Crack Propagation Speed Research Articles

Fracture characteristics and microscopic mechanism of slag-based marine geopolymer mortar prepared with seawater and sea-sand

This study utilized seawater, sea sand, and ternary solid waste to produce marine geopolymer mortar (MGM). 23 groups of MGM samples with varying alkali content and basalt fiber (BF) and polypropylene fiber (PPF) volume fractions, as well as marine cement mortar (MCM), were tested for fracture characteristics. Three initial crack length ratios (a0/h) (0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) were designed. The analysis included load-crack mouth opening displacement (P-CMOD) curves for all specimens, focusing on critical crack length (ac), critical crack tip opening displacement (CTODc), fracture toughness (KSIC), fracture energy (GF), and facture brittleness index (FBI). Results indicated that increasing alkali content enhanced strength and elastic modulus, peak fracture load, critical crack extension length (Δac), and CTODc, while decreasing final CMOD. This was attributed to the increased alkali content, which enhanced the mortar’s density. However, excessive alkali content also led to increased shrinkage damage within the matrix, making it prone to stress concentrations and resulting in brittle failure. Based on the research, it is recommended that the alkali content be controlled within the range of 4–5 %. Hybrid fibers showed superior overall toughness enhancement, increasing KSIC, GF, and FBI by 54.3 %, 95.6 %, and 427.4 %, respectively. This improvement was due to the synergistic effect of BF and PPF, which increased the specimen’s elastic modulus, reduced crack propagation speed, and sustained load-bearing capacity during the later stages of crack development. The fracture toughness of conventional geopolymer mortar was positively correlated with the Ca/Si ratio and was lower than that of MGM. In contrast, MGM’s Ca/Si ratio showed an inverse correlation with KSIC, indicating that phase assemblage governs the fracture resistance of MGM. This is because Cl- in seawater intensified geopolymerization reactions. Interwoven gel structures in MGM, with surface depositions like magnesium aluminosilicate hydrate (M-A-S-H), magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H), and silica gel, filled pores, and improved homogeneity, resulting in its superior fracture toughness over conventional geopolymer mortar.

Excavation-induced cracking of clastic rock: A true triaxial instantaneous unloading study with varied levels of initial damage

The cracking and squeezing problem in deep engineering significantly constrains project construction. To reveal the cracking mechanism of rock under instantaneous unloading, a self-designed rigid true triaxial experimental apparatus, equipped with groundbreaking electromagnetic unloading and high-speed camera functions, was utilized to conduct instantaneous unloading tests on clastic rock with varied levels of initial damage. The results indicate that samples undergo severe and irreversible lateral dilation during instantaneous unloading, with dilational strain rapidly increasing at higher initial damage levels. Instantaneous unloading induces the generation of numerous tensile microcracks, which propagate and coalesce rapidly. The crack propagation speed, as well as the length and width of the cracks at failure, increase with the rise of the initial damage level. The samples eventually exhibit two distinct macroscopic fracture zones: a tensile fracture zone and a tensile-shear mixed fracture zone. Analysis of acoustic emission hits and energy indicates that higher initial damage levels correspond to greater unloading damage, with a higher overall proportion of tensile cracks throughout the experiment. Under the induction of blasting excavation, radial stress is rapidly unloaded, and dense tensile cracks emerge in the immediate surrounding rock, leading to cracking and squeezing towards the free face. Importantly, higher initial damage levels intensify the squeezing effect. The self-developed equipment serves as a crucial technical tool for researching excavation unloading, and the insights derived from this study provide valuable guidance for understanding cracking mechanisms and informing the construction of deep engineering projects.

Influence mechanism of the principal stress axis rotation effect on the propagation of blast-induced cracks under in-situ stress

In-situ stress plays a pivotal role in controlling both the propagation speed and trajectory of blast-induced cracks. Previous studies have primarily placed emphasis on the qualitative analysis of the propagation morphology of such cracks, but the principal stress axis rotation effect under static-dynamic coupling loading was ignored. Consequently, the mechanical mechanism of the propagation of blast-induced cracks has not been figured out yet. In this study, a combination of laboratory tests, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulations was employed to explore the influence mechanism of the principal stress axis rotation effect on the propagation of blast-induced cracks under in-situ stress. The results suggest that the hydrostatic pressure does not change the propagation trajectory of blast-induced cracks, but a higher hydrostatic pressure will inhibit both their propagation speed and length. In contrast, the deviatoric stress can change the propagation trajectory of blast-induced cracks, and a higher deviatoric stress makes it easier for blast-induced cracks to deflect to the maximum loading stress direction. Besides, the propagation of blast-induced cracks exhibits different features in different stages under in-situ stress. In the zone near the blast source, the dynamic stress is dominant; the maximum principal stress of the mass points is distributed in the radial direction; and blast-induced cracks expand mainly along the radial direction. On the contrary, in the zone far from the blast source, the static load is dominant; the maximum stress direction of the mass point alters to the maximum loading stress direction; and blast-induced cracks deflect from the radial direction to the maximum loading stress direction. Therefore, the propagation of blast-induced cracks under in-situ stress is a dynamic process in which dynamic and static stresses compete for crack initiation, and the changes in both stress value and principal stress direction are identified as the main reasons for the deflection of blast-induced cracks.

Effect of rare earth element Y on the crack propagation behavior of Mg alloys: A molecular dynamics simulation

The effect of the distribution and concentration of rare earth (RE) element Y, crack orientation, temperature, and strain rate on the crack propagation behavior of the Mg alloys is investigated by molecular dynamics/Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the RE element Y tends to form locally short-range order structures in the Mg alloys, and the introduction of the RE element Y can enhance the fracture toughness of the Mg alloys. The results indicate that with the increase of Y concentration, the crack propagation mode of the Mg alloys shifts from a mode, dominated by the dislocation emissions at the crack tip and the crack cleavage propagation to a mode dominated by the solid-state amorphization and the slip of amorphous bands. In addition, the results show that the faster the strain rate, the slower the crack propagation speed, and the crack propagation resistance increases with increasing temperature.

Atomic simulations of crack propagation in Ni-Al binary single crystal superalloy with a central crack

Nickel (Ni)-based single-crystal superalloys are of great importance in the aircraft industry due to their excellent mechanical properties, and cracks as unavoidable defects may affect the mechanical performances of materials dramatically. In this paper, large scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out to understand the deformation mechanisms of Ni-based single crystal with a central crack under tension. Here, the effects of matrixes (γ, γ′ and γ/γ′), strain rates (1 × 109 s−1 ∼ 3 × 109 s−1) and temperatures (300 K∼900 K) on the role of crack propagation are considered. It is observed that dislocations and slip systems in the γ′ model are concentrated near the crack, resulting in the rapid expansion of dislocation, which leads to the fastest crack growth speed and early fracture. While the crack propagation rate of γ and γ/γ′ models are relatively slow, due to the combined action of the Lomer-Cottrell lock and stacking fault tetrahedron structure and Stair-rod dislocation, which hinders crack propagation. In addition, deformation at increased strain rates and/or reduced temperatures, lead to superior yield stress and Young′s modulus for models with a central crack at γ/γ′ interface. On the other hand, high temperature and high strain rate will promote crack propagation in the γ phase, and the higher the strain rate and/or temperature, the faster the crack propagation speed will be. These results will enrich our understanding on the crack propagation and evolution mechanisms in Ni-based single crystal superalloy.

An Improved Ordinary State-Based Peridynamic Model for Granular Fractures in Cubic Crystals and the Effects of Crystal Orientations on Crack Propagation.

Material anisotropy caused by crystal orientation is an essential factor affecting the mechanical and fracture properties of crystal materials. This paper proposes an improved ordinary state-based peridynamic (OSB-PD) model to study the effect of arbitrary crystal orientation on the granular fracture in cubic crystals. Based on the periodicity of the equivalent elastic modulus of a cubic crystal, a periodic function regarding the crystal orientation is introduced into peridynamic material parameters, and a complete derivation process and expressions of correction factors are given. In addition, the derived parameters do not require additional coordinate transformation, simplifying the simulation process. Through convergence analysis, a regulating strategy to obtain the converged and accurate results of crack propagation paths is proposed. The effects of crystal orientations on crack initiation and propagation paths of single-crystal materials with different notch shapes (square, equilateral triangle, semi-circle) and sizes were studied. The results show that variations in crystal orientation can change the bifurcation, the number, and the propagation path direction of cracks. Under biaxial tensile loading, single crystals with semi-circular notches have the slowest crack initiation time and average propagation speed in most cases and are more resistant to fracture. Finally, the effects of grain anisotropy on dynamic fractures in polycrystalline materials under different grain boundary coefficients were studied. The decrease in grain anisotropy degree can reduce the microcracks in intergranular fracture and the crack propagation speed in transgranular fracture, respectively.

Microstructural transformation and corrosion–cavitation behavior of ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modified nickel aluminum bronze (NAB)

In this study, nickel–aluminum bronze (NAB) is optimized by ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM), and its surface microstructural evolution, surface hardness, electrochemical corrosion behavior, and cavitation erosion behavior are investigated. The potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectra before and after UNSM treatment of NAB are measured using a typical three-electrode system. The cavitation erosion process is simulated through the vibration of ultrasonic waves underwater, and the cavitation erosion resistance performance of various specimens is evaluated. UNSM significantly refines the coarse and heterogeneous multi-phase structure of the cast NAB, providing a relatively uniform and dispersed structure. Simultaneously, severe plastic deformation rapidly increases micro-strains on the NAB surface, which effectively improves its surface hardness from 211 to 360 Hv. After UNSM treatment, the corrosion potential increases slightly; and the passivation potential and current decrease considerably, dropping from 207 to 103 mV and from 5.23 to 2.41 mA/cm2, respectively. This is primarily because of the slowdown of selective-phase corrosion and the uniform formation of an oxide film. Additionally, UNSM parameters affect corrosion potential by regulating surface roughness. A smoother surface corresponds to a higher corrosion potential at the same load. UNSM treatment significantly improves the cavitation corrosion resistance of NAB, primarily because an increase in hardness and uniform distribution of structure effectively slows the speed of crack formation and propagation, which is a result of the synergistic improvement of mechanical and corrosion resistance properties.

In situ TEM nanomechanical study on enhanced toughness of graphene-nanoparticle nanocomposite

Although theoretical studies and experimental research have shown outstanding mechanical properties of graphene, its brittleness and low toughness restrict its widespread industrial use. Here, we conducted a study to examine the impact of encapsulated Ag nanoparticles on the mechanical properties of graphene through in situ nanomechanical testing in an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope (TEM). The presence of Ag nanoparticles was found to decrease crack propagation speed, enabling the TEM observation of crack deflection around the nanoparticles at nanoscale, as well as real-time measurement of the concomitant increase in stress. Using our nanomechanical testing data, we were able to quantitatively estimate the stress intensity factor, which serves as a measurement of fracture toughness for graphene, and then compared our results with previously reported values. We further discuss the role of nanoparticles in the propagation of cracks and their potential to enhance the toughness of materials. These findings have practical implications for the development of high-performance graphene composite materials.

GPU-accelerated approach for 2D fracture analysis of structures combining finite particle method and cohesive zone model

The fracture analysis of structures typically involves strong discontinuity and nonlinear behaviors, and it requires fine meshing and small time steps, making it time-consuming. This study proposes an approach accelerated by graphics processing units (GPU) for two-dimensional (2D) fracture analysis of structures combining finite particle method (FPM) and cohesive zone model (CZM). Specifically, the equations of motion of particles are presented, and the internal forces of planar triangular elements are derived based on FPM. Subsequently, the internal forces of four-particle cohesive element are derived to describe the CZM, and the linear elastic stage, softening stage, and failure stage are depicted according to the traction-separation criteria. An explicit GPU-based FPM analysis strategy for structural fracture analysis is then developed, and the parallel solvers for particles, triangular elements, and cohesive elements are implemented. A quasi-static fracture analysis of a concrete beam and a dynamic fracture analysis of the Kalthoff problem is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The obtained crack propagation path, load vs. displacement curves, and crack propagation speed are in good agreement with the experimental results and the results in the literature. The efficiency of the proposed approach is also investigated. The achieved maximum speedup ratio of the GPU-accelerated approach to the central processing unit (CPU)-based approach reaches around 24, and the achieved speedup ratio relative to the commercial finite element software Abaqus/Explicit reaches around 11.5, demonstrating the computational efficiency of the proposed approach.

Investigation of Crack Propagation and Failure of Liquid-Filled Cylindrical Shells Damaged in High-Pressure Environments

Cylindrical shell structures have excellent structural properties and load-bearing capacities in fields such as aerospace, marine engineering, and nuclear power. However, under high-pressure conditions, cylindrical shells are prone to cracking due to impact, corrosion, and fatigue, leading to a reduction in structural strength or failure. This paper proposes a static modeling method for damaged liquid-filled cylindrical shells based on the extended finite element method (XFEM). It investigated the impact of different initial crack angles on the crack propagation path and failure process of liquid-filled cylindrical shells, overcoming the difficulties of accurately simulating stress concentration at crack tips and discontinuities in the propagation path encountered in traditional finite element methods. Additionally, based on fluid-structure interaction theory, a dynamic model for damaged liquid-filled cylindrical shells was established, analyzing the changes in pressure and flow state of the fluid during crack propagation. Experimental results showed that although the initial crack angle had a slight effect on the crack propagation path, the crack ultimately extended along both sides of the main axis of the cylindrical shell. When the initial crack angle was 0°, the crack propagation path was more likely to form a through-crack, with the highest penetration rate, whereas when the initial crack angle was 75°, the crack propagation speed was slower. After fluid entered the cylindrical shell, it spurted along the crack propagation path, forming a wave crest at the initial ejection position.

Research on Crack Propagation of Nitrate Ester Plasticized Polyether Propellant: Experiments and Simulation.

To understand the fracture properties of the nitrate ester plasticized polyether (NEPE) propellant, single-edge notched tension (SENT) tests were carried out at room temperature (20 °C) under different tensile rates (10-500 mm/min). The mechanical response, crack morphology, evolution path, and crack propagation velocity during the fracture process were studied using a combination of a drawing machine and a high-speed camera. The mode I critical stress intensity factor KIc was calculated to analyze the tensile fracture toughness of the NEPE propellant, and a criterion related to KIc was proposed as a means of determining whether the solid rocket motors can normally work. The experimental results demonstrated that the NEPE propellant exhibited blunting fracture phenomena during crack propagation, resulting in fluctuating crack propagation velocity. The fracture toughness of the NEPE propellant exhibited clear rate dependence. When the tensile rate increased from 10 mm/min to 500 mm/min, the magnitude of the critical stress intensity factor increased by 62.3%. Moreover, numerical studies based on bond-based peridynamic (BBPD) were performed by modeling the fracture process of the NEPE propellant, including the crack propagation speed and the load-displacement curve of the NEPE propellant. The simulation results were then compared with the experiments.

Deterioration of dynamic fracture properties of granite under the coupled effects of hydrochemical solutions and freeze-thaw cycles

Fractured rock mass is a kind of complex rock mass widely existing in engineering projects, which is often subjected to erosion by different pH hydrochemical solutions such as surface water, acid rain, acidic and alkaline wastewater discharge, and deicing salts. When the rock project in a cold region suffers from the coupled effects of hydrochemical solutions and freeze-thaw (FT) cycles, the frost-heave-thaw-shrinkage characteristics of rocks are different from ordinary FT under dynamic loads, and the effect of FT cycles may be enlarged or reduced in different hydrochemical solutions. How to determine the effect of FT cycles on the expansion and changes of rock fractures, which is related to the safety and stability of many engineering rock masses in cold regions. In this study, the microstructure changes of specimens induced by hydrochemical solutions and cyclic FT were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The dynamic fracture tests were conducted using single cleavage triangle (SCT) granite specimens. Crack propagation gauge (CPG) was applied to examine crack propagation speed (CPS). The findings indicate that the mineral composition of the granite did not vary large with the hydrochemical solutions and FT cycles, but the maximum diffraction intensity of each mineral composition changed. For the granite under the coupling effect of hydrochemical solutions and FT cycles, the granite specimen in NaOH solution with 100 FT cycles has the highest dynamic fracture toughness and is 10.76 MPa·m1/2, dynamic fracture toughness of H2O, HNO3 and Na2SO4 solutions are only 0.94, 0.91 and 0.93 of that of NaOH solution. With increasing FT cycle times, the dynamic fracture toughness and crack speed decrease, whereas the porosity increases. For the specimen in NaOH solution and 100 FT cycles, dynamic fracture toughness decreased by 18.12 % without FT cycles and crack speed decreased by 34.18 %, the porosity increases by 26.42 %.

Numerical investigation of crack propagation regimes in snow fracture experiments

A snow slab avalanche releases after failure initiation and crack propagation in a highly porous weak snow layer buried below a cohesive slab. While our knowledge of crack propagation during avalanche formation has greatly improved over the last decades, it still remains unclear how snow mechanical properties affect the dynamics of crack propagation. This is partly due to a lack of non-invasive measurement methods to investigate the micro-mechanical aspects of the process. Using a DEM model, we therefore analyzed the influence of snow cover properties on the dynamics of crack propagation in weak snowpack layers. By focusing on the steady-state crack speed, our results showed two distinct fracture process regimes that depend on slope angle, leading to very different crack propagation speeds. For long experiments on level terrain, weak layer fracture is mainly driven by compressive stresses. Steady-state crack speed mainly depends on slab and weak layer elastic moduli as well as weak layer strength. We suggest a semi-empirical model to predict crack speed, which can be up to 0.6 times the slab shear wave speed. For long experiments on steep slopes, a supershear regime appeared, where the crack propagation speed reached approximately 1.6 times the slab shear wave speed. A detailed micro-mechanical analysis of stresses revealed a fracture principally driven by shear. Overall, our findings provide new insight into the micro-mechanics of dynamic crack propagation in snow, and how these are linked to snow cover properties.Graphical

Mode I fracture propagation and post-peak behavior of sandstone: Insight from AE and DIC observation

Microcracks generated at the crack tip, particularly in quasi-brittle materials such as sandstone, give rise to a non-linear region known as the fracture process zone (FPZ), which cannot be analyzed using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). To gain insights into the nonlinear fracturing behavior of rock, this study conducted three-point bending experiments on sandstone beams with prefabricated notch. Stable mode-Ⅰ fracture propagation during the post-peak stage was achieved by the monotonic increment of crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) measured by a clip gauge. The acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques were utilized to visually track the detailed crack propagation process from both micro and macro perspectives. Nonlinear fracture parameters, including FPZ length, were identified by AE and DIC measurements and compared with the theoretical calculation. A nonlinear fracture criterion relating applied load, equivalent crack length, and stress intensity factor were established, from which the theoretical CMOD-P curve at the post-peak stage were obtained and validated with experimental measurement from MTS machine. The results reveal that microcracks formulating the FPZ materialize in the pre-peak stage, with the majority emerging post-peak to facilitate the propagation of the traction-free crack and FPZ in the loading direction, as evidenced by AE locations and DIC displacement gradient. Throughout the crack propagation process, over 65 % of microcracks are estimated to be tensile mode based on both AF/RA and polarity analysis, aligning with anticipated outcomes from macroscopic three-point bending fracture tests. Energy dissipation primarily occurs within the FPZ to facilitate separation of crack faces, with the dissipated energy region advancing towards the beam boundary. By integrating AE source locations and DIC displacement gradient, the FPZ length of the 3-point-bending sandstone specimens is determined to be lp = 8.1 mm, slightly exceeding the theoretical FPZ lengths calculated by the Irwin model (lp = 7.0 mm) and the Dugdale-Barenblatt model (lp = 7.6 mm). Using a non-linear fracture criterion that incorporates the FPZ and employing the in-time equivalent crack length measured by AE and DIC as an intermediate variable, the theoretical applied load-crack length curve during the post-peak stage is calculated, showing close agreement with load cell measurements with a negligible error of approximately 2 %. Furthermore, the theoretical post-peak CMOD vs. load curve aligns with experimentally obtained results, demonstrating a non-linear crack propagation speed at a constant CMOD rate, wherein crack propagation speed decreases as crack length increases.

Investigation of the effect of ball-burnishing treatment applied to Al 7075-T6 alloy on mechanical and crystallographic properties

ABSTRACT In this study, the mechanical, microstructural, and crystallographic effects of ball-burnishing applied to Al 7075-T6 alloy at 0.15–0.30 mm penetration depth, 0.15–0.30–0.60 mm/rev changing feed rates and 100–200 rpm range were investigated. After the ball-burnishing processes were carried out in different parameters, surface roughness measurements were applied to determine the surface qualities, and hardness and impact energy tests were applied to characterise the mechanical properties. Dislocation density and texture coefficient values were calculated by determining the crystallographic properties using X-ray diffraction. It has been determined that the ball-burnishing process directly affects the surface roughness, depending on the increasing rotational speed and feed rate. As a result of microstructural investigations, the average grain size decreased with increasing amount of deformation on the sample surface. At 200 rpm ball-burnishing parameter, the surface hardness of the sample increased by approximately 41% compared to the initial state and was measured as 265 HV2. It was determined that the ball-burnishing process did not positively affect the impact of the toughness of the alloy. The reason for this is that the roughness and scratches on the surface caused by the ball-burnishing process have a notch effect, increasing the crack formation and propagation speed.

Selective unidirectional median crack propagation in glass achieved by mechanical scribing

This work reports a selective median crack propagation phenomenon in glass, leading to a novel glass cutting process. We found that by scribing a glass sample to the extent of plastic deformation with a deformation depth of 100–400 nm, followed by inducing an initial crack, a subsurface crack with a depth of ~ 10 μm was propagated backward along the centerline of the scribed region with a speed of 1 μm/s order. The crack depth and propagation speed were increased by increasing the scribing load. We conclude that the propagation direction was determined by the effect of the shear stress caused by a scribing tip sliding motion.

Investigation of stress-wave-induced crack penetration behavior at the rock-Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) interface

The propagation behaviour of initial cracks in concrete penetrating the rock-concrete interface is still unclear. This study investigated the behaviour of stress wave-induced crack penetration through the Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC)-granite interface and crack propagation speed (CPS) using a combination of the crack propagation gauge (CPG) system and a split Hopkinson pressure bar. The influence of loading rate and UHPC strength grade on the dynamic fracture toughness of the penetration crack entire process was analyzed by experimental–numerical method. The results indicate that the Rock-UHPC interface can suppress the crack opening displacement in UHPC, thereby limiting the CPS. The loading rate significantly enhances the dynamic fracture toughness of the penetration crack's entire process. The interface is the boundary point, and the dynamic fracture toughness at the crack tip shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. The increase in concrete strength grade can improve the interface dynamic fracture toughness. Compared to the interface roughness, the enhancement effect of concrete grade on the interface dynamic fracture toughness is one order of magnitude higher. For concrete engineering on rock foundations, increasing the concrete strength grade can effectively prevent the inherent crack defects inside the concrete from expanding into the interior of the rock foundation.

Dynamic fracture properties and criterion of cyclic freeze-thaw treated granite subjected to mixed-mode loading

Rock masses in high-elevation or cold regions are vulnerable to the combined effects of freeze-thaw (F-T) weathering and dynamic mixed-mode loading, posing a serious threaten to the safety and stability of geotechnical engineering. In this study, a series of dynamic fracture tests were conducted on notched semi-circular bend (NSCB) granite specimens subjected to different mixed-mode loading and F-T cycles using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test system. The effects of F-T treatment and dynamic mixed-mode loading on the fracture properties of granite, including effective fracture toughness, progressive fracture process, and macroscopic morphology of fracture surface, were comprehensively revealed. The experimental results suggest that the dynamic effective fracture toughness of NSCB specimens is dependent on the loading rate, particularly when the mode I loading is dominant. Additionally, the fracture toughness decreases as the number of F-T cycles increases, with an inflection point at 30 F-T cycles. All granite specimens subjected to mixed-mode loading exhibit a curved fracture path, with faster crack propagation speed and more fine cracks in specimens exposed to higher F-T cycles. Macroscopic morphology of fracture surface obtained using three-dimensional (3D) scanning indicates that the fractal dimension of the fracture surface increases with increasing F-T cycles, and the increment is more pronounced for specimens subjected to a higher mode II loading component. Moreover, this study compared the fracture resistance of F-T treated granite subjected to dynamic mixed loading using the maximum tangential stress (MTS) criterion and the generalized maximum tangential stress-based semi-analytical (SA-GMTS) criterion. Compared with the MTS criterion, the SA-GMTS criterion shows a more reasonable consistency with the experimental results, with a root mean square error within ±7%.

The displacement mechanism of the cracked rock – a seismic design and prediction study using XFEM and ANNs

Materials with sufficient strength and stiffness can transfer nonlinear design loads without damage. The present study compares crack propagation speed and shape in rock-like material and sandstone when subjected to seismic acceleration. The nonlinear extended finite element method (NXFEM) has been used in numerical simulation. It assumes the model has a pre-existing crack at 0° from the horizontal. The mechanical properties of the model, crack propagation shape, and crack speed were selected as the main parameters. The nonlinear stress and strain along the crack have been compared in two simulated models. NXFEM and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were used to predict the displacement. The simulation results illustrate that the materials’ crack propagation mechanism and mechanical properties control the stress, strain, and displacement at the selected points in the model. In addition, crack propagation in materials is related to elastic-plastic stresses and strains along the crack path. The speed and shape of the crack are associated with the mechanical properties of the materials. The prediction of crack paths helps to understand failure patterns. Comparison of the seismic response of the rock-like material with sandstone helps to assess the stress, strain, and displacement levels during cracking. This study’s findings agree with the literature report and field observations.

Investigation on interlayer debonding behavior of unidirectional composite laminates under cyclical hygrothermal aging duration effects

AbstractThe composite interlamination is the key part of load transfer and plays a decisive role in the overall mechanical performance of composite structures. The interlaminar property is predominantly influenced by the matrix resin which is easily affected by the hygrothermal environment. This paper delved into the effect of hygrothermal aging duration on the interlayer debonding behavior of unidirectional (UD) laminates. The pre‐cracked specimens were treated by hygrothermal aging with a period of 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. The double cantilever beam (DCB) tests were employed to evaluate the interlaminar property. The effect of hygrothermal aging on load–displacement responses, R‐curves, crack growth speed, and fracture surface topography was analyzed. The results revealed that the load‐bearing capacity of aged specimens presented a reduction of 18.6%–29.0% compared with unaged ones. The interlaminar fracture toughness of specimens subjected to 15 days of treatment decreased significantly compared with that of unaged specimens due to the increase of water absorption caused by hygrothermal aging. With the increase in hygrothermal aging time, the interlaminar fracture toughness peaked at 60 days because of the post‐curing effect, followed by a declining trend influenced by the dominant hygrothermal aging effect. The fiber bridging of aged samples was increasingly obvious, became the most prominent at 60 days, and then gradually reduced. The fiber bridging diminished the crack propagation speed, hindered interlaminar debonding, and contributed to the interlaminar toughening.Highlights The samples underwent hygrothermal aging for 0, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. Load ability of aged samples was at least 18.6% lower than that of unaged ones. R‐curves rose before the crack length of 79 mm and then tended to stabilize. Fracture toughness first decreased, then increased and reduced with aging time. Fiber bridging could hinder crack growth and improve the interlayer property.