Stress‐strain characteristics of the Taipei silty clay at small strain

Abstract

This study first developed a triaxial apparatus with the capability of small‐strain measurement. Then a series of undrained triaxial tests were carried out to investigate the stress‐strain behavior of the reconstituted Taipei silty clay at small strain. Test results show that the non‐linear behavior of the normally consolidated Taipei silty clay at small strain (?=10^–5～10^–3) is significant irrespective of the initial effective stress state and the shearing rate. The peak deviator stress occurs at strain of 10^–3～4×10^–3. The normalized initial elastic stiffness at strain of 10^–5 can reach 1600～2450, which is much higher than that measured by conventional triaxial tests.     

Effects of strain rate and temperature on the stress–strain response of solder alloys

To ensure reliable design of soldered interconnections as electronic devices become smaller, requires greater knowledge and understanding of the relevant mechanical behavior of solder alloys than are presently available. The present paper reports the findings of an investigation into the monotonic tensile properties of bulk samples of three solder alloys; a lead–tin eutectic and two lead-free solders (tin–3.5 copper and a tin–3.5 silver alloy). Temperatures between–10 and 75°C and strain rates between 10^–1 and 10^–3 s^–1 have been studied. Both temperature and strain rate may have a substantial effect on strength, producing changes well in excess of 100%. Strength is reduced by lowering strain rate and increasing temperature, and Sn–37 Pb is usually most sensitive to the latter. Expressions for strain and strain rate hardening have been developed. The Sn–0.5 Cu alloy is usually the weakest and most ductile. Sn–37 Pb is strongest at room temperature but with increasing temperature and lower strain rates it becomes inferior to Sn–3.5 Ag. Ductility changes with temperature and strain rate for all three alloys are generally small with inconsistent trends. The role of such data in stress analysis and modeling is considered and the paramount importance of employing data for conditions appropriate to service, is emphasized.     

Effects of strain and strain aging on fracture toughness of C–Mn weld metal

Abstract

Specimens of both as-deposited and fine-grained, reheated, manual metal arc C–Mn weld metal have been subjected to various strain and static strain-aging treatments in an attempt to simulate the thermomechanical cycles imposed upon the root region of a multipass weld as subsequent passes are made. The toughness was then measured, as a function of severity of treatment, using a crack opening displacement test. The strain aging treatments are found to lower markedly the cleavage resistance of the as-deposited and reheated microstructures. Non-metallic inclusions within the crack-tip plastic zone are found to be active as cleavage initiation sites in both types of microstructure. While the general shift in toughness can be explained by considering the changes in flow properties brought about by the various treatments, the observed variations in size and distance from the crack tip of the initiating inclusions are thought to be responsible for the associated experimental scatter.

MST/157     

Influence of strain and strain rate on microstructural evolution during superplasticity of Mg–Al–Zn sheet

Strain-induced abnormal grain growth was observed along the gage length during high-temperature uniaxial tensile testing of rolled Mg–Al–Zn (AZ31) sheet. Effective strain and strain rates in biaxial forming of AZ31 sheets also affected the nature of grain growth in the formed sheet. For the uniaxial testing done at 400 °C and a strain rate of 10^?1 s^?1, abnormal grain growth was prevalent in the gage sections that experienced true strain values between 0.2 and 1.0. Biaxial forming of AZ31 at 5 × 10^?2 s^?1 and 400 °C also exhibited abnormal grain growth at the cross sections which experienced a true strain of 1.7. Uniaxially tested sample at 400 °C and a strain rate of 10^?3 s^?1, however, showed no abnormal grain growth in the gage sections which experienced true local strain values ranging from 1.0 to 2.3. The normalized flow stress versus temperature and grain size compensated strain rate plot showed that the deformation kinetics of the current AZ31 alloy was similar to that reported in the literature for AZ31 alloys. Orientation image microscopy (OIM) was used to study the texture evolution, grain size, and grain boundary misorientation during uniaxial and biaxial forming. Influence of deformation parameters, namely strain rate, strain, and temperature on grain growth and refinement were discussed with the help of OIM results.     

A non-local fractional stress–strain gradient theory

International Journal of Mechanics and Materials in Design - A generalized non-local stress–strain gradient theory is presented using fractional calculus. The proposed theory includes as a...     

Stress–strain relationships of polycarbonate over a wide range of strain rate,including a shock wave regime

Stress–strain relationships of polycarbonate (PC) are determined over a very wide range of strain rates, including a shock wave regime. Plate impact tests, drop-weight tests, and quasi-static tests using universal and Instron testing machines are used for the high strain rate (10⁷ s⁻¹), medium strain rate (10² s⁻¹) and low strain rate (10⁻⁴ s⁻¹) tests, respectively. A newly modified unsteady wave sensing system (NM-UWSS) for plate impact tests is developed to determine the stress–strain relationships of PC. The system consists of a powder gun for plate impact tests, three embedded polyvenyliden fluoride (PVDF) gauges, and NM-UWSS. As originally proposed, UWSS is aimed at obtaining experimental inputs for the Lagrangian analysis used in determining the dynamic behavior of materials. We revise this standard system (UWSS) twice to gain a higher time resolution. In the past, the conventional charge mode (Q₂ method) was used. The first modified system (M-UWSS) has been used to study two classes of materials: (1) metallic materials and (2) polymeric materials, where the Q₁ method coupled with a transient differential equation for the equivalent circuit of the measurement circuit for the PVDF stress gauge was used. The latest method (Q_t method) for gaining the highest time resolution of shock wavefront structure by considering the effects of a piezofilm's thickness is proposed for PC at particle velocities of up to 1 km/s. Here we show from basic equations of piezoelectricity that the charge density q, i.e., the charge release per unit area, of the active electrode is proportional to the ratio of the thickness of the shocked region to the total thickness of the piezofilm. It is demonstrated that the rise time of shock charge density q in the piezofilm induced by such shock in the Q₂, Q₁ and Q_t methods, in this order, is becoming much shorter. The latest Q_t method has the highest accuracy among these three methods. Power law relations between stress and strain rate are observed again with PC under conditions of uniaxial strain over a very wide range of strain rates, i.e., 10⁻⁴–10⁷ s⁻¹ including a shock wave regime. For the PC, the effects of strain rate on the stress–strain relationships are estimated using empirical formula.     

Comprehensive study of the effects of rolling resistance on the stress–strain and strain localization behavior of granular materials

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of the effects of rolling resistance on the stress–strain and strain localization behavior of granular materials using the discrete element method. The study used the Particle Flow Code (PFC) to simulate biaxial compression tests in granular materials. To study the effects of rolling resistance, a user-defined rolling resistance model was implemented in PFC. A series of parametric studies was performed to investigate the effects of different levels of rolling resistance on the stress–strain response and the emergence and development of shear bands in granular materials. The PFC models were also tested under a range of macro-mechanical parameters and boundary conditions. It is shown that rolling resistance affects the elastic, shear strength and dilation response of granular materials, and new relationships between rolling resistance and macroscopic elasticity, shear strength and dilation parameters are presented. It is also concluded that the rolling resistance has significant effects on the orientation, thickness and the timing of the occurrence of shear bands. The results reinforce prior conclusions by Oda et al. (Mech Mater 1:269–283, 1982) on the importance of rolling resistance in promoting shear band formation in granular materials. It is shown that increased rolling resistance results in the development of columns of particles in granular materials during strain hardening process. The buckling of these columns of particles in narrow zones then leads to the development of shear bands. High gradients of particle rotation and large voids are produced within the shear band as a result of the buckling of the columns.     

Interferometric 45° and 60° strain rosettes measuring

A laser-based technique, referred to as interferometric strain rosettes for measuring three in-plane strains, is presented. The strain rosette consists of three microindentations produced on a specimen surface and can be of two separate forms. The two forms are 45° and 60° rosettes for indentations located at the vertices of a 45° right triangle and an equilateral triangle, respectively. The three indentations for either form can be grouped into three pairs. When the indentations are illuminated with laser light, each pair of indentations acts like a two-point source generating a pair of Young's interference fringe patterns. The fringe spacing is inversely proportional to the separation of the indentations. Because strains cause the separation to change, the fringe spacing also changes. The fringe change is monitored with linear-array diodes and collected real time through a microcomputer system. The three strain components in the directions of the indentation pairs can then be obtained.     

Cyclic stress–strain characteristics of two microalloyed steels

Abstract

The cyclic stress–strain behaviour of two microalloyed steels with different microstructures has been characterised at room temperature under strain controlled low cycle fatigue. The cyclic stress–strain curve in the double logarithmic plot shows a linear relation for both steels. A transition of the cyclic stress–strain curve from softening to hardening with increasing strain amplitude has been observed with respect to the corresponding tensile curve. The strain amplitude for the onset of cyclic softening to hardening transition has been found to be dependent on grain size. The strain lifetime behaviour, estimated from modified universal slopes equation, shows similar trends as Nb or V bearing microalloyed steels. The cyclic characteristics of the two microalloyed steels have been compared with corresponding predeformed state carried out under stress controlled conditions. While, cyclic saturation was observed in case where the extent of predeformation was within the Lüders strain, cyclic softening occurred when it exceeded the Lüders strain. It has been attempted to provide a mechanistic understanding of the differences in the cyclic behaviour of the two steels owing to the microstructure and predeformation.     

Time-based fractional longitudinal–transverse strain model for viscoelastic solids

Using a simple model to represent the complex relationship between longitudinal and transverse deformation is of much importance for a correct modelization of mechanical behaviors in viscoelastic solids. In this paper, a time-based fractional longitudinal–transverse strain model is presented based on the analogy with fractional stress–strain equation. Experimental results of a series of uniaxial compression and tension tests under strain-relaxation and constant longitudinal strain rate are employed to validate the proposed model. It is shown that the fractional longitudinal–transverse strain model can accurately describe the experimental response, and the fractional order may be positive or negative, which is helpful to characterize the complicated longitudinal–transverse deformation relationship.     

Description of stress–strain curves for stainless steel alloys

There is a wide variety of stainless steel alloys, but all are characterized by a rounded stress–strain response with no sharply defined yield point. This behaviour can be represented analytically by different material models, the most popular of which are based on the Ramberg–Osgood formulations or extensions thereof. The degree of roundedness, the level of strain hardening, the strain at ultimate stress and the ductility at fracture of the material all vary between grades, and need to be suitably captured for an accurate representation of the material to be achieved. The aim of the present study is to provide values and predictive expressions for the key parameters in existing stainless steel material models based on the analysis of a comprehensive experimental database. The database comprises experimental stress–strain curves collected from the literature, supplemented by some tensile tests on austenitic, ferritic and duplex stainless steel coupons conducted herein. It covers a range of stainless steel alloys, annealed and cold-worked material, and data from the rolling and transverse directions. In total, more than 600 measured stress–strain curves have been collected from 15 international research groups. Each curve from the database has been analysed in order to obtain the key material parameters through a curve fitting process based on least squares adjustment techniques. These parameter values have been compared to those calculated from existing predictive models, the accuracy of which could therefore be evaluated. Revised expressions providing more accurate parameter predictions have been proposed where necessary. Finally, a second set of results, containing material parameters reported directly by others, with information of more than 400 specimens, has also been collected from the literature. Although these experimental results were not accessible as measured raw data, they enabled further confirmation of the suitability of the proposed equations.     

Compressive stress–strain behavior of steel fiber reinforced-recycled aggregate concrete

The use of recycled aggregate from construction and demolition waste (CDW) as replacement of fine and coarse natural aggregate has increased in recent years in order to reduce the high consumption of natural resources by the civil construction sector. In this work, an experimental investigation was carried out to investigate the influence of steel fiber reinforcement on the stress–strain behavior of concrete made with CDW aggregates. In addition, the flexural strength and splitting tensile strength of the mixtures were also determined. Natural coarse and fine aggregates were replaced by recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) and recycled fine aggregate (RFA) at two levels, 0% and 25%, by volume. Hooked end steel fibers with 35 mm of length and aspect ratio of 65 were used as reinforcement in a volume fraction of 0.75%. The research results show that the addition of steel fiber and recycled aggregate increased the mechanical strength and modified the fracture process relative to that of the reference concrete. The stress–strain behavior of recycled aggregate concrete was affected by the recycled aggregate and presented a more brittle behavior than the reference one. With the addition of steel fiber the toughness, measured by the slope of the descending branch of the stress–strain curve, of the recycled concretes was increased and their behavior under compression becomes similar to that of the fiber-reinforced natural aggregate concrete.     

Dependence of dynamic strain ageing on strain amplitudes during the low-cycle fatigue of TP347H austenitic stainless steel at 550 °C

Low-cycle fatigue (LCF) tests are carried out on TP347H stainless steel at a strain rate of 8 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ with total strain amplitudes (Δε_t/2) of ±0.4% and ±1.0%, at room temperature (RT) and 550 °C. It is found that the stress responses and dislocation structures under cyclic loading strongly depend on the value of strain amplitude at 550 °C. Compared with those at the same strain amplitude at RT, the material shows a rapid strain softening, and finally attains a stabilized state at Δε_t/2 = ±0.4% and 550 °C, but the one presents an anomalous behavior, i.e., first a rapid hardening to the maximum stress, followed by a reducing softening at Δε_t/2 = ±1.0% and 550 °C. More cells resulting from dislocation cross-slip and planar structures due to dynamic strain ageing (DSA) restricting cross-slip develop at low strain amplitude of ±0.4% at the first cycle. However, there are more complicated dislocation structures, such as cells, elongated cells, walls/channels and planar structures at Δε_t/2 = ±1.0%. The observations of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) exclude the effects of martensitic transformation, creep, oxidation, and precipitations on these stress responses and microstructure evolutions, which result from DSA appearing at 550 °C.     

Determination of biaxial stress–strain diagram for gas pressure superplastic forming

Abstract

The success of a gas pressure superplastic forming operation depends on accurate formulation of a pressure–time diagram which in turn needs an accurate stress–strain relationship evaluated preferably under multiaxial or biaxial conditions. The present analysis describes a technique of generating such curves from gas pressure cone forming tests and subsequent manipulation of the data. The method also includes an innovative technique of online monitoring of strain during the forming process by measuring the volume of displaced air from the die during progress of forming.     

Flexible and semitransparent strain sensors based on micromolded Pd nanoparticle-carbon μ-stripes

Flexible resistive strain sensors have been fabricated by micromolding Pd alkanethiolate on polyimide substrates and subjecting to thermolysis in air. Thus produced stripes were ～1 μm wide with spacing of ～0.5 μm and contained Pd nanoparticles in carbon matrix. The nanoparticle size and the nature of carbon are much dependent on the thermolysis temperature as is also the resistance of the microstripes. Generally, lower thermolysis temperatures (<230 °C) produced stripes containing small Pd nanoparticles with significant fraction of carbon from the precursor decomposition. The stripes were poorly conducting yet interestingly, exhibited change of resistance under tensile and compressive strain. Particularly noteworthy are the stripes produced from 195 °C thermolysis, which showed a high gauge factor of ～390 with strain sensitivity, 0.09%. With molding at 230 °C, the stripes obtained were highly conducting, and amazingly did not change the resistance with strain even after several bending cycles. The latter are ideal as flexible conduits and interconnects. Thus, the article reports a method of producing flexible sensitive strain sensors on one hand and on the other, flexible conduits with unchanging resistance, merely by fine-tuning the precursor decomposition under the molding conditions.     

Strength and stress–strain characteristics of traditional adobe block and masonry

Traditional unstabilized adobe low-rise buildings are common in many Chinese small towns and villages. This paper presents a study on the uniaxial compressive strength and stress–strain behavior of traditional unstabilized adobe blocks and masonry prisms with various compositions. The adobe blocks were manually produced by Chinese traditional technique in various proportions of natural soil and sand. The influence of various proportions on unconfined compressive strength, dry density and initial tangent modulus are discussed. Following this, soil mortars in three different proportions were used to construct adobe masonry prisms, with the purposes of understanding the influence of mortar strength to block strength ratio on compressive strength and stress–strain characteristics. The result shows that the compressive strength, initial tangent modulus and Poisson’s ratio of prism are influenced by the ratio of mortar strength to block strength. In addition, tangent modulus and Poisson’s ratio increase with the ratio of stress to peak strength. It was also found that although coefficients of variation of experimental results are reduced by load–unload cycles, peak strains are largely increased.     

Uniaxial stress–relaxation and stress–strain responses of human amnion

The mechanical behavior of human amnion is examined under uniaxial tensile loading conditions. Monotonic strain-to-failure and stress-relaxation tests are described for membrane strip samples of amnion obtained by removing the chorion cell layer from specimens of whole chorioamnion. The monotonic behavior of the amnion is characterized by a large stress-free strain (approximately 10%) prior to a quadratic load-displacement response. Substantial stress relaxation behavior (ranging from 20-80%) is observed, described by a two time-constant exponential decay. The effects of the application of a topical antiseptic and of prior straining and relaxation on subsequent monotonic failure properties are examined. The results suggest that while amnion is a remarkably resilient tissue material, its mechanical behavior is typical of nonlinear viscoelastic materials, and depends strongly on its history.