fraction is studied. In all cases, the shear and normal stresses distribution along the nanotube axis are investigated and compared with the macroscopic tensile or compressive stresses on the composites. At the same time, the stresses of the interface between SWCNT and the matrix along the loading direction are analyzed. Finally, the effects of SWCNT orientation, content and strain rate on the strength of the nano-composites are studied. From the results obtained, it was shown that strain rate can substantially affect the tensile and shear stresses of the composites, but do not significantly influence the initial tensile or compressive elastic moduli. This is especially the case for SWCNT orientation angles less than 30° and volume fractions higher than 0.74%.     

2D-SiC/SiC复合材料损伤耦合力学行为

基于轴向和45°偏轴加载实验,分别获得2D-SiC/SiC复合材料在单一轴向应力和复合应力状态下纤维束轴向方向上的拉伸、压缩和面内剪切应力-应变行为,计算分析材料在复合应力状态下的损伤耦合力学行为。结果表明,在45°偏轴拉伸和压缩复合应力状态下材料损伤耦合力学行为的起始应力分别约为40MPa和-100MPa。复合应力状态下材料纤维束轴向方向上的拉伸损伤和面内剪切损伤进程间具有相互促进作用,面内剪切损伤对压缩损伤进程具有促进作用,但是压缩应力分量对面内剪切损伤进程具有明显的抑制作用;上述损伤耦合作用随着应力水平的增加而越发显著。由试件断口电镜扫描结果可知,复合应力状态下材料纤维束轴向方向上3个应力分量对材料内部0°/90°和45°3种取向基体裂纹开裂损伤进程的影响作用,是2D-SiC/SiC复合材料产生损伤耦合力学行为的主要细观损伤机制。     

Analytical evaluation on uniaxial tensile deformation behavior of fiber metal laminate based on SRPP and its experimental confirmation

Uniaxial tensile tests have been carried out to accurately evaluate the in-plain mechanical properties of fiber metal laminates (FMLs). The FMLs in this paper comprised of a layer of self-reinforced polypropylene (SRPP) sandwiched between two layers of aluminum alloy 5052-H34. In this study, nonlinear tensile and fracture behavior of FMLs under in-plane loading conditions has been investigated with numerical simulations and theoretical analysis. The numerical simulation based on finite element modeling using the ABAQUS/Explicit and the theoretical constitutive model based on the volume fraction approach using the rule of mixture and the modified classical lamination theory, which incorporates the elastic–plastic behavior of the aluminum alloy and SRPP, are used to predict the in-plain mechanical properties such as stress–strain response and deformation behavior of the FMLs. In addition, the pre-stretching process is used to reduce the thermal residual stresses before the uniaxial tensile tests of the FMLs. Through comparing the numerical simulations and the theoretical analysis with the experimental results, it is concluded that the adopted numerical simulation model and the theoretical approach can describe with sufficient accuracy of the actual tensile stress–strain curve.     

In situ monitoring of structural changes in nonwoven mats under tensile loading using X-ray computer tomography

Changes in the internal structure of nonwoven mats during tensile testing were investigated in situ with micro X-ray computer tomography (CT). Fiber orientation and volume fraction, as well as fiber–fiber contact, were quantitatively characterized at several strain levels. These parameters are apt to change under tensile loading and are important in determining the mechanical properties of nonwoven mats. The reorientation of fibers along the tensile direction was restricted at large deformations due to interlocked structures, which formed as a result of inherent entanglements in the nonwoven mats. In addition, contact efficiency, which describes the relative degree of fiber–fiber contact and was shown to be a suitable geometrical parameter for characterizing the microstructure of nonwoven mats, decreased at low strain and then increased with increasing strain until failure.     

Effect of accelerated freeze–thaw cycling on mechanical properties of hybrid PVA and PE fiber-reinforced strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCCs)

In this study, the influence of rapid freezing and thawing actions on mechanical properties of hybrid fibers reinforced strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCCs), which exhibit multiple cracking and strain-hardening behavior in direct tension, were investigated. Four SHCC mixtures with different water-to-binder (W/B) ratios and hybrid fiber combinations were assessed experimentally. The SHCC mixtures incorporating hybrid polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (PE) fibers at the 1.5% volume fraction were exposed to freezing and thawing according to ASTM C 666 (Procedure B). The freeze–thaw tests continued until the specimens achieved 300 freeze–thaw cycles. The results of these tests indicate that rapid freeze–thaw cycles in the laboratory have little effect on the compressive and tensile strength characteristics of the SHCC mixtures prepared in this study, whereas multiple cracking behavior and deformation capacity of SHCC specimens under direct tensile and flexural loadings indicate that freeze–thaw cycles have a negative effect on the these characteristics of the SHCC mixtures. A tendency toward reduced ductility is prominent for SHCC materials with higher W/B ratio and more hydrophilic PVA fiber.     

Dynamic tensile test of fly ash concrete under alternating tensile–compressive loading

In order to obtain the post-peak stress–strain curve of plain concrete, the strain-controlled uniaxial tensile tests are carried out on cylindrical specimens. The tensile cyclic tests are performed between a lower compressive load and an upper load to the envelope curve. Test results have shown that residual strain accumulates slowly when the concrete is subjected to alternating tensile–compressive loading, during which the microcracks increase and aggregate. Meanwhile, the rates of stiffness degradation with cycles are similar in all cases. In the study, an analytical model of the post-peak cyclic behavior of concrete is proposed. The strain is decomposed into classical linear elastic strain and non-classical strain described in the Presach–Mayergoyz model, which describes the hysteresis behavior of concrete well from a microscopic point of view. A good agreement is obtained between the test data and calculated results.     

Influence of loading direction on the anisotropic fatigue properties of rolled magnesium alloy

The influence of loading direction on the fatigue behavior of rolled AZ31 alloy was investigated by conducting fully reversed stress-controlled fatigue tests along the rolling direction and normal to the rolling plane. Alternating twinning and detwinning behavior during initial cycling was found to cause asymmetric hysteresis loops, resulting in a compressive strain in the rolling direction and a tensile strain normal to the rolling plane. A transition in the dominant deformation mechanism from twinning–detwinning to slip occurs at around five cycles under both conditions due to cyclic hardening, thus making their loops symmetric. The lower twinning stress in tension along the normal direction leads to an increase in fatigue damage by plastic strain, resulting in a lower fatigue resistance than along the rolling direction.     

Experimental and analytical study on fiber-kinking failure mode of laminated composites

Compressive behavior of composite materials has received significant attention in recent years. In the present work, a recently developed strain based fiber kinking model and stress based ones for unidirectional laminated composites are compared with experimental results. These models are implemented into a finite element code and the obtained results for glass/epoxy (Type C) ASNA 4197 unidirectional composites are presented and discussed in detail. Experimental investigations on compressive strength and kink band formation were also performed for several specimens with various dimensions and off-axis angles made of the same glass/epoxy prepreg composite material. A special compressive fixture was also fabricated in order to ensure that the specimens are in full contact with the loading machine elements and also to eliminate the potential bending moments.Comparison between the experimental and analytical results indicated that the proposed fiber kinking model and the developed code can be used to predict the compressive strength of laminated composites due to fiber kinking mode.     

Treating matrix nonlinearity in the binary model formulation for 3D ceramic composite structures

A computationally-efficient numerical approach to treating matrix nonlinearity in ceramic matrix composite components has been developed and validated. The model employs a dual mesh comprising strings of line elements that represent the fiber tows and 3D effective medium elements that define the external geometry and embody the matrix-dominated properties. Validation addressed test data for unnotched and open-hole tension specimens. For these tests, the onset of nonlinearity and subsequent plasticity due to matrix microcracking and interfacial debonding and sliding are satisfactorily represented by a linear Drucker–Prager model for failure initiation in the effective medium along with a fully-associated flow rule with isotropic, perfectly-plastic flow. Composite failure is assumed to be correlated with the maximum local stress averaged over a gauge volume dictated by the fiber tow width. Using one set of specimens for calibration, very good predictions of the nonlinear stress–strain response and ultimate strength of other specimens are obtained.     

Fracture behavior and acoustic emission in bending tests on single-fiber composites

The bending fracture mechanisms and interfacial behavior of single-fiber composites (s.f.c.) with different fiber surface treatments and embedded fiber positions were investigated in three-point bending with simultaneous acoustic emission monitoring. Microfractures occurring at fiber breakages were examined by AE parameters and observations by a polarized microscope. As a result, it was found that AE signals in a bulk resin specimen were almost not detected, while many AE events were monitored in the s.f.c. bending specimens. The number of AE events was in good agreement with the number of fiber breakages, except for specimens with an embedded fiber near the compressive surface. Using AE parameters, especially the peak frequency and its power energy obtained by a power spectrum analysis, failure modes can be identified. A transition of failure mode from fiber break accompanied by a matrix crack and debonding to buckling is observed when the stress in the embedded fiber changes from tension to compression. The debond length is very long near the loading point for the specimens with a fiber near the tensile surface, but it decreases with increasing distance from the loading point. The debond length is small for the specimen with an embedded fiber near the neutral plane since the strain in the fiber decreases. Furthermore, a model for debonding failure is proposed and the maximum interfacial shear stress is derived. It is confirmed that fiber fragment lengths for the specimens with a fiber near the tensile side can be also expressed by the Weibull distribution as done in s.f.c. tensile tests.     

Dynamic micromechanical modeling of textile composite strength under impact and multi-axial loading

Micromechanical finite element modeling has been employed to define the failure behavior of S2 glass/BMI textile composite materials under impact loading. Dynamic explicit analysis of a representative volume element (RVE) has been performed to explore dynamic behavior and failure modes including strain rate effects, damage localization, and impedance mismatch effects. For accurate reflection of strain rate effects, differences between an applied nominal strain rate across a representative volume element (RVE) and the true realized local strain rates in regions of failure are investigated. To this end, contour plots of strain rate, as well as classical stress contours, are developed during progressive failure. Using a previously developed cohesive element failure model, interfacial failure between tow and matrix phases is considered, as well as classical failure modes such as fiber breakage and matrix microcracking. In-plane compressive and tensile loading have been investigated, including multi-axial loading cases. Highly refined meshes have been employed to ensure convergence and accuracy in such load cases which exhibit large stress gradients across the textile RVE. The effect of strain rate and phase interfacial strength have been included to develop macro-level material failure envelopes for a 2D plain weave and 3D orthogonal microgeometry.     

Effect of strain rate on the tension–compression asymmetric responses of Ti–6.6Al–3.3Mo–1.8Zr–0.29Si

An experimental investigation is performed to explore the tension–compression asymmetry of Ti–6.6Al–3.3Mo–1.8Zr–0.29Si alloy over a wide range of strain rates. A split Hopkinson bar technique is used to obtain the dynamic stress–strain responses under uniaxial tension and compression loading conditions. Experimental results indicate that the alloy is a rate sensitive material. Both tension yield strength and compression yield strength increase with increasing strain rate. The mechanical responses of the alloy have the tension–compression asymmetry. The values of yield strength and subsequent flow stress in compression are much higher than that in tension. The yield strength is more sensitive to change with strain rate in tension than compression. The difference of the yield strength between tension and compression increases with the increase of strain rate. The tensile specimen is broken in a manner of ductile fracture presenting characteristic dimples, while the compressive specimen fails in a manner of localized shearing failure.     

Evolution of mechanical properties for a dual-phase steel subjected to different loading paths

The evolution of the mechanical properties of a dual-phase (DP590) steel sheet after being prestrained by uniaxial tension, plane strain and equal biaxial stretching was investigated. Specimens were first loaded using the three prestraining modes. Then, from the prestrained specimens, a few sub-sized samples were machined along the rolling direction and the transverse direction for further uniaxial tension testing. Six loading paths were provided. Equal biaxial stretching was performed using a cruciform specimen. The evolution of work hardening performance, elastic modulus, yield stress and tensile stress under the six loading paths were discussed in detail. The results indicate that loading paths can affect the latent work hardening performances, strain hardenability, yield stress and tensile stress evolution as well as the elastic modulus decrease during plastic deformation. The uniaxial tension–uniaxial tension path results in a cross-softening phenomenon, the largest yield stress enhancement and a mild maximum tensile stress increase. The equal biaxial stretching-uniaxial tension path leads to a cross-hardening phenomenon, the least yield stress enhancement and the largest tensile strength increase maximum tensile strength. The elastic modulus of DP590 steel not only changes with the accumulated plastic strain but also varies with the loading paths. The largest decrease of the elastic modulus equal biaxial stretching–uniaxial tension can reach 12.7% beyond 8% equivalent strain, which is 5.2% greater than that in the monotonic uniaxial tension path.     

Rate-dependent tensile behavior of high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites

High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCC) show strain hardening behavior accompanied with multiple micro-cracks under static tension. The high ductility and load carrying capacity resulting from their strain hardening behavior is expected to increase the resisting capacity of structures subjected to extreme loading situations, e.g., earthquake, impact or blast. However, the promise of HPFRCCs for dynamic loading applications stems from their observed good response under static loading. In fact, very little research has been conducted to investigate if their good static response translates into improved dynamic response and damage tolerance. This experimental study investigates the tensile behavior of HPFRCC using High strength steel fibers (High strength hooked fiber and twisted fiber) under various strain rates ranging from static to seismic rates. The test results indicate that the tensile behavior of HPFRCC using twisted fiber shows rate sensitivity while that using hooked fiber shows no rate sensitivity. The results also show that rate sensitivity in twisted fibers is dependent upon both fiber volume fraction and matrix strength, which influences the interface bond properties.     

Fatigue crack growth testing at negative stress ratios: discussion on the comparability of testing results

It is an accepted fact in fatigue community that compressive loads contribute to fatigue crack growth. Evidences range from fatigue crack growth under fully compressive loads to effects of compressive underloads to negative stress ratio loading. Because the crack closes under compression and the crack flanks transmit compressive stresses, the loading situation is completely different to those of tensile loading. The present paper addresses the comparability of crack growth testing procedures at negative stress ratios. It reveals that compressive loading at the crack tip differs in different specimens for an equal maximum stress intensity factor K_max and negative stress ratio R. Furthermore, the crack length can significantly influence the loading conditions at the crack tip for tension–compression loading. Depending on the specimen type and crack length, a negative force ratio may lead to a change of algebraic sign of the stresses at the crack tip or not. As a consequence, the comparability of available literature results for R ≤ 0 tests is not ensured. Proposals to improve the comparability of tension–compression crack growth testing will be given.