Effect Of Stress Ratio Research Articles

Soil disturbance evaluation of soft clay based on stress-normalized small-strain stiffness

Soil disturbance includes the change of stress state and the damage of soil structure. The field testing indices reflect the combined effect of both changes and it is difficult to identify the soil structure disturbance directly from these indices. In the present study, the small-strain shear modulus is used to characterize soil structure disturbance by normalizing the effective stress and void ratio based on Hardin equation. The procedure for evaluating soil sampling disturbance in the field and the further disturbance during the subsequent consolidation process in laboratory test is proposed, and then validated by a case study of soft clay ground. Downhole seismic testing in the field, portable piezoelectric bender elements for the drilled sample and bender elements in triaxial apparatus for the consolidated sample were used to monitor the shear wave velocity of the soil from intact to disturbed and even remolded states. It is found that soil sampling disturbance degree by conventional thin-wall sampler is about 30% according to the proposed procedure, which is slightly higher than that from the modified volume compression method proposed by Hong and Onitsuka (1998). And the additional soil disturbance induced by consolidation in laboratory could reach about 50% when the consolidation pressure is far beyond the structural yield stress, and it follows the plastic volumetric strain quite well.

Fatigue crack growth and life assessment of full penetration U-rib welded joints considering residual stresses

The combination of cyclic stresses and welding residual stresses (WRS) can significantly contribute to fatigue cracking in steel bridge decks. This study aims to investigate the effect of WRS on the fatigue life and crack propagation of single-sided and full penetration double-sided U-rib welded joints through experimental and numerical methods. Fatigue tests were conducted to study fatigue crack initiation and propagation behavior. Utilizing the ABAQUS software, a thermoelastic-plastic finite element method was employed to determine the residual stress distribution. Subsequently, based on linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), fatigue crack propagation and life assessment were performed using ABAQUS and FRANC3D software under the coupling of residual stresses and external cyclic stresses. Findings reveal that WRS play a crucial role in fatigue life by altering the effective stress ratio during fatigue crack growth. The effective stress ratio ranges from 0.15 to 0.57, while the changing trends differ between single-sided and double-sided U-rib welded joints. The fatigue crack growth rate of double-sided U-rib welded joints is lower compared to single-sided U-rib welded joints with the same deck thickness. Furthermore, the introduction of WRS induces a mixed mode I, II, and III fracture at the outer weld toe of the U rib, with mode I fracture predominating, which leads to a deviation in the crack propagation path. The fatigue life prediction results agree well with experimental findings when considering WRS. Importantly, these predictions tend to be conservative, thereby ensuring safety and reliability in engineering applications.

Effect of notch and stress ratio on Very High Cycle Fatigue characteristics of the carburized 17CrNi high-strength steel and life prediction

In order to investigate the notch effect on the structural characteristics of the carburized 17CrNi high-strength steel in the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) loading, the axial tests with the stress ratio (R) of ‒1 were performed and the S-N characteristics were studied. The microscopic observation revealed that surface induced failure was the only failure mode. Further, the effect of the notch was investigated: Based on the small crack theory, the calculation of the fatigue notch factor (Kf) was performed and has shown that Kf is slightly less than the theoretical stress concentration factor (Kt). Then, Kf was used to study both the notch effect and stress ratio effect on fatigue life. Finally, the life prediction model associated with R and Kf was established and the calculation results are valid according to the good agreement with the experimental data.

Mechanical properties and damage model of coral seawater sea sand concrete under compression-shear composite action

The present study investigates the mechanical properties of coral seawater sea sand concrete (CSSC) under compression-shear composite action. A total of 54 concrete specimens were designed for the shear test with varying parameters such as normal stress ratio, curing age and different aggregate types considered. The CSSC shear stress-displacement curve was obtained by observing the damage morphology of the specimen under a combination of compressive and shear stresses. The effects of different normal stress ratios on the shear strength, peak shear displacement, and damage evolution pattern of the CSSC specimen are analyzed. The results show that the width of the main cracks on the surface of the specimen gradually increases with the normal stress ratio, and the tiny oblique cracks gradually become denser. The peak shear displacement and shear strength also increase with normal stress, and the damage evolution of the concrete gradually slows down. When the curing age was increased from 7d to 14d and 28d, the shear strength of the CSSC specimens increased by 5.9% and 11.3%, respectively. In this paper, we propose two failure models that better reflect the shear strength of CSSC under the combined action of compression and shear. Finally, a compressive-shear damage constitutive model for CSSC at different normal stress ratios has been developed and the results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Fatigue life prediction of AA2524 thin plate strengthened using compound laser heating and laser shot peening method

AA2524 is a aluminum alloy based on damage tolerance design, and it is mainly used for the manufacturing of aircraft skins. Aircraft skins often occur fatigue failure due to harsh working conditions. To improve the fatigue resistance of aircraft skins and to accurately predict the fatigue life of AA2524 compact tension (CT) samples. The compound strengthening method of lsear heating (LH) and lsear shot peening (LSP) is proposed to improve the fatigue life of AA2524 in this paper. Considering the effect of stress ratio (R), residual stress (RS), stress intensity factor range (ΔK), and maximum stress intensity factor (Kmax) on the fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR), the fatigue life of CT samples was predicted applying artificial neural networks, support vector regression models. The results show that laser heating and laser shot peening can obviously improve the fatigue life by 30.703% at R = 0.1 and 4.701% at R = 0.5, compared with base materials. The neural networks have better fatigue life prediction ability, and the fit coefficients for the neural networks predicting fatigue life reach 0.97, which is better than that of Walker model (0.91). The prediction value for ANN model is 75,462 cycles, the magnitude for SVR model is 78,234 cycles, and the experimental value is 74,204 cycles. The deviation are 1.7% and 5.43%, respectively. Meanwhile, the effect of R on the FCGR of AA2524 is closely associated with the crack closure effect.

Effect of Stress Ratio, Constraint, and Load History on the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Components of Threshold Stress Intensity

Abstract Threshold intensity range, ΔKth, was experimentally investigated as the sum of two components, both of which are sensitive to applied loading conditions. The intrinsic component, ΔKth,i, is characterized as a sole function of a near-tip stress parameter, σ*, in much the same way as fatigue limit depends on mean stress or stress ratio. The extrinsic component, ΔKcl, is the attenuated fraction of crack tip response because of crack wake contact, whose exact value is not readily measured at threshold. The ΔKth,i versus σ* relationship is established using a specially designed load shedding process under constant baseline maximum load, with σ* modulated through periodic overload-underload combinations whose periodicity is regulated to avoid undue crack extension at threshold. This relationship is then used to extract the ΔKcl component from ΔKth readouts obtained on the same batch of material using conventional load shedding procedure. The effect of constraint on ΔKth and its two components was studied using specimens with sharp side grooves to maximize constraint across the crack front. The study was performed on a medium strength low-alloy steel.

Correlating stress ratio effects on the fatigue crack growth rate behavior of a nickel-based superalloy GTM718

Damage tolerance evaluation under service loads requires a unified constant amplitude fatigue crack growth law for the material which takes care of stress ratio effects. Several types of crack driving force parameters have been proposed in the past to correlate stress ratio effects on fatigue crack growth rates. In the present investigation, a unified crack growth law is derived for a nickel-based superalloy by considering various crack driving force parameters to eliminate stress ratio effects. Initially, the constant amplitude fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) behavior of GTM718 alloy was experimentally determined at various stress ratios, R ranging from R = 0.1 to 0.7. As expected, increasing the stress ratio, increased crack growth rates, and decreased threshold stress intensity factor range, ΔKth. The conventional crack growth rate, da/dN vs stress intensity factor range, ΔK data was then modified and re-plotted as a function of different crack driving force parameters viz., (a) Elber’s parameter, ΔKeff, (b) Walkers’ parameter, Kw (c) Kujawski’s parameter, K*, (d) Forman’s parameter, Kf, and (e) Two-parameter crack driving force, ΔK*. It was observed that Kf and ΔK* crack driving force parameters were correlating stress ratio effects better than other models in all three regimes of crack growth rates. Further, a unified crack growth law was derived based on the Kf and ΔK* crack driving force parameters which is useful in predicting FCG behavior under service loads.

Resistance responses and design recommendations for driven piles in coarse-grained soil-based intermediate geomaterials

Piles driven in Intermediate GeoMaterials (IGM) pose multiple design and construction challenges because of the high uncertainty in IGM properties, lacking knowledge pertaining to pile responses in IGM, and absence of classification, static analysis (SA) methods, and design recommendations. A classification criterion is established for coarse grained soil based intermediate geomaterials (CG-IGM) using test pile data from bridge projects completed in four U.S. states. This study improves our understanding of pile resistance responses in CG-IGM and results in pile design recommendations. Unit shaft resistance (qs) of CG-IGM increases with the ratio of effective vertical stress (σv′) to the ratio of corrected N-value, (N1)60. Unit end bearing (qb) increases with the ratio of. corrected N-value, (N1)60 to the effective vertical stress (σv′). New SA methods are developed for predicting qs and qb. The proposed SA methods are compared against existing β-method developed for coarse grained soil and validated using an independent pile load test dataset. Pile setup is observed in qs of piles driven in CG-IGMs, and pile relaxation is mostly observed in qb. Statistical assessment concludes that the proposed SA methods provide more accurate and consistent qs and qb predictions than that by the β-method.

Effects of nitrogen stress and nitrogen form ratios on the bacterial community and diversity in the root surface and rhizosphere of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Schima superba.

The bacterial communities of the root surface and rhizosphere play a crucial role in the decomposition and transformation of soil nitrogen (N) and are also affected by soil N levels and distribution, especially the composition and diversity, which are sensitive to changes in the environment with high spatial and temporal heterogeneity of ammonium N (NH4 +-N) and nitrate N (NO3 --N). One-year-old seedlings of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Schima superba were subjected to N stress (0.5 mmol L-1) and normal N supply (2 mmol L-1), and five different N form ratios (NH4 +-N to NO3 --N ratio of 10:0, 0:10, 8:2, 2:8, and 5:5) were created. We analyze the changes in composition and diversity of bacteria in the root surface and rhizosphere of two tree species by high-throughput sequencing. Differences in the composition of the major bacteria in the root surface and rhizosphere of C.lanceolata and S. superba under N stress and N form ratios were not significant. The dominant bacterial phyla shared by two tree species included Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota. Compared to normal N supply, the patterns of diversity in the root surface and rhizosphere of two tree species under N stress were distinct for each at five N form ratios. Under N stress, the bacterial diversity in the root surface was highest at NH4 +-N to NO3 --N ratio of 10:0 of C. lanceolata, whereas in the root surface, it was highest at the NH4 +-N to NO3 --N ratio of 0:10 of S. superba. The NH4 +-N to NO3 --N ratio of 5:5 reduced the bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of two tree species, and the stability of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere was decreased in C. lanceolata. In addition, the bacterial diversity in the root surface was higher than in the rhizosphere under the N stress of two tree species. The bacterial compositions were relatively conserved, but abundance and diversity changed in the root surface and rhizosphere of C. lanceolata and S. superba under N stress and different N form ratios. The heterogeneity of ammonium and nitrate N addition should be considered for N-stressed environments to improve bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of two tree species.

Investigating the long-term deformation behaviour and non-coaxiality of siliceous sand under traffic cyclic loading

Subgrades composed of siliceous sand are often subjected to traffic-induced cyclic loads. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the long-term deformation behaviour and non-coaxiality of siliceous sand under high-cyclic traffic loading. This study addresses this issue by conducting a series of drained high-cyclic tests using a hollow cylinder apparatus to simulate an anisotropic heart-shaped stress path. The effects of cyclic stress ratio (ζ) and torsion-shear stress ratio (ηd) were carefully evaluated and interpreted. The results showed that an increase in ζ and ηd results in a higher axial cumulative strain and resilient modulus, along with increased susceptibility to volumetric contraction. The dilatancy d (dεvacc/dεqacc) characterizing overall deformation accumulation experienced a transformation of first stabilizing then declining. By contrast, the individual stress-dilatancy relations within loading and unloading stages exhibited an inward movement trend. Moreover, the development and influencing factors of non-coaxiality were meticulously analysed, revealing that while the number of loading cycles had a negligible effect on non-coaxiality behaviour, it was considerably influenced by stress levels. A significant increase in the range of non-coaxiality angle variation was observed at larger ζ and ηd values. This study provides insights for the construction and design of tunnel foundations and pavement engineering.

Effect of cyclic shear stress ratio on cyclic behavior of clay under multidirectional shear loading

In offshore engineering, soft clay foundations supporting infrastructure are subjected to significant multidirectional cyclic shear stresses due to earthquake or storm loads. To explore the undrained multidirectional cyclic behavior of foundation clays under critical loading conditions, a series of tests were conducted using a variable-direction dynamic cyclic shear system. By controlling the amplitude ratio (η) of two mutually perpendicular shear stresses in the horizontal plane, both unidirectional and multidirectional cyclic shear stress paths were achieved. The shear strength, stiffness, and pore water pressure are presented and discussed by considering the effects of η and cyclic stress ratio (CSR). The results suggest that the increase of CSR and η accelerates the cyclic failure, stiffness degradation, and pore water pressure accumulation of the clay specimens. An η-independent cyclic strength curve is established by normalizing the CSR to 0.755 η . Although η hardly affects the shear modulus in the x direction (G x) during the first cycle and at failure, it affects the parameter (χ) governing the shape of the stiffness degradation curve. Additionally, a model is proposed for predicting the evolution of normalized residual pore water pressure with respect to the number of cycles, wherein the parameter d remains unaffected by CSR and η.

Effect of Stress Ratio and Loading Inclination on the Fatigue Life of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Multiscale Analysis Approach

The integration of mesoscale modeling and macroscale experimentation has emerged as a promising approach for understanding and predicting the mechanical behavior and fatigue performance of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. In this work, the mean field homogenization technique is implemented to predict the fatigue performance of the carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites under cyclic loading conditions. To predict the number of fatigue cycles, Modified Gerber criteria are used with the stress-based Tsai–Hill failure indicator. Fatigue strength factor (α) and creep rupture strength factor (β) are experimentally evaluated and further implemented in a computational approach to predict fatigue life cycles of the composite. The effect of composite constituents, stress ratio, and loading direction are investigated in detail against the fatigue performance of the composite. Fatigue cycles are predicted at individual matrix and fiber levels at various stress ratios of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 at different loading inclinations. The experimental results are compared with the mesoscale S–N curves.

Research on the Accumulated Plastic Strain of Expansive Soil under Subway Loading

Expansive soil near Hefei Xinqiao International Airport was selected as the research focus. The effects of different loading modes on the dynamic strain of the saturated remodeled expansive soil was investigated by indoor dynamic triaxial tests and the effect of three factors, intermittent loading ratio, static deviatoric stress, and cyclic stress ratio, on the accumulated plastic strain of saturated remodeled expansive soil under intermittent subway cyclic loading was analyzed. Finally, the corresponding accumulated plastic strain calculation model was established based on the test results. The research results show that the loading modes do not affect the overall development mode of the strain and, under intermittent loading, the strain tends to be more stable. Under intermittent loading, when the number of cycles is the same, the larger the intermittent loading ratio, the smaller the accumulated plastic strain. The effect of static deviatoric stress and cyclic stress ratio on strain accumulation is significant. Based on the hyperbolic model, an accumulated plastic strain calculation model related to the number of cycles of remolded expansive soil under the load of the Hefei subway was proposed, which has a certain reference significance for the design, safety assessment, and safe operation of the Hefei subway.

Effects of Residual Stress Induced by Laser Shock Peening on Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior in Directed Energy Deposition Stainless Steel

To investigate the effect of laser shock peening (LSP) on the fatigue crack propagation behavior of 316L stainless steel fabricated by directed energy deposition (DED), three‐dimensional finite element models of DED and compact tensile specimens before and after LSP are developed. The residual stress fields induced by DED and LSP are simulated, as well as the effects of different residual stresses on the stress intensity factor and effective stress ratio based on the contour integral method are also analyzed. The microstructure of the LSP region is observed by scanning electron microscope. When the crack length increases from 12 to 22.5 mm, the average effective stress ratio of the DED specimen is 0.133, and the average effective stress ratio of the DED specimen after LSP decreases to 0.110, which decreases by 17.3%. The fatigue lives of the DED specimen before and after LSP are 62.7% and 105.2% of that of the hot‐rolled plate. After LSP treatment, the fatigue life of the DED specimen is increased by about 1.68 times. The fracture morphology in the transient fracture zone changes from ductile and brittle mixed fracture to ductile fracture.

Effects of consolidation conditions on the dynamic shear modulus of saturated coral sand over a wide strain range

The utilization of coral sand as a construction material for ports and other infrastructure systems in coral reefs is prevalent, wherein the soil elements within slopes and embankments typically experience an anisotropic stress state. It is imperative to accurately characterize the degradation behavior of the stratigraphic material's stiffness across a wide range of strains. In this study, the maximum and strain-dependent shear modulus (G0 and G) characteristics of saturated coral sand under isotropic and anisotropic consolidations were investigated by performing multi-stage stress-controlled undrained cyclic torsional shear tests with cyclic hollow cylinder shear apparatus. The experimental results indicated that G0 and G generally rose with increasing initial effective consolidation pressure but decreased with increasing inclination of initial major principal stress from the vertical (αc). In contrast, the effect of consolidation stress ratio (kc) on G0 and G was nonmonotonic, and that of kc and αc on the strain-dependent shear modulus reduction (G/G0) curve was slight. By defining anisotropic consolidation indexes δ0 and δr used for quantifying the effect of consolidation-induced anisotropy on the G0 and the G/G0, respectively. A unified formula of G0 obtained by multiplying Hardin's model by δ0, as well as a unique formula of G/G0 obtained by correcting γr in the Davidenkov skeleton curve expression as a linear function of δr were established under various consolidation conditions, respectively. The proposed G formula over a wide strain range is well validated by the experimental data for siliceous sandy soils from the literature.

Effect of corrosion on the fatigue crack propagation properties of butt weld with G20Mn5QT cast steel and Q355D steel in 3.5‐wt% NaCl solution

AbstractThe corrosion fatigue crack propagation (FCP) of the butt weld with G20Mn5QT cast steel and Q355D steel in 3.5‐wt% NaCl solution was investigated experimentally. Considering the influences of stress ratio and loading frequency, the corrosion FCP rate curve was obtained. The results indicated that the corrosion FCP rate in the corrosion environment is three times that in air. Increasing the stress ratio or decreasing the loading frequency will increase the corrosion FCP rate. The fracture morphology of the specimens in the corrosion environment had more corrosion pits and intergranular characteristics due to anodic dissolution than that in air. Anodic dissolution and hydrogen embrittlement jointly promoted the corrosion FCP of butt weld in simulated seawater. The corrosion FCP rate model was established considering the effects of stress ratio and loading frequency.

Effect of Stress Ratio K due to Varying Overburden Topography on Crack Intensity of Tunnel Liner

A structural health assessment of the tunnel lining is carried out to investigate and mitigate the cause of defects in the tunnel lining to ensure user safety. Many factors affect the tunnel’s integrity, causing a wide range of defects. Identifying the possible cause and its relation with the degree of associated defect is essential for tunnel stability. In conjunction with defects of tunnel failure, liner cracks were found to be most critical because they could trigger other defects to form and jeopardize tunnel stability. Thus, this research acquires visual inspection followed by comprehensive mapping and quantification of liner cracks to enhance our understanding of the effect of varying overburden on the intensity of liner cracks. The numerical analysis was further performed to analyze the influence of varying topography (overburden) on the crack intensity of the liner using the stress ratio, K as a parameter in terms of the state of stress using induced stress (IS) and stress concentration factor (SCF) as a performance evaluation criterion. The work demonstrates that the shift in magnitude and position of liner cracks on the different portions of the tunnel liner implies the effect of a regionally external factor (varying overburden depth) on tunnel degradation. For advances in tunnel assessment based on the regional diversity of cracks along the longitudinal profile of the tunnel, the tunnel should be divided into zones based on the overburden to identify the varying intensity of the liner crack. This study shows the variable crack density of 575 m to 628 m, 650 m to 700 m, and 704 m to 724 m for shallow, intermediate, and deep zone, respectively. The findings of this study can provide scientific guidance to tunnel inspectors and engineers regarding the tunnel liner health assessment and identifying the subsequent method of repair.

Experimental Study on the Axial Deformation Characteristics of Compacted Lanzhou Loess under Traffic Loads

It is beneficial to the sustainable development of expressway engineering to reuse excavated soil as roadbed filling material. There are a large number of filling projects using loess as a filling material in Northwest China. In this paper, the loess subgrade of an expressway in Lanzhou is taken as the research object, and a series of experimental studies are conducted using a hollow cylindrical torsion shear system to simulate the formation of a “heart-shaped” stress path and the principal stress rotation (PSR) under long-term traffic loads. The effects of the vertical cyclic dynamic stress ratio, torsion shear stress ratio, initial static shear stress, and intermediate principal stress coefficient on the axial plastic deformation and rebound deformation of compacted loess in Lanzhou were studied. The results show that the vertical cyclic stress ratio (VCSR) has a significant effect on the axial deformation of compacted loess in Lanzhou. When the VCSR is less than 0.6, all the axial strain curves develop stably with the number of cycles. With an increasing VCSR, the axial plastic deformation increases obviously, and the axial rebound deformation also increases. The vertical cyclic dynamic stress of the specimen is constant. Moreover, increasing the torsional shear stress ratio (that is, increasing the amplitude of cyclic shear stress) can greatly increase the development of axial deformation, but it has no effect on the rebound deformation curve. When the initial static shear stress exists in the specimen, the larger the initial static stress ratio (SSR) is, the larger the axial plastic deformation. The axial plastic deformation increases by approximately 33% for every 0.1 increase in the SSR. The rebound deformation of different SSRs fluctuates at the initial stage of cyclic loading, but the final stable rebound deformation is basically the same as that at the initial stage of cyclic loading. The intermediate principal stress coefficient has no effect on the development of axial strain, and the effect on axial rebound deformation is negligible. Finally, the calculation model of the axial plastic strain of Lanzhou compacted loess under traffic loads is obtained. The research results can provide a reference for the durability and settlement prediction in loess engineering.

Effects of stress ratio on plasticity-induced crack closure through three-dimensional advanced numerical finite element models

The plasticity induced crack closure (PICC) is a local phenomenon that substantially influences crack growth. PICC is most commonly determined by numerical models. Specifically, the vertical displacements of the nodes behind the crack front have been extensively used to obtain the PICC and the crack opening loads (Pop/Pmax). Although this procedure has been demonstrated to be adequate for positive stress ratios, this work evidences the uncertainty of such procedure to obtain PICC under negative stress ratios. For this reason, the main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of stress ratio on PICC by 3D advanced numerical methodology. The purposed method consists of evaluating the contact pressures of all nodes behind the crack tip, from the first to the last released row of elements included on a crack propagation finite element model. Moreover, this method is tested at positive stress ratios and results show a good agreement with the CTOD method.

Effect of Surface Finishing State on Fatigue Strength of Cast Aluminium and Steel Alloys

The endurance limit of structural mechanical components is affected by the residual stress state, which depends strongly on the manufacturing process. In general, compressive residual stresses tend to result in an increased fatigue strength. Post-manufacturing processes such as shot peening or vibratory finishing may achieve such a compressive residual stress state. But within complex components, manufacturing-process-based imperfections severely limit the fatigue strength. Thus, the interactions of imperfections, residual stress state and material strength are key aspects in fatigue design. In this work, cast steel and aluminium alloys are investigated, each of them in vibratory finished and polished surface condition. A layer-based fatigue assessment concept is extended towards stable effective mean stress state considering the elastic–plastic material behaviour. Murakami’s concept was applied to incorporate the effect of hardness change and residual stress state. Residual stress relaxation is determined by elastic–plastic simulations invoking a combined hardening model. If the effective stress ratio within the local layer-based fatigue strength is evaluated as critical distance value, a sound calculation of fatigue strength can be achieved. Summing up, the layer-based fatigue strength design is extended and features an enhanced understanding of the effective stabilized mean stress state during cyclic loading.