Experimental study and numerical modeling of brittle fracture of carbonate rock under uniaxial compression

The brittle carbonate rock taken from the Tarim Oilfield is tested in laboratory under uniaxial compression. The acoustic emission (AE) is used to monitor the microcracking activity in rock during the experiment. Moreover, the 3D tomograms of carbonate rock after uniaxial compression are obtained by using CT imaging technology, which indicates that microcracks mutually interconnect and eventually form macroscopic fractures after failure. The PFC2D is used to model the behavior of brittle rock including microcracks propagation. The stress–strain curve and cracks distribution in rock model are obtained from the PFC simulation. The numerical results agree with the experimental test well.     

Biaxial tensile behavior and strength of architectural fabric membranes

The utilization of composite fabric membrane materials for large-span membrane structures has attracted considerable attention in recent decades due to enhanced material properties. Biaxial mechanical properties with respect to real engineering applications are essential and indispensable in comparison with uniaxial ones. This study focuses on true biaxial characteristics of a typical polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-coated polyester membrane material in terms of stress-strain characteristics and breaking criteria.The true stress-strain curves obtained from an experimental study, i.e. seven loading ratios on the basis of symmetry and typical conditions, are investigated with digital image correlation method. The interpolation of these curves in combination of least square method achieves a three-dimensional strain surface as a function of warp and weft strains, which is useful to assess reasonable structural behavior. A new breaking criteria intended for architectural fabric membrane is proposed in analogy to Tsai-Hill, Yeh-Stratton and Norris failure criteria. The basic constants in the criteria are determined using experimental results. A comparative analysis between available uniaxial and biaxial criteria shows that the new criteria can cover all criteria due to the fact that biaxial mechanical properties are larger than uniaxial ones. Furthermore, a similar but glued specimen is employed to compare welded specimens. It is obtained that observations, values and curve tendency are similar, demonstrating the suitability of using new specimens to identify true biaxial properties.     

基于FDM-DEM耦合的冲击损伤大理岩静态断裂力学特征研究

为探究循环冲击损伤后大理岩的静态断裂力学特征,基于有限差分（finite difference method,FDM）-离散元（discrete element method,DEM）耦合的建模技术构建了三维分离式霍普金森压杆（split Hopkinson pressure bar,SHPB）数值模型,其中杆件系统和岩石试件分别采用FLAC3D和PFC3D程序建模。利用该模型对中心直切槽半圆盘（NSCB）试样进行了恒定子弹速度下的循环冲击,随后对受损试样进行静态三点弯曲断裂实验。通过编写Fish程序,提取试样断裂面数据,对断裂面进行重构并定量计算表面粗糙度。通过与相关室内实验结果的对比分析,验证了本文数值分析的合理性与可靠性。模拟结果表明,随着循环冲击次数的增加,试样内部微裂纹、破碎颗粒均增加。连接力场分布混乱,部分力链发生断裂。力链的变化是试样力学性能劣化的根本原因。在静态三点弯曲断裂实验中,冲击5次后试样的静态断裂韧度较天然试样产生一定程度的降低。试样在静载过程中产生的微裂纹和碎块的数量随循环冲击次数的增加而增加,断裂面粗糙度随循环冲击次数的增加而增加。     

A new fractional derivative involving the normalized sinc function without singular kernel

In this paper, a new fractional derivative involving the normalized sinc function without singular kernel is proposed. The Laplace transform is used to find the analytical solution of the anomalous heat-diffusion problems. The comparative results between classical and fractional-order operators are presented. The results are significant in the analysis of one-dimensional anomalous heat-transfer problems.     

Mathematical model for hysteresis phenomenon in moisture transport of concrete carbonation process

From civil engineering point of view it is very important to construct and analyze a mathematical model for a mechanism of concrete carbonation process. On this subject there are several mathematical results concerned with a one-dimensional model, in which hysteresis effects are neglected. Our aim is to give a model with hysteresis effects appearing in carbonation process. In this paper, as the first step of this research we focus only on moisture transport in the process and propose an initial boundary value problem for a system of partial differential equations as a mathematical model. Also, we give results on the existence of a solution to the problem, globally in time and the uniqueness in only one-dimensional case without proofs.     

Non-linear response of an electrode–electrolyte interface impedance with the frequency

In this paper we analyze the frequency response of a distributed parameters non-linear circuit. This circuit is a fractal model of an electrode–electrolyte interface. The results show that the series equivalent resistance R_eq decreases as the number of fractal levels rises. Its frequency behavior is similar to the results described by other authors that used a constant phase angle element. At low frequency range, the series equivalent reactance X_eq decreases with frequency and R_eq shows a flat response in this range. The model also explains how interface geometry modifies the values of some electrochemical parameters. As roughness increases the Argand diagram shows smaller semicircles. The model behavior is like a single dispersion system with its central frequency increasing with the electrode roughness.     

Lower bound shakedown analysis by the symmetric Galerkin boundary element method

In this paper, the static shakedown theorem is reformulated making use of the symmetric Galerkin boundary element method (SGBEM) rather than of finite element method. Based on the classical Melan’s theorem, a numerical solution procedure is presented for shakedown analysis of structures made of elastic-perfectly plastic material. The self-equilibrium stress field is constructed by linear combination of several basis self-equilibrium stress fields with parameters to be determined. These basis self-equilibrium stress fields are expressed as elastic responses of the body to imposed permanent strains obtained through elastic–plastic incremental analysis. The lower bound of shakedown load is obtained via a non-linear mathematical programming problem solved by the Complex method. Numerical examples show that it is feasible and efficient to solve the problems of shakedown analysis by using the SGBEM.     

Erratum to: Experimental Investigation on Mechanical Behavior of Coarse Marble Under Six Different Loading Paths

A series of triaxial compression experiments were preformed for the coarse marble samples under different loading paths by the rock mechanics servo-controlled testing system. Based on the experimental results of complete stress-strain curves, the influence of loading path on the strength and deformation failure behavior of coarse marble is made a detailed analysis. Three loading paths (Paths I–III) are put forward to confirm the strength parameters (cohesion and internal friction angle) of coarse marble in accordance with linear Mohr-Coulomb criterion. Compared among the strength parameters, two loading paths (i.e. Path II by stepping up the confining pressure and Path III by reducing the confining pressure after peak strength) are suggested to confirm the triaxial strengths of rock under different confining pressures by only one sample, which is very applicable for a kind of rock that has obvious plastic and ductile deformation behavior (e.g. marble, chalk, mudstone, etc.). In order to investigate re-fracture mechanical behavior of rock material, three loading paths (Paths IV–VI) are also put forward for flawed coarse marble. The peak strength and deformation failure mode of flawed coarse marble are found depending on the loading paths (Paths IV–VI). Under lower confining pressures, the peak strength and Young’s modulus of damage sample (compressed until post-peak stress under higher confining pressure) are all lower compared with that of flawed sample; moreover mechanical parameter of damage sample is lower for the larger compressed post-peak plastic deformation of coarse marble. However under higher confining pressures (e.g. σ ₃ = 30 MPa), the axial supporting capacity and elastic modulus of damage coarse marble (compressed until post-peak stress under lower confining pressure) is not related to the loading path, while the deformation modulus and peak strain of damage sample depend on the difference of initial confining pressure and post-peak plastic deformation. The friction among crystal grains determines the strength behavior of flawed coarse marble under various loading paths. In the end, the effect of loading path on failure mode of intact and flawed coarse marble is also investigated. The present research provides increased understanding of the fundamental nature of rock failure under different loading paths.