Three-Dimensional Bending Analysis of Multi-Layered Orthotropic Plates by Two-Dimensional Numerical Model

The paper presents effective numerical modelling of multi-layered plates with orthotropic properties. The method called the FEM23 is employed to construct the numerical model. The approach enables a full 3D analysis to be performed while using a 2D finite element mesh. The numerical model for a multi-layered plate is constructed by an assembling procedure, where each layer with orthotropic properties is added to the global numerical model. The paper demonstrates that the FEM23 method is very flexible in defining the multilayered plate, where the thickness of each layer as well as its mechanical orthotropic properties can be defined independently. Several examples of three-layered or nine-layered plates are analyzed in this paper. The results obtained by the FEM23 method coincide with the ones taken from the published papers or calculated with the standard 3D FEM approach. The orthotropic version of the FEM23 can be quite easily applied for other kinds of problems including thermo-mechanics, free vibrations, buckling analysis, or delamination.

Investigation of the material mixtures and fiber addition for 3D concrete printing

The era of Construction 4.0 is characterized by technological advances used in the construction industry. One of the advancements is the use of 3D concrete printing in construction. However, until now, the development of 3D concrete printing in Indonesia is still minimal. The main challenge is to determine the composition of the material mixtures for making the mortar, having good extrudability but still has sufficient strength. The rapid initial setting time required was also different for the concrete for typical construction. Our previous mixture composition incorporating calcium oxide to accelerate the initial setting time was adequate. However, the extrusion process was still not satisfactory. In this study, the effect of cement to sand ratio, sand particle size, and the addition of synthetic micro-fiber was investigated on the main properties of 3D printing materials, i.e., initial setting time, flowability, extrudability, and compressive strength. It was found that using smaller maximum particle size sand increases the initial setting time. The addition of synthetic microfiber reduces the strength and the workability of the mortar. However, fiber inclusion has advantages as it reduces the possibility of cracking in the printed concrete. The extruded concrete specimens were shown to have significant strength reduction due to lack of compaction, and it was affected by the direction of printing showing orthotropic properties of the 3D printed concrete.

Transformed Shell Structures Determined by Regular Networks as a Complex Material for Roofing

The article presents a comprehensive extension of the proprietary basic method for shaping innovative systems of corrugated shell roof structures by means of a specific complex material that comprises regular transformable shell units limited by spatial quadrangles. The units are made up of nominally plane folded sheets transformed into shell shapes. The similar shell units are regularly and effectively arranged in the three-dimensional space in an orderly manner with a universal regular reference surface, polyhedral network, and polygonal network. The extended method leads to the increase in the variety of the designed complex shell roof forms and plane-walled elevation forms of buildings. For this purpose, the rules governing the creation of the continuous roof shell structures of many shells arranged in different unconventional visually attractive patterns and their discontinuous regular modifications are sought. To obtain several novel groups of similar unconventional parametric roof forms, single division coefficients and double division coefficients are used. The easy and intuitive modifications of the positions of the vertices belonging to the polygonal network on the side edges of the polyhedral network accomplished by means of a parametric algorithm allow one to adjust the geometry of the complete shell units to the geometric and material constraints related to the orthotropic properties of the transformed sheeting by means of these coefficients. The innovative approach to the shaping of the diverse unconventional roof structures requires the solving of many interdisciplinary problems in the field of mathematics, civil engineering, construction, morphology, architecture, mechanics, computer visualization, and programming.

The orthotropic viscoelastic characterisation of sub-zero 3D-printed poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel

Poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel (PVA) is a versatile biomaterial used to replicate the biomechanics of tissues. Additive manufacture (AM) at sub-zero (°C) temperatures enables the manufacture of PVA with complex geometry; however, the effect of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of PVA has not been evaluated. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of print nozzle diameter and orientation on the viscoelastic mechanical properties of PVA. Samples of sub-zero AM PVA, with different filament thicknesses, were tested under tension relative to the print direction, to calculate the storage and loss moduli. As the nozzle size was decreased, AM PVA exhibited more pronounced orthotropic properties; the smallest size showed a 33% decrease in storage moduli when tested perpendicular to the print direction, as opposed to parallel. This study has demonstrated the ability of sub-zero AM to tailor the orthotropic properties of PVA. Graphic abstract

Numerical prediction of the stress state in CFRP induced by installing a blind rivet nut

The present paper offers a FE modeling strategy to predict the stress state in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) plate material after installing a Blind Rivet Nut (BRN). In industry, a BRN is a permanent mechanical fastener used to equip plate material with a threaded part. Analogue to the installing process of the more common blind rivet, the BRN deforms plastically in such a way a counter head is formed on the underside of the plate. Simultaneously, the upper side of the deformation chamber expands in the radial direction creating an interference fit. The interference fit together with the counter head units the nut to the plate. However, the high contact forces between the BRN and the plate often cause damage in the CFRP material compromising the integrity of the joint. The latter observation implies that while setting a BRN in CFRP, the detrimental contact forces must be controlled to guarantee a qualitative joint. The necessary understanding of the stress distribution in the plate material is numerically investigated in two steps. In the first step, a computational efficient axisymmetric model is used to reveal the contract pressure between the BRN and the plate during the setting process. In the second step, the contact pressures are transferred to a 3D model of the plate. In this stage, the orthotropic properties of the composite are assigned to the plate material and an adequate failure criterion is adopted. The result is compared to a full 3D model using the Tsai – Wu failure criterion.

Irregular and suppressed elastic deformation by a structural twist in cellulose nanofibre models

The elastic responsiveness of single cellulose nanofibres is important for advanced analysis of biological tissues and their use in sophisticated functional materials. However, the mechanical responsiveness derived from the twisted structure of cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) has remained unexplored. In this study, finite element simulations were applied to characterize the deformation response derived from the torsional structure by performing tensile and bending tests of an unconventionally very long and twisted rod model, having the known dimensional parameters and properties of CNFs. The antagonistic action of two types of structural elements (a contour twist and a curvilinear coordinate) was found to result in an irregular deformation response but with only small fluctuations. The contour twist generated rotational displacements under tensile load, but the curvilinear coordinate suppressed rotational displacement. Under bending stress, the contour twist minimized irregular bending deformation because of the orthotropic properties and made the bending stress transferability a highly linear response.

Innovative Building Forms Determined by Orthotropic Properties of Folded Sheets Transformed Into Roof Shells

Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of geometrical and mechanical changes of nominally plane steel sheets folded in one direction, caused by big elastic shape transformations were invented on the basis of the authors' tests, analyzes and computational models of thin-walled folded sheets transformed into shell shapes. Both geometrical and mechanical changes produce significant restrictions in using sheets for shell forms. The deliberate transformations and sheets' characteristics are required to obtain attractive and innovative forms of roof shells and their consistent structures as well as entire buildings. The search for effective solutions related to free forms of buildings and shape transformations of sheets especially in the fields of: shape transformation, effort and stabilization of their walls is necessary due to the high sensitivity of thin-walled open profiles to boundary conditions and loads. A method for shaping such free form buildings that effectively exploit specific orthotropic properties of the transformed sheeting is presented.

Modal density and critical frequency of composite panels considering transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia

In this work, expressions for estimating the modal density, speed of the bending wave, critical frequency and coincidence frequency of panels are derived considering orthotropic properties of the face sheets, transverse shear deformation and the rotary inertia. Presence of rotary inertia results in an increase in the modal density and a reduction in the speed of the bending waves. The influence is significant at higher frequencies. The critical and coincidence frequencies increase due to rotary inertia. Results for a typical equipment panel of spacecraft are presented and they show the need for incorporating rotary inertia while determining these parameters.