Macromechanical Characteristics Research Articles

Study on the impact of grouting reinforcement on the mechanical behavior of non-penetrating fracture sandstone

The grouting reinforcement technology is an essential method to enhance the mechanical performance of fractured rock masses and the effectiveness of reinforcement varies with different grouting materials. To further understand the mechanical improvement capabilities of each grout and the reinforcement mechanisms at the grout-rock interface, this study prepared samples with different grouting materials (sulphoaluminate cement (SAC), ultra-fine cement (UFC), and epoxy resin (EPR)) and the uniaxial compression tests were conducted. Based on these tests, the macro and micro mechanical characteristics of different grouting samples were revealed using particle image velocimetry (PIV), acoustic emission (AE), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results indicate that grouting helps improve the mechanical performance and deformation resistance of fractured rock masses. It effectively limited lateral displacement of the samples, reduced stress concentration at fracture tips, enhanced shear effects during sample fracture, and altered the crack propagation process and failure modes. Compared to the fractured samples, the peak strength of SAC, UFC, and EPR samples increased by 17.8 %, 23.4 %, and 28.3 %, and the elastic modulus increased by 14.3 %, 7.9 %, and 24.8 %, respectively. Among these, the EPR samples exhibited a similarity in parameter indicators to intact samples of over 85 %, making EPR the optimal grouting material. The degree of grout-rock fusion is the primary factor influencing grouting reinforcement effectiveness. SAC is covering-type cement, UFC is embedded cement, EPR is a fusion material, and the fusion-type materials are more beneficial for improving the mechanical performance of fractured rocks.

Discrete modelling of the mechanical response of Cuxhaven sand under shear and oedometric conditions using the rolling resistance contact model

The Distinct element method (DEM) is a promising approach to model the microscopic behaviour of granular materials, but the capability of the simulations to reproduce the mechanical response of real granular materials depends strongly on the contact model parameters utilized. The present study focuses on the calibration and validation of the rolling resistance linear model parameters for Cuxhaven sand based on the experimental results from triaxial and oedometer tests. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore the influence of contact model parameters on the sample preparation and the shear stage of triaxial tests. The influence of parameters like rolling resistance friction coefficient, inter-particle friction coefficient, effective modulus, and normal-to-shear stiffness ratio were investigated. For calibration of the DEM model, the input parameters were selected such that the simulations reproduce the macro mechanical characteristics like dilation angle, peak stress, and stiffness. The calibrated parameters were then validated by simulating a one-dimensional compression test. The results are in good agreement with the experiments, which proves the suitability of the calibrated parameters. In addition, the validated parameters were applied to investigate the mechanical behaviour including the evolution of contact force chains, non-coaxiality of principal stress and strain rate, and sample inhomogeneity during a simple shear test.

Laboratory Investigation of the Unsaturated Shear Strength Characteristics of Sand–Clay Mixtures

Sandy‐clay mixtures are commonly used in civil engineering projects, such as transportation and water resources, due to their unique construction properties. While the macromechanical characteristics of these mixtures under saturated conditions are well understood, their behavior in unsaturated states is still not fully elucidated. This study aims to investigate the mechanical behavior of sand–clay mixtures under unsaturated conditions by examining the influence of varying sand content and matric suction on their shear strength. The research includes unsaturated shear strength tests and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments to analyze the pore characteristics within the mixtures at different sand content levels. The correlation between changes in pore structure and shear strength is systematically analyzed. The unsaturated shear strength of the mixtures is predicted using the Fredlund shear strength formula and compared with the measured values. The results indicate that the unsaturated shear strength of the mixture decreases as the sand content increases but stabilizes once the sand content reaches 20%. Below 20% sand content, the changes in micropore distribution are not significant with increasing sand content. However, beyond 20% sand content, there is a noticeable increase in the ratio of large pores and a decrease in the proportion of small pores. The sand content of 20% represents a critical threshold for the strength and porosity variations in the mixture. Under constant matric suction, the unsaturated shear strength of the mixture improves with the increase in sand content. However, the predictive accuracy of the Fredlund shear strength formula gradually diminishes as the sand content increases.

Study on the influence of mineral composition on the mechanical properties of granite based on FDEM-GBM method

The macroscopic mechanical properties and crack propagation of rocks are significantly affected by the micro-scale heterogeneity of rocks. In this study, a two-dimensional tensile/shear fracture model to simulate the nonlinear behavior of grain boundaries through a combined finite-discrete element method based on the grain model (FDEM-GBM). The purpose of this model was to investigate the effects of mineral composition on rock mechanical properties and fracture extension. To calibrate the micromechanical parameters of the cohesive elements within the numerical rock model, the Plackett–Burman design and response surface method were employed. Furthermore, the study analyzed the effects of different mineral compositions on the macro-mechanical characteristics of rocks and attempted to interpret the results from the perspective of fracture evolution. The results demonstrated that the PB design-response surface design-iterative optimization method successfully enabled the calibration of the required microscopic parameters in the FDEM-GBM model. Under uniaxial compression loading, damage primarily occurred inside the crystal, with a dominant mode of tensile failure at the stress peak. Additionally, an increase in feldspar mineral content generally led to a decreasing trend in the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of the rock model. This changing pattern may be associated with the greater presence of internal cracks within feldspar minerals and relatively fewer cracks in quartz minerals.

Pore evolution and shear characteristics of a soil-rock mixture upon freeze-thaw cycling

The changes in pore structure within soil-rock mixtures under freeze-thaw cycles in cold regions result in strength deterioration, leading to instability and slope failure. However, the existing studies mainly provided qualitative analysis of the changes in pore or strength of soil-rock mixture under freeze-thaw cycles. In contrast, few studies focused on the quantitative evaluation of pore change and the relationship between the freeze-thaw strength deterioration and pore change of soil-rock mixture. This study aims to explore the correlation between the micro-pore evolution characteristics and macro-mechanics of a soil-rock mixture after frequent freeze-thaw cycles during the construction and subsequent operation in a permafrost region. The pore characteristics of remolded soil samples with different rock contents (i.e., 25%, 35%, 45%, and 55%) subjected to various freeze-thaw cycles (i.e., 0, 1, 3, 6, and 10) were quantitatively analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Shear tests of soil-rock samples under different normal pressures were carried out simultaneously to explore the correlation between the soil strength changes and pore characteristics. The results indicate that with an increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles, the cohesion of the soil-rock mixture generally decreases first, then increases, and finally decreases; however, the internal friction angle shows no apparent change. With the increase in rock content, the peak shear strength of the soil-rock mixture rises first and then decreases and peaks when the rock content is at 45%. When the rock content remains constant, as the number of freeze-thaw cycles rises, the shear strength of the sample reaches its peak after three freeze-thaw cycles. Studies have shown that with an increase in freeze-thaw cycles, the medium and large pores develop rapidly, especially for pores with a size of 0.2–20 μm. Freeze-thaw cycling affects the internal pores of the soil-rock mixture by altering its skeleton and, therefore, impacts its macro-mechanical characteristics.

Deformation diagrams of amorphous polyimide (kapton H) in the state of moderate and deep cooling: Experiment and theory

A comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the regularities of active deformation at a constant rate of an amorphous polymer at room temperature and the influence of moderate and deep cooling on them was performed. The samples of amorphous aromatic polyimide (an analogue of kapton H) that are randomly cut fragments of the industrially produced thermoplastic film with a thickness of 25 μm were the object of the experimental study. The σ–ε diagrams of the tensile test, where σ and ε=ε˙t are the tensile stress and the relative strain, respectively, were recorded for 32 samples at three rates ε˙ = 7⋅10–5, 7⋅10–4, 6⋅10–3 s–1 under three temperatures T = 293, 77, and 4.2 K. In the state of deep cooling at T = 4.2 K, several samples were deformed as brittle glassy bodies – rupture after short elastic deformation. But the majority of the samples at all values of the experimental parameters (T,ε˙) had the rheological properties of rubber-like highly elastic materials (elastomers) with traditional tensile test diagrams: initial stage I of linear elastic deformation σI=Meε with Young’s modulus Me=Me(T); stage III of linear highly elastic deformation σIII=σfe+Mheε with modulus Mhe=Mhe(T) and conditional limit of elasticity σfe=σfe(T,ε˙); intermediate stage II of the relaxation type σII(ε;T,ε˙) with a nonlinear stress-strain dependence. The σ–ɛ diagrams of the individual samples with sufficiently high accuracy coincide with the graph of the function σ(ε;T,ε˙) which is the solution of the previously derived nonlinear rheological equation (V. D. Natsik and H. V. Rusakova, Fiz. Nizk. Temp.48, 281 (2022) [Low Temp. Phys.48, 253 (2022)]; Fiz. Nyzk. Temp.49, 246 (2023) [Low Temp. Phys.49, 228 (2023)]). In its derivation, a molecular-kinetic model was used: an amorphous polymer is considered as a set of statistically independent kinetic units, namely, molecular segments, and the elementary act of deformation is caused by thermomechanical activation of nonlinear excitations of these segments called elastons. The elaston mechanism of transformation of the deformation diagrams of amorphous polyimide samples under their moderate and deep cooling is discussed in detail: the transition between deformation states of warm and frozen elastomer, low-temperature effects of structural-deformation glass transition and deformation melting. Comparing the results of experiments and theory made it possible to obtain the empirical estimates for the macromechanical characteristics of the studied samples and the microparameters of elaston excitations. A significant and unsystematic (random) scatter of the macro- and micromechanical characteristics of the samples was revealed, which indicates a significant and random heterogeneity of the macro- and microstructure of the polyimide film from which they were made.

Study on the shear-slip process and characteristics of fracture in shale

To clarify the shear-slip process and characteristics of fault, we conducted triaxial shear tests driven by displacement on shale samples with prefabricated sawcut and natural fractures, and the acoustic emission (AE) technology was used to monitor the shear-slip process in real-time. According to the test results, the shear-slip process and mechanical characteristics of sawcut and natural fractures were analyzed. The test results indicate that the shear-slip process of fractures can be divided into four stages, improving the confining pressure will cause more serious plastic failure in the shear-slip process, and the increase of roughness will make the phenomenon of “stress drop” more obvious, which is closely related to the earthquake occurrence. Confining pressure and roughness all have implications for the stress thresholds of each stage. With the transition of shear-slip stages, the effects of confining pressure and roughness on the shear-slip of fractures are more drastic. The maximum static friction coefficient μ0 increases with initial roughness increasing and is independent of confining pressure. Due to the strain-strengthening effect of fracture slip, the average value of dynamic friction coefficient μd under simple shear deformation is greater than the maximum static friction coefficient μ0. Based on AE response characteristics, microcracks development, and rupture scale during the shear-slip process were also explored. AE events are mainly distributed along the inclined fracture. The AE response in different shear-slip stages displays pronounced differences, and the AE evolution and macro mechanical characteristics of fractures show significant time-synchronization. The variation of peak frequency can reflect the rupture scale transformation and the influence of confining pressure and roughness. Additionally, the differences in the morphological evolution of sawcut and natural fractures are mainly reflected in the wear pattern, degree and the rock debris attach amount. Finally, we also discussed the micro-deformation mechanism of asperities during the shear-slip process. This work may provide a reference for the research of fault activation and slip in shale reservoirs.

Study on the Influence of Saturation on Freeze–Thaw Damage Characteristics of Sandstone

In order to explore the evolution mechanism of freeze-thaw disasters and the role of water in the freezing-thawing cycles of rocks, the macro mechanical indexes and microstructural characteristics of seven different saturation sandstones after certain freeze-thaw cycles were analyzed. Electron microscope scanning, nuclear magnetic resonance, and uniaxial compression tests were employed to study the migration law of water in the rock, the crack growth law, and the damage mechanism during freeze-thaw cycles. The results showed that when the saturation was 85%, the peak load curve of sandstone with different saturation appeared at the minimum point, and the porosity of sandstone reached the maximum. The damage variable increased sharply when the saturation was 75-85%. This proves that 85% saturation is the critical value of sandstone after five freeze-thaw cycles. The water migration freezing model is established, and the migration direction of capillary film water during freezing is micropore → mesopore → macropore. The migration of water is accompanied by the expansion and generation of cracks. Then we study the mechanism and law of crack expansion, and the crack propagation rate is positively related to the theoretical suction. The theoretical suction and theoretical ice pressure increased linearly with the decrease in temperature, which accelerated the crack propagation. The crack propagation rate in decreasing order is Vmacropore > Vmesopore > Vmicropore. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for evaluating the stability of rocks under the action of freeze-thaw cycles in cold regions.

Repartitioning-based aggregate generation method for fast modeling 3D mesostructure of asphalt concrete

A repartitioning-based aggregate generation method is proposed to establish the three-dimensional mesostructure models of asphalt mixture. In this method, a stepwise partitioning procedure is proposed to repeatedly partition the specimen space into Voronoi cells with high variation in shape and size. The number of the Voronoi cells is determined by dividing the volume of the specimen space by the volume of a so-called equivalent sphere; in this way, the sizes of the generated Voronoi cells can be controlled around the sizes of the equivalent spheres. Also, a reshaping-classifying-picking procedure is developed and applied to the Voronoi cells to obtain very realistic aggregates with expected gradations to form final mesostructures. The effectiveness of the repartitioning-based aggregate generation method was validated by using the aggregate gradation and complex modulus test data of asphalt concrete. Compared with several recent aggregate generation methods, the proposed method can faster generate three-dimensional mesostructures with large dimension and high aggregate content. Besides, it can explain quantitatively the effects of mesostructural properties on macromechanical characteristics of asphalt concrete, thus providing an efficient and robust tool for advancing material design of asphalt concrete.

Mechanical and Microcrack Evolution Characteristics of Roof Rock of Coal Seam with Different Angle of Defects Based on Particle Flow Code

The creation of the natural ceiling rock of the coal seam is rife with fractures, holes, and other flaws. The angle of the defects has a significant influence on the mechanical characteristics and crack evolution of coal seam roof rock. Multi-scale numerical simulation software PFC2D gets adapted to realize the crack propagation and coalescence process in the roof rock of a coal seam with different angles of defects under uniaxial compression. The effect of flaw angles on the micro and macro mechanical characteristics of rock is also discovered. The results show that: (1) the defect angle has influence on the stress-strain, elastic modulus, peak strength, peak strain, acoustic emission (AE) and strain energy of roof rock of coal seam. When the defect angles are different, the starting position of the roof rock in a coal seam fracture is different. The quantity of microcracks firstly reduces with an increase in defect angles before gradually increasing. At the same fault angle, the cracks are mostly tensile ones and only a few shear ones. (2) When the defect angle is less than 90°, tensile and shear fractures are mostly localized at the defect's two tips and propagate along the loading direction. When the defect angle is 90°, the tensile and shear cracks are not concentrated at the tip of the defect. (3) As the defect angles increase, the elastic strain energy rises initially and then falls, and the dissipated energy and total input energy both increase continuously. The elastic strain energy is greatest at the highest strength. The study provides a certain reference for the use of various analysis methods in practical engineering to evaluate the safety and stability of rock samples with pre-existing defects.

Evolution of mechanical properties of kerogen with thermal maturity

Kerogen is the most abundant form of naturally occurring organic matter in organic-rich shale, and it can affect the macro-mechanical characteristics of shale reservoirs during the whole shale thermal evolution process. However, the magnitude and mechanism of this effect are not clear. Here, a relatively low-maturity kerogen isolated from an organic-rich shale was used to prepare a series of kerogen samples of different maturities in an artificial pyrolysis experiment. Raman spectroscopy and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to determine changes in the chemical structures of the kerogen samples, and in situ nanoindentation analysis was employed to characterize the evolution of their mechanical properties. Raman spectral analyses indicate that Raman band separation (RBS) is very sensitive to thermal maturity, increasing with maturity and displaying a strong linear correlation with mechanical properties of kerogen such as hardness and Young's modulus. Based on the solid-state 13C NMR and nanoindentation analysis, the evolution of kerogen mechanical properties with maturity can be divided into two stages: oil-generation wet-gas stage (corresponding to 0.7%–2.5% EasyRo), and dry-gas stage (2.5%–4.5% EasyRo). In the former, kerogen exhibits a soft nature with relatively low hardness and Young's modulus, possibly attributable to its relatively large proportion of aliphatic carbon and long-chain alkanes. When maturity reaches the gas stage, kerogen becomes increasingly stiff due to the markedly increased proportion of aromatic and bridgehead carbon. Considering the strong positive correlation between mechanical parameters and chemical-structure parameters (RBS, and aromatic and bridgehead carbon ratios) of kerogen during the overall thermal evolution process, we suggest that the stiffening of kerogen may result from the decreasing content of aliphatic chains and increasing aromatic carbon. This study will be beneficial to the development of rock mechanical models that are critical for accurately evaluating borehole stability and optimizing hydraulic fracture design.

Micro-structural and mechanical properties of PVA fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composite incorporating natural and artificial pozzolanic materials under different temperatures

• The pozzolans' contents significantly affect the tensile strain capacity of the ECC. • Using fly ash, GGBS and zeolite can improve tensile behavior of the ECC. • The GGBS based ECC has better tensile stress–strain behavior. • At the temperatures above 50 °C, the mechanical properties of the ECC decrease. • ANN and MLR can predict the mechanical properties of the ECC with high accuracy. Engineered cementitious composites (ECC), which have high toughness and tensile ductility, as well as multiple fine cracking, satisfy the high safety and durability criteria in the development of sustainable infrastructures. The effect of different temperatures on the mechanical characteristics of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) reinforced ECC (PVA-ECC) was examined in this work. A study was conducted to compare the modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, and compressive strength of samples containing various dosages of three available pozzolans: zeolites (ZE), fly ash (FA), and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), as well as silica fume (SF). Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the microstructure of PVA-ECC samples subjected to various high temperatures (SEM). For 1 h, all specimens were exposed to temperatures of 150, 100, 50, and 20 °C. The experimental findings revealed that when the temperature rises to 50°, all three mechanical parameters, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, and compressive strength, increase, then drop. The study of the microstructure of PVA-ECC reveals a basic explanation for the loss of macro mechanical characteristics. Finally, using ANOVA analysis, the relationship between independent parameters such as the age of the sample (AS), temperature (T), and water to pozzolan materials (W/P), and dependent parameters (i.e., compressive strength, tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity) was evaluated, and the multivariate linear regression (MLR) and the artificial neural network (ANN) were shown to be useful for modeling.

The synergistic strengthening effect of silane coupling agent on the interface between PVA/EPS and cement: experiment and molecular simulation

ABSTRACT Expanded polystyrene (EPS) concrete is a new type of green building material. To make it more widely used, in this work, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and silane coupling agent (SCA) were used to toughen it. The synergistic enhancement mechanism of SCA on PVA/cement and EPS/cement interfaces was systematically investigated from macro mechanical properties, microstructure characteristics, and nano interface interaction. Firstly, based on the mechanical property test, it was found that the introduction of SCA and PVA fibers can significantly improve the flexural strength of EPS composite concrete at 7 and 28 days, followed by the compressive strength. Secondly, the cut pieces of corresponding composite concrete were observed by electron microscope. It was found that SCA made the two interfaces more closely, and its bonding effect at the micro interface was described. Finally, molecular dynamics (MD) was used to model PVA/C-S-H and EPS/C-S-H with or without SCA. Then, the local structure, dynamic performance, and binding energy of the interface were calculated and analyzed. The analysis results showed that SCA reduced the interface effect and enhanced the interface hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interaction, Ca-H coordination bond and stability. Thus, the interfacial adhesion energy was improved, and the weak interfacial bonding between organic polymers (PVA, EPS) and inorganic silicates (C-S-H) was enhanced.

Deterioration of performances and structures of cement pastes under the action of thermal cycling fatigue

Concrete structures in the atmosphere are continuously subjected to thermal cycle (TC) inducedby varying environmental temperature. However, the influencing mechanism of thermal cycling fatigue on the mechanical properties and microstructure of cement-based materials has not been thoroughly documented. To address this issue, the relationship between the macro-properties and microstructure of cement paste under TC was analyzed using micro-properties measurement and quantitative microcrack evaluation. In this work, ordinary Poland cement pastes with three different water-to-cement (w/c) ratios (0.4, 0.5, and 0.6) were exposed to TC in the range of 5–45 °C. The mechanical properties, pore structures, and micromorphology of cement pastes after different cycle times were measured. The result indicated that as the number of cycles increased, TC negatively affected the macro-mechanical characteristics, pore structure, and micromorphology of cement pastes. Cement pastes with greater w/c ratios were more susceptible to TC-induced deterioration. In addition, thermal cycling fatigue caused the propagation of microcracks including crack width, length, and density. Thermal cycling fatigue also coarsened the pore structure of cement pastes, especially the large pores (i.e., diameter > 100 nm). The underlying damage mechanism caused by TCis the coupled actions of fluid flow, thermal deformation, and thermal fatigue. Moreover, a negative linear relationship was established between microcrack density and Vickers hardness of cement pastes.

Effect of Micro- and Macro-Mechanical Characteristics of Jujube Bark on Jujube Girdling Quality

Jujube girdling is an important method to improve the yield and quality of jujube fruit. However, girdling usually causes the tearing of jujube bark, resulting in the slow healing and even death of jujube trees. These problems directly affect the economic benefits of jujube planting. In this paper, in order to reveal the tearing mechanism of jujube bark caused by girdling, and provide the basic mechanical parameters of jujube bark for the research and development of automatic girdling equipment, the structure and mechanical characteristics of jujube bark were studied through theory and experimental methods. The results of microscopic observation showed that jujube bark is a biological composite material mainly composed of the phloem, periderm and epidermis. Furthermore, a mathematical model-based analysis of the growth stress of jujube bark showed that growth stress can be regarded as a biaxial stress state, which can promote the longitudinal tearing of jujube bark during girdling. The tensile test results of jujube bark showed that jujube bark belongs to the category of anisotropic and biologic material. Its longitudinal and transverse mechanical characteristics are significantly different. The maximum longitudinal tensile load was in the range of 105.9~293 N, the longitudinal tensile strength was 16.3 MPa and the elastic modulus was 255.6 MPa. The average transverse tensile load was only 27.9% of the longitudinal tensile load. The transverse tensile strength was 3.5 Mpa and its elastic modulus was 724.14 MPa. The transverse cutting test of jujube bark showed that the average cutting force was 118.2 N and the cutting strength was 9.8 MPa. The results of this study showed that both the growth stress and the anisotropic natural polymer of jujube bark have adverse effects on girdling. Subsequently, issues relating to the selection of appropriate girdling tools and the matters needing attention in the process of the girdling operation were proposed, so as to guide the correct application of girdling technology. In addition, some suggestions on the research and development of girdling tools in the future are put forward.

Mineral Additives to Enhance Early-Age Crack Resistance of Concrete under a Large-Temperature-Difference Environment

The large temperature difference condition in Northwest China threatens a myriad of concrete structures during construction, with the daily temperature varying by around 40 °C. To investigate the macro-mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of concrete containing different amounts of mineral admixtures under such harsh conditions, this investigation used an environmental chamber to simulate a saline soil erosion environment with a large temperature difference. Four types of concrete containing different proportions of fly ash and slag were prepared and exposed in the environmental chamber with a daily temperature change of −5~40 °C to investigate their compressive strength, flexural strength, and fracture properties. Moreover, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) characteristics, microscopic morphological characteristics, pore structure characteristics, and post-erosion chloride ion distribution characteristics were also observed and recorded. Results showed that the mineral admixture could improve the early strength development of the concrete and effectively improve the fracture performance of the concrete. The average compressive strength growth rate of concrete from day 3 to day 14 was 83.25% higher than that of ordinary concrete (OC) when 15% fly ash and 15% slag were added. In addition, the fracture energy of the concrete was maximized when 15% fly ash and 20% slag were added, which was 50.67% higher than that of OC; furthermore, the internal compactness and pore structure were optimized, and the resistance to saline soil erosion was strong. This provides a basis for the practical application of compounded mineral admixture-modified concrete in an arid environment with a large temperature difference and saline soil erosion.

Tensile failure of multiaxial 3D woven composites with an open-hole: An experimental and numerical study

In the present work, the multiaxial 3D (M3D) woven composites and 3D layer-to-layer (3D LTL) interlock woven composites were designed and manufactured. Both unnotched and notched specimens of two composites were tested in quasi-static tension, and the macro mechanical behavior characteristics of all specimens were monitored using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. Based on the meso-structure characteristics of the M3D woven composites, a macro-meso coupling and full-scale analysis model for the centrally notched specimens was proposed. Furthermore, the progressive damage analysis was performed to simulate the damage evolution processes of the open-hole (OH) specimens, and the failure mechanisms were revealed in cooperation with the CT measurement. The study concluded that the reduction in tensile strength for the OH-M3D composites was about 19.8% compared to the unnotched strength, which was significantly lower than the 3D LTL case. Besides, the strain field in the loading direction uniformly distributed on the surface of the OH-M3D specimen, and the notched plate failed along the + 45° and −45° directions, exhibiting a diamond like fracture behavior. The interwoven structure of M3D specimen with the + 45° and −45° yarns influenced the stress distributions in the vicinity of the hole and damage mode.

An advanced grain-based model to characterize mechanical behaviors of crystalline rocks with different weathering degrees

Laboratory tests revealed that by enhancing the weathering degree, a transition of pre-peak stress-strain mechanical responses of crystalline rocks under unconfined compression from approximate linearity to nonlinearity was evident, as was the weakening of macro-mechanical properties. However, thus far, very few numerical studies have been conducted to quantitatively characterize the strong-to-weak transition of the mechanical behaviors of crystalline rocks modulated by the weathering degree. We propose an advanced grain-based model (AGBM) using Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC) to characterize mechanical characteristics of crystalline rocks with different weathering degrees. The weathering-induced deterioration of microstructures was treated as loosening of grain contacts and weakening of their properties. It was proved that the grain contact model that considered hardening nonlinear deformation in compression and linearly elastic deformation in tension or shear was feasible and applicable to characterize the mechanical behaviors of crystalline rocks with different weathering degrees. The compression hardening deformation of grain contacts significantly affected the macro nonlinear stress-strain relation and stress thresholds of crack closure, crack imitation, stable crack growth, and unstable crack growth. We acquired new insights on the weathering-induced weakening of macro-mechanical characteristics of crystalline rock, which resulted from weakening of deformation properties of the grain contact more than grain contact strength.

СРЕДНЕКВАДРАТИЧНЫЕ ОТКЛОНЕНИЯ АТОМОВ – НАНОМАСШТАБНЫЙ ИНДИКАТОР СОСТОЯНИЯ ПОВЕРХНОСТИ

Актуальность исследования связана с повышением надежности сварных соединений паросиловых установок и тем самым с рациональным использованием материалов изделий за счет совершенствования и развития методов изучения их ресурсных физических характеристик. Цель: тестирование новых наномасштабных структурных характеристик III рода для оценок состояния поверхности. Объект: образцы жаропрочной стали трубных поверхностей нагрева паровых котлов. Методы: физическое моделирование условий эксплуатации путем термоциклирования в электропечи МИМП-10УЭ, холодного циклического деформирования с применением гидравлического пресса, рентгенометрия образцов с оценкой среднеквадратичных отклонений атомов и внутренних структурных напряжений на рентгеновских дифрактометрах типа ДРОН, анализ морфологии поверхности с помощью портативного электронного микроскопа типа PENSCKOPE с увеличением ´20. Результаты. Проведены экспериментальные исследования, связанные с количественной оценкой колебательной амплитуды атомов и ее эволюцией при циклических термических и механических нагрузках. В результате исследований предложен новый диагностический параметр в виде колебательной амплитуды атомов , отражающий фундаментальную природу сил межатомных связей. Продемонстрирована корреляция между среднеквадратичными отклонениями атомов (микромасштабный уровень свойств), представляющими микроструктурные характеристики III рода, с макромеханическими характеристиками и (макромасштабный уровень свойств). Так как условный предел текучести и временное сопротивление разрушению связаны с прочностью и разрушением, то и среднеквадратичные отклонения атомов могут быть использованы в качестве индикатора поврежденности и признака достижения предельных состояний. Параметр может служить также характеристикой текущего индивидуального физического состояния металла. Предложена новая методология оценки текущего и наступления предельных состояний. Показано, что восстановление структуры контролируется на атомном микромасштабном уровне по колебательной амплитуде и напряжениям I рода.

Influence of Washing of Crushed Aggregate on Mechanical Properties of High-Performance Concrete Containing Supplementary Cementitious Materials

The paper compares macromechanical and micromechanical properties of high-performance concrete containing supplementary cementitious materials and basalt aggregate. The aggregate was either a common unprocessed crushed basalt aggregate or crushed basalt aggregate the coarse fractions (4/8 and 8/16 mm) of which were washed by water and dried before use. The observed macro-mechanical properties were compressive strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus and depth of penetration of water under pressure; the paper is focused on the first observed property, which is the basic material characteristic. On the microscale, the thickness of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) was determined by nanoindentation. The positive influence of supplementary cementitious materials and aggregate washing on compressive strength was confirmed and the correlation between macromechanical and micromechanical characteristics was proved.