Dynamic Fragmentation Research Articles

Effect of coarse aggregates on contact explosion resistance of concrete—A mesoscopic investigation

The intricate relationship between the mechanical properties of concrete and its internal microstructure underscores the importance of comprehending explosion performance and damage mechanisms at a mesoscopic level to effectively enhance blast resistance. This study employed three-dimensional (3D) mesoscale models to numerically investigate the dynamic behavior of concrete mixed with coarse aggregates under contact explosion. Rigorous validation of numerical models and simulation techniques was untaken through the contact explosion tests. The study explored mesoscopic damage mechanisms in heterogeneous concrete targets with randomly distributed coarse aggregates, drawing comparisons with a homogeneous concrete target. Critical mesoscopic parameters influencing the contact explosion resistance of concrete were thoroughly examined. Structural effects of coarse aggregates emerge as pivotal, shifting the damage mode from overall failure with spalling-dominated damage in homogeneous concrete to localized failure in mesoscopic concrete. The mesoscopic concrete experienced a distinct four-stage damage evolution—cratering, crack initiation, perforation, and dynamic fragmentation—diverging from homogeneous concrete with multi-layer spalling originating from the boundaries. The exponential attenuation of shock waves observed in homogeneous concrete was locally disrupted by coarse aggregates in mesoscopic concrete, attributed to wave impedance mismatch and aggregate extrusion effects. Mortar strength primarily contributed to concrete cracking, with minimal impact on damage modes. Failure modes were predominantly influenced by the content and particle size of coarse aggregates. Higher volumetric fractions significantly reduced concrete spalling, while increased coarse aggregate size exacerbated perforation failure. This comprehensive study advances our understanding of blast-resistant concrete design at a mesoscopic level, providing valuable insights for strategies aimed at enhancing structural resilience.

Unifying Static and Dynamic Intermediate Languages for Accelerator Generators

Compilers for accelerator design languages (ADLs) translate high-level languages into application-specific hardware. ADL compilers rely on a hardware control interface to compose hardware units. There are two choices: static control, which relies on cycle-level timing; or dynamic control, which uses explicit signalling to avoid depending on timing details. Static control is efficient but brittle; dynamic control incurs hardware costs to support compositional reasoning. Piezo is an ADL compiler that unifies static and dynamic control in a single intermediate language (IL). Its key insight is that the IL’s static fragment is a refinement of its dynamic fragment: static code admits a subset of the run-time behaviors of the dynamic equivalent. Piezo can optimize code by combining facts from static and dynamic submodules, and it opportunistically converts code from dynamic to static control styles. We implement Piezo as an extension to an existing dynamic ADL compiler, Calyx. We use Piezo to implement a frontend for an existing ADL, a systolic array generator, and a packet-scheduling hardware generator to demonstrate its optimizations and the static–dynamic interactions it enables.

Dynamic Strength and Fragmentation of Highly Oriented Ti3SiC2 under Multiaxial Compression

MAX phases are distinguished by their unique kink band formation, a distinct deformation mechanism in layered materials. This study explores the influence of global grain orientation c-axis, strain rate, and stress state on the compressive response of highly oriented Ti3SiC2 through experimental methods. A Kolsky (or split-Hopkinson) bar is employed to evaluate the dynamic compressive response under uniaxial and biaxial (planar confinement) conditions under 102s-1 strain rate. Macroscopic ultra-high-speed visualization during loading and microscopic post-mortem fractography reveal that confinement states significantly impact both macroscopic failure patterns and microscopic fracture mechanisms. Notably, biaxial loading with dynamic load edge-on to the grains and 80MPa planar confinement along the layers resulted in the highest dynamic compressive strength observed (1636±136MPa), a 66% increase compared to the unconfined uniaxial dynamic condition. The planar confinement appears to delay crack propagation and enhance inelastic deformation.

Assessment of carbonate rocks for engineering applications considering mineralogical, geochemical and geotechnical attributes

Due to continuous need of materials for infrastructural development, geomaterials of different origins are used where available. Vast majority of these materials in some countries are predominantly metamorphic and sedimentary in nature. Many of these rocks are of carbonate origin and they are encountered by practitioners worldwide. Therefore, it is very crucial to evaluate the prospect of using carbonate rocks for different applications. In this paper, laboratory tests were conducted on soft and hard carbonate rocks in order to assess their usefulness taking into consideration the mineralogy, geochemistry and geotechnics. The mineralogy is majorly calcite, the fabric is characterized by aggregation of particles to form clusters and the chemical composition is predominantly calcium oxide. The hard carbonate rocks have low porosity, medium dynamic fragmentation, medium to low water absorption, slightly strong rebound hardness value, high uniaxial compressive strength and soft carbonate rocks have low in situ specific volume and compressibility. The carbonate rocks are suitable for cement production. The hard carbonate rocks can be used for infrastructure purposes. The soft carbonate rocks are suitable for use as foundation fill materials and suitable for use as sub-grade materials. However, practitioners must be cautious when using this material as sub-base materials.

Dynamic fracture mechanism and fragment characteristics of sandstone specimens with asymmetrical conjugate fissures under static pre-compression

This paper systematically investigates the dynamic mechanical response and fragment characteristics of sandstone with asymmetrical conjugate fissures subjected to preexisting static stress based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus. The cross-fissured sandstone exhibits significant variations in mechanical behavior when exposed to higher dynamic strain rates under identical static pre-stress. The cross-fissured sandstone with a higher dynamic strain rate is characterized by a greater coupled strength under the same static pre-stress; for a given dynamic load, the highest coupled strength occurs under the static pre-stress of 60% UCS. The failure mode of the cross-fissured sandstone is predominantly governed by the dynamic strain rate, independent of static pre-stress variations considered in this investigation. At lower dynamic strain rates, the specimens typically exhibit a mixed tensile-shear failure mode, characterized by the dominance of larger fragments in the broken specimens. In contrast, under high dynamic impacts, the sandstone tends to fail in a shear-dominated manner, resulting in smaller fragments with a more uniform size distribution. Furthermore, the study explores how varying dynamic strain rates and static pre-stress influence the fragment characteristics of the cross-fissured sandstone. Higher dynamic strain rates and increased static pre-stress generally lead to smaller mean fragment sizes. This phenomenon is quantitatively described by fitting fragment size distributions using the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution, revealing a decrease in the location parameter (μ) and an increase in fractal dimension. These metrics indicate that higher dynamic strain rates and static pre-stress result in sandstone specimens breaking into smaller fragments with a more homogeneous size distribution. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of rock dynamics, with potential implications for engineering applications involving similar geological configuration under dynamic loading conditions.

Analysis of the dynamic impact behavior and fracture mechanism of coal samples at various temperatures

A thorough understanding of the mechanical properties and fracture mechanisms of coal under high-temperature conditions is crucial for preventing deep coal and rock dynamic disasters. Utilizing the Hopkinson pressure bar experimental system, this study conducts an in-depth analysis of the strength characteristics, failure modes, microscopic properties, and energy consumption effects of coal between 0 and 250℃. The findings reveal that during the heating process, coal’s mass loss increases with temperature, but at a decreasing rate. Significant changes in the coal samples’ dynamic strength, fragmentation, microscopic features, energy evolution, and fracture mechanisms occur at 100℃, marking a turning point in their dynamic behavior. Both dynamic strength and elastic modulus experience a transient increase at 100℃, while the fractal dimension experiences a brief decrease. At 100℃, the thermal expansion of coal particles predominates over the thermal damage from high temperatures, resulting in an increase in the coal samples’ dynamic strength. As the temperature further rises, thermal damage to the coal samples intensifies, leading to a decrease in dynamic strength. Similarly, the absorption and dissipation energy index K of the coal samples experiences a brief increase at 100℃, signifying a sudden change in the energy evolution pattern. Observations of the coal samples’ failure modes upon impact reveal a transition from tensile failure to a combined shear-tensile failure with increasing temperature.

Field evidence and indicators of rockfall fragmentation and implications for mobility

Rockfall fragmentation can play an important role in hazard studies and the design of protective measures. However, the current lack of modeling tools that incorporate rock fragmentation mechanics is a limitation to enhancing studies and design. This research investigates the fragmentation patterns of rockfalls and analyzes the resulting distribution of fragment sizes within corresponding rockfall deposits. We focus on small rock fragments, which provide insights into the dynamics of the rockfall event and can be used as input for numerical modeling. We analyzed multiple rockfall events from locations worldwide, each exhibiting different degrees of fragmentation. Using image analysis techniques, we mapped all visible blocks, determined their volumes, and measured the distances they travelled from the initial point of impact. A key finding is the identification of three indicators of fragmentation. First, in cases where fragmentation was largely absent, we observed a trend of increasing block size with distance from the impact point or source area, which aligns with previously published findings. However, for energetic rockfall events characterized by intense fragmentation, we observed that small fragments exhibited longer travel distances compared to larger fragments. This distinction allowed us to differentiate blocks primarily resulting from the disaggregation process from those primarily resulting from dynamic fragmentation, with implications for rockfall mobility. Second, although the size distribution of rockfall deposits exhibits a power-law scaling for volumes larger than a minimum size threshold corresponding to a rollover of the distribution, in some case studies a deviation from power-law scaling is observed, indicating a process of larger block comminution due to fragmentation. Third, we found that rockfalls with fragmentation experience reduced mobility, indicated by higher reach angles, and higher lateral dispersion showing a wider distribution of trajectories. We interpret these findings as being directly related to the energy-consuming nature of fragmentation, which prevents farther deposition of fragmented rock blocks.

Dynamic Simulation of Rock‐Avalanche Fragmentation

AbstractFragmentation is a common phenomenon in complex rock‐avalanches. The fragmentation intensity and process determines exceptional spreading of such mass movements. However, studies focusing on the simulation of fragmentation are still limited and no operational dynamic simulation model of fragmentation has been proposed yet. By enhancing the mechanically controlled landslide deformation model (Pudasaini & Mergili, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jf007466), we propose a novel, unified dynamic simulation method for rock‐avalanche fragmentation. The model includes three important aspects: mechanically controlled rock mass deformation, momentum loss while the rock mass fiercely impacts the ground, and the energy transfer during fragmentation resulting in the generation of dispersive lateral pressure. We reveal that the dynamic fragmentation, resulting from the overcoming of the tensile strength by the impact on the ground, leads to enhanced spreading, thinning, run‐out and hypermobility of rock‐avalanches. Thereby, the elastic strain energy release caused by fragmentation becomes an important process. Energy conversion between the front and rear parts caused by the fragmentation results in the enhanced forward movement of the front and hindered motion of the rear of the rock‐avalanche. The new model describes this by amplifying the lateral pressure gradient in the opposite direction: enhanced for the frontal particles and reduced for the rear particles after the fragmentation. The main principle is the switching between the compressional stress and the tensile stress, and therefore from the controlled deformation to substantial spreading of the frontal part in the flow direction while backward stretching of the rear part of the rock mass. Laboratory experiments and field events support our simulation results.

Dynamic Fragmentation of Ceramics Based on Carbon and Silicon Carbide

Dynamic Fragmentation of Ceramics Based on Carbon and Silicon Carbide

Dynamic fragmentation of intact rock blocks and its influence on mobility: insights from discrete element analysis

Dynamic fragmentation of intact rock blocks and its influence on mobility: insights from discrete element analysis

Direct visualization of laser-driven dynamic fragmentation in tin by in situ x-ray diffraction

Direct visualization of laser-driven dynamic fragmentation in tin by <i>in situ</i> x-ray diffraction

A high-rate, impact-driven biaxial fragmentation experiment for ductile materials

The experimental investigation of high strain rate fragmentation has generally been limited to one of two cases: analytically powerful but simple one-dimensional loading configurations, or complicated multiaxial experiments more closely approximating use applications. The former, exemplified by Mott-style ring fragmentation, promotes simple and confident analysis—forming the backbone of the field and revealing the basic nature of dynamic fragmentation in solids—but ignores some critical mechanisms in order to achieve that simplicity. The latter, while informing applications of interest such as ballistic impact, may provide limited insight and is often difficult to access diagnostically. This work presents an attempt to help bridge the gap between 1D ring expansion and 3D fragmentation experiments in the form of impact driven, high-strain-rate biaxial tensile fragmentation experiments. The impact target system consists of a thin specimen plate and a thick polymer impact buffer. The latter serves as a fluid-like medium allowing momentum transfer between an impacting projectile and a rapidly growing near-hemispherical bulge in the specimen plate. The deformation of the specimen and fragmentation pattern are observed using ultra-high-speed optical imaging as well as flash x-ray imaging, and individual fragments are recovered and characterized post-mortem. Using this method, the fragmentation behavior of 6061-T6 Aluminum is investigated at tensile strain rates exceeding 105s−1 and at higher stress triaxiality than that commonly achieved.

A New Paradigm for Assessing Detailed Dynamics of Forest Landscape Fragmentation

There is an urgent need for a thorough assessment of forest landscape fragmentation to inform forest protection and restoration, and reforestation policies. However, there is currently a lack of an effective comprehensive index for forest landscape fragmentation, and detailed knowledge of the forest landscape fragmentation dynamics remains insufficient. Here, taking Putian City of Fujian Province in Southeastern China as a case, we employed a forest fragmentation comprehensive index (FFCI) to capture key features of forest landscape fragmentation, such as patch size, number, and distribution. Then, bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis was employed to identify the spatial associations between the static forest landscape fragmentation (FFCI) and the dynamic forest landscape fragmentation (ΔFFCI), and the spatial coupling modes among the three individual components of FFCI (mean patch area, MPA; aggregation index, AI; patch density, PD) were identified to explore the detail process of forest landscape fragmentation. Finally, the random forest model was applied to observe the impact factors of forest landscape fragmentation dynamics. The findings showed that forest landscapes with different degrees of fragmentation exhibited more noticeable changes at both ends (i.e., either high or lower-level fragmentation), with the intermediate level remaining consistent from 2000 to 2020. Around 18.3% of forest landscapes experienced a decrease in fragmentation, particularly in the northern part of the study area, while approximately 81.7% of forest landscapes exhibited an increasing trend in fragmentation. The bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated that the proportion of Low–High-type grids was the highest at 17.3%, followed by the High–High type at 7.0%. We also identified eight forest landscape fragmentation modes, which indicate the most significant forest landscape fragmentation pattern is a decrease in MPA and an increase in PD. Moreover, the anthropogenic factors (e.g., population density and night light intensity) were found to dominate the FFCI dynamics during 2000–2020. This study offers an efficient research paradigm for the dynamics of forest landscape fragmentation. The outcomes are conducive to an in-depth comprehension of the detailed dynamic information of forest landscape fragmentation, and supply a scientific foundation for enhancing the overall ecological service function of the forest.

Quantitative Assessment of Bed-Separation Dynamic Development Caused by Inclined Coal Seam Longwall Mining

Coal mining under the Quaternary thick loose layer affects key strata breakage, Bed-separations development, ground subsidence, and other studies. This paper presents a method for solving the deflection of a large-deflection inclined thin plate under a thick loose-layer cover with additional lateral loads and midplane forces. The methods presented are based on the principle of large-deflection of thin-plate, energy method, and fracture mechanics theory. The 7225 work face in Anhui Province, China, was studied. Combined with the large-deflection inclined thin plate model, the initial breakage distance within the main roof plate was calculated to be 33 m with the initial breakage angle of 61.2°, and the period breakage distance was calculated to be 21 m with the period breakage angle of 55.4°. The distribution range of “Vertical Three Zones” from 7225 working face to the ground, including the height of the caved zone is 38.07 m, the height of the fractured zone is 41.13 m, and the height of the curved zone with the thick loose layer removed is 187.56 m. During the dynamic development of the principal key strata (PKS), the deflection value develops from 0 mm to 2714 mm with 7225 working face mining, and the maximum value of the spatial volume is 56,485 m3, which is verified by Three-dimensional Discrete Element Code (3DEC) numerical simulation. The dynamic development of Bed-separation within the overlying strata, with a maximum development height of 545.2 mm and a maximum volume of 11,228.1 m3 of the Bed-separation cavity. The dynamic development of the Bed-separation height and the cavity under different mining length and width conditions of the working face are also discussed. The large-deflection inclined thin plate model proposed in this paper effectively explores the dynamic deflection and fragmentation law of the overlying strata induced by the inclined working face of Longwall mining and provides a theoretical basis and computational model for quantitatively evaluating the dynamic development of the Bed-separation cavity.

First Constraints on Compact Binary Environments from LIGO-Virgo Data.

The LIGO-Virgo analyses of signals from compact binary mergers observed so far have assumed isolated binary systems in a vacuum, neglecting the potential presence of astrophysical environments. We present here the first investigation of environmental effects on each of the events of GWTC-1 and two low-mass events from GWTC-2. We find no evidence for the presence of environmental effects. Most of the events decisively exclude the scenario of dynamical fragmentation of massive stars as their formation channel. GW170817 results in the most stringent upper bound on the medium density (≲21 g/cm^{3}). We find that environmental effects can substantially bias the recovered parameters in the vacuum model, even when these effects are not detectable. We forecast that the Einstein Telescope and B-DECIGO will be able to probe the environmental effects of accretion disks and superradiant boson clouds on compact binaries.

Dynamic film fragmentation in a rotating disk atomizer: A comparative study of fluids with diverse viscosities

Film fragmentation (FF) stands as a well-recognized disintegration mode renowned for its substantial throughput in droplet or particle production facilitated by rotary disk atomizers. Despite its prominence, a dearth of comprehensive information persists regarding the FF mode, particularly regarding the potential influence of viscosity on FF characteristics. Our study undertakes experimental investigations utilizing glycerol/water as the working fluids to elucidate FF characteristics across a spectrum of viscosities. The film and droplet metrics were systematically evaluated at various viscosities. Empirical relationships were established to estimate the FF characteristics with cross-validation against other works. Our findings underscore the stabilizing influence of high fluid viscosity on the liquid film, facilitating its complete development and contributing to the maintenance of a diminutive D32 across a broad flow spectrum. This research yields pivotal theoretical insights pertinent to the centrifugal atomization of relatively high viscosity fluids, offering pathways for achieving substantial throughput in atomization processes.

Modelling dynamic fracture and fragmentation of rocks under multiaxial coupled static and dynamic loads with a parallelised 3D FDEM

In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM) based simulator, which enables the robust simulation of full-scale triaxial Hopkinson bar (Tri-HB) testing system, including the capture of fracture and fragmentation processes of rock specimens as well as the detection and analysis of generated rock fragments, is developed for investigating the dynamic responses of rocks subjected to multiaxial coupled static and dynamic loads. An innovative two-step approach is proposed to first efficiently achieve the static stress state in the entire Tri-HB system and then apply dynamic loading to the system. The proposed approach with the schemes of mass scaling and local damping can significantly reduce the run time for static computation involving cohesive elements and complex contact mechanics in the framework of explicit time-integration. The developed program is well validated by achieving dynamic stress equilibrium in the Tri-HB system and comparing the simulated stress wave profiles with those from laboratory experiments. Then, the progressive dynamic fracture and fragmentation processes of rocks under different static stress conditions in a full-scale Tri-HB system are investigated, which vividly exhibit the confinement dependence of the dynamic behaviours of rocks in the testing system. It is found that, even with the same loading rate, separate input parameter sets for rock need to be established in FDEM for different confinement conditions to capture the actual rate dependent behaviour of rock. Further studies are also conducted to investigate the effect of interfacial friction on the fracture behaviour, and the results indicate that higher interfacial frictions significantly disturb the dynamic stress variations and the true rock behaviour in the system. Through high performance computing of 3D FDEM, this study is expected to contribute to the understanding of dynamic responses of rocks subjected to multiaxial coupled static and dynamic loads in deep underground engineering.

Impact-induced energy release characteristics of Ti-Zr-Hf-Ta high-entropy alloys by using a temperature-pressure synchronous measurement method

Energetic structural materials (ESMs) are a new type of materials with structural strength and reactivity, and their impact-induced energy release characteristics are greatly influenced by the fragmentation behavior. In this study, the dynamic fragmentation behavior and energy release characteristics of Ti-Zr-Hf-Ta high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with different precipitate content were investigated based on split Hopkinson pressure bars (SHPB) tests. To quantitatively evaluate the reactivity of ESMs, a temperature-pressure synchronous measurement method combined with a modified calculation model for quasi-sealed chamber was proposed. The results showed that the precipitates were distributed at the grain boundaries. As the precipitate content increased, the quasi-static yield strengths increased from 1004 to 1132 MPa, the dynamic yield strengths increased from 1672 to 1874 MPa, while the fracture strains decreased from 0.47 to 0.29, and correspondingly, the released energy increased from 14±2–511±154 J/g. The results demonstrated that the impact-induced energy release characteristics of the materials are closely related to the fracture strain. It can be confirmed that the alloys with lower plasticity are more likely to fracture under impact conditions, and the combustion reaction will be more violent, which is well consistent with the measurement of the energy-release amounts. High-speed infrared temperature measurement and microstructural photography also provided the underlying mechanism: the fragment size of low plasticity materials is smaller and the local hot spots are more dispersed, both of which are conducive to the combustion reaction. By using this method, the relationship among mechanical properties, fragmentation behavior, and energy release characteristics can be established, and the results will provide new insights into the development of ESMs with superior energy release under impact loading and applicable mechanical properties for potential applications.

Multiscale off-fault brecciation records coseismic energy budget of principal fault zone

Breccia and pulverized rock are typical textures in off-fault damage adjacent to a main seismogenic zone. Previously, by estimating the energy required to advance the rupture in this zone using particle size distribution at sub-millimeter/micrometer scales, we could constrain the energy budget during coseismic events. However, whether microscopic estimation is sufficient to capture surface energy fragmentation during an earthquake and the effect of measurement scale variation on calculation of co-seismic energy partitioning remained unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanism of coseismic off-fault damage based on field and microstructural observations of a well-exposed breccia body in Ichinokawa, Japan. We used in situ clast measurements coupled with thin-section analysis of breccia clasts to estimate the energy budget of the damage zone adjacent to the principal slip zone of the Median Tectonic Line (MTL). The total surface energy density and corresponding surface energy per unit fault for a width of ~ 500 m of the dynamical damage zone were estimated. The moment magnitude estimated based on surface energy was 5.8–8.3 Mw. In Ichinokawa, off-fault fragmentation is initiated by coseismic activity and is followed by fluid activity. Under dynamic fragmentation conditions, the scale is important to calculate the surface energy.

Dynamic energy evolution and fragmentation characteristics of damaged rock under impact compression loading

Dynamic energy evolution and fragmentation characteristics of damaged rock under impact compression loading