Loading Apparatus Research Articles

Dealing with Missing Angular Sections in NanoCT Reconstructions of Low Contrast Polymeric Samples Employing a Mechanical In Situ Loading Stage.

While in situ experiments are gaining importance for the (mechanical) assessment of metamaterials or materials with complex microstructures, imaging conditions in such experiments are often challenging. The lab-based computed tomography system Xradia 810 Ultra allows for the in situ (time-lapsed) mechanical testing of samples. However, the in situ loading setup of this system limits the image acquisition angle to 140°. For low contrast polymeric materials, this limited acquisition angle leads to regions of low information gain, thus preventing an accurate reconstruction of the data using a filtered back projection algorithm resulting in erroneous microstructures. Here, we demonstrate how the information gain can be improved by selecting an appropriate position of the sample. A low contrast polymeric tetrahedral microlattice sample and a structured sample with specific markers, both scanned over 140° and 180°, demonstrate that the missing structural details in the 140° reconstruction are limited to an angular wedge of about 20°. Depending on the sample geometry and microstructure, applying simple strategies for the in situ experiments allows accurate reconstruction of the data. For the tetrahedral microlattice, a simple rotation of the sample by 90° rotates all relevant surfaces by about 30° to the original illumination direction, creating a more even X-ray illumination for all the projections, thus providing enough X-ray absorption for an accurate reconstruction of the geometry.

In Vitro Verification of Simulated Daily Activities Using Implant-Specific Kinematics from In Vivo Measurements.

The mechanism and boundary conditions used to drive experimental joint simulators have historically adopted standardized profiles developed from healthy, non-total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. The purpose of this study was to use implant-specific in vivo knee kinematics to generate physiologically relevant boundary conditions used in the evaluation of cadaveric knees post-TKA. Implant-specific boundary conditions were generated by combining in vivo fluoroscopic kinematics, musculoskeletal modeling-generated quadriceps loading, and telemetric knee compressive loading during activities of daily living (ADL) to dynamically drive a servo-hydraulic knee joint simulator. Ten cadaveric knees were implanted with the same TKA components and mounted in the knee simulator to verify the resulting load profiles against reported fluoroscopic kinematics and loading captured by an ultra-congruent telemetric knee implant. The cadaveric simulations resulted in implant-specific boundary conditions, which accurately recreate the in vivo performance of the like-implanted knee, with Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) in femoral low point kinematics below 2.0 mm across multiple activities of daily living. This study demonstrates the viability of in vivo fluoroscopy as the source of relevant boundary conditions for a novel knee loading apparatus, enabling dynamic cadaveric knee loading that aligns with clinical observations to improve the preclinical development of TKA component design.

Combined bending-torsion and compression-bending-torsion behaviours of reinforced concrete-filled thin-walled corrugated steel tubes

Reinforced concrete-filled thin-walled galvanized corrugated steel tube (RCFCST) is a novel composite member that has application potential in extremely corrosive environments and seismic activity regions. A series of preliminary works have been conducted on its compressive, flexural, shear, and torsional behaviour. However, the combined loading condition is almost inevitable in practice. The correlations between the flexural and torsional behaviour of RCFCSTs are unique due to the special spiral corrugated profile, which is unclear and needs to be addressed. This paper, therefore, presents an experimental investigation of the RCFCST under combined bending-torsion and compression-bending-torsion loads, encompassing the main test variables of torsion-to-bending ratios, torsional directions, and axial compression ratios. The loading set-up and instruments have been introduced in detail. The failure modes, lateral load versus lateral displacement curves, bending moment versus flexural lateral displacement curves, torsion moment versus torsional angle curves, and strain distributions are carefully addressed. The working mechanisms of the RCFCST under monotonic combined loads are discussed, with a particular explanation of the dependent behaviour on the torsion-to-bending ratios and torsional directions. The applicability of the existing design methods for the bearing capacity of RCFCST specimens under combined loads is examined carefully, with specific design suggestions proposed.

Comparison of the flexural strength of printed and milled denture base materials

BackgroundTo evaluate the flexural strength of digitally milled and printed denture base materials.MethodsThe materials tested were Lucitone 199 denture base disc (Dentsply Sirona), AvaDent denture base puck (AvaDent), KeyMill denture base disc (Keystone), Lucitone digital print denture base resin (Dentsply Sirona), Formlab denture base resin (Formlabs), and Dentca base resin II (Dentca). Sixty bar-shaped specimens of each material were prepared for flexural strength testing and were divided into five groups: control, thermocycled, fatigue cycled, and repair using two different materials. The flexural strength and modulus were tested using a 3-point bend test performed on an Instron Universal Testing Machine with a 1kN load cell. The specimens were centered under a loading apparatus with a perpendicular alignment. The loading rate was a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Each specimen was loaded with a force until failure occurred. A one-way ANOVA test was used to analyze the data, followed by Tukey’s HSD test (α = 0.05).ResultsThe milled materials exhibited higher flexural strength than the printed materials. Thermocycling and fatigue reduce the flexural strengths of printed and milled materials. The repaired groups exhibited flexural strengths of 32.80% and 30.67% of the original flexural strengths of printed and milled materials, respectively. Nevertheless, the type of repair material affected the flexural strength of the printed materials; the composite resin exhibited higher flexural strength values than the acrylic resin.ConclusionsThe milled denture base materials showed higher flexural strength than the printed ones.

Experimental and numerical study on influence of impact mass and velocity on failure mode of RC columns under lateral impact

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures may encounter impact loads during service life, such as vehicle collisions, ship strikes, and explosions. Limited existing impact tests on RC columns and piers have yet to fully reveal the column impact performance and its relationship with structural or load parameters. To explore the effects of impact mass and velocity, which determine the impact energy, on the impact performance of RC columns, pendulum impact tests on nine RC columns were performed utilizing a specially designed loading setup. The test variables included the impact mass and velocity of the pendulum, as well as the slenderness ratio and stirrup ratio of the columns. During the tests, the impact force and velocity of the pendulum, as well as the axial force, displacement, and acceleration of the columns, were measured. Additionally, the damage evolution of each specimen was recorded using a high-speed camera. One-side shear failure, two-side shear failure near the impact point, and shear failure at the column bottom end were observed during the tests. The results indicated that, under similar impact energy, as the impact velocity increased, the specimens with the low stirrup ratio transitioned from one-side shear failure to two-side shear failure. An enhancement in the impact resistance of the columns was observed when the stirrup ratio was increased, or the slenderness ratio decreased. For the enhanced columns, shear failure was avoided at lower impact velocities; however, at the maximum impact velocity, end shear failure or one-side shear failure yet occurred. Additionally, a parametric analysis using LS-DYNA finite element software further clarified the effects of impact velocity and mass on the dynamic response and failure mode of RC columns.

Pathomechanics of lumbrical and flexor digitorum profundus muscle tears in climbers: A cadaveric model

Lumbrical muscles originate on the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons and, during fist making, they move in the same direction when FDP muscle produces maximal proximal tendon gliding. Injuries of the bipennate lumbricals have been described when a shear force acts between the origins on adjacent tendons of the FDP, as they glide in opposite directions in asymmetric hand postures. Other structures of the deep flexors complex can be affected during this injury mechanism, due to the so-called quadriga effect, which can commonly occur during sport climbing practise. Biomechanical studies are needed to better understand the pathomechanism. A cadaveric study was designed to analyse the effects of load during the fourth lumbrical muscle injury mechanism. The amount of FDP tendon gliding and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint flexion of the 5th finger were calculated. Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens (ten non-paired forearms and hands) were used. The specimens were placed on a custom-made loading apparatus. The FDP of the 5th finger was loaded, inducing isolated flexion of the 5th finger, until rupture. The rupture occurred in all specimens, under a load of 11 kg (SD 4.94), at 9.23 mm of proximal tendon gliding (SD 3.55) and at 21.4° (SD 28.91) of MCP joint flexion. Lumbrical muscle detachment from the 4th FDP was observed, from distal to proximal, and changes in FDP tendons at the distal forearm level too. The quadriga effect can lead to injury of the bipennate lumbrical muscles and the deep flexors complex in the hand and forearm.

In vivo human knee varus-valgus loading apparatus for analysis of MRI-based intratissue strain and relaxometry

The diagnosis of early-stage osteoarthritis remains as an unmet challenge in medicine and a roadblock to evaluating the efficacy of disease-modifying treatments. Recent studies demonstrate that unique patterns of intratissue cartilage deformation under cyclic loading can serve as potential biomarkers to detect early disease pathogenesis. However, a workflow to obtain deformation, strain maps, and quantitative MRI metrics due to the loading of articular cartilage in vivo has not been fully developed. In this study, we characterize and demonstrate an apparatus that is capable of applying a varus-valgus load to the human knee in vivo within an MRI environment to enable the measurement of cartilage structure and mechanical function. The apparatus was first tested in a lab environment, then the functionality and utility of the apparatus were examined during varus loading in a clinical 3T MRI system for human imaging. We found that the device enables quantitative MRI metrics for biomechanics and relaxometry data acquisition during joint loading leading to compression of the medial knee compartment. Integration with spiral DENSE MRI during cyclic loading provided time-dependent displacement and strain maps within the tibiofemoral cartilage. The results from these procedures demonstrate that the performance of this loading apparatus meets the design criteria and enables a simple and practical workflow for future studies of clinical cohorts, and the identification and validation of imaging-based biomechanical biomarkers.

Development of physical model test system for fault-slip induced rockburst in underground coal mining

A complex geological environment with faults can be encountered in the process of coal mining. Fault activation can cause instantaneous structure slipping, releasing a significant amount of elastic strain energy during underground coal mining. This would trigger strong rockburst disasters. To understand the occurrence of fault-slip induced rockbursts, we developed a physical model test system for fault-slip induced rockbursts in coal mine drifts. The boundary energy storage (BES) loading apparatus and bottom rapid retraction (BRR) apparatus are designed to realize energy compensation and continuous boundary stress transfer of the surrounding rocks for instantaneous fault slip, as well as to provide space for the potential fault slip. Taking the typical fault-slip induced rockburst in the Xinjulong Coal Mine, China, as the background, we conducted a model test using the test system. The deformation and stress in the rock surrounding the drift and the support unit force during fault slip are analyzed. The deformation and failure characteristics and dynamic responses of drifts under fault-slip induced rockbursts are obtained. The test results illustrate the rationality and effectiveness of the test system. Finally, corresponding recommendations and prospects are proposed based on our findings.

Features of functional behavior of TiNi shape memory alloy after uniaxial high speed magnetic pulse tension

This study investigates the influence of high strain rate on the functional properties of TiNi shape memory alloys. Specimens were deformed in tensile mode using a magnetic pulse loading setup equipped with an optical system to measure the loading time. The technique allows to obtain different strain rates without changing the working part of the specimens, i.e. the residual strains remained the same. The results show that the shape memory effect decreases by 10–25% with increasing strain rate. However, a high strain rate has a positive effect on the two-way shape memory, which increases by 10–25%.

Stemless reverse shoulder arthroplasty neck shaft angle influences humeral component time-zero fixation and survivorship: a cadaveric biomechanical assessment

Stemless humeral components are being clinically investigated for reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) procedures. There is, however, a paucity of basic science literature on the surgical parameters that influence the success of these procedures. Therefore, this cadaveric biomechanical study evaluated the neck shaft angle (NSA) of implantation on the survivability and performance of stemless RSA humeral components during cyclical loading. Twelve paired cadaveric humeri were implanted with stemless RSA humeral components at NSAs of 135° and 145°. Implant-bone motion at the periphery of the implant was measured with 3 optical machine vision USB3 cameras outfitted with c-mount premium lenses and quantified with ProAnalyst software. A custom 3-dimensional loading apparatus was used to cyclically apply 3 loading directions representative of physiological states at 5 progressively increasing loading magnitudes. Stemless 135° and 145° implants were compared based on the maximum implant-bone relative distraction detected, as well as the survivorship of the implants throughout the loading protocol. Primary fixation and implant biomechanical survivorship were substantially better in the 145° NSA implants. The 135° NSA implants elicited significantly higher implant-bone distractions during cyclical loading (P=.001), and implant survivorship was considerably lower in the 135° NSA specimens when compared to the 145° NSA specimens (135° NSA: 0%, 145° NSA: 50%) (P<.001). NSA is a modifiable parameter that influences time-zero implant stability, as well as the early survivorship of the stemless RSA humeral components tested in this study. NSA resections of 145° appear to promote better stability than those utilizing 135° NSAs during early postoperative eccentric loads. Further studies are required to assess if other stemless reversed humeral implant designs have improved time-zero fixation at higher NSAs.

The Injection of Gels Through an Intact Annulus Maintains Biomechanical Performance without Extrusion Risk.

For autologous-disc-derived chondrocyte transplantation (ADCT) a transglutaminase crosslinked gelatine gel and an albumin hyaluronic acid gel, crosslinked with bis-thio-polyethylene glycol, were injected through a syringe into a degenerated intervertebral disc, where they solidified in situ. This biomechanical in vitro study with lumbar bovine motion segments evaluated disc height changes, motion characteristics in a quasi-static spine loading simulators, and the potential extrusion risk of these biomaterials in a complex dynamic multi-axial loading set-up with 100,000 loading cycles. After the injection and formation of the gel in the center of the nucleus, the disc height increase was about 0.3 mm. During cyclic testing, a gradual decrease in height could be detected due to viscoelastic effects and fluid loss. No gel extrusion could be observed for all specimens during the entire test procedure. A macroscopic inspection after dissections showed an accumulation of the solidified gel in the center of the nucleus. The results demonstrate that the injection of in situ solidifying gels through the intact annulus allows for the stable maintenance of the injected gel at the target location, with high potential for use as a suitable scaffold to anchor therapeutically applied cells for disc regeneration within the treated nucleus pulposus.

433 Orientation of the Lumbar Spine During Dynamic Compression Influences Fracture Characteristics

INTRODUCTION: Characteristics of lumbar spine fractures dictate patient outcomes and clinical treatment decisions. Understanding injury biomechanics associated with different fracture types can assist injury prediction and development of safety enhancements. METHODS: Twenty human lumbar spines (T12-L5) were isolated and attached to novel whole-column experimental dynamic compressive loading apparatus. Specimens were attached to the lower platform on a drop tower and a decoupled upper platform held a mass to simulate the torso inertially loading the lumbar spine as the lower platform was decelerated at the drop tower base. Each specimen was tested at increasing deceleration magnitudes until failure. Pre-test x-rays were used for the measurements to quantify spinal orientation. Fractures were classified using post-test x-rays and CT scans. RESULTS: Fractures were classified into six categories [Wedge (AO Spine A1): n = 8, Burst (AO Spine A3/A4): n = 7, Hyperextension (AO Spine B2): n = 5]. Spines that sustained hyperextension fractures had significantly larger Cobb angles compared to spines that sustained burst fracture (p = 0.03). Spines that sustained wedge fracture had significantly larger lumbar spine angles (i.e., closer to vertical orientation) compared to spines that sustained burst (p = 0.03) and hyperextension (p = 0.02) fracture. Spines that sustained wedge fracture also had a nearly significant longer horizontal distance between the T12 centroid and the load location compared to spines that sustained burst fracture (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that orientation of the lumbar spine at the time of dynamic load application affected fracture characteristics and, therefore, post-injury spinal stability and patient outcomes. The clinical importance of these findings includes a better understanding of injury mechanisms and a recognition that a wide variety of injury outcomes (stable versus unstable; anterior versus middle versus posterior column) can result from identical loading situations with different spinal orientations.

Gram-Scale Synthesis of Black Phosphorus through Shock-Induced Phase Transformation.

This article presents the utilization of a cylindrical double-tube shock loading device in conjunction with amorphous red phosphorus as the precursor to investigate the complete phase transformation of red phosphorus into black phosphorus under the influence of shockwaves. Multiple experiments were conducted by varying the shock pressure and temperature parameters. The characterization of the recovered samples involved analysis of the phase composition and microstructure. The obtained experimental results demonstrate that within the cylindrical double-tube shock loading setup, a pressure of 9 GPa and a temperature of 800 K are optimal for achieving the complete phase transition of amorphous red phosphorus into orthorhombic black phosphorus. By precisely controlling these experimental conditions, a high-quality orthorhombic black phosphorus powder with excellent crystallinity was successfully prepared. This method offers several advantages, including simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and high yield. Consequently, this presents a promising pathway for the industrial-scale production of black phosphorus. The implementation of this approach not only reduces the cost involved in black phosphorus synthesis but also contributes to the broad range of applications for this material.

Multiscale mechanical characterisation of the craniofacial system under external forces

Premature fusion of craniofacial joints, i.e. sutures, is a major clinical condition. This condition affects children and often requires numerous invasive surgeries to correct. Minimally invasive external loading of the skull has shown some success in achieving therapeutic effects in a mouse model of this condition, promising a new non-invasive treatment approach. However, our fundamental understanding of the level of deformation that such loading has induced across the sutures, leading to the effects observed is severely limited, yet crucial for its scalability. We carried out a series of multiscale characterisations of the loading effects on normal and craniosynostotic mice, in a series of in vivo and ex vivo studies. This involved developing a custom loading setup as well as software for its control and a novel in situ CT strain estimation approach following the principles of digital volume correlation. Our findings highlight that this treatment may disrupt bone formation across the sutures through plastic deformation of the treated suture. The level of permanent deformations observed across the coronal suture after loading corresponded well with the apparent strain that was estimated. This work provides invaluable insight into the level of mechanical forces that may prevent early fusion of cranial joints during the minimally invasive treatment cycle and will help the clinical translation of the treatment approach to humans.

Effects of Loading and Compaction Conditions on Permanent Strains of Unbound Lateritic Soils from Senegal and Burkina Faso

Permanent strains of granular materials result from the repetitive passage of heavy trucks on the pavement. Pavement design relies mainly on permanent strains to predict rut depths. In order to contribute to the improvement of technical documents used for the design and modelling of pavements in tropical African countries, the researchers have focused on the determination of the permanent deformation parameters of laterites (axial (εp,1) and radial (εp,3) permanent strains). The Repeated Triaxial cyclic Loading (RTL) apparatus was used according to the European standard (EN 13286-7: 2004, Multistage method). Four sites of gravelly lateritic soils chosen, two from Burkina Faso (Badnogo2 and Dédougou) and two from Senegal (Sindia and Lam-Lam) were tested in this research. They are compacted to 95% and more of the optimum with a variation in water content of ±2% of the optimum. The permanents deformations are influenced by the water content, the compaction rate and the stress level. The axial permanent deformation ε1,p (max) decreases by 83.4% when the water content decreases from 12.10% to 7.59%. Moreover with a compactness rate that varies from 95.58% to 100.06%, respectively from a water content that varies from 10.04% to 9.36%, we observe a decrease in deformation ε_(1,p) from 224.340*10-4 to 148.150*10-4 from the 50,000 cycles, which shows the effect of the compactness rate and the stress level on the lateritic gravels materials soils. however, for a good control of permanent deformations on flexible pavements using gravel materials, it is necessary to compact at water contents lower than the optimum added to average compaction rates. Keywords: permanent strains (p), lateritic soils, Repeated Triaxial cyclic Loading (RTL), Sindia, Badnogo2, Dedougou, Lam-lam.

Structural response of monolithic and multi-stacked AA2014-T6 sheet specimens subjected to shock loading

Experimental and numerical investigations of the shock response of AA2014-T6 sheets are presented in the current study. A double-stage shock loading apparatus is utilized for loading the simply supported specimens under the shock loading. The experiments are performed on two different sheet thicknesses i.e., 1 mm and 2 mm. The spatial out-of-plane displacement of the specimens is obtained using 3D digital image correlation (DIC) technique. ABAQUS/Explicit is utilized for finite element (FE) modelling and simulating the shock loading event. A modified loading function is incorporated in the FE model to approximate the change in the specimen loading area and shock loading magnitude for the deformable specimens. The experimentally and numerically obtained out-of-plane displacement of the specimens are compared and agreement between both is quantified using Russell error technique. A series of experiments are conducted to investigate the effect of change in shock loading magnitude on the deformation phenomenon and corresponding energy dissipation. Alloy sheet of 2 mm thickness is observed to be better shock resistant than 1 mm sheet as the plastic dissipation energy per unit mass is higher for 2 mm thick sheet. Additionally, the shock behaviour of layered targets is also investigated for effective thicknesses of 2 mm and 3 mm. The performance of monolithic sheet of 2 mm is observed to be better than layered configuration of (1 + 1) mm. For the effective thickness of 3 mm, the order of decreasing shock performance is observed as (2 + 1) mm, (1 + 2) mm, and (1 + 1 + 1) mm.

Electrohydraulic proportional position and pressure loading control utilizing a state perception and processing method

A new multifunctional proportional control triaxial stress loading apparatus is presented in this study, which can apply an output force on coal rock to simulate the conditions of triaxial stress loading, aiming at solving the problems of excessive consideration of static indices in the design and the incompleteness of the simulation and test verification system for the test parts at the performance analysis stage. This apparatus mainly combines the configuration of a triaxial stress loading system which can meet the stress loading requirements under different operating conditions, with the effective integration of multiple pressure loading operations based on the electrohydraulic proportional control method. In this context, a pressure and position combined control strategy based on the sliding mode is proposed to control the vertical and longitudinal loading hydraulic cylinders. Then, a co-simulation mode including the triaxial stress loading hydraulic system is established to verify the control strategy, system response characteristics and selection of the controller parameters. Furthermore, a multifunctional stress loading experimental platform is developed, and the stress loading characteristics with the proposed strategy are tested and analyzed. The results show that the triaxial stress loading hydraulic system can meet the response characteristics, the fluctuating deviation of the constant loading test can be restricted to 8.5%, the tracking error of the variable loading test is small, the minimum response time of instantaneous loading can reach 2.8 s, and the stress loading effect is noticeable. The experimental platform fully indicates that the stress loading system with the state perception and processing method as the core can meet a variety of verification indices of constant, variable and instantaneous loading tests. This research provides technical support for the smooth, synchronous control and intelligent operation of various types of hydraulic actuator machines.

Strength of Hybrid Steel-BFRP Reinforced Concrete Beams with Openings in the D-Region Strengthened Internally and Externally

The opened beams always confused the designers due to the guidelines missing. In this research, six hybrid beams reinforced with mixed steel and basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars and having constant cross-sections of 150 mm × 300 mm and a clear span of 1800 mm were cast and tested under a four-point loading setup. Generally, five beams had symmetrical rectangular openings with dimensions of 150 mm × 250 mm located at a distance of 250 mm (equivalent to the beam effective depth) from the beam support, while an additional solid beam served as a control. The studied parameters included the effect of using internal reinforcement (steel or BFRP bars) provided adjacent to the opening sides or by incorporating an external BFRP sheet around the opening corners. Also, double enhancement with internal steel reinforcement bars together with external strengthening BFRP sheet was investigated. The relevant results showed that the opened beam without enhancement lost 75% of the maximum load compared with the solid beam. Placing internal steel or BFRP bars around the openings increased the maximum load by 62% and 60%, respectively, compared to the non-enhanced opened beams. Using an external BFRP sheet to strengthen the opening corners of the beam enhanced the maximum load by 76% compared with the non-enhanced opened beam. Consequently, by combining both the internal steel reinforcement and external BFRP sheet around the openings, the maximum load increased by 137% compared with the non-enhanced opened beam. Ultimately, a numerical analysis of the three-dimensional finite element model was performed to confirm the experimental findings, and the relevant results showed compatibility correlations with the experimental ones. Also, the effect of various parameters such as BFRP reinforcement ratio and number of BFRP sheet layers around the openings was investigated by adapting the validated numerical model.

Multi-disciplinary characterization of shrinkage effects in Opalinus clay

Multi-disciplinary characterization of shrinkage effects in Opalinus clay

Enhanced energy absorption of auxetic cementitious composites with polyurethane foam layers for building protection application

Cementitious composites with impact energy absorption capabilities can have wide applications in protective structures. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the flexural response and energy absorption of auxetic cementitious composites reinforced with polyurethane foam. In total, ninety (90) composite specimens were prepared from polymer cement mortar overlayed with either carbon fibre fabric or auxetic fabric and polyurethane foam insertions in the upper and lower regions. These specimens were tested under flexural loads using a four-point loading setup at varying loading speeds from 1 mm/min to 300 mm/min. Digital image correlation method was employed to study the failure modes, displacement profiles, load-displacement curves, and energy absorption characteristics. The auxetic fabric overlayed composites exhibited increased energy absorption and ductility without any signs of debonding compared to the commonly used carbon fibre overlayed composite specimens. Polyurethane foam insertions in the upper part of the composites prevented splitting of the specimen by reducing the crack widening in the compression zone of the cementitious matrix. Additionally, an increase in loading rate improved the energy absorption capacity of the auxetic fabric cementitious composites compared to carbon fibre cementitious composites. Findings from this study will have applications for protecting structures that are vulnerable to impacts.