Fracture behavior of an interface crack in a magnetoelectric sandwich structure under electric field: Effects of the poling directions

Magnetoelectric (ME) sandwich structure is a common form in device applications. Poling directions of component materials are essential for the improvement of ME device properties. In this paper, the effects of the electric and magnetic poling directions on the interface fracture of a ME sandwich structure are investigated by integral transform and singular integral equation techniques. The expressions of the normalized stress intensity factors (NSIFs) are derived, and some numerical examples are presented. It is found that the poling direction of active layer can greatly affect the interface cracking mode. And the crack propagation can be promoted or impeded by adjusting the applied field. The structure with a larger volume fraction of active material will be more likely to crack.

Experimental Study on Basalt Fiber Crack Resistance of Asphalt Concrete Based on Acoustic Emission

In this study, the semicircle three-point bending tests of ordinary asphalt concrete and basalt fiber asphalt concrete were carried out and acoustic emission parameters were collected during the test. The differences of the characteristics of acoustic emission parameters between basalt fiber asphalt concrete and ordinary asphalt concrete were analyzed, and the damage stages were divided based on the variation of acoustic emission parameters; Rise Angle and Average Frequency were introduced to study the cracking mode and crack resistance mechanism of asphalt concrete with basalt fiber. The results show that the acoustic emission parameters can well represent the toughening and crack resistance effect of basalt fiber in asphalt concrete, and the damage stages can be divided into three stages: microcrack initiation stage, fracture stage, and residual stage. The duration of the fracture stage and the load resistance time of the specimen were greatly prolonged. The proportion of shear events in the whole failure process increased greatly after the basalt fibers were added, especially in the fracture stage, which reduced the tensile failure tendency of the specimens, and thus improved the bending and tensile performance of the specimens and played a toughening and crack resistance role in the fracture stage.

Nano-Scale Characterization of Stress Corrosion Cracking in a Failed Alloy C-276 Component

A failure analysis was performed on an alloy C-276 pull rod which underwent unexpected brittle, intergranular fracture after exposure to 280°C-300°C aqueous solutions designed to replicate secondary side environments in nuclear energy systems: Pb-containing alkaline (pH300°C 8.5-9.5), and sulfate-containing acidic solutions (pH280°C 3-5). The component was characterized using advanced electron microscopy methods to demonstrate the benefits of these techniques for determining the nanoscale chemical, mechanical, and material factors contributing to failure, and to provide insight into the mechanisms of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) responsible for failure. Site-specific transmission electron microscopy specimens containing crack tips were prepared using focused ion beam. Nanoscale chemical characterization methods revealed that Pb was present in some oxidized regions of cracks, suggesting that the element may be inhibiting or impairing the passivity of the Cr-rich oxide. Complementary nanoscale microstructural analysis was performed. At an intergranular to transgranular cracking mode transition, it was observed that the transgranular crack (and corrosion process) propagated along the (110) crystallographic plane. Also, the cracking mode was highly dependent on the tensile stress direction relative to grain boundary orientation, the crystallographic orientation of grains and geometrically necessary dislocation structures. A comparison of results with proposed mechanisms for SCC of Ni alloys in similar environments are discussed; the highly directional nature of cracking is consistent with a slot-tunnel corrosion mechanism.

Rupture by impact-induced fatigue of a copper foil strip embedded in a multifunctional composite material

Multifunctional composite materials are highly sought-after by the aerospace and aeronautical industry but their performance depends on their ability to sustain various forms of damages, in particular damages due to repeated impacts. In this work we studied the mechanical behavior of a layered glass-epoxy composite with copper inserts subjected to fatigue under repeated impacts with different energy levels. Damage evolution as a function of impact energy was carefully monitored in order to determine the effect of the copper inserts on mechanical characteristics of the multifunctional composite, such as endurance and life. Results of repeated impact tests show that electric current interruption in the copper inserts occurs prior to the total perforation of the composite material, and after about 75% of the total number of impacts to failure. This is the case for the three energy levels considered in this study, [Formula: see text] = 2, 3 and 4 Joules. The epoxy resin was dissolved chemically in order to preserve the mechanical structure of the damaged copper inserts and the composite fibers for further inspection and analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fractured copper inserts revealed interesting information on the nature of the damage, including information on plastic deformation, strain hardening, cracking mode, temperature increase during the impacts, and most importantly the glass fibers and their roles during the impact-fatigue tests.

USING CARBON FIBER STRIPS IN JOINTS STRENGTHING OF BOX SEGMENTAL SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE BEAMS

The main objective of this research is to study the effect of carbon fibers used to strengthen the joints of the box segmental beams. For this research, four beams were produced and tested. One of these beams, monolithically, was cast as a reference beam and the three others were segmental beams. All beams were produced with Self-Compact Concrete (SCC) and box cross section. Each segmental beam consisted of three precast concrete segments were connected by post tensioning tendons. The three segmental beams have same characteristics, but different in joint types between the segments. The types of joints used were (dried , epoxied and dried strengthen by CFRP sheets). All beams were tested under static two point loads up to failure. For each test, deflections at mid-span location were recorded for each (5kN). Also, first cracking, mode of failure and ultimate loads values were recorded as well as the concrete surface strains at the specified locations for both loadings.

Fracture behavior of Longmaxi shale with implications for subsurface applications

Fracture mechanical properties of shales have gained continued interest recently due to their critical role in many shale-related applications such as unconventional petroleum systems and subsurface carbon and waste disposal. However, due to their strong reactive nature to fluids, fracture mechanical properties of shales have not been extensively studied like other rock types. A more comprehensive understanding of fracture system development in shales under reactive fluids is needed for subsurface applications. We have measured fracture mechanical properties of Longmaxi shale outcrop samples in the Sichuan Basin, China, under different environments of ambient air, deionized water, saline fluids of NaCl and KCl at 0.5 M concentration, and acidic HCl fluid at pH of 5. All aqueous fluids tested show strong weakening effects on fracture propagation compared to the air environment, with the fracture toughness reduced by 75% and the subcritical fracture growth index reduced by 50%. Microstructural analysis reveals the predominantly grain boundary opening cracking mode for all tests, but the fracture traces branch more in reactive aqueous fluids. Natural fractures are comparable with artificial fractures in morphology. Bedding-perpendicular opening mode fractures with multiple-stage fracture fillings of calcite, quartz, and organic matters develop well in natural fractures. Our results suggest that clay mineral hydration and expansion are the main cause for the fluid weakening effect in Longmaxi shale, which has substantial implications for subsurface shale failure processes.

Study on Mechanical Properties and Cracking Mode of Coal Samples under Compression–Shear Coupled Load Considering the Effect of Loading Rate

Under coupled compression–shear loading, the failure and instability behavior of inclined pillars is different from that of horizontal pillars. To enhance the reliability and accuracy of pillar strength design, the influence of different inclination angles and loading rates on mechanical property and the failure behavior of inclined pillar should be studied. In this paper, the combined compression and shear test (C-CAST) system was developed, and mechanical properties and macro failure behavior of coal samples under different inclination angles and loading rates were studied, and acoustic emission (AE) technology was used to determine the internal cracking mode of the sample. The results show that with the increase of inclination angle, the peak shear stress of coal sample increases gradually, while the peak axial stress and elastic modulus slightly increase first and then decrease, and reach the maximum value at an inclination angle of 5°. Within the inclination angle range of 0°–15°, with the increase of loading rate, the peak axial stress and elastic modulus of coal samples first increase and then decrease, while the loading rate corresponding to peak axial stress and elastic modulus decreases. Within the inclination angle range of 20°–25°, the peak axial stress and elastic modulus of the sample gradually decrease with the increase of loading rate. The failure mode of coal samples changes from tension-splitting failure (0°–5°), tension–shear composite failure (10°) to single shear failure (15°–25°). Meanwhile, the loading rate has little effect on the failure mode of coal samples, but has a significant effect on the failure degree. When the loading rate is 1.0 and 10 mm/min and the inclination angle ranges from 0°–5°, the proportion of tensile crack is significantly greater than that of the shear crack, and tensile failure is the main failure mode; when the inclination angle ranges from 10°–25°, the proportion of shear crack is more than 50% and increases gradually with the increase of inclination angle, and shear failure is the main failure mode. This law is consistent with the macroscopic failure mode of the sample.

Modelling of tension stiffening effect in reinforced recycled concrete

abstract: Concrete with recycled aggregate is a fragile material under tensile stresses. However, like conventional concrete, it is possible that its contribution is relevant in the design of reinforced concrete elements under tension or bending, even after cracking. The objective of this work is to evaluate the application of the analytical models used to predict the effect of tension stiffening on recycled reinforced concrete. Tests of reinforced concrete under tensile were performed using conventional concrete and concrete containing 25% and 50% replacement of the natural aggregate with recycled aggregate. From the experimental results of reinforced concrete, the contribution of the concrete was isolated and a parametric study was carried out to identify which analytical model in the literature may be more appropriate. The models proposed by Carreira and Chu (1986), Vecchio and Collins (1986) and Hsu and Mo (2010) were evaluated. A numerical analysis, based on the finite element method, was implemented to model the mechanical behavior of the reinforced concrete under tensile using the analytical models already adjusted to concrete with recycled aggregate. The stress distribution in steel and concrete and the cracking mode were evaluated numerically. The results indicate that the parameters used in the analytical models for conventional concrete cannot predict the behavior of concrete with recycled aggregate and need to be modified to obtain a more accurate answer.

Fatigue Life for Different Stress Concentration Factors for Stainless Steel 1.4301

This paper presents the results of the static tensile and fatigue life tests under rotating bending of round 1.4301 (AISI 304) steel samples. The fatigue tests were carried out on smooth and notched samples with three different rounding angles with a shape factor of 1.4, 2 and 2.6. A fatigue life was determined for samples with different shape factors subject to identical loads. The results showed that the scatter of fatigue test results decreases with an increase in shape factor. To evaluate the cracking properties (cracking mode and mechanism), microstructure and fractographic tests of the fractured samples were carried out.

Cracking Mode Analysis of Crack Initiation in Rocks under Uniaxial Compression

Crack initiation is related to the behavior of the preexisting microcracks within a rock specimen, which suggests the specimen starts to fail. The determination of crack initiation stress is important for identifying the elastic stage and related mechanical parameters. Uniaxial compression tests with acoustic emission monitoring were performed to study crack initiation for tight sandstone, loose sandstone, and granite. The evolution of the cracking mode, i.e., the statistics of the cracking mode under compression, was obtained through modified acoustic emission parameter analysis. Based on the logarithm of the acoustic emission parameter (LAEP), a cracking mode analysis (CMA) method is proposed and used to determine the crack initiation stress. Results from the tests indicate that the crack initiation stress between the same rock specimens obtained by CMA is very close. The mean ratio of crack initiation stress to compression strength is 0.45, 0.34, and 0.35 for tight sandstone, loose sandstone, and granite, respectively. According to the results of CMA, crack volumetric strain (CVS) method, and lateral strain response (LSR) method, there is no big difference among those methods in tight sandstone and loose sandstone. In granite, the results obtained by CMA are close to those obtained by CVS, but smaller than those obtained by LSR. The CMA interprets the initiation of cracks from the fracture behavior of microcracks and is an objective method to determine the initiation stress.