Conductivity of carbon black-based polymer composites under creep in the molten state

The mechanical deformation of conductive polymer composites during melt processing affects their final electrical properties considerably. To get an insight in this relationship, simultaneous electrical-rheological measurements can be used to follow the changes in composite phase structure induced by defined deformation. In this work, the evolution of electrical conductivity was investigated during and after shear deformation at constant stress. From the experiments performed it can be concluded, that the flow-induced build-up mechanism leads to the formation of conductive pathways with enhanced stability compared to the structures build-up under quiescent conditions. This finding can be explained by the orientation of particle structures in the shear direction. Therefore, materials with different deformation history but the same electrical conductivity can display markedly different electrical behaviour under deformation.     

Is the cause of size effect on structural strength fractal or energetic-statistical?

The size effect on structural strength is an important phenomenon with a very old history. Unfortunately, despite abundant experimental evidence, this phenomenon is still not taken into account in most specifications of the design codes for concrete structures, as well as the design practices for polymer composites, rock masses and timber. The main reason appears to be a controversy between two different theories of size effect, namely the theory based on energetic-statistical scaling and the theory based on ideas from fractal geometry. This paper aims to critically analyze these two theories, examine their hypotheses and point out the limitations, in order to help code-writing committees choose a rational basis for their work. The paper begins by reviewing the theory of energetic size effect and the efforts to explain the size effect by fractal geometry. The advantages and disadvantages in modeling the structural size effect by fractals are pointed out. Certain flaws in the fractal theory of size effect are illuminated and it is shown that various aspects of this theory lack a sound physical or mathematical basis, or both. The paper ends by recommending how engineering designers and code writers should take the size effect into account.     

Fracturing Rate Effect and Creep in Microplane Model for Dynamics

The formulation of microplane model M4 in Parts I and II is extended to rate dependence. Two types of rate effect in the nonlinear triaxial behavior of concrete are distinguished: (1) Rate dependence of fracturing (microcrack growth) associated with the activation energy of bond ruptures, and (2) creep (or viscoelasticity). Short-time linear creep (viscoelasticity) is approximated by a nonaging Maxwell spring-dashpot model calibrated so that its response at constant stress would be tangent to the compliance function of model B3 for a time delay characteristic of the problem at hand. An effective explicit algorithm for step-by-step finite-element analysis is formulated. The main reason that the rate dependence of fracturing must be taken into account is to simulate the sudden reversal of postpeak strain softening into hardening revealed by recent tests. The main reason that short-time creep (viscoelasticity) must be taken into account is to simulate the rate dependence of the initial and unloading stiffness. Good approximations of the rate effects observed in material testing are achieved. The model is suitable for finite-element analysis of impact, blast, earthquake, and short-time loads up to several hours duration.     

Fracture behaviour of alumina and zirconia thin layered laminate

Laminates with strong bonds between thin layers were examined in this work to explore the influence of developed internal stresses on the fracture behaviour. A set of laminates having different level of internal stresses were prepared. Alumina and zirconia were the model materials for evenly alternating layers. The electrophoretic deposition technique was used for manufacturing of the laminates. The basic mechanical properties as elastic modulus and flexural strength were determined for all prepared materials. The crack propagation changes due to effect of internal stresses, elastic mismatch and surface effects were investigated using modified single edge notched beam technique. An extensive fractographical analysis of fracture surfaces was undertaken using laser confocal microscopy. The changes of the crack direction when crack propagates through alternating layers under different angels were described. Further, the effect of the internal stresses level within individual layers was reported.     

Sensitivity analysis of stability problems of steel plane frames

The objective of the paper is to analyse the influence of initial imperfections on the load-carrying capacity of a single storey steel plane frame comprised of two columns loaded in compression. The influence of the variance of initial imperfections on the variance of the load-carrying capacity was calculated by means of Sobol’ sensitivity analysis. Monte Carlo based procedures were used for computing full sets of first order and second order sensitivity indices of the model. The geometrical nonlinear finite element solution, which provides numerical results per run, was employed. The mutual dependence of sensitivity indices and column non-dimensional slenderness is analysed. The derivation of the statistical characteristics of system imperfections of the initial inclination of columns is described in the introduction of the present work. Material and geometrical characteristics of hot-rolled IPE members were considered to be random quantities with histograms obtained from experiments. The Sobol sensitivity analysis is used to identify the crucial input random imperfections and their higher order interaction effects.     

Size-Effect Testing of Cohesive Fracture Parameters and Nonuniqueness of Work-of-Fracture Method

The cohesive crack model has been widely accepted as the best compromise for the analysis of fracture of concrete and other quasibrittle materials. The softening stress-separation law of this model is now believed to be best described as a bilinear curve characterized by four parameters: the initial and total fracture energies Gf and GF, the tensile strength ft′, and the knee-point ordinate σ1. The classical work-of-fracture test of a notched beam of one size can deliver a clear result only for GF. Here it is shown computationally that the same complete load-deflection curve can be closely approximated with stress-separation curves in which the ft′ values differ by 77% and Gf values by 68%. It follows that the work-of-fracture test alone cannot provide an unambiguous basis for quasibrittle fracture analysis. It is found, however, that if this test is supplemented by size-effect testing, all four cohesive crack model parameters can be precisely identified and the fracture analysis of structures becomes unambiguous. It is shown computationally that size-effect tests do not suffice for determining GF and ft′, which indicates that they provide a sufficient basis for computing neither the postpeak softening of fracturing structures nor the peak loads of a very large structure. However, if the size-effect tests are supplemented by one complete softening load-deflection curve of a notched specimen, an unambiguous calculation of peak loads and postpeak response of structures becomes possible. To this end, the notched specimen tests must be conducted in a certain size range, whose optimum is here established by extending a previous analysis. Combination of the work-of-fracture and size-effect testing could be avoided only if the ratios GF/Gf and σ1/ft′ were known a priori, but unfortunately their estimates are far too uncertain.     

Microplane Model M5f for Multiaxial Behavior and Fracture of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

Despite impressive advances, the existing constitutive and fracture models for fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) are essentially limited to uniaxial loading. The microplane modeling approach, which has already been successful for concrete, rock, clay, sand, and foam, is shown capable of describing the nonlinear hardening–softening behavior and fracturing of FRC under not only uniaxial but also general multiaxial loading. The present work generalizes model M5 for concrete without fibers, the distinguishing feature of which is a series coupling of kinematically and statically constrained microplane systems. This feature allows simulating the evolution of dense narrow cracks of many orientations into wide cracks of one distinct orientation. The crack opening on a statically constrained microplane is used to determine the resistance of fibers normal to the microplane. An effective iterative algorithm suitable for each loading step of finite element analysis is developed, and a simple sequential procedure for identifying the model parameters from test data is formulated. The model allows a close match of published test data on uniaxial and multiaxial stress–strain curves, and on multiaxial failure envelopes.     

Confinement-shear lattice CSL model for fracture propagation in concrete

A previously developed lattice model is improved and then applied to simulations of mixed-mode crack propagation in concrete. The concrete meso-structure is simulated by a three-dimensional lattice system connecting nodes which represent the centers of aggregate particles. These nodes are generated randomly according to the given grain size distribution. Only coarse aggregates are taken into account. Three-dimensional Delaunay triangulation is used to determine the lattice connections. The effective cross-section areas of connecting struts are defined by performing a three-dimensional domain tessellation partly similar to Voronoi tessellation. The deformations of each link connecting two adjacent aggregate pieces are defined in the classical manner of Zubelewicz and Ba?ant in which rigid body kinematics is assumed to characterize the displacement and rotation vectors at the lattice nodes. Each strut connecting adjacent particles can transmit both axial and shear forces. The adopted constitutive law simulates fracture, friction and cohesion at the meso-level. The behavior in tension and shear is made dependent on the transversal confining strain, which is computed assuming a linear displacement field within each tetrahedron of Delaunay triangulation, and neglecting the effect of the particle rotations. A mid-point explicit scheme is used to integrate the governing equations of the problems. General procedures to handle the boundary conditions and to couple the lattice mesh to the usual elastic finite element mesh are also formulated. Numerical simulations of mixed-mode fracture test data are used to demonstrate that the model is capable of accurately predicting complex crack paths and the corresponding load-deflection responses observed in experiments.