Low Loading Rates Research Articles

Comprehensive analysis of mode-I cracking in ice: Exploring full-range rate dependency

Ice, as a crystalline material, demonstrates a unique response in its mode-I fracture toughness to variations in loading rates, characterized by an initial decrease and subsequent increase in toughness. This phenomenon has been explored in limited studies. In this work, an extensive numerical analysis of mode-I ice cracking is conducted by using the distinct lattice spring model (DLSM). Norton-Bailey Drucker-Prager DLSM (NB-DP-DLSM) is initially employed to investigate the classical explanations of creep and stress relaxation for the anomaly observed in ice’s fracture toughness at lower loading rates, but this approach does not successfully replicate the experimentally observed strain rate dependency. Then, two rate-dependent constitutive models are introduced to further examine the mode-I fracture mechanics of ice. Our numerical simulations of three-point bending tests show that the relationship between fracture toughness and strain rate at lower levels is more accurately captured by rate-dependent models. For higher strain rates, our numerical modeling of notched semi-circular bending tests indicates that a rate-independent constitutive model can replicate the loading rate dependency of ice’s mode-I fracture toughness. In conclusion, these observations suggest that a reverse-stage-like dynamic constitutive model for DLSM can potentially capture the full range of loading rate dependencies observed in ice.

Dynamic tensile characteristics of an artificial porous granite under various water saturation levels

Underground rocks are generally subjected to water erosion and dynamic disturbances. To exclude the effect of clay minerals on the water–rock interaction mechanism, clay-free artificial porous rock (APR) was used to investigate the coupling effect of water saturation and loading rate on tensile behavior. Dynamic Brazilian disc experiments were performed on APR with six water saturation levels (100, 80, 60, 40, 20, and 0%) using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) combined with a high-speed camera. The results indicated that the number of cracks in the APR specimens increased with the water saturation level during the dynamic damage process, with more radial cracks at the water saturation of 80–100%. The dynamic tensile strength (DTS) and dissipated energy density exhibited different change trends with water saturation levels under different loading rates and the rate dependence was most significant in the fully saturated state (100%). At lower loading rates, DTS initially decreased rapidly and then more slowly with increasing water saturation. At higher loading rates, DTS exhibited a ‘decrease then increase’ trend. Moreover, the water-affecting factor exhibited an overall decreasing trend with the loading rate and gradually converged to 1.0. These phenomena can be attributed to the interplay between the weakening and strengthening water-effect mechanisms based on the microstructure and water distribution in the APR specimens.

Analysis of movements involved in raising lower garments during toileting in patients with stroke and hemiplegia: An analysis focused on manipulation on the paretic side

BackgroundMovements to raise lower garments in patients with stroke and hemiplegia consist of downward reach, non-paretic-side manipulation, and paretic-side manipulation. In this study, we focused on paretic-side manipulation, which is particularly difficult, and investigated the factors that make it challenging. MethodsForty-eight patients with stroke and hemiplegia (23 and 25 patients in independent and dependent groups, respectively) participated in this study. First, we investigated the difficulty of each manipulation using a visual analog scale to confirm the usefulness of focusing on paretic-side manipulation. Characteristics of the paretic side manipulation were compared between the dependent and independent groups using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. FindingsThe dependent group showed greater difficulty in manipulation on the paretic side compared to manipulation on the non-paretic side. The dependent group had a lower paretic limb loading ratio (p < 0.01), greater pelvic rotation angle (p < 0.01), and longer paretic side manipulation time (p < 0.01) than those in the independent group. InterpretationThe factors that contributed to greater difficulty in manipulating the paretic side were a lower limb loading rate and larger pelvic rotation angle toward the paretic side. These factors make it difficult to reach the lower garment and result in inefficient manipulation of the paretic side.

Insights from tensile fracture properties and full-field strain evolution of deep coral reef limestone under dynamic loads

Coral reef limestone (CRL) commonly undergoes dynamic tension when underground structures of island reefs encounter impacts, explosions, or seismic activities. Given the complexity of biological pores, the dynamic tensile fracture characteristics of CRL are poorly understood. Therefore, the dynamic tensile fracture behaviors of deep CRL were systematically observed by Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar tests and digital image techniques. Comparing to traditional rocks, the macro-pores near failure band would significantly change cracking path. The failure patterns are dominated by loading rate. The strongly dependence of dynamic tensile strength and dynamic crack initiation toughness on loading rate suggests the two indices overcome the effect of CRL macro-pores under dynamic impacts. At low loading rates, tensile fractures predominantly follow intergranular cracks, whereas transgranular cracks dominate at higher rates. The fractal dimension of fracture surface decreases with increasing crack propagation velocity, loading rate, and dynamic crack initiation toughness. Due to the unique marine sedimentary environment, the mechanical heterogeneity in multiple scales distinguishes CRL from terrestrial rock materials. The insights into underlying mechanisms of dynamic tension provide support to optimization of blasting scheme and stability assessments for island underground engineering.

KPV and RAPA Self-Assembled into Carrier-Free Nanodrugs for Vascular Calcification Therapy.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death globally, and vascular calcification (VC) is an important independent risk factor for predicting CVD. Currently, there are no established therapeutic strategies for the treatment of VC. Although recognized combination therapies of nanomedicines can provide effective strategies for disease treatment, the clinical application of nanomedicines is limited because of their complex preparation processes, low drug loading rates, and unpredictable safety risks. Thus, developing a simple, efficient, and safe nanodrug to simultaneously regulate inflammation and autophagy may be a promising strategy for treating VC. Herein, an anti-inflammatory peptide (lysine-proline-valine peptides, KPV) and the autophagy activator rapamycin (RAPA) are self-assembled to form new carrier-free spherical nanoparticles (NPs), which shows good stability and biosafety. In vivo and in vitro, KPV-RAPA NPs significantly inhibit VC in mice compared to the other treatment groups. Mechanistically, KPV-RAPA NPs inhibit inflammatory responses and activated autophagy. Therefore, this study indicates that the new carrier-free KPV-RAPA NPs have great potential as therapeutic agents for VC combination therapy, which can promote the development of nanodrugs for VC.

Mixed-mode crack-tip stress intensity factors measurements by caustics method: A comparison between low and high loading rate conditions

Mixed-mode crack-tip stress field is different in low and high loading rate conditions, resulting in different mixed-mode stress intensity factors (SIFs) measurements. How to correctly measure mixed-mode SIFs in different loading rate conditions is of critical importance. To this end, mixed-mode SIFs are measured and compared by optical caustics method with high-speed photography, specifically by the interpretation of crack-tip optical image, i.e., caustics pattern which reflects crack-tip stress field. Different mixed-mode caustics patterns in shape are observed in drop weight and blast loading conditions, indicating that corresponding crack-tip stress field and mixed-mode SIFs measurements are different. Under drop weight loading, mixed-mode caustics patterns are consistent with the classical caustics interpretation for SIFs measurements, while those under reflected P wave loading in blasts are not consistent. Therefore, a modified mixed-mode caustics interpretation is proposed and verified to be available for SIFs measurements in blast loading condition. Finally, underlying reasons for different mixed-mode SIFs measurements in low and high loading rate conditions are discussed, and it is concluded that in low loading rate condition, a longer loading time results in crack-tip K-dominated stress field which is suitable for the classical caustics interpretation, while in high loading rate condition, the loading time is too short to form K-dominated stress field in the crack tip, hence a modified caustics interpretation is necessary. This paper benefits correct applications of caustics method to mixed-mode SIFs measurements in different loading rate conditions.

Effect of loading rate on characteristics of cyclic structural adjustment of sandstone granules

During underground coal seam mining, changes in the working face advancement rate can easily affect the compaction state of granules in the collapse zone. This is an important factor in the induction of gas disasters and surface subsidence in mining areas. In this work, a cyclic loading and unloading mechanical test of granules under different loading rates was carried out. The changes in mechanical parameters of the granules at various stages were investigated. It is shown that the strain of each group of specimens under cyclic loading shows an increasing trend and the final strain increases with the loading rate. The input energy of the granules increases under cyclic loading, and under a low loading rate, the compaction force needs to overcome interparticle friction to destroy the relatively stable structure, which results in a need for more energy to achieve the same level of deformation. The acoustic emission ringing counts of each group of granules specimens show an overall increasing trend, with the highest proportion of ringing counts in the first loading stage. The compaction of pores and filling of particles under cyclic loading is a “uniform compaction, stable change, slow adjustment” dynamic process. When the loading is slow, the relative positions of the granule particles in each stress gradient are more adequately adjusted. The results of this study provide important theoretical support for the scientific formulation of gas control strategies and the prevention of surface subsidence in air-mining zones under different mining speeds.

Novel multi-degree-of-freedom force–displacement mixed control framework for low loading rate substructure hybrid testing

In substructure hybrid tests, imposing realistic multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) displacement and force boundary conditions on a specimen involves controlling several actuators to emulate the MDOF boundary conditions of the experimental substructure. This setup presents significant challenges for decoupling control in MDOF systems. Due to the typically high stiffness of the specimen in the axial direction, force control is preferred over displacement control, which has limited accuracy in this direction. Typically, force control in the axial direction is combined with simultaneous displacement control in the softer direction, forming an MDOF force-displacement mixed control scheme. This scheme transforms force control into displacement control in the inner loop in the axial direction to ensure safe loading. The scheme involves addressing two major challenges: the nonlinear force–displacement transformation and the nonlinear coordinate transformation from the local actuator space (LAS) to the global Cartesian coordinate (GCC) system. To address these challenges, the Modified Newton–Raphson iteration integrated with proportional integral plus feed-forward (MNR-PIFF) and incremental kinematic transformation integrated with proportional integral plus feed-forward (IKT-PIFF) methods are proposed. Based on these methods, a novel MDOF force–displacement mixed control (NMFDC) framework is developed for substructure hybrid testing. A 6-DOF cyclic test simulation using the NMFDC framework was conducted to demonstrate its superiority. Furthermore, a 6-DOF cyclic test and substructure hybrid test at low loading rates were performed to validate the NMFDC framework because of the loading equipment limit. Experimental results and numerical simulations indicate that the NMFDC framework achieves swifter response with lower error levels. For applications in fast and real-time hybrid testing, dynamic loading equipment need to be used, the PIFF controller in the NMFDC framework should be replaced by adaptive time delay compensation in future developments.

Characteristics and performance of algal–bacterial granular sludge in photo-sequencing batch reactors under various substrate loading rates

The algae–bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) technology has garnered significant attention due to its remarkable attributes of low carbon emissions. To investigate the performance of the ABGS system under various substrate loading rates, the parallel photo-sequencing batch reactors (P1 and P2) were set up. The results indicated that chlorophyll-a content and extracellular polymeric substance content were measured at 10.7 ± 0.3 mg/L and 61.4 ± 0.7 mg/g SS in P1 under relatively low substrate loading rate (0.9 kg COD/m3/d and 0.09 kg N/m3/d). Moreover, kinetic study revealed that the maximal specific P uptake rate for P1 reached 0.21 mg P/g SS/h under light conditions, and it achieved 0.078 mg P/g SS/h under dark conditions, highlighting the significant role on phosphorus removal played by algae in the ABGS system. The microbial analysis and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that filamentous algae predominantly colonize the surface in P1, whereas spherical bacteria dominate the surface of granular sludge in P2. Additionally, a diverse array of microorganisms including bacteria, algae, and metazoa such as Rotifers and Nematodes were observed in both systems, providing evidence for the establishment of a symbiotic system. This study not only confirmed the ability of ABGS for efficient N and P removal under different substrate loading conditions but also highlighted its potential to enhance the ecological diversity of the reaction system.

Sustainable carbon retention from water input to wetlands at two temporal scales

Wetlands retain carbon from flowing water through biomass accumulation and deposition processes. However, the contributions of accumulated carbon from water to carbon storage and cycling in wetland ecosystems remain unclear. Moreover, there are no comprehensive estimates of the stability and sustainability of wetland performance in retention of carbon from water on different time scales. We conducted a meta-analysis (2889 paired observations) to estimate the stability and sustainability of constructed wetlands in retention of carbon from input water on short and long time scales. This study showed that the efficiency of carbon retention from water in wetlands significantly increased on short time scales, whereas it remained stable on long time scales and among different seasons. The usage of grave, alum sludge and all types of plant had higher effect sizes on short-term wetland water carbon retention, but the long-term stability of water carbon retention was not affected by substrates or plant types. Variations in precipitation as well as air temperature affected the short-term water carbon retention in wetlands, but they did not affect long-term water carbon retention in wetlands. However, on long time scale, the stability of water carbon retention in wetlands was challenged by operation time, low water temperature and high hydraulic load rate, which posed a threat to the sustainability of wetland performance in water carbon retention. In summary, this study demonstrated the stability and sustainability of carbon retention from water and proved the contribution of accumulated carbon from water to the carbon pool in wetland ecosystems.

On energy mechanism of rate-dependent failure mode evolution in plain weave composite

The intricate failure modes and the yet unclear rate dependency of carbon fiber reinforced plain weave composite materials pose a challenge to mechanics researchers. This study establishes an energy-based evolution mechanism for the compressive failure modes of plain weave composite materials as the strain rate varies. This mechanism illustrates how the rate dependency of failure modes arises from the competitive relationship between strain potential energy and deformation kinetic energy. At low loading rates, the specimen exhibits a progressive crushing failure mode characterized by low peak stress and significant geometric deformation. As the loading strain rate increases, the energy required for this geometric deformation also increases. When the energy expenditure surpasses that needed to elevate the stress level of the specimen, it transitions to an instantaneous failure mode with high peak stress. In this mode, the specimen fractures into multiple small fragments immediately upon failure, lacking the large geometric deformations observed at lower rates. Through calculating this energy mechanism, a transition strain rate of 180 s−1 was determined for both failure modes. The accuracy of this mechanism was further verified by tests conducted near the critical strain rate. The energy-based evolution mechanism for failure modes provides a simplified and concise framework for simplifying complex models of composite material failures.

Mapping the composite nature of clay matrix in mudstones: integrated micromechanics profiling by high-throughput nanoindentation and data analysis

AbstractMudstones and shales serve as natural barrier rocks in various geoenergy applications. Although many studies have investigated their mechanical properties, characterizing these parameters at the microscale remains challenging due to their fine-grained nature and susceptibility to microstructural damage introduced during sample preparation. This study aims to investigate the micromechanical properties of clay matrix composite in mudstones by combining high-speed nanoindentation mapping and machine learning data analysis. The nanoindentation approach effectively captured the heterogeneity in high-resolution mechanical property maps. Utilizing machine learning-based k-means clustering, the mechanical characteristics of matrix clay, brittle minerals, as well as measurements on grain boundaries and structural discontinuities (e.g., cracks) were successfully distinguished. The classification results were validated through correlation with broad ion beam-scanning electron microscopy images. The resulting average reduced elastic modulus (Er) and hardness (H) values for the clay matrix were determined to be 16.2 ± 6.2 and 0.5 ± 0.5 GPa, respectively, showing consistency across different test settings and indenter tips. Furthermore, the sensitivity of indentation measurements to various factors was investigated, revealing limited sensitivity to indentation depth and tip geometry (when comparing Cube corner and Berkovich tip in a small range of indentation depth variations), but decreased stability at lower loading rates. Box counting and bootstrapping methods were applied to assess the representativeness of parameters determined for the clay matrix. A relatively small dataset (indentation number = 60) is needed to achieve representativeness, while the main challenges is to cover a representative mapping area for clay matrix characterization. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of high-speed nanoindentation mapping combined with data analysis for micromechanical characterization of the clay matrix in mudstones, paving the way for efficient analysis of similar fine-grained sedimentary rocks.

On comparison of fracture energy measured for six hot mix asphalt composite mixtures using force–load line displacement and force–crack mouth opening displacement curves at intermediate temperatures and different loading rates

AbstractThere are two methods for determining the fracture energy (Gf) of hot mix asphalt (HMA) composites at intermediate temperatures: (i) load–crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) and (ii) load–load line displacement (LLD) curves. The effects of these two methods on the Gf values of different HMA mixtures are investigated at different loading rates and temperatures. A large number of semicircular bend (SCB) specimens were tested under mode I at different temperatures of 5°C, 15°C, and 25°C and loading rates of 1, 5, 10, and 50 mm/min. The three‐dimensional (3D) fracture energy surface plots obtained from the tests revealed that both temperature and loading rate have noticeable effects on the fracture energy, such that Gf values generally increased by increasing the loading rate and reducing the temperature. Also, the Gf values measured by the LLD method were higher than those by the CMOD method for lower temperatures and lower loading rates (i.e., below 10 mm/min). For the higher loading rates, the Gf values determined by the CMOD method were higher than those by the LLD method. Furthermore, the HMA type had meaningful influences on the variations of Gf at different temperatures and loading rates.

Influence of interfacial bond between rebar and concrete on the lateral resistance of RC columns under different loading rates

The interfacial bond between rebar and concrete is a critical factor that influences the performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures because it affects the effective force transfer between concrete and rebar and hence the composite actions. In finite element modelling of RC structures, the bond-slip relation between rebar and concrete is generally neglected due to the increased model complexity by considering debonding behaviours. Limited studies show the debonding performance is loading rate dependent, neglecting it in numerical modelling may lead to inaccurate structural response predictions, but there is no systematic investigation of bonding performance on responses of structures under load of different loading rates. The influences of neglecting debonding in structural response analysis are therefore not properly defined yet. In this study, the finite element model was established and validated by the available impact test data. The lateral resistance and damage modes of the column considering and neglecting bond-slip behaviour between rebar and concrete were examined under various loading rates ranging from 50 kN/s to 1.0 × 106 kN/s. It is found that neglecting bond-slip relation in finite element modelling of RC columns leads to underprediction of the peak force and damage. The assumption of perfect bond has a significant influence on predicting the peak force and damage of column under low loading rates, but its influence reduces with the increase in loading rate, especially when the loading rate exceeds 1.0 × 105 kN/s. The maximum relative difference in peak force between considering and neglecting bond-slip at 50 kN/s is 18.63 %. Parametric studies were conducted to investigate the effects of bonding performance on columns of different width, depth, height, and concrete strength. Based on the numerical results, an analytical formula is developed to quantitatively predict the errors in peak force predictions by neglecting debonding between concrete and rebars of RC columns. The results highlight the importance of considering bond-slip in finite element modelling of RC structures subjected to quasi-static and low-rate dynamic loadings, and demonstrate it is reasonable to neglect debonding in structural response analysis under high-rate dynamic loadings.

Elucidating the role of organic loading rate on the performance and microbial dynamics of a novel continuous-flow aerobic granular sludge reactor

Aerobic granular sludge technology operated in continuous-flow reactors enables the upgrading of existing conventional wastewater treatment plants. The viability of applying this technology at full-scale increases with the simplicity of the bioreactor design. Hence, in contrast to previous research carried out in complex configurations, this study is based on evaluating the capacity of a novel single-chamber continuous-flow bioreactor to operate at different loads found in domestic sewage, highlighting that this configuration combines and joins the advantages of activated sludge and granular sludge technologies. At organic loading rates ranging from 0.45 to 1.85 kg COD•m−3•d−1, the reactors achieved high performance, removing >80 % of the chemical oxygen demand, regardless influent characteristics. The trend of ammonium removal rates was risen over operational time. Moreover, the granular size and biomass concentration increased with the organic loading rate. Changes in the influent did not compromise the structure of the granules. Microbiota studies showed a high diversity in communities at lower organic loading rates, whereas a strong microbial competition was detected at high loading rates, linking with lower evenness. Phylotypes belonging to Hypocreales played a key role in mature granules.

Study on the Tensile Failure Characteristics and Energy Calculation Model of Coal Seam Hard Roof Considering the Mining Speed

To reveal the influence mechanism of mining speed on roof fracture-type rockburst, the Brazilian split technique combined with acoustic emission monitoring technology was employed to study the effects of loading rates on the tensile failure characteristics and acoustic emission parameters of coal series sandstone. The linear relationship between the tensile strength of the samples and the change rate of tensile stress was determined. The mining speed was introduced into the mechanical model of initial and cyclic fracture of the hard roof, and the quantitative relationship between the maximum rate of change of tensile stress within the hard roof and the mining speed was derived. Based on this, a computational model for the bending elastic energy of the hard roof during initial and cyclic fractures, considering the mining speed, was established. The main findings are as follows: As the loading rate increases, the distribution range of acoustic emission energy in sandstone Brazilian split samples before failure widens, with a significant rise in acoustic emission ring-down counts and energy at failure. At lower loading rates, acoustic emission events primarily occur near sample failure, whereas at higher rates, they mostly happen in the early loading stage. The higher the mining speed, the less opportunity there is for internal micro-fractures to develop and expand before the hard roof fractures, which macroscopically results in increased tensile strength and a larger amount of energy released at the moment of fracture. Bending elastic energy rises approximately linearly with mining speed, and the thicker the hard roof, the more sensitive the bending elastic energy is to changes in mining speed. This effect is even more pronounced during cyclic fractures. Optimizing mining speed is crucial for preventing roof fracture-type rockbursts, especially in mining workfaces with thick and hard roofs.

Late Quaternary right-lateral slip rate along the Tangyuan segment of the Yilan–Yitong Fault Zone on the NE China Plain

The slip rate of strike-slip active faults is crucial for fault rupture behavior analysis and seismic hazard assessment. Although many segments of the Yilan–Yitong Fault Zone (YYFZ) in NE China have been strongly deformed since the late Quaternary, little progress has been made on its slip rate. With the help of high-resolution satellite images, detailed field investigations, seismic reflections, and Quaternary chronological dating, we mainly studied the late Quaternary right-slip rate of the YYFZ. Field investigations revealed an ∼15 km long by ∼1–2 m high-surface scarp belt extending along the Tangyuan graben interior, with a series of sag ponds and small parallel bulges. Research has revealed that the most recent paleoearthquake (∼M 7.0) occurred between 2,800± 600 a BP and 1,700 ± 200 a BP, with evidence of coseismic surface rupture. The T2 terrace abandonment age of the Heijin River is approximately 55.13 ± 1.78 ka (OSL), and the maximum cumulative right-lateral offset may reach 110 ± 5 m. Thus, the maximum right-slip rate of the Tangyuan segment of the YYFZ since the late Quaternary is constrained to 1–2 mm/a according to the upper terrace model. This study suggests that the presence of a new fault in the basin interior merits more attention when assessing the influential surface range and earthquake potential along the YYFZ, and the features of “low tectonic loading rate, activity migration in space, and clustering in time separated by ten thousand years of seismic quiescence” observed along the YYFZ are highly important for earthquake model construction and tectonic deformation studies in stable continental regions (SCRs).

Damage Evolution and Fractal Characteristics of Granite under the Influence of Temperature and Loading

To study the damage characteristics and evolution law of granite under the influence of temperature and loading rate, uniaxial compression tests at different loading rates were performed for granite samples at 30 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C. The damage characteristics and evolution law of granite were studied in conjunction with acoustic emission ringing, acoustic emission b values, acoustic emission signaling constellations, and fractal dimensions. The results showed the following: (1) At a low loading rate (0.005 mm/s), the peak stress of the granite increases gradually as the temperature increases. At high loading rates (0.01 mm/s and 0.02 mm/s), the peak stress of the granite first decreases, then increases as the temperature increases. The elastic modulus at different loading rates decreases first, then increases as the temperature increases. The elastic modulus of the granite is the lowest at 40 °C; (2) At the same temperature, specimens subjected to higher loading rates exhibit accelerated internal damage progression, with a precipitous decrease in the b-value occurring earlier. At a loading rate of 0.005 mm/s, the total number of acoustic emission ring-down events is at least 1.7 times greater than that at other loading rates, indicating a more complex development of internal cracks in the granite specimens. Moreover, as the temperature increases under a constant loading rate, the concentration of acoustic emission ring-downs intensifies during the unstable crack development and failure phases, accompanied by progressively larger fluctuations in the b-value; (3) Under the same temperature conditions, the acoustic emission signals in the specimens loaded at 0.005 mm/s and 0.01 mm/s propagate from one end to the other. At 0.02 mm/s, emissions appear simultaneously at both ends of the specimen and converge toward the center. The proportion of damage and energy associated with compression differs with temperature; at 30 °C and 40 °C, damage and energy are concentrated in the early phase of compression, whereas at 60 °C and 80 °C, they are more significant during the later stages; and (4) The fractal dimension of the granite specimens generally decreases, then undergoes a phase of fluctuating growth, followed by a decline. With increasing loading rates at a constant temperature, the compaction of the granite specimens decreases; the orderliness of the crack patterns gradually increases. As the temperature increases, the distribution of cracks during the compaction and failure phases becomes more orderly. During the crack initiation and development phases, the dispersion of cracks and the formation of crack networks are more pronounced. These findings provide a theoretical reference for understanding the microscale damage and failure mechanisms of granite under varying loading rates and temperatures.

Effect of temperature on damage mechanism and fracture behavior of LiH ceramic under 3-point bending at different loading rates

The damage mechanism and fracture behavior of lithium hydride (LiH) ceramic are key to its design and application at elevated temperature in nuclear engineering. LiH ceramic is tested in a loading rate range of 0.001–2 mm/min from room temperature (RT) to 600 °C using digital image correlation (DIC) method combined with high-speed photography. At low temperature (up to 300 °C), LiH ceramic undergoes brittle fracture. At high temperature (up to 600 °C), LiH ceramic undergoes creep fracture at low loading rate and ductile fracture at high loading rate. The main crack growth rate of LiH ceramic with ductile fracture is higher than that of LiH ceramic with creep fracture, and is lower than that of LiH ceramic with brittle fracture. With the change of temperature and loading rate, three damage mechanisms, fatigue damage corresponding to SCG of inherent flaws, creep damage represented by creep microcracks and ductile damage symbolled by dimples, occur simultaneously and show competitive characteristics, one of which dominates the failure. At low loading rate, there is a transition of the dominant damage mechanism from fatigue to creep damage with increasing temperature. At high temperature, the dominant damage mechanism changes from creep to ductile damage with the increase of loading rate.

Quasi-static and dynamic shear-out resistance in a steel fin-plate connection: An experimental and numerical investigation

This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation into the structural collapse of a fin-plate connection due to column loss, by subjecting the joint to quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. The joint connection was designed using short segments of HEB220 and IPE160 sections for the column and beam, respectively, with the aim to promote bearing failure as the predominant failure mode. The experimental results revealed the same collapse modes induced by shear-out failure of the beam web under both low and high loading rates. Despite the increased resistance of the joint at high loading rates, high deflections and low energy dissipation were observed. The experimental results were complemented by numerical findings from a validated finite element model in Abaqus/Explicit. Even though a good agreement between experiments and numerical simulations was achieved, the numerical model overestimated the displacement at failure due to the limitations of the customary material model. The findings of this study demonstrate the deficiencies of fin-plate connections in a sudden column loss scenario.