scholarly journals Material Models to Study the Effect of Fines in Sandy Soils Based on Experimental and Numerical Results

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-680
Author(s):  
Ammar Alnmr
Keyword(s):  
Research Laboratory ◽  
Soft Soil ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Soft Materials ◽  
Material Model ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Work ◽  
Material Models ◽  
Soil Material ◽  
Soil Model

Choosing and calibrating a robust and accurate soil material model (constitutive model) is the first important step in geotechnical numerical modelling. A less accurate model leads to poor results and more difficulty estimating true behaviour in the field. Subsequent design work is compromised and may lead to dangerous and costly mistakes. In this research, laboratory experimental results were used as a basis to evaluate several soil material models offered in Plaxis2D software. The deciding feature of the soil model was how well it could represent effects of percentage of fine material within sandy soils to simulate its behaviour. Results indicate that the Hardening Soil (HS) model works well when the percentage of fine (soft) materials is less than 10%. Above that level, the Soft Soil model (SS) becomes the most suitable.  Finally, some important conclusions about this research and recommendations for future research are highlighted.

scholarly journals Numerical Modelling of Oedometer Test

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-136
Author(s):  
Hana Agraine ◽  
Meriem Fakhreddine Bouali
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Analysis ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Soft Soil ◽  
Material Model ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Experimental Result ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Material Models ◽  
Modified Cam Clay

AbstractThe oedometric test is a test widely used in civil engineering. The main objective of this article has been to investigate the primary consolidation behaviour of the intact soil samples by comparing the results obtained from finite element analysis computations in PlAXIS2D with the experimental result of the soil samples obtained from the site of the Al-Ahdab oil field in the east of Iraq. Three different material models were utilized during the finite element analysis, comparing the performance of the more advanced constitutive Soft Soil material model against the modified Cam Clay and Mohr-Coulomb material models. Numerical results of Oedomter test show that the Soft Soil model behaviour is the most appropriate model to describe the observed behaviour.

scholarly journals Polyelectrolyte Gels: A Unique Class of Soft Materials

Gels ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Ferenc Horkay
Keyword(s):  
Exchange Process ◽  
Interaction Strength ◽  
Soft Materials ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Swelling Kinetics ◽  
Polyelectrolyte Gels ◽  
Ion Exchange Process ◽  
Counter Ions ◽  
Kinetics Of

The objective of this article is to introduce the readers to the field of polyelectrolyte gels. These materials are common in living systems and have great importance in many biomedical and industrial applications. In the first part of this paper, we briefly review some characteristic properties of polymer gels with an emphasis on the unique features of this type of soft material. Unsolved problems and possible future research directions are highlighted. In the second part, we focus on the typical behavior of polyelectrolyte gels. Many biological materials (e.g., tissues) are charged (mainly anionic) polyelectrolyte gels. Examples are shown to illustrate the effect of counter-ions on the osmotic swelling behavior and the kinetics of the swelling of model polyelectrolyte gels. These systems exhibit a volume transition as the concentration of higher valence counter-ions is gradually increased in the equilibrium bath. A hierarchy is established in the interaction strength between the cations and charged polymer molecules according to the chemical group to which the ions belong. The swelling kinetics of sodium polyacrylate hydrogels is investigated in NaCl solutions and in solutions containing both NaCl and CaCl2. In the presence of higher valence counter-ions, the swelling/shrinking behavior of these gels is governed by the diffusion of free ions in the swollen network, the ion exchange process and the coexistence of swollen and collapsed states.

scholarly journals Role of Biochar in Improving Sandy Soil Water Retention and Resilience to Drought

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Ling Li ◽  
Yong-Jiang Zhang ◽  
Abigayl Novak ◽  
Yingchao Yang ◽  
Jinwu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Sandy Soil ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
The World ◽  
Water Holding

In recent years, plants in sandy soils have been impacted by increased climate variability due to weak water holding and temperature buffering capacities of the parent material. The projected impact spreads all over the world, including New England, USA. Many regions of the world may experience an increase in frequency and severity of drought, which can be attributed to an increased variability in precipitation and enhanced water loss due to warming. The overall benefits of biochar in environmental management have been extensively investigated. This review aims to discuss the water holding capacity of biochar from the points of view of fluid mechanics and propose several prioritized future research topics. To understand the impacts of biochar on sandy soils in-depth, sandy soil properties (surface area, pore size, water properties, and characteristics) and how biochar could improve the soil quality as well as plant growth, development, and yield are reviewed. Incorporating biochar into sandy soils could result in a net increase in the surface area, a stronger hydrophobicity at a lower temperature, and an increase in the micropores to maximize gap spaces. The capability of biochar in reducing fertilizer drainage through increasing water retention can improve crop productivity and reduce the nutrient leaching rate in agricultural practices. To advance research in biochar products and address the impacts of increasing climate variability, future research may focus on the role of biochar in enhancing soil water retention, plant water use efficiency, crop resistance to drought, and crop productivity.

scholarly journals Variation of Passive Biomechanical Properties of the Small Intestine along Its Length: Microstructure-Based Characterization

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Dimitrios P. Sokolis
Keyword(s):  
Small Intestine ◽  
Orientation Angle ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Material Model ◽  
Biomechanical Properties ◽  
Intestinal Wall ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Material Models ◽  
Hyper Elastic ◽  
Rat Tissue

Multiaxial testing of the small intestinal wall is critical for understanding its biomechanical properties and defining material models, but limited data and material models are available. The aim of the present study was to develop a microstructure-based material model for the small intestine and test whether there was a significant variation in the passive biomechanical properties along the length of the organ. Rat tissue was cut into eight segments that underwent inflation/extension testing, and their nonlinearly hyper-elastic and anisotropic response was characterized by a fiber-reinforced model. Extensive parametric analysis showed a non-significant contribution to the model of the isotropic matrix and circumferential-fiber family, leading also to severe over-parameterization. Such issues were not apparent with the reduced neo-Hookean and (axial and diagonal)-fiber family model, that provided equally accurate fitting results. Absence from the model of either the axial or diagonal-fiber families led to ill representations of the force- and pressure-diameter data, respectively. The primary direction of anisotropy, designated by the estimated orientation angle of diagonal-fiber families, was about 35° to the axial direction, corroborating prior microscopic observations of submucosal collagen-fiber orientation. The estimated model parameters varied across and within the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, corroborating histologically assessed segmental differences in layer thicknesses.

scholarly journals On the recovery of the stress-free configuration of the human cornea

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 11-33
Author(s):  
Anna Pandolfi ◽  
Andrea Montanino
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Inverse Analysis ◽  
Material Model ◽  
Free State ◽  
Human Cornea ◽  
Material Models ◽  
Material Parameters ◽  
Optimal Values ◽  
Stress Free State ◽  
Actual Stress

Purpose: The geometries used to conduct numerical simulations of the biomechanics of the human cornea are reconstructed from images of the physiological configuration of the system, which is not in a stress-free state because of the interaction with the surrounding tissues. If the goal of the simulation is a realistic estimation of the mechanical engagement of the system, it is mandatory to obtain a stress-free configuration to which the external actions can be applied. Methods: Starting from a unique physiological image, the search of the stress-free configuration must be based on methods of inverse analysis. Inverse analysis assumes the knowledge of one or more geometrical configurations and, chosen a material model, obtains the optimal values of the material parameters that provide the numerical configurations closest to the physiological images. Given the multiplicity of available material models, the solution is not unique. Results: Three exemplary material models are used in this study to demonstrate that the obtained, non-unique, stress-free configuration is indeed strongly dependent on both material model and on material parameters. Conclusion: The likeliness of recovering the actual stress-free configuration of the human cornea can be improved by using and comparing two or more imaged configurations of the same cornea.

Iceberg Shape Sensitivity in Ship Impact Assessment in View of Existing Material Models

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Storheim ◽  
Ekaterina Kim ◽  
Jørgen Amdahl ◽  
Sören Ehlers
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Models ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Material Model ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Structural Deformation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Material Models ◽  
The Arctic Region

Large natural resources in the Arctic region will in the coming years require significant shipping activity within and through the Arctic region. When operating in Arctic open water, there is a significant risk of high-energy encounters with smaller ice masses like bergy bits and growlers. Consequently, there is a need to assess the structural response to high energy encounters in ice-infested waters. Experimental data of high energy ice impact are scarce, and numerical models could be used as a tool to provide insight into the possible physical processes and to their structural implications. This paper focuses on impact with small icebergs and bergy bits. In order to rely on the numerical results, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the physical parameters describing the iceberg interaction. Icebergs are in general inhomogeneous with properties dependent among other on temperature, grain size, strain rate, shape and imperfections. Ice crushing is a complicated process involving fracture, melting, high confinement and high pressures. This necessitates significant simplifications in the material modeling. For engineering purposes a representative load model is applied rather than a physically correct ice material model. The local shape dependency of iceberg interaction is investigated by existing representative load material models. For blunt objects and moderate deformations the models agree well, and show a similar range of energy vs. hull deformation. For sharper objects the material models disagree quite strongly. The material model from Liu et.al (2011) crush the ice easily, whereas the models from Gagnon (2007) and Gagnon (2011) both penetrate the hull. From a physical perspective, a sharp ice edge should crush initially until sufficient force is mobilized to deform the vessel hull. Which ice features that will crush or penetrate is important to know in order to efficiently design against iceberg impact. Further work is needed to assess the energy dissipation in ice during crushing, especially for sharp features. This will enable the material models to be calibrated towards an energy criterion, and yield more coherent results. At the moment it is difficult to conclude if any of the ice models behave in a physically acceptable manner based on the structural deformation. Consequently, it is premature to conclude in a design situation as to which local ice shapes are important to design against.

U.S. Commercial Ships for Tomorrow

1990 ◽  
Vol 27 (03) ◽  
pp. 129-152
Author(s):  
Alexander C. Landsburg ◽  
Eric Gabler ◽  
George Levine ◽  
Richard Sonnenschein ◽  
Earl Simmons
Keyword(s):  
Social Needs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Work ◽  
Design Constraints ◽  
Research Programs ◽  
The Future ◽  
Maritime Industries

Foreign "ship of the future" research programs, recent design work, and other studies are the background for this paper, which addresses the interaction between innovation and competitiveness; trends in economics; advances in technology; effective manning; social needs; and design constraints. The paper then provides a discussion of attractive innovations and avenues toward U.S. competitiveness in the maritime industries of tomorrow.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document