Low Cyclic Stress Research Articles

Dynamic behavior of kaolin clay under bidirectional cyclic loading for suction bucket foundation

The stability of offshore wind turbine (OWT) foundations is largely influenced by the dynamic characteristics of marine clay. In offshore engineering, marine clays may exposed to bidirectional cyclic stresses. To empirically examine the influence of different cyclic stress magnitudes on the dynamic characteristics of marine clay at different depth, a sequence of dynamic triaxial tests is conducted on marine kaolin clay, encompassing diverse values of the cyclic stress ratio (CSR) and effective confining pressure (p'0). Some valuable inferences have been drawn: At low cyclic stress ratios (CSR≤0.3), the axial strain (εa), stiffness (k), and excess pore water pressure (EPWP) of the specimen exhibit logarithmic increase, logarithmic decrease, and logarithmic accumulation, respectively. Under high cyclic stress ratio conditions (CSR＞0.3), the axial strain increases linearly, the stiffness deteriorates linearly, and the logarithmic excess pore water pressure accumulates. After analyzing the dynamic characteristics data of kaolin clay, the correlation between excess pore water pressure and axial strain was established. By analyzing the vertical cyclic mechanism of suction bucket foundation, a prediction model for suction bucket foundation under vertical cyclic loading was established based on the dynamic characteristics of marine clay and the model was validated. The comparison between the validation outcomes and the experimental outcomes shows good agreement. This study provides certain guidance for the design of suction bucket foundations for OWTs.

Investigating combined effects of saturation–desaturation cycles and cyclic stress resistance of reinforced biopolymer-treated soil

Throughout their service life, subgrades endure significant stress from cyclic traffic and seasonal moisture fluctuations. This study aims to evaluate the moisture variation and cyclic stress resistance of reinforced and biopolymer-treated soils, which were treated with varying percentages (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%) of xanthan gum (XG) and sisal fiber, to determine the level of tolerance a subgrade can sustain. Wetting–drying (W-D) cycle tests, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, and dynamic resilient modulus (DRM) tests were conducted to assess the resistance of the treated soils to moisture variation and cyclic stress. The findings indicate that biopolymer-treated specimens retained over 95% of their original mass after 15 cycles, whereas fiber-reinforced soil exhibited a 9.1% loss in mass. Furthermore, the DRM of the reinforced soil improved, demonstrating greater resistance to cyclic stress compared to biopolymer-treated soils. Fiber-reinforced soils exhibited strain-hardening responses at low cyclic stress levels and maintained stress tolerance even at high cyclic stress levels without signs of strain deformation. Conversely, the UCS of the biopolymer-treated soil surpassed that of the fiber-reinforced soil due to the brittleness of the specimens.

Assessment of Durability and Resilient Strain Deformation of Expansive Subgrade Treated With Nano-Slag-Based Geopolymer

Nano-geopolymer binders (NGB) of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% concentration were used to stabilize expansive subgrade soil against strain deformation, as well as to improve its durability. The composites were subjected to a series of zero-swelling, wetting (W-D) cycles, and dynamic resilient modulus tests to determine the subgrade resilient strength against 100,000 applied repetitive loads (ARL). The results revealed that the resilient moduli of the stabilized and unstabilized subgrade soils exhibited strain-hardening responses at low cyclic stress levels. Therefore, the rate of plastic strain deformation became microscopically negligible, and the tested subgrade was considered stable at this stage. Conversely, at high cyclic stresses, the nano-geopolymer-stabilized subgrade continued to exhibit strain hardening between 80,000 and 100,000 ARL. The unstabilized subgrades exhibited strain softening at an ARL of 20,000 owing to the poor adhesion between the NGB and soil particles, leading to excessive strain deformation. The results revealed that the W-D resistance of the treated subgrade was up to 96% compared to the unstabilized subgrade, which lost over 30% of its particle mass after the 6-number cycle. This study indicates that the NGB-treated subgrade possesses the potential to sustain medium-to-high ARL loads owing to improved stiffness through polymerization reactions.

Undrained dynamic behavior of geogrid-reinforced coral sand

In this research, the reactions of geogrid reinforcement on the dynamic performance of medium-dense coral sand with various cyclic stress ratios were investigated using stress-controlled undrained dynamic triaxial tests. The results indicate that the insertion of geogrid decreases the dynamic deformations, and pore pressure build-up rate, and impeded the liquefaction of coral sand. The liquefaction resistance of coral sand increases with the increase in the number of reinforcement layers. The liquefaction resistance of coral sand reinforced with three-layer and two-layer geogrid increases by 333% and 6% compared to unreinforced ones. The geogrid reinforcement layers can effectively resist the complete stiffness degradation of coral sand under cyclic loading. The coral sand stiffness decays at an accelerated rate as the cyclic stress ratio increases, whereas increasing the number of reinforcement layers reduces the coral sand stiffness degradation rate, especially for three-layer geogrid reinforced coral sand at low cyclic stress ratios. Generally, the geogrid as a reinforcement material to coral sand is considered a better alternative to enhance the engineering properties of coral sand and offers significant prospects in coastal and marine engineering construction with coral sand.

Combined high and low cycle fatigue analysis of FGH96 alloy under high temperature conditions

The FGH96 alloy as a common material for preparing turbine discs, can withstand high- and low-cycle combined loading during service, which significantly affects its fatigue performance. In this work, the combined high and low cycle fatigue (CCF) behavior of the FGH96 alloy was explored at various low cycle stress amplitudes (600, 630, 650, 680, and 700 MPa) using a self-improved experimental platform at a high temperature of 650 °C. The results indicate that increasing the amplitude of the low-cycle stress decreases the service endurance of the FGH96 alloy at CCF condition. Under the same low cycle stress amplitude, its CCF life of alloy is lower than the pure low cycle fatigue life. A fatigue service life prediction model, grounded in the theory of crystal plasticity, has been developed to assess the combined fatigue service life across different low-cycle stress amplitudes. A comparison between the predicted and actual lifespan showed that the predicted lifetime fell within a range three times the scattering band.

Microstructure analysis and life prediction of DD6 superalloy under 760 °C combined high and low cycle fatigue conditions

The impact of high and low cycle combined loads on the fatigue performance of DD6 alloy was investigated in this work. Specifically, the combined high- and low-cycle fatigue response of DD6 alloy was examined at a temperature of 760 °C under different low cycle stress amplitudes (960, 1000, and 1040 MPa). The findings revealed that higher low cycle stress amplitudes result in shorter combined high and low cycle fatigue life and less dispersion in life. Correlations between the microstructural features (crystal plane distribution, fracture elevation difference, and the area proportion of crack propagation zone) and fatigue performance were accurately established, demonstrating a linear relationship between these microstructural features and the logarithm of fatigue life. The study also uncovered the evolution rule of microstructural features in high- and low-cycle combined fatigue. Furthermore, the fracture mechanism was analyzed and the distribution of high and low cycle combined fatigue life of DD6 alloy at 760 °C was statistically validated using the dual-parameter Weibull distribution theory. Building upon the crystal plasticity theory, a fatigue life prediction model was developed, and the combined cycle fatigue lifespan under various low cycle stress amplitudes was compared. The comparison between the predicted life and actual fatigue life indicated that the predicted lifespan falls in three times the scatter band.

Effect of Infill Density in FDM 3D Printing on Low-Cycle Stress of Bamboo-Filled PLA-Based Material.

In this paper, the fatigue behavior of polylactic acid (PLA) material with bamboo filler printed by 3D additive printing using fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology at different infill densities and print nozzle diameters is investigated. The mechanical test results are supported by the findings from SEM image analysis. The fatigue behavior was tested at four consecutive 250 cycles at loads ranging from 5 to 20, 30, 40, and 50% based on the limits found in the static tensile test. The results of the static tensile and low-cycle fatigue tests confirmed significant effects of infill density of 60%, 80%, and 100% on the tensile strength of the tested specimens. In particular, the research results show a significant effect of infill density on the fatigue properties of the tested materials. The influence of cyclic tests resulted in the strengthening of the tested material, and at the same time, its viscoelastic behavior was manifested. SEM analysis of the fracture surface confirmed a good interaction between the PLA matrix and the bamboo-based filler using nozzle diameters of 0.4 and 0.6 mm and infill densities of 60%, 80%, and 100%. Low-cycle testing showed no reductions in the mechanical properties and fatigue lives of the 3D printed samples.

Effect of micro-arc oxidation coating defects on fatigue property of Al alloy substrate

Ambiguous fatigue failure mechanism of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coated samples was an urgent issue to be solved. In this paper, the influence mechanism of coating defects on the fatigue property of the samples with thin MAO coating was studied. Based on the stress analysis of the MAO coated 2024-T3 Al alloy, the effect of the MAO coatings produced using 8%, 10%, 15%, and 20% duty cycles on fatigue behavior was discussed. Fatigue fracture and strain under cyclic stress were measured with SEM and extensometer, respectively. The results showed that the maximum cyclic stress affected the initiation of fatigue cracks. With the increase in the external loading, stress variation of the coatings was the critical issue that caused the changes in the fatigue performance under the high and low cyclic stresses. Furthermore, the fatigue failure mechanism of the samples with the thin MAO coatings was revealed. This study provided a method basis for further exploring the fatigue property of the samples with the thick MAO coatings.

Static and fatigue strength of laser-textured adhesive-bonded polyamide 66 (PA 66) joints

Nanosecond pulsed laser texturing has been performed as surface preparation for adhesive-bonded polyamide 66 (PA 66) joints. A Design-of-Experiments approach was firstly applied for optimization of laser parameters in terms of static joint strength, after which the fatigue strength of the best performing joints was determined. Quasi static and fatigue lap shear tests were performed on joints bonded with Teroson PU 9225. Laser texturing of PA 66 was found to be far less sensitive to heat accumulation in the hatch direction than in the laser scanning direction. Static average shear strength was generally found to increase with laser energy dose up to approximately 8–20 J/cm 2 , while no correlation was observed between the microscale surface roughness and static strength for low values of the former (S a < 2 μm). A shear strength of 11.60 MPa was achieved with a parallel-line scanning strategy and an average laser power of 3 W, hatch spacing of 50 μm and scanning velocity of 700 mm/s, representing a three-fold increase over standard primed joints. Laser-textured joints prepared with the same parameters exceeded the fatigue performance of atmospheric pressure plasma, mechanical abrasion and primer pre-treatments at both high and low maximum average cyclic shear stress, implying that laser texturing is an appropriate solution for improving bonding at high cyclic shear stress and prolonging the crack propagation phase at low cyclic shear stress.

Effects of Substrate Roughness on Microstructure and Fatigue Behavior of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation-Coated Ti-6Al-4V Alloy.

Ceramic coatings were prepared by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) on four different surface roughness’ of Ti-6Al-4V alloys. The effects of substrate roughness on the microstructure and fatigue behavior were investigated. Microstructural characterization was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a laser scanning confocal microscope. In addition, an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a U-X360 stress meter were used to analyze the phase composition and residual stress properties of the coatings. The microstructure of coatings revealed the growth mechanism of the coatings. The larger and deeper grooves of the substrate promoted the nucleation and growth of the PEO coating, but the defects (cracks and pores) of the oxide layer became more serious. The fatigue test indicated a significant influence of substrate roughness on the fatigue life under low cyclic stress. The fatigue damage of PEO coatings decreases as the surface roughness of substrates decreases because of the synergistic effect of the coating surface defects and coating/substrate interface roughness. Substrate roughness influences the quality and fatigue performance of the oxide layer.

Failure behavior of electromagnetic driven nailing riveted joint for Al/steel structures subjected to fatigue loading

Electromagnetic high-speed nailing (E-HSN) has wide application prospect due to the advantage of high flexibility, unilateral operation and excellent performance. In this paper, the fatigue behavior of E-HSN joints with the aluminum alloy 5052 (Al)/high-strength steel DP590 (HSS) structure was systematically studied. The fatigue tests were conducted and Basquin equation was used to fit the fatigue data. Fatigue fracture were observed. The results showed that the joint had two typical fatigue failure modes. The cyclic stress of 253 MPa was the critical point of two failure modes. The rivet shank fractured under a higher cyclic stress (mode 1, over or equal to the critical point) and rivet head fractured under a lower cyclic stress (mode 2, below the critical point). Moreover, the fracture appearance was analyzed to reveal the failure mode and mechanism of the joints. The quasi-cleavage fracture in the fatigue fracture mode 1 was characterized by ductile and brittle mixed fracture. For the fatigue fracture mode 2, cleavage cracks appeared cleavage fan shape due to the large-angle grain boundary. Finally, based on the damage evolution model, the fatigue life prediction values of E-HSN joints were obtained. The predicted results were basically distributed within 2 times error band, which showed good accuracy and consistency.

Numerical investigation on fatigue life of aluminum brazing structure with fin-plate-side bar under the low temperature thermal-structure cyclic stress

A stress analysis model was established to analyze the thermal and structural stress of aluminum brazing structure with fin-plate-side bar (ABS) in the LNG plate-fin heat exchanger. The fatigue life of ABS was evaluated based on the above stress analysis results by the different standard. The result shows that the thermal and structural stress concentration is generated at the brazed joint of ABS. Under the common action of thermal and structural stress, the equivalent stress is influenced mainly by the equivalent thermal stress. The equivalent alternating stress was calculated to be 153.5 MPa based on thermal and structural stress. The permissible cycle numbers at the brazed joint of ABS, which is calculated by the fatigue assessment procedure of ASME and JB4732, are 3311 and 2953, respectively. The fatigue assessment results based on the third strength theory is more conservative for the ABS. The influence of operation parameters is also analyzed for the fatigue life of ABS. The temperature difference between NG and MR, MR temperature and NG pressure will be the main factors to impact the fatigue life of that. And a method is proposed to predict the fatigue life of ABS according to the main factors. The error will be less than 10% between the prediction results and the simulation results.

Paintings crack initiation time caused by microclimate

The current paper aims to use an irreversible cohesive zone model to investigate the effects of temperature and relative humidity cycles on multilayer thin-film paintings. The homogenous one-dimensional paint layers composed of alkyd and acrylic gesso over a canvas foundation (support) with known constant thicknesses are considered as the mechanical model of painting. Experimental data was used for mathematical modeling of canvas as a linear elastic material and paint as a viscoelastic material with the Prony series. Growth of crack through the length of the paint layers under the low amplitude cyclic stresses are modeled by cyclic mechanical loadings. The three-dimensional system is modeled using a finite element method. Fatigue damage parameters such as crack initiation time and maximum loads are calculated by an irreversible cohesive zone model used to control the interface separation. In addition, the effects of initial crack length and layers thickness are studied. With the increase of the painting thickness and/or the initial crack length, the value of the maximum force increases. Moreover, by increasing the Relative Humidity (RH) and the temperature difference at loading by one cycle per day, the values of initiation time of delamination decrease. It is shown that the thickness of painting layers is the most important parameter in crack initiation times and crack growth rate in historical paintings in museums and conservation settings.

Liquefaction behavior of fiber-reinforced sand based on cyclic triaxial tests

In this study, the liquefaction behavior and development laws of pore water pressure in fiber-reinforced sand were studied using cyclic triaxial tests, and the effects of cyclic stress ratio, fiber content, and fiber length were investigated. The test results showed that the cycle number leading to liquefaction and liquefaction resistance increased with fiber content and fiber length, whereas the cycle number leading to liquefaction decreased as the cyclic stress ratio increased. The pore water pressure accumulated more slowly in the fiber-reinforced sand than in the unreinforced sand, and the curves of pore water pressure at low cyclic stress ratio (0.195, 0.203, and 0.230) exhibit three stages, namely a rapidly increasing stage, a slowly increasing stage and a sharply increasing stage. The curves of pore water pressure at high cyclic stress ratio (0.258 and 0.282) exhibited a more varied pattern than those at a low cyclic stress ratio. Based on the test results, a three-parameter pore water pressure model was established considering the effect of cyclic stress ratio, fiber content, fiber length, and sand particle diameter. The predictions agreed relatively well with experimental results, demonstrating that the model can be used to predict pore water pressure in fiber-reinforced sands.

On the Fatigue Performance of Friction-Stir Welded Aluminum Alloys.

This work was undertaken in an attempt to ascertain the generic characteristics of fatigue behavior of friction-stir welded aluminum alloys. To this end, different alloy grades belonging to both the heat-treatable and non-heat-treatable types in both the cast and wrought conditions were studied. The analysis was based on the premise that the fatigue endurance of sound welds (in which internal flaws and surface quality are not the major issues) is governed by residual stress and microstructure. Considering the relatively low magnitude of the residual stresses but drastic grain refinement attributable to friction-stir welding, the fatigue performance at relatively low cyclic stress was deduced to be dictated by the microstructural factor. Accordingly, the fatigue crack typically nucleated in relatively coarse-grained base material zone; thus, the fatigue strength of the welded joints was comparable to that of the parent metal. At relatively high fatigue stress, the summary (i.e., the cyclic-plus residual-) stress may exceed the material yield strength; thus, the fatigue cracking should result from the preceding macro-scale plastic deformation. Accordingly, the fatigue failure should occur in the softest microstructural region; thus; the fatigue strength of the welded joint may be inferior to that of the original material.

Thermal effects on the dynamic properties of marine sediment under long-term low cyclic stress

Thermal problems may be encountered in offshore engineering applications, such as pipeline engineering activities and submarine nuclear waste storage. However, few studies have focused on the behaviours of marine sediment involved temperatures, especially under long-term low cyclic loads. In this study, a series of undrained temperature-controlled triaxial tests were carried out to study the thermal effects on the dynamic properties of marine sediment from the South China Sea (SCS) under long-term low cyclic loading. The experimental tests were performed at different temperatures and cyclic stress ratios (CSRs). The dynamic deformation, pore pressure and degradation of the strength of the samples were measured and analyzed. Two modified models for predicting the pore pressure and degradation of marine sediment are presented based on the experimental data. The results indicate that the temperature-induced pore pressure increases with increasing temperature as a power function without draining and loading. The axial strain, loading-induced pore pressure and degradation index decrease with increasing temperature. The CSRs have a substantial influence on the axial strain and loading -induced pore pressure.

THE INFLUENCE OF STRUCTURE FORMING FACTORS ON LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE OF A POLYMER COMPOSITE MATERIAL BASED ON FURFURAL ACETONE MONOMER (FAM)

Research studies of polymer concretes are frequently carried out under the action of static loads while the material is affected by cyclic loads, most often, low-cycle as a result of its work in the structure. In the case when the level of stresses caused by these loads exceeds a certain limit, irreversible damage accumulation processes begin to occur in the material, which lead to the formation of cracks. In the future, the stress concentration at the edge of the crack contributes to its development. Most often cracks occur at the surface of the part, but sometimes in the thickness of the material. This process weakens the section and after some time, when the crack reaches a critical length, the part or structure is destroyed. As a rule, they are destroyed without visible residual deformations, even in cases when they are made of plastic materials. It was suggested that under the influence of variable stresses material gradually degenerates over time, as if "gets tired" (fatigued). Material fatigue is a process of gradual accumulation of damage under the influence of variable stresses, leading to the formation of cracks and destruction of the material. The peculiarities influencing low-cycle stresses on strength characteristics of polymer concretes based on furfural acetone monomer (FAM) are considered in the article. The regression equation has been obtained as a result of experimenting on a polymeric composite material which allowed constructing the response surface of the low-cycle fatigue of the polymeric composite material based on the resin of furfural acetone monomer. A second-order plan for three factors studying low-cycle fatigue of a tested composite material is also presented in the paper. It has been established that the ratio of the polymer component to the filler and the coarse aggregate spreading factor are the fundamental ideas influencing the cyclic durability of polymer concretes while the thickness of the polymer bonding layer is an insignificant factor.

Deformation and fabric of soft marine clay at various cyclic load stages

Soft marine clay is susceptible to deformation under cyclic loading, controlled by microstructure variations. To investigate the microscopic characteristics of soft clay with the progression of deformation under cyclic loading, a detailed study has been conducted using consolidated undrained cyclic triaxial tests, as well as mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The relationships between the micro parameters and accumulated plastic strain of soft marine clay are discussed. Cyclic triaxial test results show that low cyclic stress ratio (CSR) induces stable deformation, while for greater CSR the deformation of soft marine clay presents a closely linear or exponential increase, which leads to the destructuration of the soil structure. The microanalysis shows that with vibration cycles under 0.15 CSR, the content of pore obtained by SEM decreases from 37% to 25%, and large aggregates are visibly crushed into smaller ones, leading to a 24% increase in the pore numbers, which shows the slow increase of the deformation. When the CSR is greater than 0.25, large diameter pores generate resulting in divergent development of accumulated plastic strain. An empirical model of accumulated plastic strain involving micro parameter is proposed for assessing the deformation of soft marine clay.

Mechanism of residual stress and surface roughness of substrate on fatigue behavior of micro-arc oxidation coated AA7075-T6 alloy

The micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings were produced on AA7075-T6 alloy with a surface roughness (Ra) of 0.2, 0.8, and 1.6. The effects of the Ra of substrates on the morphologies of MAO coating and fatigue behavior of the coated samples were investigated. The structural characteristics of the MAO coating were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and laser scanning confocal microscopy. Moreover, the residual stress in the oxide films was measured using an X-ray stress tester. The surface and cross-section analyses of the coatings revealed the mechanism of the oxide layer growth. The phase composition and the mechanism of residual stress were further investigated according to the heat transfer in the MAO process. The relationship between the nature of residual stress in MAO coating and the surface porosity as well as the temperature of the substrate and the coating was revealed. The fatigue test results showed a significant effect of the Ra of the substrate on the high cycle fatigue life at low cyclic stress levels. The residual stress relaxation attributed to the insignificant changes in the fatigue life of the coated samples with Ra = 0.2, 0.8, and 1.6 at high cyclic stress levels. Besides, the mechanism of the residual stress affecting the fatigue performance was explored.

Residual stress relaxation and duty cycle on high cycle fatigue life of micro-arc oxidation coated AA7075-T6 alloy

Ceramic coatings were produced on AA7075-T6 alloy by micro-arc oxidation (MAO). The MAO treatment was performed at different duty cycles (8, 10, 15, and 20%). Effects of duty cycle on microstructure and fatigue behavior of the coated samples were investigated. Surface features and cross-section morphology, and fatigue fracture were observed by SEM and laser microscope. Phase structure and residual stress in the coatings were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The nature and relaxation mechanism of the residual stress were revealed. Finally, the influence of the residual stress relaxation on the fatigue life at high and low cyclic stresses was explored.