Fatigue Threshold R‐curves Predict Fatigue Endurance Strength for Self‐Reinforced Silicon Nitride

There is a need for methods that can help predict and avoid fatigue failures of silicon nitride ceramic components. The fatigue threshold R‐curve has been proposed as potential solution to this problem. In this study, the fatigue threshold R‐curve for small, semielliptical surface cracks was calculated for a silicon nitride ceramic using the published bridging stress distribution developed from fatigue threshold tests on macroscopic crack specimens. To test the accuracy of the endurance strengths predicted using the fatigue threshold R‐curve, fatigue tests were conducted using four‐point bend beams of silicon nitride containing semielliptical surface cracks introduced by Knoop indentation. The effectiveness of the methodology was verified; indeed, 77% of the beams tested at stress levels above the predicted endurance strength failed within 10⁷ cycles and 0% of the beams tested below the predicted endurance strength failed within 10⁷ cycles. Furthermore, using the bridging stress distribution, which is thought to be a material property, the need for prohibitively difficult fatigue threshold experiments on small surface cracks is avoided. Accordingly, this methodology is potentially quite practical for use in the engineering design of ceramic mechanical components.     

Analytical Solutions for Stress Intensity Factor,T-Stress and Weight Function for the Edge-Cracked Half-Space

An analytical solution for the linear-elastic problem of an edge-cracked semi-infinite body was given already in 1957. For the numerical evaluation of this solution an iteration procedure had to be applied. This might be the reason why the related analysis was not commonly used. By means of powerful mathematical tools developed in the last years it is now possible to evaluate highly-precise stress intensity factors, T-stress terms, weight functions etc. This will be shown in this paper in detail.     

Adapting traditional shelter for disaster mitigation and reconstruction: experiences with community-based approaches

Natural disasters are on the increase, not so much because natural hazards are growing in number, but because poor people are becoming more vulnerable. Vulnerability is as important a cause of disasters as the physical events that trigger them. Poor people's vulnerability is often increased when development goes wrong. Thus, development is a contributing factor in the occurrence and scale of disasters. At the same time, disasters, when they happen, cause serious setbacks to development. To get out of the vicious circle, more attention will have to be paid to mitigation and tackling the causes of vulnerability. Formal approaches to mitigation, initiated mainly by the public sector, have often been inefficient and at times have left people more vulnerable. A successful alternative approach, community-based disaster mitigation, can reduce vulnerability by engaging popular approaches, local knowledge and social capital, whilst addressing their weaknesses. Some examples of community-based mitigation are derived as lessons: learn from the past, build relations with communities, encourage participation, involve local builders and artisans, build local capacity, document and share lessons, and influence formal education.     

Independent Choices and the Interpretation of IF Logic

In this paper it is argued that Hintikka's game theoreticalsemantics for Independence Friendly logic does not formalize theintuitions about independent choices; it rather is aformalization of imperfect information. Furthermore it is shownthat the logic has several remarkable properties (e.g.,renaming of bound variables is not allowed). An alternativesemantics is proposed which formalizes intuitions aboutindependence.     

Kinked Cracks and Richard Fracture Criterion

Mixed-mode stress intensity factors for kink cracks in front of a pre-existing crack were computed. It can be demonstrated that the empirical criterion by Richard is an excellent interpolation relation for the kink crack problem.     

Short-term fluctuations in identity: Introducing a micro-level approach to identity formation.

The present study was aimed at examining one relatively neglected part of the identity formation process: the short-term dynamics of identity formation. The short-term dynamics were assessed by examining (a) the day-to-day course of 2 key dimensions of identity formation (i.e., commitment and reconsideration) and (b) the impact of fluctuations in commitment and reconsideration on subsequent levels of these 2 dimensions. Longitudinal data on 580 early adolescents (54.8% boys, 45.2% girls) were used to test these assertions. The authors found evidence for a commitment-reconsideration dynamic that operated on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, the findings confirmed E. H. Erikson's (1950) assertion that identity reflects a sense of sameness and continuity as a more stable identity (reflected by little day-to-day fluctuations) was predictive of higher levels of commitment and lower levels of reconsideration. Taken together, the present study underscores the importance of the short-term dynamics of identity formation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An apparatus for the measurement of surface tensions at high pressures and temperatures

An apparatus for the measurement of surface tensions of organic liquids in contact with a gas has been developed which is capable of operation to 400°C and to 14 MPa. It is based on the maximum bubble pressure technique, modified for hydrocarbon oils at high pressures and temperatures. Accuracy of measurement is of the order of ±3% for non‐aqueous systems for values down to 5 mN/m. Only a 20 to 30 mL liquid sample is required, and small gas volumes. In practice, it was found that measurements with most organic liquids could only be made to a maximum of about 350°C because of the thermal instability of most of these compounds, in particular, for hydrocarbon liquids. Any thermal decomposition or coke deposition leads to inaccurate results. Results obtained for known liquids are compared with values given in the literature.     

Micropatterned Ceramics by Casting into Polymer Molds

Patterned ceramic surfaces with a feature resolution in the micrometer range are generated by casting aqueous suspensions of high solids loadings onto nonporous polymer molds. The suspensions are solidified by evaporation of the solvent. High-quality line patterns with an aspect ratio of 1 and a pitch of 3 μm were fabricated for alumina, zirconia, cerium gadolinium oxide, and tin oxide powders using molds of poly(dimethylsiloxane). In addition, alumina parts were also created with molds made of a polyolefin (high-density polyethylene), a fluoropolymer (poly(tetrafluoroethylene- co -hexafluoropropylene)), and an epoxy system.     

Method to Estimate Crack-Tip Toughness from Bending Tests on Prenotched Bars

A strain-gauge procedure that enables determination of the crack-tip toughness ( K _I0) from bending-strength tests is described. The procedure is applied to coarse-grained alumina and yields an average K _I0 value of 2.51 MPa·m^1/2, with a standard deviation of 0.16 MPa·m^1/2.