Large Shear Deformation Research Articles

Microstructural evolution of nanolayered Cu–Nb composites subjected to high-pressure torsion

Bulk nanolayered Cu/Nb composites fabricated by accumulative roll bonding (ARB), leading to a nominal layer thickness of 18nm, were subjected to large shear deformation by high-pressure torsion at room temperature. The evolution of the microstructure was characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. At shear strains of ∼4, the crystallographic texture started to change from the one stabilized by ARB, with a Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relationship and a dominant {112}Cu||{112}Nb interface plane, toward textures unlike the shear texture of monolithic Cu and Nb. At larger strains, exceeding 10, the initial layered structure was progressively replaced by a three-dimensional Cu–Nb nanocomposite. This structure remained stable with respect to grain size, morphology and global texture from strains of ∼290 to the largest ones used in this study, 5900. The three-dimensional self-organized nanocomposites comprised biconnected Cu-rich and Nb-rich regions, with a remarkably small coexistence length scale, ∼10nm. The results are discussed in the context of the effect of severe plastic deformation and strain path on microstructure and texture stability in highly immiscible alloy systems.

A unified plasticity model for large post-liquefaction shear deformation of sand

Based on previous experimental findings and theoretical developments, this paper presents the formulation and numerical algorithms of a novel constitutive model for sand with special considerations for cyclic behaviour and accumulation of large post-liquefaction shear deformation. Appropriate formulation for three volumetric strain components enables the model to accurately predict loading and load reversal behaviour of sand, fully capturing the features of cyclic mobility. Compliance with the volumetric compatibility condition, along with reversible and irreversible dilatancy, allows for physically based simulation of the generation and accumulation of shear strain at zero effective stress after initial liquefaction. A state parameter was incorporated for compatibility with critical state soil mechanics, enabling the unified simulation of sand at various densities and confining pressures with a same set of parameters. The determination methods for the 14 model parameters are outlined in the paper. The model was implemented into the open source finite-element framework OpenSees using a cutting-plane stress integration scheme with substepping. The potentials of the model and its numerical implementation were explored via simulations of classical drained and undrained triaxial experiments, undrained cyclic torsional experiments, and a dynamic centrifuge experiment on a single pile in liquefiable soil. The results showed the model’s great capabilities in simulating small to large deformation in the pre- to post-liquefaction regime of sand.

Determination of properties of sheet damping material with viscoelastic coupling layer during shear deformation

The paper proposes a scheme of testing with a uniform deformation for measuring the properties of multi-layer material with viscoelastic connective layer while performing experiments on the shift. Experimental results showing the features of large shear deformation of a viscoelastic layer and the elastic layer in the samples are provided.

Upper and lower mantle anisotropy inferred from comprehensive SKS and SKKS splitting measurements from India

In this study, we investigate the upper mantle anisotropy beneath India using high quality SKS and SKKS waveforms from 382 teleseismic earthquakes recorded at 119 broadband seismic stations. In addition, we present evidence for anisotropy in the D″ layer beneath southeast Asia using SKS and SKKS splitting discrepancies on the same seismogram. During this exercise, we obtain 200 new splitting measurements from 35 stations recently deployed in the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP), central India and northeast India. While the delay times between the fast and slow axes of anisotropy (δt) range from 0.3 to 1.7 s, the fast polarization azimuths (Φ) at a majority of stations in the IGP and central India coincide with the absolute plate motion of India implying shear at the base of the lithosphere as the dominant mechanism for forging anisotropy. However, stations in NE India reveal fast polarization azimuths mainly in the ENE–WSW direction suggestive of lithospheric strain induced by the ongoing Indo-Eurasian collision. Our analysis for D″ anisotropy yielded a total of 100 SKS–SKKS pairs, which can be categorized into those exhibiting (I) null measurements for one phase and significant splitting for the other phase, (II) null measurement for both the phases, (III) significant splitting for both the phases. A pair is considered to be anomalous if the splitting difference between SKS and SKKS is ⩾0.5 s and the individual split time is ⩾0.5 s. Using this criterion, we obtain 12 measurements under category III and 9 under category I that show a null measurement for SKS and large splitting for the SKKS phase. Further, we quantify the strength of the lower mantle anisotropy by correcting the SKKS measurement for the upper mantle anisotropy obtained by the SKS phase on the same seismogram. The SKS delay times are found to be consistently less than SKKS times, suggesting that the SKS phases do not capture the lower mantle anisotropy in comparison to their SKKS counterparts. Seven coherent measurements thus obtained reveal measurable D″ anisotropy, with fast polarization azimuths oriented mainly in the ENE–WSW direction. These results suggest presence of a large region of deformation in the lowermost mantle beneath southeast Asia. A possible model for anisotropy in these regions could be the presence of slab material that pounded upon the core mantle boundary (CMB) and is experiencing large shear deformation, resulting in lattice preferred orientation (LPO) of the lower mantle (Van der Hilst and Kárason, 1999; Long, 2009). The other possibility is the phase transformation from MgSiO3 perovskite to a more stable post-perovskite phase under favorable conditions, which results in LPO of the lower mantle.

せん断挙動の引張依存性を考慮したドライファブリックのプレス成形解析

In this study, we propose a FE model for dry fabric forming simulation that can express the tension dependent shear behavior in order to predict the wrinkles, one of the major forming defects. Automakers are gradually using more carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) in mass production cars, because the development of resin transfer molding (RTM) have reduced its cycle time to less than 10 minutes. Finite element analysis (FEA) is essential to the vehicle design process, so numerical simulation of CFRP is strongly desired today. Forming simulation is especially important, because the performance of the final composite part strongly depends on changes in fiber orientation during the preforming. Moreover wrinkle is one of the major defects in preforming. RTM usually involves fabric reinforcement. During forming of fabric, large in-plane shear deformations typically occur. The reason for this is that the shear resistance is very low at the initial stage, because the deformation is governed by yarn contact friction at the cross-sections. Accurately expressing the in-plane shear behavior of fabric is very important for accurate forming simulation. In most simulation models the shear resistance of fabric is assumed to be independent from the tension along the yarn. However, meso-model predictions of the picture frame and bias-extension tests suggest this to be an invalid assumption. In this study, a micromechanical model that introduces the stress component due to the yarn rotational friction is adapted to the dry fabric forming simulation. In other words, this can express the shear behavior that depends on the tensions in the yarns. The results using this micromechanical model are in good agreement with the meso-model results in the various boundary conditions.

Elastic and thermodynamic properties of Re2N at high pressure and high temperature

First principles calculations are preformed to systematically investigate the elastic and thermodynamic properties of Re2N at high pressure and high temperature. The Re2N exhibits a clear elastic anisotropy and the elastic constants C11 and C33 vary rapidly in comparison with the variations in C12, C13 and C44 at high pressure. In addition, bulk modulus B, elastic modulus E, and shear modulus G as a function of crystal orientations for Re2N are also investigated for the first time. The tensile directional dependences of the elastic modulus obey the following trend: E[0001] <E[▪2▪1] >E[10▪0] >E[10▪1]. The shear moduli of Re2N within the (0001) basal plane are the smallest and greatly reduce the resistance of against large shear deformations. Based on the quasi-harmonic Debye model, the dependences of Debye temperature, Grüneisen parameter, heat capacity and thermal expansion coefficient on the temperature and pressure are explored in the whole pressure range from 0 to 50 GPa and temperature range from 0 to 1600 K.

Evolution of soil wetting patterns preceding a hydrologically induced landslide inferred from electrical resistivity survey and point measurements of volumetric water content and pore water pressure

[1] The hydrological state of a hillslope prior to a sprinkling-induced shallow landslide was monitored using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) along a 47 m long transect, supplemented by local time-domain reflectometry (TDR) and tensiometer measurements. The spatial and temporal evolution of wetting patterns in the soil material indicated attainment of a stationary fully saturated profile in a slope region underlain by shallow sandstone bedrock. The significant decrease in spatially averaged standard deviation of water saturation has not been observed during an earlier failed attempt to trigger a landslide by intense sprinkling. While for the “stable” experiment (no landslide was triggered) water saturation and soil moisture variability were still increasing with time, the “unstable” experiment reached a time-invariant state of high pore water pressures and saturations, until it finally failed. The results indicate that when large and interconnected regions of hillslope are saturated (as confirmed by high volumetric water content and low standard deviation of water saturation), additional water cannot be redistributed to empty drier regions and may eventually enhance local pore water pressure and seepage force, initiating large shear deformation and failure. Accordingly, a transition to such a critical steady state of high average water saturation, associated with low and constant spatial standard deviation, may serve as additional hydro-geophysical indicator for the imminence of a landslide release.

Anisotropic shear strength characteristics of a tailings sand

The deposition process of tailings in a tailings dam may lead to the anisotropy of mechanical properties of tailings. To investigate the anisotropic shear strength characteristics of a tailings sand, samples deposited under gravity were sheared in a modified direct shear apparatus along different orientations of the shear planes relative to the bedding plane. The experimental results reveal that the anisotropy has a substantial effect on the peak shear strength of the tailings sand, leading to a variation in peak friction angle of 10°. It is found that the effect of anisotropy on the peak shear strength of the tailings sand is mainly attributed to the effect of anisotropy on soil dilatancy. On the other hand, the effect of anisotropy on the residual friction angle of the tailing sand is relatively smaller, likely due to the partial erasure of anisotropy at large shear deformation. The degree of anisotropy is reduced by an increase in normal stress. To achieve more accurate stability analysis of tailings dams, it is suggested to take into account the shear strength anisotropy of tailings soils.

Pressure-constrained deformation and superior strength: Compressed graphite versus diamond

We show by first-principles calculations that high-pressure confinement suppresses the usual ambient or low-pressure deformation modes for compressed graphite toward low-density phases under large shear deformation and promotes alternative structural evolution to high-density phases that possess enhanced shear strength surpassing that of diamond. This finding explains the puzzling experimental observation of compressed graphite cracking diamond anvil [W. L. Mao et al., Science 302, 425 (2003)] and suggests different principles for determining material strength at high pressure. It also underscores the need to go beyond empirical hardness formulas that are unable to account for changes in pressure-constrained structural evolution and their influence on strength.

Evolution of Shear Localization in an Elasto-Plastic Cosserat Material under Shearing

Numerical investigations of shear localization evolution within a layer of granular material under large monotonic shearing are presented. Here, micro-polar (Cosserat) continuum approach is applied within the framework of elasto-plasticity to remove the numerical difficulties of localization modeling encountered in classical continuum. The micro-polar kinematical boundary conditions are used to model the rotation resistance of soil grains along the interface between granular layer and surface of adjoining structure. The finite element results show that shear localization takes place from the beginning of shearing and appears parallel to the direction of shearing, close to the boundary with less restriction of particle rotation. Furthermore, the state variables tend towards asymptotical stationary condition in large shear deformations.

Hydro-mechanical coupling mechanism on joint of clay core-wall and concrete cut-off wall

The joint of clay core-wall and concrete cut-off wall is one of the weakest parts in high earth and rockfill dams. A kind of highly plastic clay is always fixed on the joint to fit the large shear deformation between clay core-wall and concrete cut-off wall, so the hydro-mechanical coupling mechanisms on the joint under high stress, high hydraulic gradient, and large shear deformation are of great importance for the evaluation of dam safety. The hydro-mechanical coupling characteristics of the joint of the highly plastic clay and the concrete cut-off wall in a high earth and rockfill dam in China were studied by using a newly designed soil-structure contact erosion apparatus. The experimental results indicate that: 1) Shear failure on the joint is due to the hydro-mechanical coupling effect of stress and seepage failure. The seepage failure will induce the final shear failure when the ratio of deviatoric stress to confining pressure is within 1.0–1.2; 2) A negative exponential permeability empirical model for the joint denoted by a newly defined principal stress function, which considers the coupling effect of confining pressure and axial pressure on the permeability, is established based on hydro-mechanical coupling experiments. 3) The variation of the settlement before and after seepage failure is very different. The settlement before seepage failure changes very slowly, while it increases significantly after the seepage failure. 4) The stress-strain relationship is of a strain softening type. 5) Flow along the joint still follows Darcian flow rule. The results will provide an important theoretical basis for the further evaluation on the safety of the high earth and rockfill dam.

Analysis of intrinsic stability criteria for isotropic third-order Green elastic and compressible neo-Hookean solids

Internal stability of isotropic nonlinear elastic materials under homogeneous deformation is studied. Results provide new insight into various intrinsic stability measures, first proposed elsewhere, for generic nonlinear elastic solids. Three intrinsic stability criteria involving three different tangent elastic stiffness matrices are considered, corresponding to respective increments in strain measures conjugate to thermodynamic tension, first Piola–Kirchhoff stress, and Cauchy stress. Primary deformation paths of interest include spherical (i.e., isotropic) deformation, uniaxial strain, and simple shear; unstable modes are not constrained to remain along primary deformation paths. Effects of choices of second- and third-order elastic constants on intrinsic stability are systematically studied for physically realistic ranges of constants. For most cases investigated here, internal stability according to strain increments conjugate to Cauchy stress is found to be the most stringent criterion. When third-order constants vanish, internal stability under large compression tends to decrease as Poisson’s ratio increases. When third-order constants are nonzero, a negative (positive) pressure derivative of the shear modulus often promotes unstable modes in compression (tension). For large shear deformation, larger magnitudes of third-order constants tend to result in more unstable behavior, regardless of the sign of the pressure derivative of the shear modulus. A compressible neo-Hookean model is generally much more intrinsically stable than second- and third-order elastic models when Poisson’s ratio is non-negative.

Unexpected strain-stiffening in crystalline solids

Strain-stiffening--an increase in material stiffness at large strains--is a vital mechanism by which many soft biological materials thwart excessive deformation to protect tissue integrity. Understanding the fundamental science of strain-stiffening and incorporating this concept into the design of metals and ceramics for advanced applications is an attractive prospect. Using cementite (Fe3C) and aluminium borocarbide (Al3BC3) as prototypes, here we show via quantum-mechanical calculations that strain-stiffening also occurs, surprisingly, in simple inorganic crystalline solids and confers exceptionally high strengths to these two solids, which have anomalously low resistance to deformation near equilibrium. For Fe3C and Al3BC3, their ideal shear strength to shear modulus ratios attain remarkably high values of 1.14 and 1.34 along the (010)[001] and slip systems, respectively. These values are more than seven times larger than the original Frenkel value of 1/2π (refs 4, 5) and are the highest yet reported for crystalline solids. The extraordinary stiffening of Fe3C arises from the strain-induced reversible 'cross-linking' between weakly coupled edge- and corner-sharing Fe6C slabs. This new bond formation creates a strong, three-dimensional covalent bond network that resists large shear deformation. Unlike Fe3C, no new bond forms in Al3BC3 but stiffening still occurs because strong repulsion between Al and B in a compressed Al-B bond unsettles the existing covalent bond network. These discoveries challenge the conventional wisdom that large shear modulus is a reliable predictor of hardness and strength of materials, and provide new lessons for materials selection and design.

First-principles study of the ideal strength of Fe3C cementite

The ultimate (ideal) mechanical properties of iron carbide Fe3C (cementite) have been calculated using first-principles calculations and the generalized gradient approximation under tensile and shear loading. Our results confirm that cementite is elastically anisotropic, in particular with a low C44 (18GPa). We also show that cementite is anisotropic from the point of view of the theoretical strength. In tension, the elastic instability is reached at 16% strain and 22GPa along [100]. Larger elongation (23%) can be reached when the cementite is pulled along [010] or [001] (the ideal tensile stress is then 20 and 32GPa, respectively). Results are more contrasting in shear. The low C44 value allows very large shear deformation (up to ca. 40%) to be sustained along [010](001) or [001](010) before the cementite structure becomes unstable. The higher ideal shear stress (ISS), 22.4GPa, is exhibited for [001](100). Other shear loading conditions lead to ultimate strains in the range 14–22% for ideal shear stresses between 12 and 19GPa.

Large amplitude oscillatory shear properties of human skin

Skin is a complex multi-layered tissue, with highly non-linear viscoelastic and anisotropic properties. Thus far, a few studies have been performed to directly measure the mechanical properties of three distinguished individual skin layers; epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. These studies however, suffer from several disadvantages such as skin damage due to separation, and disruption of the complex multi-layered composition. In addition, most studies are limited to linear shear measurements, i.e. measurements with small linear deformations (also called small amplitude oscillatory shear experiments), whereas in daily life skin can experience high strains, due to for example shaving or walking. To get around these disadvantages and to measure the non-linear mechanical (shear) behavior, we used through-plane human skin to measure large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) deformation up to a strain amplitude of 0.1. LAOS deformation was combined with real-time image recording and subsequent digital image correlation and strain field analysis to determine skin layer deformations. Results demonstrated that deformation at large strains became highly non-linear by showing intra-cycle strain stiffening and inter-cycle shear thinning. Digital image correlation revealed that dynamic shear moduli gradually decreased from 8kPa at the superficial epidermal layer down to a stiffness of 2kPa in the dermis. From the results we can conclude that, from a mechanical point of view, skin should be considered as a complex composite with gradually varying shear properties rather than a three layered tissue.

A New Apparatus for Evaluation of Contact Erosion at the Soil–Structure Interface

Abstract The interface between clay core-wall and concrete cut-off wall is one of the weakest parts of high earth and rockfill dams. An unsuitable design can cause contact erosion at the interface or shear failure surfaces, and eventually this will harm the safety of the dam. A new soil–structure contact erosion apparatus was developed for the evaluation of contact erosion at the interface under high stress, high hydraulic head, and large shear deformation. It consists of a soil–structure model base, a seepage pressure system, a confining pressure system, an axial pressure system, and a data acquisition system. The seepage pressure system simulates the seepage erosion effect at the interface, and the maximum seepage pressure is 2.0 MPa. The confining and axial pressure systems simulate the triaxial stress state of the interface and the large shear deformation of the soil structure; the maximum confining and axial pressures are 2.0 MPa and 4.0 MPa, respectively. The data acquisition system can monitor pore pressure dissipation and settlement. Two repeatable experiments on the interface between a kind of highly plastic clay and a concrete cut-off wall were conducted to verify the scientific utility of the new apparatus. The new apparatus was found to be capable of yielding fairly consistent results in repeatable experiments. The new apparatus will prove an effective tool for studying a reasonable connection form of concrete cut-off wall and core wall in high earth and rockfill dams.

Approximate Analytical Solutions for Large Flexural and Shear Deformations of Uniformly Loaded Simply Supported Bimodular Beam

In this paper an analytical approximate solution for large flexural deformations, shear deformations and shear stresses of a bimodular uniformly loaded simply supported beam has been developed. Verification for the solution has been performed using FEM analysis with ANSYS. The results of the program were very close the results of the analytical solution presented in this paper.

The effects of surcharge on liquefaction resistance of silty sand

In the recent earthquakes, numerous cases of liquefaction occurred in sands containing both plastic and nonplastic fines that resulted in significant damage. Most previous research efforts have focused on clean sands regardless whether the sand contain fines or not made evident by widespread shallow foundation failures, numerous cases of settlement, and lateral displacement. Still, despite the amount of related research, results seem somewhat contradictory. This study directly demonstrates the beneficial or detrimental effect of uncertainty surcharges on seismic responses. Models were subjected to two destructive realistic events with similar PGA with various frequency contents and duration. In this paper, the dynamic analyses were conducted as fully non-linear elasto-plastic coupled stress-flow analyses with coupled liquefaction triggering which reasonably captured the actual behavior. The silty sand deposits underlying the surcharge are capable of liquefying and developing large shear deformations that can cause serious damage. Therefore, excess pore water pressure ratio cannot be enough by itself to evaluate liquefaction potential, so the deformations should be examined. Numerical results provide an estimate of the seismic performance liquefiable deposits underlying the surcharge; these results can be useful for a realistic practical engineering.

Mechanical behaviors of Kevlar 49 fabric subjected to uniaxial, biaxial tension and in-plane large shear deformation

Woven fabrics are used in many applications, including ballistic armors, propulsion engine containment systems and fabric reinforced composites. In order to facilitate the design and improvement of such applications, this paper investigates the stress–strain response in warp and fill directions, the apparent Poisson’s ratio, and the in-plane shear response of Kevlar 49 fabric including the possible effects of specimen size and pre-loading on the mechanical responses of the fabric. Full-field image analysis of the fabric under shear deformation is used to better understand the mechanisms related to in-plane shear. The experimental results show that the fabric exhibits non-linear and orthogonal behavior in tension, and can deform up to 20% before complete failure. It has identical Young’s modulus (pre-peak elastic stiffness) in warp and fill directions, but has different crimp strain, tensile strength and ultimate strain. The apparent Poisson’s ratio is a nonlinear function of strain and dependent upon the levels of pre-loading. It increases with strain quickly at the beginning and decreases gradually until the fabric fails. The shear response is highly nonlinear and has four distinct regions: linear elastic rotation region, dissipative rotation region, yarn compression region and shear locking region, and it is not dependent upon specimen size after normalization.

A basic study on the prediction of local material behavior of composite bone plate for metaphyseal femur fractures

This paper presents a method for estimating the local property changes and predicting the failure of composite materials experiencing large shear deformations during the draping process. This method was applied to the bone plate used for metaphyseal femur fractures because it has a complex geometry. The local property changes of fabric composites due to macro/microscopic deformations during the draping process were evaluated by various tests, and the results were used to predict the static/fatigue behaviors of the bone plate. This paper is expected to present useful information on the design of composite structures with complex geometries and their performance evaluation.