A Technique for Dynamic Tensile Testing of Human Cervical Spine Ligaments

An experimental study is undertaken to examine the dynamic stress–strain characteristics of ligaments from the human cervical spine (neck). Tests were conducted using a tensile split Hopkinson bar device and the engineering strain rates imposed were of the order of 10²∼10³/s. As ligaments are extremely soft and pliable, specialized test protocols applicable to Hopkinson bar testing were developed to facilitate acquisition of reliable and accurate data. Seven primary ligaments types from the cervical spines of three male cadavers were subjected to mechanical tests. These yielded dynamic stress–strain curves which could be approximated by empirical equations. The dynamic failure stress/load, failure stain/deformation, modulus/stiffness, as well as energy absorption capacity, were obtained for the various ligaments and classified according to their location, the strain rate imposed and the cadaveric source. Compared with static responses, the overall average dynamic stress–strain behavior foreach type of ligament exhibited an elevation in strength but reduced elongation.     

Shear Failure of Inconel 718 under Dynamic Loads

Kinetics of deformation and fracture of nickel–iron alloy Inconel 718 under dynamic shear loading was measured using a split torsional Hopkinson bar facility and high-speed photography. Tubular specimens with a reduced gage length and a starter notch were sheared at strain rates up to 6 × 10³ s⁻¹. High-speed photographs of fiducial lines scribed on the specimen surface showed the development of local strains and cracking. This paper describes the experimental and analytical procedures, illustrates average and local plastic strain evolution, and presents shear crack initiation times and propagation speeds.     

Torsional split Hopkinson bar tests at strain rates above 104s−1

The torsional split Hopkinson bar is used for testing materials at strain rates above 10⁴s⁻¹. This strain rate, which is an order of magnitude higher than is typical with this technique, is obtained by using very short specimens. Strain rates of 6.4×10⁴s⁻¹ have been achieved with specimens having a gage length of 0.1524 mm. Results from tests on 1100 aluminum show an increase in rate sensitivity as the strain rate increases.     

Dynamic compressive behavior of thick composite materials

The effect of strain rate on the compressive behavior of thick carbon/epoxy composite materials was investigated. Falling weight impact and split Hopkinson pressure bar systems were developed for dynamic characterization of composite materials in compression at strain rates up to 2000 s^–1. Strain rates below 10 s^–1 were generated using a servohydraulic testing machine. Strain rates between 10 s^–1 and 500 s^–1 were generated using the drop tower apparatus. Strain rates above 500 s^–1 were generated using the split Hopkinson pressure bar. Unidirectional carbon/epoxy laminates (IM6G/3501-6) loaded in the longitudinal and transverse directions, and cross-ply laminates were characterized. The 90-deg properties, which are governed by the matrix, show an increase in modulus and strength over the static values but no significant change in ultimate strain. The 0-deg and cross-ply laminates show higher strength and ultimte strain values as the strain rate increases, whereas the modulus increnases only slightly over the static value. The increase in strength and ultimate strain observed may be related to the shear behavior of the composite and the change in failure modes. In all cases, the dynamic stress-strain curves stiffen as the strain rate increases. The stiffening is lowest in the longitudinal direction and highest in the transverse direction.     

Testing Aluminum Alloy from Quasi-static to Dynamic Strain-rates with a Modified Split Hopkinson Bar Method

An aluminum alloy¹ was tested at quasi-static to dynamic strain-rates (from 10⁻¹ to 5 10³ s⁻¹), using a single measuring device, a modified Split Hopkinson Bar. A wave separation technique [Bussac et al., J Mech Phys Solids 50:321–350, 2002] based on the maximum likelihood method was applied to process the strain and velocity measurements recorded at various points on each bar. With this method, it is possible to compute the stress, strain, displacement and velocity at any point on the bar. Since the measurement time is unlimited, the maximum strain measured in a given specimen no longer decreases with the strain-rate, as occurs with the classical Split Hopkinson Bar method. ¹The authors wish to thank the automobile manufacturer who provided samples of the alloy used in this study. For reasons of commercial and industrial confidentiality, we were not informed about the composition of this alloy.     

High Strain Rate Torsion Properties of Ultrafine-Grained Aluminum

Mechanical properties of most metallic materials can be improved by reducing their grain size. One of the methods used to reduce the grain size even to the nanometer level is the severe plastic deformation processing. Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) is one of the most promising severe plastic deformation processes for the nanocrystallization of ductile metals. Nanocrystalline and ultrafine grained metals usually have significantly higher strength properties but lower tensile ductility compared to the coarse grained metals. In this work, the torsion properties of ECAP processed ultrafine grained pure 1070 aluminum were studied in a wide range of strain rates using both servohydraulic materials testing machines and Hopkinson Split Bar techniques. The material exhibits extremely high ductility in torsion and the specimens did not fail even after 300% of strain. Pronounced yield point behavior was observed at strain rates 500 s⁻¹ and higher, whereas at lower strain rates the yielding was continuous. The material showed slight strain softening at the strain rate of 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, almost ideally plastic behavior at strain rates between 10⁻³ s⁻¹ and 500 s⁻¹, and slight but increasing strain hardening at strain rates higher than that. The tests were monitored using digital cameras, and the strain distributions on the surface of the specimens were calculated using digital image correlation. The strain in the specimen localized very rapidly after yielding at all strain rates, and the localization lead to the development of a shear band. At high strain rates the shear band developed faster than at low strain rates.     

Experimental analysis of dynamic mechanical properties for artificially frozen clay by the split Hopkinson pressure bar

A device for impact compression experiments is the split Hopkinson pressure bar with a refrigerating attemperator. Data for incident and reflected waves are obtained by the measuring technique with strain gauges, and data for transmitted waves are obtained by the measuring technique with semiconductor gauges. Static compression tests of frozen clay are conducted at an identical temperature and different strain rates of 0.001 and 0.01 sec ⁻¹ . Dynamic stress-strain curves are obtained at strain rates of 360–1470 sec ⁻¹ . The low and high temperatures correspond to high and low strain rates, respectively. It is shown that both the temperature and strain rate affect the frozen soil deformation process. Different dynamic stress-strain curves obtained at the same temperature but different strain rates are found to converge. The test results indicate that frozen soil has both temperature-brittleness and impact-brittleness.     

Effect of strain rate,moisture and temperature on the deformation behavior of polymer roll covers

Soft polymer roll covers, which are used in certain positions of paper manufacturing machines, have a vital role in the dynamics of two mating rotating rolls (i.e., nip dynamics). The polymer covers are often used in moist conditions where the loading rates are rather high and temperatures may vary from 45 to 60°C. In this paper, we study the dynamic mechanical behavior of two soft polyurethane composite roll covers under different conditions of temperature, moisture, and loading rate. For the tests in compression, both servohydraulic materials testing machines and the split Hopkinson pressure bar technique were used in the strain rate range of 0.001–1500 s⁻¹. The specimens, which were to be tested under moist conditions, were immersed in paper machine water (pH 4.5) until saturated moisture content was reached. The materials showed remarkable softening as well as decrease in the strain rate sensitivity in moist conditions.     

Technique for Combined Dynamic Compression–Shear Testing of PBXs

We modify the split Hopkinson pressure bar and propose a compression–shear experimental method to investigate the dynamic behavior of polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs). The main apparatuses used include an incident bar with a wedge-shaped end and two transmission bars. We employ Y-cut quartzes with a rotation angle of 17.7° to measure the shear force and an optical system for shear strain measurement. A PBX with a density of 1.7 g/cm³ is investigated using the proposed method. Experimental results show that the specimen endures both compression and shear failure. Compression failure stress rises, and shear failure stress decreases as the strain rate increases. The sequences of shear and compression failure times are various at different strain rates. Based on the maximum shear failure criterion, we conclude that these phenomena are related to the experimental loading path.     

极端环境下连续碳纤维增韧的陶瓷基复合材料的力学行为

连续纤维增韧的碳化硅复合材料(以下简称C/SiC),作为超高速飞行器热结构使用时,有可能在高温环境下受到高速撞击的作用,因此,掌握其在极端环境(高温、高应变率)下的力学性能是进行结构安全设计的基础。本文采用具有高温实验能力的分离式Hopkinson杆,在293~1273K温度范围内进行了动态压缩力学性能测试,研究了环境温度和加载速率对材料力学性能的影响。结果表明:C/SiC复合材料的高温压缩力学性能主要受应力氧化损伤和残余应力的共同影响。实验温度低于873K时,应力氧化损伤的影响很小,而由于增强纤维和基体界面残余应力的释放使界面结合强度增大,复合材料的压缩强度随温度的升高而增大;当实验温度高于873K时,应力氧化损伤加剧,其对压缩强度的削弱超过残余应力释放对强度的贡献,材料的压缩强度随温度的升高逐渐降低。由于应力氧化损伤受应变率的影响很大,当温度由873K升高至1273K时,高应变率下压缩强度降低的程度要比应变率为0.0001/s时低得多。     

A Hybrid Experimental/Numerical Investigation of the Response of Multilayered MEMS Devices to Dynamic Loading

In order to probe the mechanical response of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) subjected to dynamic loading, a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar was used to load MEMS devices at accelerations ranging from 10³–10⁵  g. Multilayer beams consisting of a PZT film sandwiched between two metal electrodes atop an elastic layer of silicon dioxide were studied because of their relevance to active MEMS devices. Experiments were conducted using the modified split Hopkinson pressure bar to quantify the effects of dynamic loading amplitude, duration, and temporal profile on the failure of the multilayered cantilever beams. Companion finite element simulations of these beams, informed by experimental measurements, were conducted to shed light into the deformation of the multilayered beams. Results of the numerical simulations were then coupled with independent experimental measurements of failure stress in order to predict the material layer at which failure initiation occurred, and the associated time to failure. High-speed imaging was also used to capture the first real-time images of MEMS structures responding to dynamic loading and successfully compare the recorded failure event with those predicted numerically.     

Biaxial Testing of Sheet Materials at High Strain Rates Using Viscoelastic Bars

A dynamic bulge testing technique is developed to perform biaxial tests on metals at high strain rates. The main component of the dynamic testing device is a movable bulge cell which is directly mounted on the measuring end of the input bar of a conventional split Hopkinson pressure bar system. The input bar is used to apply and measure the bulging pressure. The experimental system is analyzed in detail and the measurement accuracy is discussed. It is found that bars made of low impedance materials must be used to achieve a satisfactory pressure measurement accuracy. A series of dynamic experiments is performed on aluminum 6111-T4 sheets using viscoelastic nylon bars to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed experimental technique. The parameters of the rate-dependent Hollomon–Cowper–Symonds J2 plasticity model of the aluminum are determined using an inverse analysis method in conjunction with finite element simulations.     

Strain-Rate-Dependent Failure of a Toughened Matrix Composite

The strain-rate-dependent behavior of a toughened matrix composite (IM7/8552) was characterized under quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions. Unidirectional and off-axis composite specimens were tested at strain rates ranging from 10^?4 to 10³ s^?1 using a servo-hydraulic testing machine and split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus. The nonlinear response and failure were analyzed and evaluated based on classical failure criteria and the Northwestern (NU) failure theory. The predictive NU theory was shown to be in excellent agreement with experimental results and to accurately predict the strain-rate-dependent failure of the composite system based on measured average lamina properties.     

Characterization of shock accelerometers using Davies bar and laser interferometer

In this paper, we propose a novel method for evaluating the frequency response of shock accelerometers using Davies bar and interferometry. The method adopts elastic wave pulses propagating in a thin circular bar for the generation of high accelerations. The accelerometer to be examined is attached to one end of the bar and experiences high accelerations of the order of 10³∼10⁵ m/s². A laser interferometer system is newly designed for the absolute measurement of the bar end motion. It can measure the motion of a diffuse surface specimen at a speed of 10⁻³ ∼10⁰ m/s. Uncertainty of the velocity measurement is estimated to be±6×10⁻⁴ m/s, proving a high potential for use in the primary calibration of shock accelerometers. Frequency characteristics of the accelerometer are determined by comparing the accelerometer's output with velocity data of the interferometry in the frequency domain. Two piezoelectric-type accelerometers are tested in the experiment, and their frequency characteristics are obtained over a wide frequency range up to several ten kilohertz. It is also shown that the results obtained using strain gages are consistent with those by this new method. Paper was presented at the 1992 SEM Spring Conference on Experimental Mechanics held in Las Vegas, NV on June 8–11.     

Determination of Early Flow Stress for Ductile Specimens at High Strain Rates by Using a SHPB

In a dynamic experiment to obtain the high-rate stress–strain response of a ductile specimen, it takes a finite amount of time for the strain rate in the specimen to increase from zero to a desired level. The strain in the specimen accumulates during this strain-rate ramping time. If the desired strain rate is high, the specimen may yield before the desired rate is attained. In this case, the strain rates at yielding and early plastic flow are lower than the desired value, leading to inaccurate determination of the yield strength. Through experimentation and analysis, we examined the validity and accuracy of the flow stresses for ductile materials in a split Hopkinson pressure (SHPB) bar experiment. The upper strain-rate limit for determining the dynamic yield strength of ductile materials with a SHPB is identified.     

Dynamic fracture toughness of high strength metals under impact loading: increase or decrease

An elusive phenomenon is observed in previous investigations on dynamic fracture that the dynamic fracture toughness(DFT) of high strength metals always increases with the loading rate on the order of TPa.m 1 /2.s 1.For the purpose of verification,variation of DFT with the loading rate for two high strength steels commonly used in the aviation industry,30CrMnSiA and 40Cr,is studied in this work.Results of the experiments are compared,which were conducted on the modified split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB) apparatus,with striker velocities ranging from 9.2 to 24.1 m/s and a constant value of 16.3 m/s for 30CrMnSiA and 40Cr,respectively.It is observed that for 30CrMnSiA,the crack tip loading rate increases with the increase of the striker velocity,while the fracture initiation time and the DFT simultaneously decrease.However,in the tests of 40Cr,there is also an increasing tendency of DFT,similar to other reports.Through an in-depth investigation on the relationship between the dynamic stress intensity factor(DSIF) and the loading rate,it is concluded that the generally increasing tendency in previous studies could be false,which is induced from a limited striker velocity domain and the errors existing in the experimental and numerical processes.To disclose the real dependency of DFT on the loading rate,experiments need to be performed in a comparatively large striker velocity range.     

Dynamic response and energy dissipation characteristics of balsa wood: experiment and analysis

Dynamic response of a cellular sandwich core material, balsa wood, is investigated over its entire density spectrum ranging from 55 to 380 kg/m³. Specimens were compression loaded along the grain direction at a nominal strain rate of 3 × 10³ s⁻¹ using a modified Kolsky (split Hopkinson) bar. The dynamic data are discussed and compared to those of quasi-static experiments reported in a previous study (Mech. Mater. 35 (2003) 523). Results show that while the initial failure stress is very sensitive to the rate of loading, plateau (crushing) stress remains unaffected by the strain rate. As in quasi-static loading, buckling and kink band formation were identified to be two major failure modes in dynamic loading as well. However, the degree of dynamic strength enhancement was observed to be different for these two distinct modes. Kinematics of deformation of the observed failure modes and associated micro-inertial effects are modeled to explain this different behavior. Specific energy dissipation capacity of balsa wood was computed and is found to be comparable with those of fiber-reinforced polymer composites.     

Effect of Mass Density on the Compressive Behavior of Dry Sand Under Confinement at High Strain Rates

Dynamic compressive behavior of dry quartz sand (Quikrete #1961 sand quarried in Pensacola, FL) under confinement was characterized using a modified long split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). Sand grains were confined inside a hollow cylinder of hardened steel and capped by cemented tungsten carbide cylindrical rods. This assembly was subjected to repeated shaking to consolidate sand to attain precise bulk mass densities. It is then sandwiched between incident and transmission bars on SHPB for dynamic compression measurements. Sand specimens of five initial mass densities, namely, 1.51, 1.57, 1.63, 1.69, and 1.75 g/cm³, were characterized at high strain rates near 600 s⁻¹, to determine the volumetric and deviatoric behaviors through measurements of both axial and transverse responses of a cylindrical sand sample under confinement. The stress–strain relationship was found to follow a power law relationship with the sand initial bulk density, with an exponent of 8.25, indicating a behavior highly sensitive to mass density. The energy absorption density and compressibility of sand were determined as a function of axial stress.     

Effect of the loading rate, angle of orientation of fibers, and temperature on the strength properties of birch

The present paper reports results of analysis of the strength and strain properties of birth wood at different loading rates, sample temperatures, and angles of orientation of fibers relative to the direction of loading. Dynamic tests (v=10 m/sec) with axial compression of the samples were conducted by the Kol'skii method on a setup with a Hopkinson compound rod. Noticeable dynamic strengthening of samples with angles of orientation of fibers α=0 and 5° was observed. At test temperatures +65, +20, and −30°C, the dynamic strength is higher than the quasistatic strength by approximately 23, 31, and 42% respectively. Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov 607190. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 39, No. 6, pp. 154–158, November–December, 1998.     

An Experimental Technique for Spalling of Concrete

The spalling strength of concrete is measured by examining the strain wave profiles in a polymer buffer bar behind the slender concrete bar specimen placed between a large diameter (Φ100 mm) Hopkinson bar and the buffer bar. The experimental results indicate that the spalling strength is related to not only the compressive strength of concrete but also the impact velocities (the loading rates). The rate effect of spalling strength mainly results from the different cracking paths in concrete under different impact velocities. However when the input compressive stress to specimen exceeds the threshold required to trigger the compressive damage, the spalling strength decreases due to the evolution and cumulation of compressive damage in concretes. The repeated impact loading experiments indicate that damage plays an important role in the spallation process of concrete. The high speed video of the spalling fracture process shows that multiple spalling fractures may occur in the scab and damage accumulation resulting from stress wave propagation in scab is the main reason for the producing of multiple spallations.