A novel technique for time-resolved detection and tracking of interfacial and matrix fracture in layered materials

A novel experimental technique is developed for time-resolved detection and tracking of damage in the forms of delamination and matrix cracking in layered materials such as composite laminates. The technique is non-contact in nature and uses dual or quadruple laser interferometers for high temporal resolution. Simultaneous measurements of differential displacement and velocity at individual locations are obtained to analyze the initiation and progression of interfacial fracture and/or matrix cracking/delamination in a polymer matrix composite laminate system reinforced by graphite fibers. The measurements at multiple locations allow the speeds at which interfacial crack front (mode-I) or matrix cracking/delamination front (mode-II dominated) propagates to be determined. Experiments carried out use three-point bend configurations. Impact loading is achieved using a modified Kolsky bar apparatus with a complete set of diagnostics for load, deformation, deformation rate, and input energy measurement. This technique is used to characterize the full process of damage initiation and growth. The experiments also focused on the quantification of the speed at which delamination or damage propagates under primarily mode-I and mode-II conditions. The results show that the speed of delamination (mode-I) or the speed of matrix cracking/delamination (primarily mode-II) increases linearly with impact velocity. Furthermore, speeds of matrix failure/delamination under primarily mode-II conditions are much higher than the speeds of mode-I crack induced delamination under mode-I conditions.     

Interlaminar fracture toughness of graphite/epoxy composite under mixed-mode deformations

An antisymmetric test fixture is employed to investigate interlaminar fracture behavior in graphite/epoxy composite material under mixed-mode deformations. Finite correction factors for the graphite/epoxy fracture specimen with various crack lengths are used to determine the interlaminar fracture toughness by finite-element stress analysis. Interlaminar fracture characteristics of graphite/epoxy composite material under mode-I, mode-II and mixed-mode deformations are evaluated experimentally. A mixed-mode fracture criterion is also investigated to obtain information on mixedmode interlaminar fracture behavior of graphite/epoxy composite material.Paper was presented at the 1988 SEM Spring Conference on Experimental Mechanics held in Portland, OR on June 5–10.     

Asymptotic analysis of transient curved crack in functionally graded materials

Transient mixed-mode elastodynamic crack growth along arbitrary smoothly varying paths in functionally graded materials (FGMs) is considered. The property gradation in FGMs is considered by varying shear modulus and mass density exponentially along the gradation direction. Crack tip out of plane displacement fields and their gradients are developed for propagating curved cracks of arbitrary velocity using asymptotic approach. The mode-mixity due to the inclination of curved crack with respect to property gradient is accommodated in the analysis through superposition of the opening and shear modes. The expansion of the displacement fields and their gradients around the crack-tip are derived in powers of radial coordinates with the coefficients of expansion depending on the instantaneous value of the local curvature of the crack path, time derivatives of crack-tip speed, and time derivative of mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors. The effect of the transient terms instantaneous local curvature, crack-tip speed, time derivatives of crack-tip speed, and time derivative of mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors on the contours of constant out of plane displacement are also discussed.     

Crack Stability of Fracture Specimens used to Test Unidirectional Fiber Reinforced Material

The traditional compliance-based criterion of the crack stability in fracture mechanics states that the stability of the crack propagation in the different specimens under different fracture modes is determined by the derivative of the energy release rate with respect to the crack length. In this work the compliance-based criterion is verified by experiments performed on fracture mechanical systems. The large number of experiments carried out on different (mode-I, mode-II, mixed-mode I/II and mixed-mode II/III) specimens shows that the stability of the crack propagation depends on the derivative of the critical displacement (the displacement at the point of fracture initiation) with respect to the crack length. The experimentally established limits of crack stability were compared to the limits of the traditional criterion and it is shown that in each case they lead to approximately the same restriction considering the stable zone of crack propagation.     

Acoustic emission assessment of interface cracking in thermal barrier coatings

In this paper, acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation methods were applied to monitor interface cracking in thermal barrier coatings under compression. The interface failure process can be identified via its AE features, including buckling, delamination incubation and spallation. According to the Fourier transformation of AE signals, there are four different failure modes: surface vertical cracks, opening and sliding interface cracks, and substrate deformation. The characteristic frequency of AE signals from surface vertical cracks is 0.21 MHz, whilst that of the two types of interface cracks are 0.43 and 0.29 MHz, respectively. The energy released of the two types of interface cracks are 0.43 and 0.29 MHz, respectively. Based on the energy released from cracking and the AE signals, a relationship is established between the interface crack length and AE parameters, which is in good agreement with experimental results.     

Extension of the Coherent Gradient Sensor (CGS) to the Combined Measurement of In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Displacement Field Gradients

The Coherent Gradient Sensor (CGS) is extended to the optical differentiation of specular, diffracted wave fronts leading to the combined measurement of in- and out-of-plane displacement field gradients. A derivation of the underlying optical interference principles is presented along with an analysis of the effective instrument sensitivity. In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the technique, experimental measurements of crack-tip deformation fields were conducted under various loading conditions corresponding to mode-I, mode-II, and mixed mode near-tip crack fields. The experimental procedures and results of these tests are presented as validation of the technique.     

Quantitative assessment of the surface crack density in thermal barrier coatings

In this paper, a modified shear-lag model is developed to calculate the surface crack density in thermal barrier coatings（TBCs）. The mechanical properties of TBCs are also measured to quantitatively assess their surface crack density. Acoustic emission（AE） and digital image correlation methods are applied to monitor the surface cracking in TBCs under tensile loading. The results show that the calculated surface crack density from the modified model is in agreement with that obtained from experiments. The surface cracking process of TBCs can be discriminated by their AE characteristics and strain evolution. Based on the correlation of energy released from cracking and its corresponding AE signals, a linear relationship is built up between the surface crack density and AE parameters, with the slope being dependent on the mechanical properties of TBCs.     

On the higher order asymptotic analysis of a non-uniformly propagating dynamic crack along an arbitrary path

Transient mixed-mode elastodynamic crack growth along arbitrary smoothly varying paths is considered. Asymptotically, the crack tip stress field is square root singular with the angular variation of the singular term depending weakly on the instantaneous values of the crack tip speed and on the mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors. However, for a material particle at a small distance away from the moving crack tip, the local stress field will depend not only on the instantaneous values of the crack tip speed and stress intensity factors, but also on the past history of these time dependent quantities. In addition, for cracks propagating along curved paths the stress field is also expected to depend on the nature of the curved crack path. Here, a representation of the crack tip fields in the form of an expansion about the crack tip is obtained in powers of radial distance from the tip. The higher order coefficients of this expansion are found to depend on the time derivative of crack tip speed, the time derivatives of the two stress intensity factors as well as on the instantaneous value of the local curvature of the crack path. It is also demonstrated that even if cracks follow a curved path dictated by the criterion K ₁₁ ^d =0, the stress field may still retain higher order asymmetric components related to non-zero local curvature of the crack path.     

Dynamic crack deflection and penetration at interfaces in homogeneous materials: experimental studies and model predictions

We examine the deflection/penetration behavior of dynamic mode-I cracks propagating at various speeds towards inclined weak planes/interfaces of various strengths in otherwise homogeneous isotropic plates. A dynamic wedge-loading mechanism is used to control the incoming crack speeds, and high-speed photography and dynamic photoelasticity are used to observe, in real-time, the failure mode transition mechanism at the interfaces. Simple dynamic fracture mechanics concepts used in conjunction with a postulated energy criterion are applied to examine the crack deflection/penetration behavior and, for the case of interfacial deflection, to predict the crack tip speed of the deflected crack. It is found that if the interfacial angle and strength are such as to trap an incident dynamic mode-I crack within the interface, a failure mode transition occurs. This transition is characterized by a distinct, observable and predicted speed jump as well as a dramatic crack speed increase as the crack transitions from a purely mode-I crack to an unstable mixed-mode interfacial crack.     

Acoustic emission: A means of measuring crack growth at elevated temperatures

Acoustic-emission (AE) technique has been applied to detect and continuously monitor subcritical crack growth in Zr-25% Nb. a commercial alloy for reactor-core components. The tests conducted in the dimensions of time, temperature, stress and local environment registered a significant difference in AE aclivity. The time-domain analysis of acoustic emissions suggested the crack growth to be intermittent Further investigations to interpret the AE response to cracking identified tracture mechanisms operative during slow crack growth. The analytical parameters of crack growth were then correlated with AE data which produced some confidence in the use of AE techniques to quanhtatively measure slow crack growth and crack growth rates during tracture. The results are presented to show a good fit between estimated and observed crack lengths and velocities. Finally, the viewpoints reached from AE studies were compared with tractographic observations and were found in agreement, providing a great deal of faith in the use of AE techniques.     

An experimental study on fracture mechanical behavior of rock-like materials containing two unparallel fissures under uniaxial compression

Strength and deformability characteristics of rock with pre-existing fissures are governed by cracking behavior. To further research the effects of pre-existing fissures on the mechanical properties and crack coalescence process, a series of uniaxial compression tests were carried out for rock-like material with two unparallel fissures.In the present study, cement, quartz sand, and water were used to fabricate a kind of brittle rock-like material cylindrical model specimen. The mechanical properties of rock-like material specimen used in this research were all in good agreement with the brittle rock materials. Two unparallel fissures(a horizontal fissure and an inclined fissure) were created by inserting steel during molding the model specimen.Then all the pre-fissured rock-like specimens were tested under uniaxial compression by a rock mechanics servocontrolled testing system. The peak strength and Young's modulus of pre-fissured specimen all first decreased and then increased when the fissure angle increased from 0?to 75?.In order to investigate the crack initiation, propagation and coalescence process, photographic monitoring was adopted to capture images during the entire deformation process.Moreover, acoustic emission(AE) monitoring technique was also used to obtain the AE evolution characteristic of prefissured specimen. The relationship between axial stress, AE events, and the crack coalescence process was set up: when a new crack was initiated or a crack coalescence occurred, thecorresponding axial stress dropped in the axial stress–time curve and a big AE event could be observed simultaneously.Finally, the mechanism of crack propagation under microscopic observation was discussed. These experimental results are expected to increase the understanding of the strength failure behavior and the cracking mechanism of rock containing unparallel fissures.     

Identification of Cracking Mechanisms in Scaled FRP Reinforced Concrete Beams using Acoustic Emission

Acoustic emission was used to monitor the cracking mechanisms leading to the failure of scaled concrete beams having Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) longitudinal reinforcement and no shear reinforcement. Dimensional scaling included that of the effective depth of the cross section, which is a key parameter associated with the scaling of shear strength; and maximum aggregate size, which affects the shear-resisting mechanism of aggregate interlock along shear (inclined) cracks. Five GFRP reinforced concrete (RC) beams with effective depth up to 290 mm and constant shear span-to-effective depth ratio of 3.1 were load tested under four-point bending. Two types of failures were observed: flexural, due to rupture of the GFRP reinforcement in the constant moment region; and shear, due to inclined cracking in either constant shear region through the entire section depth. Acoustic emission (AE) analyses were performed to classify crack types occurring at different points in the load history. The results of this study indicate that appropriate AE parameters can be used to discriminate between developing flexural and shear cracks irrespective of scale, and provide warning of impending failure irrespective of the failure mode (flexural and shear). In addition, AE source location enabled to accurately map crack growth and identify areas of significant damage activity. These outcomes attest to the potential of AE as a viable technique for structural health monitoring and prognosis systems and techniques.     

ANALYSIS OF A CRACK IN A FUNCTIONALLY GRADED STRIP WITH A POWER FORM SHEAR MODULUS

The plane strain problem of a crack in a functionally graded strip with a power form shear modulus is studied. The governing equation in terms of Airy＇s stress function is solved exactly by means of Fourier transform. The mixed boundary problem is then reduced to a system of singular integral equations and is solved numerically to obtain the stress intensity factor at crack-tip. The maximum circumferential stress criterion and the strain energy density criterion are both employed to predict the direction of crack initiation. Numerical examples are given to show the influence of the material gradation models and the crack sizes on the mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors. The dependence of the critical kink-angle on the crack size is examined and it is found that the crack kink-angle decreases with the increase of the normalized crack length, indicating that a longer crack tends to follow the original crack-line while it is much easier for a shorter crack to deviate from the original crack-line.     

Delamination fracture analysis in the GII–GIII plane using prestressed transparent composite beams

In this paper, the mixed-mode II/III version of the prestressed end-notched flexure fracture specimen is developed, which combines the well-known end-notched flexure and the modified split-cantilever beam specimens using a special rig. The new beam-like specimen is able to provide any combination of the mode-II and mode-III strain energy release rates. The mode-III part of the strain energy release rate is fixed by using the special rig, which loads the specimen in the plane of the delamination. The mode-II part of the strain energy release rate is provided by the external load using a three-point bending fixture. A simple closed-form solution using beam theory is developed for the strain energy release rates of the new configuration. The applicability and the limitations of the novel fracture mechanical test are demonstrated using unidirectional E-glass/polyester composite specimens. If only crack propagation onset is involved then the mixed-mode II/III prestressed end-notched flexure specimen can be used to obtain the fracture criterion of transparent composite materials in a relatively simple way.     

Application of scaled boundary finite element method in static and dynamic fracture problems

The scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is a recently developed numerical method combining advantages of both finite element methods (FEM) and boundary element methods (BEM) and with its own special features as well. One of the most prominent advantages is its capability of calculating stress intensity factors (SIFs) directly from the stress solutions whose singularities at crack tips are analytically represented. This advantage is taken in this study to model static and dynamic fracture problems. For static problems, a remeshing algorithm as simple as used in the BEM is developed while retaining the generality and flexibility of the FEM. Fully-automatic modelling of the mixed-mode crack propagation is then realised by combining the remeshing algorithm with a propagation criterion. For dynamic fracture problems, a newly developed series-increasing solution to the SBFEM governing equations in the frequency domain is applied to calculate dynamic SIFs. Three plane problems are modelled. The numerical results show that the SBFEM can accurately predict static and dynamic SIFs, cracking paths and load-displacement curves, using only a fraction of degrees of freedom generally needed by the traditional finite element methods.The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (50579081) and the Australian Research Council (DP0452681)The English text was polished by Keren Wang.     

陶瓷相变对Ⅰ—Ⅱ混合型裂纹增韧的理论分析

采用压力敏感准则和权函数法对相变增韧陶瓷I－II混合型裂纹的增韧效应进行了理论预测,分别给出了静止裂纹和定常扩展裂纹相变生屏蔽的理论表达式,并通过计算机进行了数值计算,结果表明：相变对静止裂纹有负屏蔽效应,并随KII/KI的比值增大而增大,对定常扩展裂纹的增韧结果除与材料弹性模量,相变尾区高度和相变体积分数有关外,还随KII／KI的比值增大而增大,说明相变对II型裂纹的增韧作用比对I型裂纹的增韧作用更显著。     

Hydraulic Fracturing of Soft and Hard Rocks. Part 2: Acoustic Emissions,Source Mechanisms and Energy

The hydraulic fracturing (HF) has been used to create new flow paths or enhance existing flow paths, thus, enabling the permeability of rocks by increasing the connected porosity of rocks. During HF, the release of energy in the form of seismic waves causes tremors and minor earthquakes. Experimental results on the performance of rocks during HF tests are shown in the form of two parts, by varying between a high and low injection rate of 20 and 2 ml/min, respectively, into the matrix of two different rock types (soft gypsum and hard granite). Part 2 attempted to simulate real-life HF events in the field. To acquire the micro-seismic events, acoustic emission sensors were attached to each lateral surface of the specimen and later processed into four source mechanisms (tensile, compressive, shear and mixed-mode). The micro-seismic activity was larger for granite subjected to higher injection rate. The source mechanisms were found to be mainly material-dependent because three distinct time intervals (stages) were identified for each material type. The location of AE events was interpreted to be material- and injection-rate-dependent. The AE events recorded in gypsum tests were spread across their surface with no apparent correlation between new cracks and fluid fronts, while for granite, they were close to the new propagated cracks and/or within the fluid fronts (compressive mechanisms were less predominant in the middle of the specimen), while there were distinct behaviors for each material subjected to different injection rates.

     

A boundary element application for mixed modeloading idealized sawtooth fracture surface

In this paper, a 2-D elastic-plastic BEM formulation predicting the reduced mode IIand the enhanced mode I stress intensity factors are presented. The dilatant boundary conditions (DBC) are assumed to be idealized uniform sawtooth crack surfaces and an effective Coulombsliding law. Three types of crack face boundary conditions, i.e. (1) BEM sawtooth model-elasticcenter crack tip; (2) BEM sawtooth model-plastic center crack tip; and (3) BEM sawtoothmodel-edge crack with asperity wear are presented. The model is developed to attempt todescribe experimentally observed non-monotonic, non-linear dependence of shear crack behavioron applied shear stress, superimposed tensile stress, and crack length. The asperity sliding isgoverned by Coulombs law of friction applied on the inclined asperity surface which hascoefficient of friction μ. The traction and displacement Greens functions which derive fromNaviers equations are obtained as well as the governing boundary integral equations for an infiniteelastic medium. Accuracy test is performed by comparison stress intensity factors of the BEMmodel with analytical solutions of the elastic center crack tip. The numerical results show thepotential application of the BEM model to investigate the effect of mixed mode loading problemswith various boundary conditions and physical interactions.     

The Analysis of Dynamic Stress Intensity Factor for Semi-Circular Surface Crack Using Time-Domain BEM Formulation

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