Material Stiffness Research Articles

An efficient model for 3D analysis of steel frames exposed to fire

The paper presents a nonlinear concentrated plasticity frame element for advanced analysis of steel frames exposed to elevated temperatures. The element extends the formulation based on the generalized plasticity material model that was successfully applied to the analysis of steel and composite structures. It considers the material's nonlinear behavior, temperature-induced loading, strength and stiffness degradation typical for structures under fire conditions. The nonlinear geometry is taken into account with the corotational formulation. Because of the generalized plasticity relations adoption, the element can describe the gradual yielding of cross sections. At the same time, the implemented return mapping algorithm ensures the element's high computational efficiency. The governing element equations, selection of parameters and computer implementation are discussed in the paper, followed by element validation through the number of experimental data examples and other numerical models. The comparative analysis demonstrated the element's versatility and capability to accurately predict the structural response of steel frame structures exposed to fire.

Elasto-plasticity theory for large plastic deformation and its use for the material stiffness determination

In this paper, we present a finite elasto-plasticity theory for large plastic deformations. For the elastic part of the model, we use the St. Venant–Kirchhoff elasticity. The plastic part is described by the isomorphy concept, the yield condition is covered by the isotropic J2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$J_2$$\\end{document} theory of (Huber in Czas Techn 22:34,1904; von Mises in Math Phys 4:582–592, 1913) and (Hencky in ZAMM 9:215–220, 1924), and the yield condition uses the principle of maximum plastic dissipation. The numeric of this theory is discussed and finally implemented in a Fortran code to use it as material law in the UMAT subroutine of the finite element program Abaqus. The material law is validated using different test calculations like tensile and shear tests as well as a large deformation simulation compared to the Abaqus internal material law. Further, we apply this material model to determine the effective material stiffness tetrad of large deformed inhomogeneous materials. For these purposes, we additionally present an automated method for determining material stiffnesses of an arbitrary material in Abaqus.

The diazirine-mediated photo-crosslinking of collagen improves biomaterial mechanical properties and cellular interactions

In tissue engineering, crosslinking with carbodiimides such as EDC is omnipresent to improve the mechanical properties of biomaterials. However, in collagen biomaterials, EDC reacts with glutamate or aspartate residues, inactivating the binding sites for cellular receptors and rendering collagen inert to many cell types. In this work, we have developed a crosslinking method that ameliorates the rigidity, stability, and degradation rate of collagen biomaterials, whilst retaining key interactions between cells and the native collagen sequence. Our approach relies on the UV-triggered reaction of diazirine groups grafted on lysines, leaving critical amino acid residues intact. Notably, GxxGER recognition motifs for collagen-binding integrins, ablated by EDC crosslinking, were left unreacted, enabling cell attachment, spreading, and colonization on films and porous scaffolds. In addition, our procedure conserves the architecture of biomaterials, improves their resistance to collagenase and cellular contraction, and yields material stiffness akin to that obtained with EDC. Importantly, diazirine-crosslinked collagen can host mesenchymal stem cells, highlighting its strong potential as a substrate for tissue repair. We have therefore established a new crosslinking strategy to modulate the mechanical features of collagen porous scaffolds without altering its biological properties, thereby offering an advantageous alternative to carbodiimide treatment. Statement of significanceThis article describes an approach to improve the mechanical properties of collagen porous scaffolds, without impacting collagen's natural interactions with cells. This is significant because collagen crosslinking is overwhelmingly performed using carbodiimides, which results in a critical loss of cellular affinity. By contrast, our method leaves key cellular binding sites in the collagen sequence intact, enabling cell-biomaterial interactions. It relies on the fast, UV-triggered reaction of diazirine with collagen, and does not produce toxic by-products. It also supports the culture of mesenchymal stem cells, a pivotal cell type in a wide range of tissue repair applications. Overall, our approach offers an attractive option for the crosslinking of collagen, a prominent material in the growing field of tissue engineering.

Role of humidity and surface roughness on direct wafer bonding

Bodies made from elastically stiff material usually bind very weakly unless the surfaces are flat and extremely smooth. In direct wafer bonding flat surfaces bind by capillary bridges and by the van der Waals interaction, which act between all solid objects. Here we study the dependency of the work of adhesion on the humidity and surface roughness in hydrophilic direct wafer bonding. We show that the long-wavelength roughness (usually denoted waviness) has a negligible influence on the strength of wafer bonding (the work of adhesion) from the menisci that form from capillary condensation of water vapor.Graphic abstractAFM surface topography for Si(100) wafer

Study on flow characteristics of vertical pneumatic conveying of stiff shotcrete materials based on CFD-DEM

In view of the vertical pneumatic transportation process of stiff shotcrete materials (SSM), the method of CFD-DEM coupling numerical simulation was used to analyze the flow characteristics of the SSM. In this aspect, the flow characteristics of SSM transported by vertical pipe pneumatically under different solid-gas ratios were studied. Among them, the accuracy of the simulation results was verified through SSM particle parameter calibration and field testing. The research results show that during the process of vertical pneumatic transportation, full pipe flow, annular flow, and suspended flow can be clearly observed in the pipe. The cross-sectional particle volume fraction increases as the feeding rate increases, and the conveying stability becomes worse. As the air velocity increases, and the conveying stability becomes better. This study can provide support for research on vertical pneumatic conveying, thereby effectively reducing energy loss during the process of spraying

Passively morphing trailing edge design for composite tidal turbine blades

Numerical simulations and lab-scale experiments are used to evaluate three passively morphing trailing edge designs for a composite tidal turbine blade. The designs include a closed trailing edge, an open trailing edge, and a corrugated trailing edge. It is shown that geometric stiffness, as well as material stiffness, play key roles in achieving the desired deformation of the trailing edge. One trailing edge design is down-selected for further investigation via full-scale numerical simulations. These simulations demonstrate how the composite lay-up influences the morphing response of the trailing edge and its likelihood of material failure. The influence of camber is also investigated in terms of both material behaviour and hydrodynamic performance. Finally, the potential for bend-twist coupling of the laminate skins is explored.

Strength and stiffness characterization of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) cement paste phases through in-situ micro-mechanical testing

Compressive strength and stiffness of concrete materials involve the complex interaction of aggregates and hardened cement, which can involve even more complex phases formed through hydration processes. Typically, the strength and stiffness of concrete materials are determined through material-scale testing, focusing on the bulk behavior while ignoring individual constitutive material interactions. This study aims to identify individual cement phase contributions to bulk concrete properties through the characterization of individual hardened cement-paste phases using micro-scale compressive testing. In this study, in-situ micro-compression measurements are used to generate statistical distributions of compressive strength and stiffness for five hardened cement phases and one phase composite. Results from the in-situ micro-compression testing indicate that AFt/AFm and CH/C–S–H micropillars exhibit higher stiffness and strength when compared to hardened C–S–H and C-A-S-H phases. Comparing measured micropillar strength and stiffness values with traditional nano-indentation methods indicates that nano-indentation approaches may provide a higher estimation of individual phase stiffness due to material confinement boundary effects.

Mortars with Polypropylene Fibers Modified with Tannic Acid to Increase Their Adhesion to Cement Matrices

The presented research’s main objective was to evaluate the possibility of improving the adhesion between polypropylene fibers and mineral matrices in cementitious composites by modifying the fibers’ surface with tannic acid (TA). This modifier was previously used for polyethylene fibers only. Cement mortar containing modified polypropylene fibers and mortar containing unmodified fibers were tested. The physical and mechanical properties (apparent density, compressive strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity) were determined, and the fibers’ morphology after the specimens’ destruction was observed. No adverse effect of the modification was found. The elastic modulus was 6% lower after 28 days, enabling the formation of a less stiff composite material. The integrity of the specimens after mechanical damage was improved, confirming the increased adhesion between the polypropylene fibers and the hardened cement paste. The results of the introductory tests are promising; however, further research is needed in the field.

The Influence of Platen Stiffness on a Specimen’s Failure Initiation Point and the Failure Pattern of Brittle Materials in the Standardized Uniaxial Compression Test

Uniaxial compressive strength is a variable necessary for adequately characterizing a material’s mechanical properties. However, a specimen’s geometric deviations and elastic properties may lead to undesirable stress states, which cause strong discrepancies between the results of the uniaxial compression test and its theoretical foundations. While geometric deviations may cause non-uniform contact between the platen and the specimen, elastic properties can provoke severe end effects that disturb the local stress field near the points of contact. To address how the relative stiffness between the platen and the specimen influences the induced stress field, numerical simulations considering the stiffness ratios Ep/Es=3, Ep/Es=1 and Ep/Es=0.05 were performed. Subsequently, these results were employed to establish the relation between relative stiffness and specimen failure patterns in brittle materials, particularly in three different rocks. The results prove that the platen stiffness must be accurately selected to match that of the tested material, in order to avoid undesirable local stress fields near the point of contact and to induce homogeneous uniaxial compression that guarantees reliable uniaxial compressive strength characterization. Furthermore, the brittle failure patterns reported in previous studies were correlated with the induced stress fields inside the specimen depending on its platen stiffness, allowing the validity of the test results to be verified based on a simple visual inspection.

The influence of material stiffness and damping on machining stability in boring tool–workpiece systems using finite element simulation to implement digital twin

The influence of material stiffness and damping on machining stability in boring tool–workpiece systems using finite element simulation to implement digital twin

Biomimicry and topology optimization for adhesive toughness design in bonded heterogeneous films

Heterogeneous films have recently been extensively studied due to their superior material properties compared to homogeneous films. However, studies focusing on the design of heterogeneous films, especially with multi-material phases and structures, have been relatively scarce. This paper presents a bioinspired design methodology aimed at optimizing the mechanical properties of heterogeneous films through the strategic arrangement of stiff and soft material blocks. The heterogeneous film is represented as a composite beam and the interfacial failure process is simulated by a cohesive zone model. Then an optimization algorithm is employed to adjust the distribution of stiff materials within the soft film patch in the heterogeneous film. The results show that a nearly twofold increase in adhesive toughness for the optimized film compared to the original. Further discussions shed light on the energy distribution and variations in the fracture process zone size, providing insights into the observed enhancements. In terms of efficiency, the proposed optimization method distinctly outperforms the greedy method, demonstrating the potential for a more effective and efficient design of heterogeneous films with improved mechanical properties.

Slow dynamics and the role of moisture

The elastic behavior of rocks and other composite materials cannot be entirely captured by the traditional theory of nonlinear elasticity, where the stress field is related to powers of the strain field. Rather, these materials display non-classical nonlinear elastic behavior, such as hysteresis, end-point memory, fast dynamics, and slow dynamics. Slow dynamics (SD) is characterized by a drop in material stiffness due to a minor mechanical conditioning, followed by a slow recovery back to the original macroscopic elastic state. SD has drawn particular attention because the recovery, often logarithmic in time, has been observed in a wide variety of materials, on lengths scales from the laboratory to the seismic, and on time scales from milliseconds to years. The universal character suggests a simple, fundamental mechanism for the SD recovery. This talk will present recent experiments that seek to test proposed SD mechanisms. In particular, the role of moisture will be investigated. The main experimental venue is the simplified structure introduced in previous work—a single bead confined between two slabs of a similar material. The main benefit of this structure over more commonly studied SD materials (sandstones and concrete) is the ability to control the environment around the contact points.

In silico optimization of aligned fiber electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) exhibit fast actuation and high efficiencies, enabling applications in optics, wearable haptics, and insect-scale robotics. However, the non-uniformity and high sheet resistance of traditional soft electrodes based on nanomaterials limit the performance and operating frequency of the devices. In this work, we computationally investigate electrodes composed of arrays of stiff fiber electrodes. Aligning the fibers along one direction creates an electrode layer that exhibits zero stiffness in one direction and is predicted to possess high and uniform sheet resistance. A comprehensive parameter study of the fiber density and dielectric thickness reveals that the fiber density primary determines the electric field localization while the dielectric thickness primarily determines the unit cell stiffness. These trends identify an optimal condition for the actuation performance of the aligned electrode DEAs. This work demonstrates that deterministically designed electrodes composed of stiff materials could provide a new paradigm with the potential to surpass the performance of traditional soft planar electrodes.

Metrics to evaluate constitutive model fitness based on DIC experiments

AbstractFull‐field optical experimental techniques such as Digital Image Correlation (DIC) enable measurement of information‐rich heterogeneous strain states. The aim of Material Testing 2.0 is to capitalise on this and design experimental setups for efficient material characterisation using inverse identification techniques such as the Virtual Fields Method (VFM). In that case, however, a priori knowledge of the constitutive model is required, which sometimes is not a trivial task. This limitation can be overcome by identifying multiple constitutive models using the same DIC strain fields and comparing their performance. In this work, we present a methodology to evaluate model performance and compare different constitutive models based on quantitative metrics. DIC experiments were performed on an S‐shaped high density polyethylene test sample under uniaxial load. The heterogeneous DIC strain fields were used in combination with the VFM to identify parameters of hyperelastic constitutive models with increasing complexity. Two deterministic metrics, the equilibrium gap indicator (EGI) and the reconstructed axial force ratio (RAFR), were defined and used to compare the performance of these constitutive models. The impact of spatial smoothing on DIC strain fields was studied by calculating the EGI and RAFR using a digital twin of the DIC experiments. EGI and RAFR metrics provide complementary information regarding the material behaviour, and both are necessary to make an informed choice. In this case study, hyperelastic constitutive models were found not to capture the material stiffness well in the small strain regime. A linear‐elastic contribution exponentially decaying with the equivalent shear stress was added to the hyperelastic models and the corresponding model parameters identified using the VFM. The elastic‐hyperelastic constitutive models were found to perform better than their purely hyperelastic counterparts.

Tuning the thermoelectric and optoelectronic attributes of lead-free novel fluoroperovskites Cs2BB'F6 (B = Rb, In, Na and B'=Ir, As, Rh): A first-principles investigation

Cesium-based double perovskite materials have generated significant interest because of their fascinating prospects in various optoelectronic and thermoelectric uses. In this manuscript, the physical characteristics of Cs2BB'F6 (B = Rb, In, Na and B' = Ir, As, Rh) are investigated in detail. Volume optimization curves, negative formation energies, tolerance factor and octahedral tilting are used to evaluate the structural stability. Pugh's ratio, Cauchy pressure and Poisson's ratio endorses the ductile character of all studied perovskites. Debye temperature shows that Cs2NaRhF6 is a stiffer material in comparison to Cs2InAsF6 and Cs2RbIrF6. The electronic bandgap and total density of states of Cs2InAsF6, Cs2RbIrF6, and Cs2NaRhF6 reveal a direct band gap of 2.76 eV, 3.78 eV and 3.6 eV, respectively. Furthermore, Kramer-Kronig equations are used to examine the interaction of studied double perovskites with electromagnetic radiation. The optical parameters reveal the absorption in UV region, which show their potential for laser and UV-shields applications. In Addition, thermoelectric characteristics are calculated using the semi-classical Boltzmann theory, extending the investigation up to 800 K. The large ZT value of 0.92 is achieved for Cs2RbIrF6 at 800K, while Cs2InAsF6 and Cs2NaRhF6 exhibit 0.76 and 0.82 at 800K, respectively. Their high ZT values and electrical conductivity enhance their suitability for use in renewable energy devices.

4D printing of customizable and reconfigurable mechanical metamaterials

Customizable and reconfigurable mechanical behavior is critical for self-adaptive low-frequency vibration isolators operating in dynamic environments. Herein, the mechanical metamaterials with customizable and configurable geometries, material stiffnesses, cushioning properties, and vibration isolation capabilities are fabricated using a 4D printed multi-material system. The metastructure is characterized by the connection of a flexural beam structure and a collapsible straw structure. At the unit level, the stiffness characteristics are analyzed by geometric and theoretical mechanical models. The effect of geometric parameters and material composition on the stiffness behavior of multi-material metamaterials is investigated. Metamaterials' customizable and configurable characteristics are examined by the quasi-static compression mechanical properties, cushion performances, and vibration isolation capabilities under varying geometric parameters and material compositions. Finally, the reprogrammable stiffness of the metamaterial is demonstrated through the modification of geometric parameters utilizing the shape memory properties in 4D printing. The customizable and configurable metamaterials inspire the next generation of cushioning and vibration isolators, holding significant promise for applications demanding superior vibration isolation performances in dynamic environments.

3D-printed geocells in footing systems: A comprehensive physical and numerical studies on scaling and performance under centric and eccentric loading scenarios

The complexities of scaling have long presented challenges in applying small-scale test results of geocell-reinforced footings to field conditions in geosynthetic engineering. There has been no research that thoroughly examines the scaling of both geometry and material stiffness in geocell-reinforced footing systems although limited studies have attempted to scale geocells using alternative materials with lower strength, such as simile paper, non-woven geotextile etc. Therefore, this is a leading study to address the complexities of scaling using 3D-printing technology, where both geometry and tensile stiffness of geocell were accurately scaled using scaling laws. In the present study, the impact of scaling on the performance of strip footings reinforced with both traditional fabricated and 3D-printed geocells in terms of pressure-settlement response and improvement factors were assessed. The results indicated that 3D-printed geocells offered significant advantages in customization and rapid prototyping of field scale. Specifically, the strip footings reinforced with fabricated geocells showed up to 65% higher improvement factors in both loose and dense soils compared to those using the scaled 3D-printed geocells. Furthermore, the footings reinforced with scaled geocells using 3D-printing technologies closely aligned with existing large-scale test results regarding improvement factors, which were further validated through various numerical analyses. These findings offer new perspectives for optimizing and applying 3D-printed geocells in geotechnical engineering and address the longstanding challenge of scaling geocell-reinforcement systems in small-scale model tests.

Fast abdominal magnetic resonance elastography with simultaneous encoding of three-dimensional displacements

Three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is more accurate than two-dimensional (2D) MRE; however, it requires long-term acquisition. This study aimed to reduce the acquisition time of abdominal 3D MRE using a new sample interval modulation (short-SLIM) approach that can acquire all three motions faster while reducing the prolongation of echo time and flow compensation.To this end, two types of phantom studies and an in vivo test of the liver in three healthy volunteers were performed to compare the performances of conventional spin-echo echo-planar (SE-EPI) MRE, conventional SLIM and short-SLIM. One phantom study measured the mean amplitude and shear modulus within the overall region of a homogeneous phantom by changing the mechanical vibration power to assess the robustness to the lowered phase-to-noise ratio in short-SLIM. The other measured the mean shear modulus in the stiff and background materials of a phantom with an embedded stiffer rod to assess the performance of short-SLIM for complex wave patterns with wave interference. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to assess similarity of elastograms in the rod-embedded phantom and liver between methods.The results of the phantom study changing the vibration power indicated that there was little difference between conventional MRE and short-SLIM. Moreover, the elastogram pattern and the mean shear modulus in the rod-embedded phantom in conventional SLIM and short-SLIM did not change for conventional MRE; the liver test also showed a small difference between the acquisition techniques.This study demonstrates that short-SLIM can provide MRE results comparable to those of conventional MRE. Short-SLIM can reduce the total acquisition time by a factor of 2.25 compared to conventional 3D MRE time, leading to an improvement in the accuracy of shear modulus estimation by suppressing the patient movements.

In Situ Transglutaminase Cross-Linking Improves Mechanical Properties of Self-Assembling Peptides for Biomedical Applications.

The development of three-dimensional (3D) biomaterials that mimic natural tissues is required for efficiently restoring physiological functions of injured tissues and organs. In the field of soft hydrogels, self-assembled peptides (SAPs) stand out as distinctive biomimetic scaffolds, offering tunable properties. They have garnered significant attention in nanomedicine due to their innate ability to self-assemble, resulting in the creation of fibrous nanostructures that closely mimic the microenvironment of the extracellular matrix (ECM). This unique feature ensures their biocompatibility and bioactivity, making them a compelling area of study over the past few decades. As they are soft hydrogels, approaches are necessary to enhance the stiffness and resilience of the SAP materials. This work shows an enzymatic strategy to selectively increase the stiffness and resiliency of functionalized SAPs using transglutaminase (TGase) type 2, an enzyme capable of triggering the formation of isopeptide bonds. To this aim, we synthesized a set of SAP sequences and characterized their cross-linking via rheological experiments, atomic force microscopy (AFM), thioflavin-T binding assay, and infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) tests. The results showed an improvement of the storage modulus of cross-linked SAPs at no cost of the maximum stress-at-failure. Further, in in vitro tests, we examined and validated the TGase capability to cross-link SAPs without hampering seeded neural stem cells (hNSCs) viability and differentiation, potentially leaving the door open for safe in situ cross-linking reactions in vivo.

Bio-Inspired Space Robotic Control Compared to Alternatives.

Controlling robots in space with necessarily low material and structural stiffness is quite challenging at least in part due to the resulting very low structural resonant frequencies or natural vibration. The frequencies are sometimes so low that the very act of controlling the robot with medium or high bandwidth controllers leads to excitation of resonant vibrations in the robot appendages. Biomimetics or biomimicry emulates models, systems, and elements of nature for solving such complex problems. Recent seminal publications have re-introduced the viability of optimal command shaping, and one recent instantiation mimics baseball pitching to propose control of highly flexible space robots. The readership will find a perhaps dizzying array of thirteen decently performing alternatives in the literature but could be left bereft selecting a method(s) deemed to be best suited for a particular application. Bio-inspired control of space robotics is presented in a quite substantial (perhaps not comprehensive) comparison, and the conclusions of this study indicate the three top performing methods based on minimizing control effort (i.e., fuel) usage, tracking error mean, and tracking error deviation, where 96%, 119%, and 80% performance improvement, respectively, are achieved.