Size effects on the plastic collapse limit load of thin foils in bending and thin wires in torsion

Following a previous paper by the author [Strain gradient plasticity, strengthening effects and plastic limit analysis, Int. J. Solids Struct. 47 (2010) 100–112], a nonconventional plastic limit analysis for a particular class of micron scale structures as, typically, thin foils in bending and thin wires in torsion, is here addressed. An idealized rigid-perfectly plastic material is considered, which is featured by a strengthening potential degree-one homogeneous function of the effective plastic strain and its spatial gradient. The nonlocal (gradient) nature of the material resides in the inherent strengthening law, whereby the yield strength is related to the effective plastic strain through a second order PDE with associated higher order boundary conditions. The peculiarity of the considered structures stems from their geometry and loading conditions, which dictate the shape of the collapse mechanism and make the higher order boundary conditions on the (microscopically) free boundary be accommodated by means of a boundary singularity mechanism. This consists in the formation of thin boundary layers with unbounded stresses, but bounded stress resultants which —together with the regular bulk stresses— contribute to the value of the collapse load. Closed-form solutions are provided for thin foils in pure bending and thin wires in pure torsion, and in particular the limit bending and torque moments are given as functions of an adimensionalized internal length parameter.     

Static, stability and dynamic analysis of gradient elastic flexural Kirchhoff plates

The governing equation of motion of gradient elastic flexural Kirchhoff plates, including the effect of in-plane constant forces on bending, is explicitly derived. This is accomplished by appropriately combining the equations of flexural motion in terms of moments, shear and in-plane forces, the moment–stress relations and the stress–strain equations of a simple strain gradient elastic theory with just one constant (the internal length squared), in addition to the two classical elastic moduli. The resulting partial differential equation in terms of the lateral deflection of the plate is of the sixth order instead of the fourth, which is the case for the classical elastic case. Three boundary value problems dealing with static, stability and dynamic analysis of a rectangular simply supported all-around gradient elastic flexural plate are solved analytically. Non-classical boundary conditions, in additional to the classical ones, have to be utilized. An assessment of the effect of the gradient coefficient on the static or dynamic response of the plate, its buckling load and natural frequencies is also made by comparing the gradient type of solutions against the classical ones.     

Some results of testing simple structures under constant and variable loading during creep

The design of two rigs for room-temperature creep testing is described. One is for testing beams in pure bending and the other for testing circular plates simply supported at the outer edge and loaded through a rigid central boss. A system for giving reproducible step-loading cycles is also described. Typical creep-deformation curves for commercially pure aluminum beams and plates under steady and variable loading are given. These test results are compared with predictions based on the tensile-creep behavior. The repeatability and accuracy of these results are also discussed.     

黏弹性结构蠕变屈曲特性的分析

分析了线黏弹性正交铺设层合板的蠕变失稳问题，由相空间的特征方程解出临界载荷，经Laplace数值反演得到屈曲载荷与时间的关系；然后，通过建立扰动模型和分析变形的有界与无界增长，讨论了黏弹性结构延迟失稳的特性，解释了临界载荷与失稳时间的具体含义．     

Effects of microscopic boundary conditions on plastic deformations of small-sized single crystals

The finite deformation version of the higher-order gradient crystal plasticity model proposed by the authors is applied to solve plane strain boundary value problems, in order to obtain an understanding of the effect of the higher-order boundary conditions. Numerical solutions are carried out for uniaxial plane strain compression of a single crystal block and for uniform pure bending of a single crystal foil. The compressed block has loading surfaces that are penetrable or impenetrable to dislocations. This allows for a study of the two types of higher-order boundaries available, and a significant effect of higher-order boundary conditions on the overall deformation mode of the block is observed. The bent foil has free surfaces through which dislocations can go out of the material, and we observe a strong size-dependent mechanical response resulting from the surface condition assumed.     

Experimental analysis of plates using the method of model curing

The method of model curing is applicable to the analysis of plates. When the polymerization process is complete and model is unloaded, the deflection and the birefringence remain permanent. The stereometric method is used for evaluation of bending and torsion moments, and photoelastic method is used as a control method. The example given of the method of curing is a square plate supported at three points and loaded by a concentrated load.     

定、变载弯曲疲劳钢丝绳失效机理对比研究

为对比揭示定、变载弯曲疲劳钢丝绳断裂机理及磨损演化特性,运用自制钢丝绳弯曲疲劳试验机开展钢丝绳定载、变载弯曲疲劳试验,通过人工拆股统计法和VW-9000系列高速度数码显微系统对比研究钢丝绳断丝分布、断丝数、断口和磨痕形貌等断裂机理,对比分析钢丝绳未断钢丝和断丝的磨痕尺寸演化特性. 结果表明:与钢丝绳定载弯曲疲劳相比,变载弯曲疲劳钢丝绳断丝出现较晚,芯股、螺旋股外层断丝数分别较多、较少,芯股外层钢丝断口挤压变形较大,芯股各层钢丝断口裂纹扩展区占比较低,芯股和螺旋股的各层钢丝磨痕尺寸总体较小,钢丝绳更易达到报废水平.      

Effects of texture on shear band formation in plane strain tension/compression and bending

In this study, effects of typical texture components observed in rolled aluminum alloy sheets on shear band formation in plane strain tension/compression and bending are systematically studied. The material response is described by a generalized Taylor-type polycrystal model, in which each grain is characterized in terms of an elastic–viscoplastic continuum slip constitutive relation. First, a simple model analysis in which the shear band is assumed to occur in a weaker thin slice of material is performed. From this simple model analysis, two important quantities regarding shear band formation are obtained: i.e. the critical strain at the onset of shear banding and the corresponding orientation of shear band. Second, the shear band development in plane strain tension/compression is analyzed by the finite element method. Predictability of the finite element analysis is compared to that of the simple model analysis. Third, shear band developments in plane strain pure bending of a sheet specimen with the typical textures are studied. Regions near the surfaces in a bent sheet specimen are approximately subjected to plane strain tension or compression. From this viewpoint, the bendability of a sheet specimen may be evaluated, using the knowledge regarding shear band formation in plane strain tension/compression. To confirm this and to encompass overall deformation of a bent sheet specimen, including shear bands, finite element analyses of plane strain pure bending are carried out, and the predicted shear band formation in bent specimens is compared to that in the tension/compression problem. Finally, the present results are compared to previous related studies, and the efficiency of the present method for materials design in future is discussed.     

Post-buckling analysis of FGM annular sector plates based on three dimensional elasticity graded finite elements

In this article, post-buckling and non-linear bending analysis of functionally graded annular sector plates based on three dimensional theory of elasticity in conjunction with non-linear Green strain tensor is considered. In-plane normal compressive loads have been applied to either radial, circumferential, or all edges of annular sector plates. Material properties are graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of constituents while Poisson׳s ratio is assumed to be constant. The governing equations are developed based on the principle of minimum total potential energy and solved based on graded finite element method. Non-linear equilibrium equations are solved based on iterative Newton–Raphson method. The effects of material gradient exponent, different sector angles, thickness ratio, loading condition and two different boundary conditions on the post-buckling behavior of FGM annular sector plates have been investigated. Results denote that due to the stretching–bending coupling effects of the FGMs, the post-buckling behavior of movable simply supported FGM plates is not of the bifurcation-type buckling. Moreover, FGM annular sector plates subjected to uniaxial compression at radial edges show a non-linear bending behavior with unique and stable equilibrium paths following a flattening feature.     

Inelastic behavior of an AS4/PEEK composite under combined transverse compression and shear. Part I: experiments

The nonlinear behavior in shear and transverse compression of unidirectional AS4/PEEK and their interaction are investigated experimentally. The composite is rate dependent even at room temperature and its rate exponent is similar to that of neat PEEK. The material is tested under pure shear, pure compression and under biaxial loading histories. The biaxial tests are performed in a custom facility on thin strips of the material. The facility allows freedom to choose the loading path in the biaxial stress and strain spaces of interest. Tests are performed for three biaxial loading paths. In the first, the specimen is sheared then compressed while the shear stress is held constant; in the second, the specimen is compressed then sheared while the compressive stress is held constant; and in the third, the specimen is loaded simultaneously by proportional amounts of compression and shear. It was found that the induced deformation is influenced significantly by the loading history followed. Also, initial loading in shear or compression has only a modest effect on subsequent loading of the other type. An unorthodox yielding behavior for the composite results from this lack of interaction. Finally, the stresses at failure are found to trace an elliptical path in the shear–transverse compression plane, but the failure stress state is not significantly affected by the loading path followed.     

Bending of uniformly cantilever rectangular plates

An exact solution is given for the bending of uniformly loaded rectangular cantilever plates by using the idea of generalized simply supported edge together with the method of superposition. As illustrative examples, a square plate and a rectangular plate with the ratio of the clamped edge to the neighbouring free edge equal to two are solved numerically. The results are compared with those obtained from approximate methods to confirm the validity of the method presented.     

Large deflection of a non-linear,elastic, asymmetric Ludwick cantilever beam subjected to horizontal force,vertical force and bending torque at the free end

The investigated cantilever beam is characterized by a constant rectangular cross-section and is subjected to a concentrated constant vertical load, to a concentrated constant horizontal load and to a concentrated constant bending torque at the free end. The same beam is made by an elastic non-linear asymmetric Ludwick type material with different behavior in tension and compression. Namely the constitutive law of the proposed material is characterized by two different elastic moduli and two different strain exponential coefficients. The aim of this study is to describe the deformation of the beam neutral surface and particularly the horizontal and vertical displacements of the free end cross-section. The analysis of large deflection is based on the Euler–Bernoulli bending beam theory, for which cross-sections, after the deformation, remain plain and perpendicular to the neutral surface; furthermore their shape and area do not change. On the stress viewpoint, the shear stress effect and the axial force effect are considered negligible in comparison with the bending effect. The mechanical model deduced from the identified hypotheses includes two kind of non-linearity: the first due to the material and the latter due to large deformations. The mathematical problem associated with the mechanical model, i.e. to compute the bending deformations, consists in solving a non-linear algebraic system and a non-liner second order ordinary differential equation. Thus a numerical algorithm is developed and some examples of specific results are shown in this paper.     

Microbuckle initiation from a patch of large amplitude fibre waviness in a composite under compression and bending

A finite element couple stress formulation is used to predict microbuckle initiation from a patch of fibre waviness in a unidirectional fibre composite under remote compression and bending. Attention is focused on the knock-down in strength due to large amplitude waviness, with the effects of the physical size of the imperfection included by incorporating the fibre bending resistance within the formulation. The predicted strengths deviate significantly from the simpler kinking theory which neglects the role of fibre bending. Initial imperfections in the form of an infinite band and a circular wavy patch are considered: when these imperfections are of large spatial extent and possess a large misalignment angle, the compressive strength approximates the steady state band broadening stress for an infinite band. The effect of an imposed spatial gradient of stress within the composite is explored by determining the compressive strength of beams of finite height B for the loading cases of pure bending and axial compression. It is found that the compressive strength is sensitive to the magnitude of the imposed stress gradient: the compressive strength of the outer fibres of the beam in bending increases with diminishing height of the beam. This size dependence is much reduced for the case of uniform compression.     

Bending of rectangular flat slabs supported by four columns

In this paper an analytical solution is proposed for the bending of uniformly loaded rectangular plates supported only by four intermediate columns, the edges and corners of which are all free. For several particular cases, the numerical results, which contain the column reaction and the values for the deflection and the bending moments at several points of the plate, are given.Calculations indicate that the method proposed in this paper is valid.     

轴向扩散下简支饱和多孔弹性梁的大挠度分析

基于多孔介质理论和弹性梁的大挠度理论,并考虑轴向变形,在孔隙流体仅沿轴向扩散的假设下,建立了微观不可压饱和多孔弹性梁大挠度弯曲变形的一维非线性数学模型.在此基础上,忽略饱和多孔弹性梁的轴向应变,并利用Galerkin截断法,研究了两端可渗透的简支饱和多孔弹性梁在突加横向均布载荷作用下的拟静态弯曲,给出了饱和多孔梁弯曲时挠度、弯矩和轴力以及孔隙流体压力等效力偶等沿轴线的分布曲线.揭示了大挠度非线性和小挠度线性模型的结果差异,指出大挠度非线性模型的结果小于相应小挠度线性模型的结果,并且这种差异随着载荷的增大而增大.计算表明:当无量纲载荷参数q>5时,应该采用大挠度非线性数学模型进行研究.     

A study of microbend test by strain gradient plasticity

Metallic materials display strong size effect when the characteristic length associated with plastic deformation is on the order of microns. This size effect cannot be explained by classical plasticity theories since their constitutive relations do not have an intrinsic material length. Strain gradient plasticity has been developed to extend continuum plasticity to the micron or submicron regime. One major issue in strain gradient plasticity is the determination of the intrinsic material length that scales with strain gradients, and several microbend test specimens have been designed for this purpose. We have studied different microbend test specimens using the theory of strain gradient plasticity. The pure bending specimen, cantilever beam, and the microbend test specimen developed by Stolken and Evans (Stolken, J.S., Evans, A.G., 1998. A microbend test method for measuring the plasticity length scale Acta Mater. 46, 5109–5115) are found suitable for the determination of intrinsic material length in strain gradient plasticity. However, the double cantilever beam (both ends clamped) is unsuitable since its deformation is dominated by axial stretching. The strain gradient effects significantly increase the bending stiffness of a microbend test specimen. The deflection of a 10-μm thick beam is only a few percent of that estimated by classical plasticity.     

Effects of non-uniform strains on tensile fracture of fiber-reinforced ceramic composites

Effects of non-uniform strains on tensile fracture of fiber-reinforced ceramic–matrix composites have not been satisfactorily explained by existing mechanics-based models. In this paper, we use an exact model of fiber fragmentation under global load sharing conditions to predict fracture in three model problems in which non-uniform strains occur: (i) an end-constrained plate subject to a linear transverse temperature gradient; (ii) an internally-pressurized cylindrical tube with a linear through-thickness temperature gradient; and (iii) a rectangular beam under combined bending and tension. Fracture is assumed to occur when the global load reaches a maximum value. Approximations to the exact fragmentation model are also assessed, with the goal of decoupling the effects of two important parts of the computed stress–strain response: the rate of post-peak strain softening and the magnitude of the plateau “flow” stress once fiber fragmentation is complete. We find that for cases in which the fiber Weibull modulus is low and hence its plateau strength is high relative to its peak and the loading yields a sufficiently high strain gradient, the failure strain lies in the plateau regime. Consequently, the results can be predicted with good accuracy using a perfectly-plastic representation of the post-peak response. In contrast, for cases in which the fiber Weibull modulus is high, the failure strain lies in the softening portion of the curve. Here a linear-softening model is found to yield accurate results. A preliminary assessment of the model has been made by comparing predicted and measured bending/tension strength and failure strain ratios for one specific composite. The correlations appear good, though additional experiments are required in order to critically assess the model predictions over a range of loading scenarios.     

Dynamic thermal buckling of suddenly heated temperature-dependent FGM cylindrical shells,under combined axial compression and external pressure

FGM components are constructed to sustain high temperature gradients. There are many applications where the FGM components are vulnerable to transient thermal shocks. If a component is already under compressive external loads (e.g. under a combination of axial compression and external pressure), the mentioned thermal shocks will cause the component to exhibit dynamic behavior and in some cases may lead to buckling. On the other hand, a preheated FGM component may undergo dynamic mechanical loads. Only static thermal buckling investigations were developed so far for the FGM shells. In the present paper, dynamic buckling of a pre-stressed, suddenly heated imperfect FGM cylindrical shell and dynamic buckling of a mechanically loaded imperfect FGM cylindrical shell in thermal environment, with temperature-dependent properties are presented. The general form of Green’s strain tensor in curvilinear coordinates and a high order shell theory proposed already by the author are used. Instead of using semi-analytical solutions that rely on the validity of the separation of variables concept, the complicated nonlinear governing equations are solved using the finite element method. Buckling load is detected by a modified Budiansky criterion proposed by the author. The effects of temperature-dependency of the material properties, volume fraction index, load combination, and initial geometric imperfections on the thermo-mechanical post-buckling behavior of a shell with two constituent materials are evaluated. The results reveal that the volume fraction index and especially, the differences between the thermal stresses created in the outer and the inner surfaces may change the buckling behavior. Furthermore, temperature gradient and initial imperfections have less effect on buckling of a shell subjected to a pure external pressure.     

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.     

A size-dependent Kirchhoff micro-plate model based on strain gradient elasticity theory

A size-dependent Kirchhoff micro-plate model is developed based on the strain gradient elasticity theory. The model contains three material length scale parameters, which may effectively capture the size effect. The model can also degenerate into the modified couple stress plate model or the classical plate model, if two or all of the material length scale parameters are taken to be zero. The static bending, instability and free vibration problems of a rectangular micro-plate with all edges simple supported are carried out to illustrate the applicability of the present size-dependent model. The results are compared with the reduced models. The present model can predict prominent size-dependent normalized stiffness, buckling load, and natural frequency with the reduction of structural size, especially when the plate thickness is on the same order of the material length scale parameter.