Anisotropic Stress Field Research Articles

Explicit Analysis for the Ground Reaction of a Circular Tunnel Excavated in Anisotropic Stress Fields Based on Hoek–Brown Failure Criterion

Explicit Analysis for the Ground Reaction of a Circular Tunnel Excavated in Anisotropic Stress Fields Based on Hoek–Brown Failure Criterion

Deformation Behavior and Seismic Characteristics of Sandy Facies Opalinus Clay During Triaxial Deformation Under Dry and Wet Conditions

Unconsolidated, undrained triaxial deformation tests were performed on sandy facies Opalinus Clay at 50 MPa confining pressure to characterize the effect of water and microfabric orientation on the deformation behavior, mechanical properties, and P-wave velocity evolution. Dry and wet (≈ 8 and > 95% initial water saturation, respectively) samples with 12.6 ± 0.4 vol% porosity were deformed parallel and perpendicular to the bedding direction at a constant strain rate of 5 × 10–6 s−1. Dry samples revealed semi-brittle behavior and exhibited strain localization at failure, while deformation was more ductile at saturated conditions, promoting stable, slow faulting. Peak strength, Young’s modulus, and number of cumulative acoustic emissions decreased significantly for wet samples compared to dry samples; the opposite was observed for Poisson’s ratio. P-wave velocity anisotropy was significantly altered by differential stress, primarily due to the interplay between pore and fracture closure and stress-induced microcrack formation. For samples that were deformed perpendicular to bedding, we observed a reduction and reversal of P-wave velocity anisotropy with increasing differential stress, whereas anisotropy of parallel samples increased. The results suggest that water saturation reduces the pressure at the brittle-ductile transition and that the elastic properties and anisotropy of sandy facies Opalinus Clay can be significantly altered in an anisotropic stress field, e.g., adjacent to fault zones or tunnel excavations. Changes in elastic anisotropy are primarily controlled by the orientation between the pre-existing microfabric and the maximum principal stress direction, stress magnitude, and the degree of water saturation.

Femtosecond laser written waveguides in Dy-doped Y3Al5O12 for yellow lasers

Depressed cladding waveguides in a Dy:YAG crystal were fabricated by femtosecond direct laser writing. Their μ-luminescence characterization in the visible revealed well-preserved emission properties in the core region, a strong material modification within the damage tracks, and an anisotropic stress field associated with ear-like side structures. The developed waveguides are promising for yellow lasers.

Geometry and evolution of polygonal fault systems under a regionally anisotropic stress field: Insights from 3D seismic analysis of the Qiongdongnan Basin, NW South China Sea

AbstractPolygonal fault systems (PFS) are developed in many sedimentary basins, and their formation, growth, and ultimate geometry have been widely studied. The geometry and growth of PFS forming under the influence of regionally anisotropic stresses, however, are poorly understood, despite the fact these structures may serve as key paleo‐stress indicators that can help reconstruct the tectonic and stress history of their host basins. We here use high‐quality 3D seismic reflection data and quantitative fault analysis to determine the geometry and evolution of a PFS in the Qiongdongnan Basin (NW South China Sea), and its possible relationship with the geological and stress history of the basin. The PFS is dominated by two intersecting NNW‐to‐N‐ and E‐striking fault sets, which initiated in the Early Miocene. The dominant fault strike at the structural level at which the faults nucleated and where strain is greatest (i.e., Lower Miocene) is close to NW–SE. However, at the top and bottom of the PFS tier faults strike NNW–SSE, thereby defining a very slight vertical, clockwise rotation of strike. Based on the observation that the host rock is flat‐lying, it is unlikely that basin‐tilting perturbed (i.e., δ2 ≠ δ3) the otherwise radially isotropic stress field that typically characterize PFS. Likewise, diapirs that punctuate the host rock and that are spatially related to the PFS appear not to control fault geometry. We instead infer that the PFS geometry reflects a combination of local isotropic and regional, extension‐related tectonics stress affecting the Qiongdongnan Basin during the Early Oligocene to Middle Miocene. Regional studies suggest that during this time, extensional stresses in eastern Qiongdongnan Basin rotated clockwise from roughly NNW to N; we noticed the rotation of strike of the PFS, within which the vertical change in fault strike being relatively minor. Our study determines the timing of polygonal fault growth within the Qiongdongnan Basin and the associated geometry, highlighting the key role played by regional and local stresses.

Relativistic Exploration of Dark Matter Effectsin Rotating Galaxy, Studied Fluid-Dynamically

Galactic space is filled with interstellar clouds of neutral gases. Motion of the space-clouds is viewed as a flow of continuous fluid in curved space with gravity. Dynamical motions of the space-fluid of rotating galaxies are investigated by extending Fluid Dynamics to that in the frame of general relativity. Fluid flow field to be extended to that of a relativistic theory is reinforced by the fluid gauge theory equipped with a background (dark) gauge field conditioning the fluid continuity. The Gravity-space Fluid Dynamics thus developed captures main feature of the dark-matter effect as the action of the gauge field on the motion of space fluids. In the present formulation, the stress-energy tensor in the general relativity is revised in order to take account of general nature of stress field by extending the isotropic pressure to an-isotropic stress field.

Scratch-induced surface formation mechanism in C/SiC composites

Due to the extremely complex composition of C/SiC composites, their material removal mechanisms are significantly different from those of conventional single-phase ceramic materials. Therefore, the grinding removal mechanism of C/SiC composites must be investigated so that the components based on these composites can be machined efficiently and with low damage. In this paper, nano-scratch experiments with various cutting depths are carried out along different fiber orientations to simulate the material removal process in grinding and theoretically clarify the damage failure mechanism based on different cutting thicknesses. According to the assessment of surface and subsurface morphology of the various constituents in the scratch grooves regarding different fiber orientations, the multiple brittle breakage modes and surface integrity of carbon fiber are revealed. Green’s function is applied to establish a half-space anisotropic analytic elastic stress field considering the microstructural characteristics of material, and the crack nucleation and propagation principles during micro brittle fracture regime for nano-scratch experiment are elucidated based on the fracture mechanics and the maximum principal stress criterion. The formation mechanism of machined surface morphology in macro brittle removal process is investigated under the crack deflection effect at the weak interface and based on the elastic foundation beam theory. The related findings can provide a reasonable reference framework for optimizing the grinding technology, material and tool design regarding C/SiC composites.

Quantitative assessment of the effect of in-situ stresses on blast-induced damage to rock

In-situ stress significantly affects rock blast damage but there is a paucity of quantitative assessments of damage evolution in rocks affected by confining pressure. The present paper analyses the effect of envelope pressure on blast-induced rock damage through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. Damage clouds obtained from numerical simulations are processed using image processing techniques. The concept of the damage variable (η) is proposed to facilitate the presentation of the image processing results. The damage variable is found to be negatively correlated with the hydrostatic pressure (Px) at the same moment, in equiaxial in-situ stress fields. In contrast, in anisotropic in-situ stress fields, η is not negatively correlated with Px due to the presence of hoop tensile stresses in the rock. The mathematical relationship between η and Px in equiaxial and anisotropic stress fields are established. An anisotropic damage variable (ηk) is introduced to describe the effect of the anisotropy ratio (K) on rock damage, which is found to increase with increasing values of K. The sharp increase in K equal to 4 and 5 is explained in terms of the state of the rock stress distribution under static loading. This study provides insights into the effect of in situ stress on rock blast damage and presents new approaches for analyzing and presenting the data.

Organo-Bentonite-Coated Interfaces: Interfacial Properties and Cyclic Response

The accumulation of amphiphilic molecules, nanoparticles, or microorganisms at interfaces has important implications for multiphase flow in porous media. We optimize the composition of stable organo-bentonite suspensions to enhance particle adsorption onto the oil–water interface. Then, we use the pendant drop method to explore time-dependent effects on surface tension and the consequences of contraction–expansion cycles. Brownian motion brings organo-bentonite particles to the oil–water interface where they adsorb and accumulate to reduce the apparent interfacial tension in time. The adsorption energy of platy organo-bentonite particles is significantly higher than the adsorption energy of spherical nanoparticles of the same volume. Then, a shell-like interface develops after particle jamming during droplet contraction, and further contraction leads to shell buckling and wrinkle formation (rather than desorption). The shell-like interface experiences an anisotropic stress field and cannot be described by the Young–Laplace equation. The evolution of interfacial tension during contraction and expansion shows strong hysteresis; furthermore, the results suggest that the number of adsorbed particles at the interface increases with the number of cycles. Natural clay nanoparticles can facilitate the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives for field-scale applications.

Efficient fully coupled 3D poroelastic modeling of geomechanical deformation during depletion and reinjection: An asymptotic transformation of Biot’s poroelasticity from a dynamic to a quasistatic response

We develop an approach for efficient 3D simulation of the quasistatic fully coupled poroelastic response of a reservoir during depletion and subsequent reinjection. The approach uses a scaling of the solid and fluid densities in Biot’s poroelastic equations. This scaling impacts the critical frequency [Formula: see text] of Biot’s slow wave that defines diffusive flow ([Formula: see text]) and wave propagation ([Formula: see text]). We find the criterion for the density scaling range over which the poroelastic response is accurately modeled and benchmark the approach against Terzaghi’s 1D and Rudnicki’s 3D analytic solutions. The density scaling approach is presently limited to single-phase fluid flow. To illustrate the utility of this approach, we simulate microseismic depletion delineation (MDD) in a fractured unconventional reservoir. The reservoir, which is subjected to an anisotropic stress field, is first produced for 1000 days, and then a reinjection (below the in situ pressure) is performed for 100 days. We find that stress reorientation during production produces favorable conditions for the generation of Mohr-Coulomb slip-related microseismicity. The locations of these microseismic events are found to be consistent with depleted portions of the fracture system, in accordance with the MDD concept.

The mechanobiology of fibroblast activation

Mechanical factors are well known to affect cell fate. However, this understanding has been largely limited to the effects of uniaxial tension. While studying how fibroblasts cells change phenotype to become wound-healing myofibroblasts, we observed that the multiaxial nature of the stress field can dominate over previously known effects of tension magnitude, with the surprising result that stresses applied in two directions can have less of an effect than the same stress applied in only one direction. We explain this through the mechanobiology of cellular protrusions and collagen fibers, which undergo a two-way, self-reinforcing feedback mechanism in which cell protrusions align and stiffen collagen fibers anisotropically, while the anisotropic stress field induced by collagen fiber alignment in turn stabilizes the protrusions and aligns cells. Using integrated predictive mathematical models and experiments, we identified how to control the phenotypic transformation from fibroblast to myofibroblast. We will discuss implications for the role of mechanical factors in promoting wound healing in skin grafting and for preventing pathologies such as fibrosis.

Study on Mechanical Cleavage Mechanism of GaAs via Anisotropic Stress Field and Experiments

To satisfy the increasing requirements for high-quality cavity mirrors for semiconductor lasers, the influence of the anisotropic stress field generated by scratching GaAs on the quality of cleavage planes was investigated. First, a novel method for calculating the interplanar spacing was proposed to estimate the favourable direction for the scratching operation. Some mechanical properties in the scratching direction were calculated. Consequently, an anisotropic calculation model of the stress field generated by scratching was established. The calculation model was used to analyse the y-component stress field distribution along different directions beneath the indenter. The results show that the maximum stress occurs at the contact area between the material and indenter tip, and the stress along the <100> orientation is lower than that along the <110> orientation. According to our experiments, a significant decrease in the average radial crack length and a slight decrease in the average kerf width were observed along the [011] direction compared to the corresponding results for the [001] direction. In addition, the (011) plane had a surface roughness of 0.43 nm and could become a preferential cleavage plane under a low scratching load. The results of this study contribute to advance our understanding of the mechanisms of mechanical cleavage processes.

New insights of heterogeneous nucleation and anisotropic growth of acicular ferrite on non-metallic inclusion

This work studies the acicular ferrite (AF) nucleation and growth from a classical defect, i.e. non-metallic inclusion surface. The heterogeneous AF-nucleation probability on NMI is predicted by a mathematical model following the classical nucleation theory. The calculation results are in consistent with the experimental data. The current model includes the exact form of the activation energy and Zeldovich factor for heterogeneous nucleation on pre-existing spherical surface. It generates an interaction map that for the first time quantitatively describes the superposition influences of the interfacial energies and NMI-size on the AF-nucleation potency. In the AF-growth aspect, we systematically reveal the single AF-plate evolution behavior through the synergy between the experimental observations and multiphase-field simulations. It is found that the AF-tip morphology is impacted by the misorientation angle between the favorable growth direction and normal vector. It also influences the AF-lengthening and widening kinetics. Additionally, the anisotropic stress field induced by the AF-NMI interface plays a significant role in controlling the complex curvature of the AF-plate. The current study opens new perspectives for understanding the AF-precipitation mechanisms.

3D Modelling of Excavation-Induced Anisotropic Responses of Deep Drifts at the Meuse/Haute-Marne URL

Understanding the excavation-induced fractured zone (EFZ) around drifts is paramount in the context of the deep geological disposal for nuclear waste since fractures can introduce pathways for the migration of radionuclides. Drifts in the Meuse/Haute-Marne Underground Research Laboratory (URL) have been essentially excavated following the two main directions of major and minor horizontal stresses. Field observations on the two drifts GCS (parallel to major horizontal stress direction) and GED (parallel to minor horizontal stress direction) in the URL show anisotropic shapes of EFZ around drifts through both orientations and anisotropic convergences. These anisotropic responses resulted from the inherent and/or induced anisotropies of the host rock as well as the anisotropic stress field. This study focuses on 3D numerical modelling of excavation-induced anisotropic responses including shape and extent of EFZ, and short-term convergences of drifts. The main assumption is that the failure of claystone material is due to fracturing along weakness planes (ubiquitous joints) and the failure of the rock matrix. The ubiquitous joint failure is represented by perfectly plastic models for both tensile and shear yield functions. Their orientation is determined from the stress state based on the fracture mechanics, which includes tensile, longitudinal splitting and shear (conjugate planes) cracks. The rock matrix is assumed to be elastoplastic with hardening, softening and residual behaviours. Confining pressure dependency for the post-peak behaviour with a brittle–ductile transition is taken into account for the rock matrix. The proposed model is implemented into a commercial numerical software FLAC3D. The main features of the implemented model are shown by the simulation of laboratory triaxial compression tests, as well as field observation within the URL. In particular, comparisons between 3D simulations of GCS and GED drifts with in situ observations shows promising results, which demonstrates advances of present model with respect to existing models.

Fluid Gauge Theory

According to the general gauge principle, Fluid Gauge Theory is presented to cover a wider class of flow fields of a perfect fluid without internal energy dissipation under anisotropic stress field. Thus, the theory of fluid mechanics is extended to cover time dependent rotational flows under anisotropic stress field of a compressible perfect fluid, including turbulent flows. Eulerian fluid mechanics is characterized with isotropic pressure stress fields. The study is motivated from three observations. First one is experimental observations reporting large-scale structures coexisting with turbulent flow fields. This encourages a study of how such structures observed experimentally are possible in turbulent shear flows, Second one is a theoretical and mathematical observation: the ”General solution to Euler’s equation of motion” (found by Kambe in 2013) predicts a new set of four background-fields, existing in the linked 4d-spacetime. Third one is a physical query, ”what symmetry implies the current conservation law ?”. The latter two observations encourage a gauge-theoretic formulation by defining a differential one-form representing the interaction between the fluid-current field jμand a background field aμ.

Experimental Study on the Effects of In Situ Stress on the Initiation and Propagation of Cracks during Hard Rock Blasting

In situ stress is one of the most important factors affecting rock dynamic fractures during blasting excavation of deep rock mass that generally is hard rock. In this research, crater blasting experiments on hard rock under different uniaxial static stresses were conducted to investigate the initiation and propagation process of crack networks that were induced by coupled dynamic and static loads. Furthermore, the effects of anisotropic static stress fields on the initiation and propagation of crack networks during hard rock blasting, and the crack network morphological characteristics were analyzed and elucidated. The experimental results showed that the static stress field changed the process of crack network initiation and propagation during hard rock blasting, and then control the crack network morphology. Under uniaxial static stress, the crack network was elliptical with the long axis parallel to the static stress. In addition, the larger the anisotropic static stress is, the more obvious the elliptical morphology of the crack network. Moreover, the static stress lead to the delay of crack formation which indicates that the delay time during millisecond blasting excavation of deep rock mass should be adjusted appropriately according to the in situ stress. A stress-strength ratio (SSR) of 0.15 is the threshold value where static stress may have a significant effect on the initiation and propagation of a crack network. Meanwhile, the strain field prior to crack initiation during rock blasting controlled the morphological characteristics of the crack network. Finally, the mechanism of static stress affecting propagation and morphology of crack network was revealed theoretically.

A phenomenological model for thermally-induced hysteresis in polycrystalline shape memory alloys with internal loops

In the current study, a 1-D phenomenological model is constructed to capture the temperature-induced hysteretic response in polycrystalline shape memory alloys (SMAs). The martensitic and austenitic transformations are regarded as the first-order transitions. A differential single-crystal model is formulated on the basis of Landau theory. It is assumed that the transformation temperatures follow the normal distribution among the grains due to the anisotropic stress field developed in the material. The polycrystalline hysteretic response is expressed as the integration of single-crystal responses. Besides, the prediction strategy for incomplete transitions is presented, and the first-order reversal curves are obtained via density reassignment. The proposed model is numerically implemented for validation. Comparisons between the modeling results and the experimental ones demonstrate the capability of the proposed model in addressing the hysteresis in thermally-induced phase transformations.

Estimation of the orientation of stress in the Earth\u2019s crust without earthquake or borehole data

Mechanical stress acting in the Earth’s crust is a fundamental property that is important for a wide range of scientific and engineering applications. The orientation of maximum horizontal compressive stress can be estimated by inverting earthquake source mechanisms and measured directly from borehole-based measurements, but large regions of the continents have few or no observations. Here we present an approach to determine the orientation of maximum horizontal compressive stress by measuring stress-induced anisotropy of nonlinear susceptibility, which is the derivative of elastic modulus with respect to strain. Laboratory and Earth experiments show that nonlinear susceptibility is azimuthally dependent in an anisotropic stress field and is maximum in the orientation of maximum horizontal compressive stress. We observe this behavior in the Earth—in Oklahoma and New Mexico, U.S.A, where maximum nonlinear susceptibility coincides with the orientation of maximum horizontal compressive stress measured using traditional methods. Our measurements use empirical Green’s functions and solid-earth tides and can be applied at different temporal and spatial scales.

Cyclic Mechanical Fatigue Lifetime of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-Based Eco-Piezoceramics.

The mechanical strength and cyclic fatigue behavior of PIC700 commercial eco-piezoceramic disks are investigated under biaxial loading on unpoled and poled samples. The bending strength of unpoled samples was higher than those of poled ones. Fatigue tests were conducted under a load ratio of 10 at a frequency of 20 Hz with a sinusoidal waveform. The curve fitting for the S-N fatigue diagram is used to predict the lifetime of these eco-piezoceramics and describe their fatigue behavior. It was also found that the unpoled samples exhibited higher fatigue resistance than the poled ones. The fatigue limit of maximum load for ten million cycles of unpoled and poled samples was estimated to be 160 and 135 MPa, respectively. The detailed observations of the fatigue fracture surfaces by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that a wavy surface with a mixture of transgranular and intergranular fractures occurred preferentially in the case of the poled material. On the other hand, transgranular fractures seem to be predominant in the unpoled samples. It appears that the poling process causes the change in failure characteristics due to domain orientation that leaves an anisotropic stress field in the material. The poled ceramics possess a local stress concentration created by the orientation under the electric poling field of the 90° ferroelectric–ferroelastic domains. Under this local stress concentration, a microstructural degeneration is induced by domain switching under the cyclic load that accelerates crack growth, thereby reducing fatigue lifetime.

Deformation of binary and boron-doped Ni3Al alloys at high pressures studied with synchrotron x-ray diffraction

In situ x-ray synchrotron diffraction experiments were carried out on nickel-based high-strength superalloys under pressure to understand their deformation mechanism using a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Radial x-ray diffraction determines the room-temperature equations of state and yield strengths of binary Ni3Al alloy and 500 ppm boron-doped Ni3Al to pressures of 20 and 46 GPa, respectively. Crystallographic preferred orientations observed in these superalloys due to anisotropic stress field in DAC indicate the onset of plastic deformation. Inverse pole figure analysis reveals that the underlying deformation mechanisms change from an octahedral slip to a simultaneous activation of octahedral and cube slips upon doping with boron. The yield-strength values were found to increase with pressure and are comparable to those determined from axial diffraction experiments. The results indicate that the yield strength of Ni3Al:B is about 0.5 GPa higher (at pressures below 20 GPa) due to grain boundary strengthening by boron. It is shown that due to high elastic anisotropy of Ni3Al alloy, the yield-strength estimations from diffraction experiments strongly depend on the micromechanical model used to convert the measured elastic strains into stresses.

Anisotropic interaction between self-interstitial atoms and 1/2&lt;111&gt; dislocation loops in tungsten

We investigate the interaction between self-interstitial atoms (SIAs) and 1/2 self-interstitial dislocation loops in tungsten (W) via atomistic simulations. We explore the variation of the anisotropic distribution of binding energies with the shapes and sizes of the 1/2[111] loop and the nonequivalent configurations of SIAs. For an arbitrarily shaped loop, SIA can be more easily trapped in the concave region of the loop than the convex region, which forms a loop whose curvature is closer to that of a circular loop. The direction of SIAs can largely affect the interaction behaviors with the loop. The capture distance of an SIA by the edge of a circular-shaped 1/2[111] loop is clearly elongated along the direction of the SIA; however, it weakly depends on the size of the loop. Then, we analyze the slanted ring-like capture volume of SIAs formed by the circular loop based on their generated anisotropic stress fields. Furthermore, the binding energies obtained from the elastic theory and atomistic simulations are compared. The results provide a reasonable interpretation of the growth mechanism of the loop and the anisotropic interaction that induces irregular-shaped capture volume, affording an insight into the numerical and Object Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the long-term and large-scale microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of W.