Scattering of SH-waves on triangular hill joined by semi-cylindrical canyon

Scattering of SH-waves on the triangular hill joined by semi-cylindrical canyon in half-space is studied using the method of complex function and moving coordinates. The model being studied is divided into two domains. The wave functions satisfying the required condition at each wedge are constructed in each equation. The equations are solved with Fourier expansion. Numerical results are provided to discuss the influence of scattering of SH-waves.     

Effective pressure-sensitive elastoplastic behavior of particle-reinforced composites and porous media under isotropic loading

The composite under investigation consists of an elastoplastic matrix reinforced by elastic particles or weakened by pores. The material forming the matrix is pressure-sensitive. The Drucker–Prager yield criterion and a one-parameter non-associated flow rule are employed to formulate the yield behavior of the matrix. The objective of this work is to estimate the effective elastoplastic behavior of the composite under isotropic tensile and compressive loadings. To achieve this objective, the composite sphere assemblage model of Hashin [Z. Hashin, The elastic moduli of heterogeneous materials, ASME J. Appl. Mech. 29 (1962) 143–150] is used. Exact solutions are thus derived as estimations for the effective secant and tangent bulk moduli of the composite. The effects of the loading modes and phase properties on the effective elastoplastic behavior of the composite are analytically and numerically evaluated.     

The elastic response of a cohesive aggregate—a discrete element model with coupled particle interaction

A model is presented for the deformation of a cohesive aggregate of elastic particles that incorporates two important effects of large-sized inter-particle junctions. A finite element model is used to derive a particle response rule, for both normal and tangential relative deformations between pairs of particles. This model agrees with the Hertzian contact theory for small junctions, and is valid for junctions as large as half the nominal particle size. Further, the aggregate model uses elastic superposition to account for the coupled force–displacement response due to the simultaneous displacement of all of the neighbors of each particle in the aggregate. A particle stiffness matrix is developed, relating the forces at each junction to the three displacement degrees of freedom at all of the neighboring-particle junctions. The particle response satisfies force and moment equilibrium, so that the model is properly posed to allow for rigid rotation of the particle without introducing rotational degrees of freedom. A computer-simulated sintering algorithm is used to generate a random particle packing, and the stiffness matrix is derived for each particle. The effective elastic response is then estimated using a mean field or affine displacement calculation, and is also found exactly by a discrete element model, solving for the equilibrium response of the aggregate to uniform-strain boundary conditions. Both the estimate and the exact solution compare favorably with experimental data for the bulk modulus of sintered alumina, whereas Hertzian contact-based models underestimate the modulus significantly. Poisson's ratio is, however, accurately determined only by the full equilibrium discrete element solution, and shown to depend significantly on whether or not rigid particle rotation is permitted in the model. Moreover, this discrete element model is sufficiently robust, so it can be applied to problems involving non-homogeneous deformations in such cohesive aggregates.     

Constitutive response of idealized granular media under the principal stress axes rotation

This paper is dedicated to the understanding of the phenomena, which give rise to anisotropy and non-coaxiality in granular materials. In achieving three-dimensional numerical simulation under static condition of granular media, granular element method (GEM) is adopted in this study. The method has been incorporated into the so-called mathematical homogenization theory for quasi-static equilibrium problems, which enables us to obtain the macroscopic/phenomenological inelastic deformation response of a representative volume element (RVE). To examine the anisotropic macroscopic deformation properties of the assumed RVE, which is solved by granular element method (GEM), a series of numerical experiments involving the pure rotation of the principal stress axes are carried out, and its results are discussed in relation to induced anisotropy and non-coaxiality.     

Determining the angle of repose of sand under low-gravity conditions using discrete element method

This study is a comparative investigation of data, collected through experimental and numerical means, related to the flow of sand particles through a hopper under low-gravity conditions. During a parabolic airplane flight simulating low-gravity conditions, we determined effects of gravity on the angle of repose of sand pile particles by flowing dry sand from a hopper. The gravity effects on the angle of repose of the sand were negligible. Two-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) was used to simulate the angle of repose. Results were compared to observations made during the low-gravity experiments. Effects of varying parameters such as the friction coefficient and coefficient of rolling friction were determined by running various DEM simulations. Moreover, the effect of the elemental radius on the angle of repose was investigated using DEM. The angle of repose is influenced by certain changes in the friction coefficient and rolling friction values, but the elemental radius has only a negligible effect on the angle of repose within the range of variation. Results show that the DEM model used for this study might be applicable to determine terramechanical interactions under lunar surface gravity conditions, provided that parameters are adjusted and an extended period of simulation is achieved.     

Statistics of particle interactions in dense granular material under uniaxial compression

Stress evolution in a dense granular material is closely related to interactions of contacting particles. We investigate statistics related to particle interactions and the relationship between the averaged local relative motion and the macroscopic motion. The validity of the Voigt and Reuss assumptions is examined, and extensions to these assumptions are proposed. Effects of history in the dense granular material are investigated. Statistical samples used in this paper are obtained using three-dimensional numerical simulations of dense granular media under uniaxial cyclical compression. The results show that stresses arise mostly from normal forces between particles, and direct contributions from frictional tangential forces between particles are small. Tangential friction, however, significantly increases the particle contact time, and thus reduces the rate of contact breakage. The contact breakage rate is demonstrated to be a stress relaxation rate. Therefore, stress increases significantly with friction between particles as a result of prolonged relaxation time.     

Green’s functions for bending problem of a thin anisotropic plate with an elliptic hole

The Green’s functions have not been studied in open literatures for the bending problem of an anisotropic plate with an elliptic hole subjected to a normal concentrated force and a concentrated moment. In this paper, the problem is investigated and the Green’s functions are first obtained by using the complex potential approach. The techniques of conformal mapping transformation and analytic continuation are used to derive the closed-form complex stress functions. The Green’s functions obtained have some potential applications in the analysis of composite structures such as the modification of the displacement compatibility model for notched stiffened composite panels and the formulation of a new method for interlaminar stress analysis around holes of laminates.     

Green’s function solution for transient heat conduction in annular fin during solidification of phase change material

The Green’s function method is applied for the transient temperature of an annular fin when a phase change material (PCM) solidifies on it. The solidification of the PCMs takes place in a cylindrical shell storage. The thickness of the solid PCM on the fin varies with time and is obtained by the Megerlin method. The models are found with the Bessel equation to form an analytical solution. Three different kinds of boundary conditions are investigated. The comparison between analytical and numerical solutions is given. The results demonstrate that the significant accuracy is obtained for the temperature distribution for the fin in all cases.     

Green’s function for T-stress of semi-infinite plane crack

Green’s function for the T-stress near a crack tip is addressed with an analytic function method for a semi-infinite crack lying in an elastical, isotropic, and infinite plate. The cracked plate is loaded by a single inclined concentrated force at an interior point. The complex potentials are obtained based on a superposition principle, which provide the solutions to the plane problems of elasticity. The regular parts of the potentials are extracted in an asymptotic analysis. Based on the regular parts, Gre...     

Structure initiale et propriétés de liquéfaction statique d'un sableInitial structure and static liquefaction properties of sand.

Based on the use of two different preparation procedures for reconstituting triaxial samples of sand, i.e. wet tamping and dry pluviation, significant differences in associated mechanical behaviour are observed on a reference sand with respect to the phenomenon of ‘static’ liquefaction. Wet tamping favours the initiation of liquefaction instability, whereas dry pluviation favours a more stable behaviour, less susceptible to liquefaction. Microscopic observation of corresponding sand specimens allows us to identify two well differentiated structures, i.e., for wet tamping, an irregular structure with predominance of aggregates (aggregated grains) and macropores, very contractant and unstable and, for dry pluviation, a more regular structure, without macropores, more dilatant and more stable. These observations show the importance of further characterization, based on the introduction of appropriate parameters, of the initial structure of sandy materials, strongly dependant upon their mode of formation (natural or artificial). To cite this article: N. Benahmed et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).     

On the efficient representation of the half-space impedance Green’s function for the Helmholtz equation

A classical problem in acoustic (and electromagnetic) scattering concerns the evaluation of the Green’s function for the Helmholtz equation subject to impedance boundary conditions on a half-space. The two principal approaches used for representing this Green’s function are the Sommerfeld integral and the (closely related) method of complex images. The former is extremely efficient when the source is at some distance from the half-space boundary, but involves an unwieldy range of integration as the source gets closer and closer. Complex image-based methods, on the other hand, can be quite efficient when the source is close to the boundary, but they do not easily permit the use of the superposition principle since the selection of complex image locations depends on both the source and the target. We have developed a new, hybrid representation which uses a finite number of real images (dependent only on the source location) coupled with a rapidly converging Sommerfeld-like integral. While our method applies in both two and three dimensions, we restrict the detailed analysis and numerical experiments here to the two-dimensional case.     

Solutions exactes de fissure d'interface sous contact frottant avec un milieu indéformableExact solutions of the interface crack between elastic and rigid bodies under contact with friction

One considers an interface crack between an elastic half-plane and a rigid half-plane, in the presence of Coulomb's friction. There exists two singular solutions at the semi-infinite crack tip, which correspond physically to the push-in and the pull-out of a rigid fiber in an elastic matrix. The exact solutions show that only the mode II is present and there is no oscillatory behavior of the stress and the displacement near the crack tip, but an oscillatory behavior is observed at the transition point with the stress free zone. There exists four types of singular solutions for finite crack in bounded medium, but only one in an infinite medium. To cite this article: H.D. Bui, A. Oueslati, C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).     

Analysis of an interfacial crack in a piezoelectric bi-material via the extended Green’s functions and displacement discontinuity method

Based on the extended Stroh formalism, we first derive the extended Green’s functions for an extended dislocation and displacement discontinuity located at the interface of a piezoelectric bi-material. These include Green’s functions of the extended dislocation, displacement discontinuities within a finite interval and the concentrated displacement discontinuities, all on the interface. The Green’s functions are then applied to obtain the integro-differential equation governing the interfacial crack. To eliminate the oscillating singularities associated with the delta function in the Green’s functions, we represent the delta function in terms of the Gaussian distribution function. In so doing, the integro-differential equation is reduced to a standard integral equation for the interfacial crack problem in piezoelectric bi-material with the extended displacement discontinuities being the unknowns. A simple numerical approach is also proposed to solve the integral equation for the displacement discontinuities, along with the asymptotic expressions of the extended intensity factors and J-integral in terms of the discontinuities near the crack tip. In numerical examples, the effect of the Gaussian parameter on the numerical results is discussed, and the influence of different extended loadings on the interfacial crack behaviors is further investigated.     

Investigation of mechanical properties of water-based friction modifier for railway applicationsRecherches des propriétés mécaniques du modificateur frottement dans une forme de l'émulsion d'eau applique dans les chemins de fer

This Note outlines the investigation of the water-based friction modifier used in railway technology. This investigation involves measurements made using a novel measuring stand, a new modelling of the modifier and the identification of its parameters using measured results. The proposed model of the modifier is composed of a dry friction slider, a dash-pot and a spring. The investigation contributes to a deeper understanding of the modifier's performance. To cite this article: J. Piotrowski, C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).     

Un modèle paramétrique d'évolution de surface pour matériaux contraints : modélisationA parametric model of surface evolution for materials under constraint; part I: modeling

We present a model describing the surface changes of an elastic preconstrained material which is valid for large deformations. The surface profile is described by a parametric curve that allows the emergence of infinite tangents and back return point as the surface evolves. The proposed model covers a number of classic models: Spencer (1994), Yang (1993), Kassner (1994), Chiu (1994). These latter models were limited to surface profiles with one-to-one representations and low amplitudes of deformation. To cite this article: M. Carrive, J. Grilhé, C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).     

Comportement hydromécanique d'un sol gonflant compacté sous très fortes succionsHydromechanical behaviour of a compacted swelling soil under very high suctions

This paper presents a study performed on a compacted swelling material in the range of suctions comprised between 8.5 and 287.9 MPa. Two series of tests were carried out with suction controlled oedometers. The aim of the first series was to study the compressibility as a function of suction. It showed that the apparent preconsolidation pressure and the plastic compression line are greatly affected by the applied suctions. The other series of tests highlighted the influence of complex hydromechanical paths on the compressibility of the studied material that appeared to be greatly influenced by the stress path followed. To cite this article: O. Cuisinier, F. Masrouri, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).