Incremental Displacement Research Articles

Fault growth and rupture history based on displacement distribution along the Luoshan Fault, NW China

The growth and development of faults are driven by repetitive earthquakes, which accumulate displacement and extend rupture lengths. This process changes fault morphology, resulting in surface ruptures that are preserved in the geomorphology as displaced landforms. High-resolution geomorphic data enable the precise acquisition of these displaced landforms, facilitating detailed analysis of slip distributions along faults and offering quantitative constraints on the growth and rupture history of faults. In this study, an airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system was employed to obtain 0.5-m resolution geomorphic data >500 m long on both sides of the Luoshan Fault on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. By interpreting and distinguishing different geomorphic markers, we identified and measured 436 right-lateral offsets along the Luoshan Fault. Based on statistical analysis methods, we determined that there were six strong earthquakes within 10 m of the cumulative displacement along the Luoshan Fault. Except for the latest event, the other five strong events showed regular displacement increments of approximately 1.9 m, revealing a strong earthquake pattern of approximate characteristic slip. The different cumulative displacement distributions correspond to various stages of fault growth. The growth pattern of the Luoshan Fault evolves from fault tip propagation and linkage (Events 1–5) to a mode of growth with a constant fault length but increased cumulative displacement (Event 6). Based on the displacement distribution along the Luoshan Fault, the northern segment is more likely to experience earthquake events, with magnitudes ranging from Mw 6.84 to 7.12.

Slip History, Tectonic Evolution, and Fault Zone Structure Along the Southern Alpine Fault, New Zealand

AbstractThe study of active fault zones is fundamental to understanding both long‐term tectonics and short‐term earthquake behavior. Here, we integrate lidar‐enabled geomorphic‐geologic mapping and petrochronological analysis to reveal the slip‐history, tectonic evolution, and structure of the southern Alpine Fault in New Zealand. New petrographic, zircon U‐Pb and zircon trace‐element data from fault‐displaced basement units provides constraint on ∼70–90 km of right‐lateral displacement on the presently active strand of the southern Alpine Fault, which we infer is of Plio‐Quaternary age. This incremental displacement has accumulated while the offshore part of the fault has evolved within a distributed zone of plate boundary deformation. We hypothesize that pre‐existing faults in the continental crust of the Pacific Plate have been exploited as components of this distributed plate boundary system. Along the onshore southern Alpine Fault, detailed mapping of active fault traces reveals complexity in geomorphic fault expression. Our analysis suggests that the major geomorphic features of the southern Alpine Fault correspond to penetrative fault zone structures. We emphasize the region immediately south of the central‐southern section boundary, where a major extensional stepover and restraining bend are located along‐strike of each other. We infer that this geometry may reflect segmentation of the Alpine Fault between two distinct fault segments. The ends of these proposed segments meet near where several Holocene earthquake ruptures have terminated. Our new constraints on the evolution and structure of the southern Alpine Fault help contribute to improved characterization of the greatest onshore source of earthquake hazard in New Zealand.

Study on seismic response characteristics of living stumps slope based on large-scale shaking table test

A large-scale shaking table test of a living stump slope with a geometric similarity ratio of 1:7 was designed and completed. The peak acceleration, acceleration amplification factor, and displacement response patterns of living stumps slopes under different types of seismic waves and excitation intensities were obtained. The time-frequency and energy variation characteristics were analyzed using the Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT). The results showed that: (1) Regardless of the type of seismic wave, the peak acceleration and acceleration amplification factor of the living stumps slope surface are positively correlated with relative height and seismic excitation intensity. When the excitation intensity is ≤ 0.4 g, the acceleration amplification effect is more pronounced; when the excitation intensity is > 0.4 g, the acceleration amplification effect weakens. (2) Under the action of different seismic waves, the peak displacement of slope surface shows amplification effect along the elevation, and increases with the increase of excitation intensity. In addition, the incremental displacement gradually decreases from the toe to the top of the slope, which is expressed as D2 > D3 > D1 > D4 > D5. The peak displacement at the top of the slope is the greatest, but the incremental displacement is the smallest; the peak displacement at the toe of the slope is the smallest, but the incremental displacement is relatively large. (3) Regardless of the type of seismic wave, living stumps slope shows the characteristics of filtering the low-frequency components of the seismic waves and amplifying their high-frequency components. At the same time, the seismic Hilbert energy gradually accumulates along the elevation. PSHEA and PMSA significantly increase with elevation and excitation intensity, and they reach the maximum at the top of the slope. (4) The seismic Hilbert energy is positively correlated with the relative height and excitation intensity, and reaches the maximum at the top of the slope. With the accumulation of seismic Hilbert energy increases, the dynamic response parameters such as peak acceleration, acceleration amplification coefficient and displacement also increase synchronously, reaching the maximum at the top of the slope. The research conclusions can provide an experimental basis for the seismic design of living stumps slopes.

Characterizing the free-vibration response of a two-span rocking bridge with free-standing columns

For accelerated bridge construction (ABC), replacing traditional emulative connections of precast elements with simpler discontinuities may lead to more resilient structures with reduced expected damages after strong seismic events. This paper comprises novel free-vibration tests of a 1:10 scale two-span rocking bridge with free-standing columns with proper geometrical and dynamic similarity. The two spans induced in the model the interaction between frames with different tributary masses, as would be expected for a realistic bridge. To excite the bridge uniformly, the experimental protocol consisted of forty-nine incremental sinusoidal ground motions that were interrupted, letting the bridge vibrate freely to rest. The results were compared with six analytical models. The results showed that the structure remained undamaged for the free-vibration tests after drifts up to 6 % and did not wobble unrestricted. The results were used to obtain the dynamic properties of the system and their variation to displacement increments. Construction imperfections induced the model to rock for all excitations, including low-intensity excitations, and to vibrate with periods different from those of theoretical equations at low displacements. This behavior was critical in the comparison between experimental results and the estimates from analytical models. These findings demonstrate that rocking bridges are a suitable system to control structural damage during seismic events despite the apparent variability of the behavior under realistic conditions. However, the design of these structures must account for the effects of construction imperfections at the rocking surface. The experimental results are openly available for download in the DesignSafe Data Depot using this DOI https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-znfv-8t55.

Laboratory-scale thermo-activated piles under long continuous operation and different mobilised shaft resistance

AbstractThis paper examines the shaft resistance mobilisation ratio as a predictor of cumulative displacement of small-scale floating and end-bearing energy pile foundations subjected to vertical compressive loads embedded in dry sandy soils. A reduced friction model pile was subjected to different mechanical loads and two long-duration, cyclic heating/recovery temperature changes. The pile, soil and container temperatures, pile strains, and vertical displacements are monitored, analysed, and discussed. The results further validate numerical analyses that propose the shaft resistance mobilisation ratio as a variable to identify thresholds above which permanent cyclic thermo-induced deformations may occur. Overall, the experimentally observed responses indicate incremental deformations as the shaft resistance mobilisation ratio increased. The results also suggest that a mobilisation ratio of 66% could be a potential conservative lower-bound limit that could control the increment of thermal-induced vertical displacements in the long term under free pile head conditions. This suggests that a performance-based design would be a reasonable approach for energy piles, and monitoring programs should be set in the field before loading and thermo-activation.

Response characteristics of soil slope under mainshock-aftershock sequences-type ground motions: Incremental damage effect, polarity effect, and correlation

Aftershocks frequently induce further damage to slopes that have already been compromised by mainshocks. Most of the current research concentrates on the case-based studies of structural response to the mainshock-aftershock sequences (MAS), however, the influence of the MAS parameter characteristics has not been adequately considered. In this study, the peak characteristic, spectrum characteristic, cumulative characteristic and polarity effect of the MAS were considered, the correlation between 21 MAS parameters and slope response were analyzed, and the response characteristics of soil slope under the MAS action were comprehensively and systematically revealed. The results show that: (1) Aftershocks can induce significant incremental damage to slopes, with the extent of this damage being contingent upon the severity of damage caused by the mainshock; (2) Among the MAS parameters, the Cumulative Absolute Velocity (CAVma) and Peak Ground Velocity (PGVma) are optimal for assessing the response of soil slopes under MAS conditions. Furthermore, the incremental damage caused by aftershocks can be predicted using the displacement increment ratio (δD); (3) The polarity of the MAS has an impact on the displacement of the slope, following the pattern: MAS along-slope direction > mainshock along-slope direction and aftershock reverse-slope direction > aftershock along-slope direction and mainshock reverse-slope direction > MAS reverse-slope direction; (4) The MAS polarity also affects the correlation between the MAS parameters and the slope displacement response, especially for the aftershock displacement. The research results aim to provide a foundation for the selection of evaluation factors and the analysis of soil slopes stability under the MAS action.

Failure mechanism of transversely isotropic schist under Brazilian test using real-time X-ray nano tomography scanning

The study tries to address Brazilian tests on a transversely isotropic rock to investigate failure conditions by using digital volume correlation (DVC). For this purpose, an in-situ Brazilian apparatus in a nano- X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner is applied to investigate the 3D progressive failure mechanism of the schist. Two different anisotropy angles are tested. CT scans are conducted at every selected loading stage before peak load. DVC analyzes the constructed X-ray CT images to determine the effect of schistosity orientation on failure mechanism, including crack initiation and propagation. A calibration method is presented to verify DVC parameters, including the half size of the correlation window and the space between two sub-volumes. Using DVC, 3D deviatoric strain field, strain contours, and displacement increment are determined at all stages of loading. A CT value-based method (VG Studio) is also applied to validate the DVC results. It is found that the layer boundaries affect the failure pattern, with the agreement between the DVC results and VG Studio results being observed. For the specimen with horizontal layers, the crack initiates at the center part at the lower density layer and finishes out of the center. Also, for the specimen with horizontal layers, the crack initiates and propagates at the boundary of two layers out of the middle line of the specimen. These asymmetry failures are due to the heterogeneity of layers. The study also shows the type of failure using DVC by monitoring displacement increment vectors near the crack location.

Experimental investigations and finite element simulation for predicting wear life of overrunning clutches

An overrunning clutch, generally known as a freewheel clutch, is a direction dependent torque transmitting device that works on the principle of wedge friction. The overrunning wear characteristics of freewheels are studied using pin-on-disc tribometry. The wear experiments for freewheels are performed at accelerated loads to promote wear in a short period. The overrunning wear life of the clutch under operating conditions is predicted using an appropriate load-life relationship. A finite element-based Archard’s wear model is implemented as a numerical strategy to evaluate the wear profile. The maximum local wear for various loads is computed using experimentally obtained wear and friction coefficients. The numerical simulation is performed with an adaptive mesh technique utilizing incremental nodal displacements to predict surface wear. The experimental and numerical results are compared in terms of wear characteristics. The numerical wear results are almost 11% higher than the experimental results. The wear life of an overrunning clutch is predicted in terms of overrunning speed based on the wear amount.

The extended consecutive modal pushover (ECMP) procedure for the seismic assessment of tall dual steel concentrically braced-moment resisting systems and concentrically braced frame (CBF) buildings

The contribution of higher modes to the seismic responses of tall buildings is substantially significant. In recent years, enhanced pushover analyses, developed to account for the effects of higher modes in predicting the seismic demands of tall buildings, have been mostly conducted for moment-resisting (MR) frame buildings. The question is whether these methods can accurately estimate the seismic demands of tall concentrically braced frame (CBF) buildings. Hence, this paper aims to extend the consecutive modal pushover (CMP) procedure for estimating the seismic demands of tall dual concentrically braced-moment resisting systems (CB-MR dual systems) and CBF buildings. In the extended consecutive modal pushover (ECMP) procedure, single-stage and two-stage pushover analyses are performed. Also, the modal properties of the structure are used to modify the displacement increment during the stages of the two-stage pushover analysis. Enhanced pushover methods, including the modal pushover analysis (MPA), modified consecutive modal pushover (MCMP), Extended N2, single-run multi-mode pushover (SMP) and modified upper-bound pushover (MUB) methods as well as the first-mode pushover analysis are implemented for the purpose of comparison. The seismic demands obtained by the pushover methods are compared to those from the most accurate nonlinear response history analysis (NL-RHA). The results demonstrate that although the degree of contribution of higher modes to the seismic demands at the upper storeys of the CB-MR dual systems and CBF buildings is less than the MR frames, this effect should be considered in estimating the seismic demands of this type of mid-rise and high-rise buildings. Furthermore, the ECMP method provides accurate storey drifts for almost all of the CB-MR dual systems and CBF buildings.

Incremental Viscoelastic Damage Contact Models for Asphalt Mixture Fracture Assessment

Asphalt mixtures are widely used as a surfacing material for pavements due to their several advantages. For this reason, robust numerical models still need to be developed to improve the understanding of their fracture behaviour. Recently, an incremental generalised Kelvin (GK) contact model that relates increments in contact displacements with increments in contact forces was proposed to assess the viscoelastic behaviour of asphalt mixtures within a discrete element method (DEM) framework. In this work, the contact model is extended to allow its application to asphalt mixture fracture studies. Two damage models—a brittle and a bilinear softening—coupled with the GK contact model are proposed to consider damage initiation and propagation. A parametric study is presented that assesses the impact of the GK-Damage parameters, showing a sensitivity to the loading velocity and the Maxwell elements, particularly its viscosity element, on the stress–strain response of a single contact. A reduced-size numerical mastic is initially used to speed up the calibration process of the GK-Damage contact parameters, with subsequent validation on a specimen with real experimental dimensions. It is shown that the proposed calibrated damage models can successfully reproduce the time-dependent behaviour, peak stress, and crack path observed in experimental results, highlighting the benefits of the adopted methodology. For the GK-Bilinear model, the fracture energy and maximum contact tensile stress are shown to adjust both the peak stress and softening response. Uniaxial tensile tests on asphalt mixtures indicate that the GK-Bilinear model provides a more realistic characterisation of fracture development. A higher susceptibility to damage at aggregate-to-mastic contacts compared to contacts within the mastic phase is identified.

Mechanical Behavior of Buried HDPE Pipe Subjected to Surface Load: Constitutive Modeling and Finite Element Method Simulations

Abstract In this paper, the Sherwood–Frost constitutive model was first used to simulate the stress response and deformation process of buried high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe subjected to surface load, where parameters in this model were obtained by fitting the results of uniaxial tensile tests with different rates and the pipe–soil model was conducted in abaqus. Apparent stress concentration and large deformation are observed in pipe cross section and are closely related to the magnitude and location of surface load. The increments of surface load and offset displacement have opposite effects on the mechanical behavior of pipes. Additionally, the location of the maximum stress appears to shift from the top or bottom to the left and right sides of the pipe cross section with the increment of surface load, and the region of peak hoop stress will show a decreasing trend of counterclockwise rotation. Then, based on stress failure criterion, the relationship between the ultimate bearing capacity of the pipe and the offset displacement was determined, which decided by the angle between the ground and the line connecting load center and cross section center of pipe. Finally, an offset of 0.6 m is a value of interest. When the offset between the load position and the pipe exceeds 0.6 m, the ultimate bearing capacity of the pipe will increase significantly with the increase of the offset. The results of the above research could provide the reference for the safety evaluation and maintenance strategy of gas polyethylene pipe under the surface load.

Fluctuations and failure in granular materials: theory and numerical simulations

We consider a dense aggregate of elastic, frictional particles isotropically compressed and next uniaxial strained at constant pressure. We show how failure can be predicted if fluctuations in the kinematics of contacting particles are introduced. We focus on the second order work and the possibility that at some stressed states it becomes negative under proper perturbations. Our analysis involves both a theoretical model and numerical simulations based upon the distinct element method (DEM). The theoretical model deals with contacting particles with incremental relative displacements that deviate from the average deformation in order to ensure their equilibrium. Because of this, the macroscopic stiffness tensor of the aggregate, that relates increments in stress with increments in strain, does not have the major symmetry. Consequently, in the hardening regime, we predict stressed states in which the second order work vanishes. The model seems transparent, and it makes clear and illustrative the role played by the fluctuations introduced in the kinematics of contacting particles in relation to the vanishing of second order work in an aggregate of compressed particles. The comparison with numerical simulations data supports the model.Graphical Statistical representation of the aggregate: conditional average.

Use of locking fibular plates versus non-locking dual plate fixation: A biomechanical study

IntroductionDistal fibula osteoporotic comminuted fractures are challenging to treat and are often treated with periarticular locking plates. This study examined the biomechanical difference between locked plating and dual non-locked one-third tubular plating. MethodsUsing an osteoporotic Sawbones fibula model, simulated fracture were fixated with one-third tubular dual plating and locked periarticular plating. The samples were then torqued to failure and peak torque, stiffness, and displacement were recorded. ResultsThe peak torque of the dual plating group was found to be statistically higher than the periarticular locked plating group (0.841 Nm and 0.740 Nm respectively; p = 0.024). However overall stiffness calculated at each 10° increment of displacement was noted to have no significant difference between the two constructs. ConclusionDual non-locked plating of distal fibula osteoporotic comminuted fractures is biomechanically equivalent to locked periarticular plating.

Effects of Contact Surface Shape on Dynamic Lifetime and Strength of Molecular Bond Clusters under Displacement- and Force-Controlled Loading Conditions.

Many experimental and theoretical studies have shown that the mechanical properties of cells and the extracellular matrix can significantly affect the lifetime and strength of the adhesion clusters of molecular bonds. However, there are few studies on how the shape of the contact surface affects the lifetime and strength of the adhesion clusters of molecular bonds, especially theoretical studies in this area. An idealized model of focal adhesion is adopted, in which two rigid media are bonded together by an array of receptor-ligand bonds modeled as Hookean springs on a complex surface topography, which is described by three parameters: the surface shape factor β, the length of a single identical surface shape L, and the amplitude of surface shapes w. In this study, systematic Monte Carlo simulations of this model are conducted to study the lifetime of the molecular bond cluster under linear incremental force loading and the strength of the molecular bond cluster under linear incremental displacement loading. We find that both small surface shape amplitudes and large surface shape factors will increase the lifetime and strength of the adhesion cluster, whereas the length of a single surface shape causes oscillations in the lifetime and strength of the cluster, and this oscillation amplitude is affected by the surface shape amplitude and the factor. At the same time, we also find that the pretension in the cluster will play a dominant role in the adhesion strength under large amplitudes and small factors of surface shapes. The physical mechanisms behind these phenomena are that the changes of the length of a single surface shape, the amplitude of surface shapes, and the surface shape factor cause the changes of stress concentration in the adhesion region, bond affinity, and the number of similar affinity bonds.

Computational study of the influence of microstructure on fracture behavior near crack-tip field in nacre-like materials

The small-scale failure process around a plane strain mode I crack in nacre-like materials is analyzed. The displacement increments of boundary nodes are specified by the analytical solutions based on the orthotropic linear elasticity to conduct an incremental finite element analysis. We set up a structural model composed of staggered arranged brittle aragonite tablets and cohesive zones within a process window surrounding the crack tip to investigate the toughness as well as the deformation mechanism in the fracture process zone. The results obtained by the parametric studies of different geometries and mechanical properties in the microstructure of the materials show that the aspect of failure in the near-tip fields can be categorized into four distinct fracture mechanisms. These mechanisms significantly affect the fracture toughness with differences of hundreds of times. We show a failure-mechanism map in which these fracture mechanisms can be divided into regions of geometry and mechanical properties in microstructure. Findings obtained in this study about the toughening mechanisms give us the useful knowledge to design novel materials with specific microstructures to control fracture mechanisms.

Stability Analysis of Seismic Slope Based on Relative Residual Displacement Increment Method

The seismic stability analysis of a slope is a complex process influenced by earthquake action characteristics and soil mechanical properties. This paper presents a novel seismic slope stability analysis method using the relative residual displacement increment method in combination with the strength reduction method (SRM) and the actual deformation characteristics of the slope. By calculating the relative displacement of the key point inside the landslide mass and the reference point outside the landslide mass after each reduction, the safety factor of the slope is determined by the strength reduction factor (SRF) corresponding to the maximum absolute value of the relative residual displacement increment that appears after a continuous plastic penetration zone. The method eliminates interference caused by significant displacement fluctuations of key points under earthquake action and reduces the subjective error that can occur when manually identifying displacement mutation points. The proposed method is validated by dynamic calculations of homogeneous and layered soil slopes and compared with three other criteria: applicability, accuracy, and stability.

Mode I fracture propagation and post-peak behavior of sandstone: Insight from AE and DIC observation

Microcracks generated at the crack tip, particularly in quasi-brittle materials such as sandstone, give rise to a non-linear region known as the fracture process zone (FPZ), which cannot be analyzed using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). To gain insights into the nonlinear fracturing behavior of rock, this study conducted three-point bending experiments on sandstone beams with prefabricated notch. Stable mode-Ⅰ fracture propagation during the post-peak stage was achieved by the monotonic increment of crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) measured by a clip gauge. The acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques were utilized to visually track the detailed crack propagation process from both micro and macro perspectives. Nonlinear fracture parameters, including FPZ length, were identified by AE and DIC measurements and compared with the theoretical calculation. A nonlinear fracture criterion relating applied load, equivalent crack length, and stress intensity factor were established, from which the theoretical CMOD-P curve at the post-peak stage were obtained and validated with experimental measurement from MTS machine. The results reveal that microcracks formulating the FPZ materialize in the pre-peak stage, with the majority emerging post-peak to facilitate the propagation of the traction-free crack and FPZ in the loading direction, as evidenced by AE locations and DIC displacement gradient. Throughout the crack propagation process, over 65 % of microcracks are estimated to be tensile mode based on both AF/RA and polarity analysis, aligning with anticipated outcomes from macroscopic three-point bending fracture tests. Energy dissipation primarily occurs within the FPZ to facilitate separation of crack faces, with the dissipated energy region advancing towards the beam boundary. By integrating AE source locations and DIC displacement gradient, the FPZ length of the 3-point-bending sandstone specimens is determined to be lp = 8.1 mm, slightly exceeding the theoretical FPZ lengths calculated by the Irwin model (lp = 7.0 mm) and the Dugdale-Barenblatt model (lp = 7.6 mm). Using a non-linear fracture criterion that incorporates the FPZ and employing the in-time equivalent crack length measured by AE and DIC as an intermediate variable, the theoretical applied load-crack length curve during the post-peak stage is calculated, showing close agreement with load cell measurements with a negligible error of approximately 2 %. Furthermore, the theoretical post-peak CMOD vs. load curve aligns with experimentally obtained results, demonstrating a non-linear crack propagation speed at a constant CMOD rate, wherein crack propagation speed decreases as crack length increases.

Fast optimisation of honeycombs for impact protection

Cellular solids such as honeycombs are often used in impact protection systems. Those with precisely defined geometries allow responses to be programmed to specific functions, but can be costly to design. This article presents an analytical model for fast, parametric optimisation. The analytical model, and a numerical one, were validated against experimental data for three honeycomb variants, during compression tests to 80% engineering strain, and 1, 3 and 5 J impacts. The numerical model force readings remained within 5% of the experiments. A further verification of the analytical model, varying all parameters within the honeycomb geometry, was undertaken for 5 J and 15 J impacts. The analytical model predicted energy absorption at all displacement increments to be (on average) 3% higher than the numerical one. The limits of agreement (with 95% confidence) were between +15 and −9% of the numerical model. The analytical model provided solutions almost instantly, so was used in a demonstrative parametric optimisation study, for a 10 J impact. The input and output solutions were verified in the numerical model, showing a four-fold reduction in peak force (from ∼2000 to ∼500 N).

Uniaxial behavior of UHPC under cyclic compression: Experimental investigation and constitutive model

The compressive behavior of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is experimentally investigated in this paper for three different micro steel fiber volume fractions (Vf= 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%) under uniaxial monotonic and cyclic compression. The cube specimens are loaded and fully unloaded twice per displacement increment to track the evolution of damage. Cycles are included till the peak load and after attaining the peak load, all the way till the load carrying capacity becomes marginal. A one dimensional (1D) elastoplastic damage constitutive model is proposed to simulate the damage of UHPC under uniaxial cyclic compression, incorporating the damage parameters within a damage function deduced from the tests. Damage is incorporated as a nonlinear function and thus the hysteresis behavior (distinguishable unloading and reloading paths) is adequately captured in the model. The experimental results from this study and the accompanying model demonstrate that the strength and stiffness degradation in UHPC due to low cycle fatigue stabilize at higher fiber dosage levels.

Effects of prestress in the coating of an elastic disk

An elastic disk is coated with an elastic rod, uniformly prestressed with a tensile or compressive axial force. The prestress state is assumed to be induced by three different models of external radial load or by ‘shrink-fit’ forcing the coating onto the disk. The prestressed coating/disk system, when loaded with an additional and arbitrary incremental external load, experiences incremental displacement, strain, and stress, which are solved via complex potentials. The analysis incorporates models for both perfect and imperfect bonding at the coating/disk interface. The derived solution highlights the significant influence not only of the prestress but also of the method employed to generate it. These two factors lead, in different ways, to a loss or an increase in incremental stiffness for compressive or tensile prestress. The first bifurcation load of the structure (which differs for different prestress generations) is determined in a perturbative way. The results emphasize the importance of modelling the load and may find applications in flexible electronics and robot arms subject to pressure or uniformly-distributed radial forces.