• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.117-133
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• 2022

Determination of the mechanical behaviour of jointed rock masses has been a challenge for rock engineers for decades. This problem is more pronounced for non-persistent jointed rock masses due to complicated interaction of rock bridges on the overall behaviour. This paper aims to study the effect of a non-persistent joint set configuration on the mechanical behaviour of rock materials under both uniaxial and biaxial compression tests using a discrete element code. The numerical simulation of biaxial compressive strength of rock masses has been challenging in the past due to shortcomings of bonded particle models in reproducing the failure envelope of rock materials. This problem was resolved in this study by employing the flat-joint contact model. The validity of the numerical model was investigated through a comprehensive comparative study against physical uniaxial and biaxial compression experiments. Good agreement was found between numerical and experimental tests in terms of the recorded peak strength and the failure mode in both loading conditions. Studies on the effect of joint orientation on the failure mode showed that four zones of intact, transition to block rotation, block rotation and transition to intact failure occurs when the joint dip angle varies from 0° to 90°. It was found that the applied confining stress can significantly alter the range of these zones. It was observed that the minimum strength occurs at the joint dip angle of around 45 degrees under different confining stresses. It was also found that the joint orientation can alter the post peak behaviour and the lowest brittleness was observed at the block rotation zone.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 재33권6호
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• pp.597-609
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• 2023

The instability and failure of engineered rock masses are influenced by crack initiation and propagation. Uniaxial compression and acoustic emission (AE) experiments were conducted on cracked sandstone. The effect of the crack's dip on the crack initiation was investigated using fracture mechanics. The crack propagation was investigated based on stress-strain curves, AE multi-parameter characteristics, and failure modes. The results show that the crack initiation occurs at the tip of the pre-fabricated crack, and the crack initiation angle increases from 0° to 70° as the dip angle increases from 0° to 90°. The fracture strength k_cr is derived varies in a U-shaped pattern as β increased, and the superior crack angle β_m is between 36.2 and 36.6 and is influenced by the properties of the rock and the crack surface. Low-strength, large-scale tensile cracks form during the crack initiation in the cracked sandstone, corresponding to the start of the AE energy, the first decrease in the b-value, and a low r-value. When macroscopic surface cracks form in the cracked sandstone, high-strength, large-scale shear cracks form, resulting in a rapid increase in the AE energy, a second decrease in the b-value and an abrupt increase in the r-value. This research has significant theoretical implications for rock failure mechanisms and establishment of damage indicators in underground engineering.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제55권2호
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• pp.116-125
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• 2018

Color shade variation was investigated in zirconia dental blocks, prepared using commercial powders. As a reference color-shade block we used the color indexes of A2, A3.5, A4 and B3, according to the VITA classical color scale. The zirconia powders for color shade blocks showed colors of white, yellow, pink and grey, respectively, after firing at $1530^{\circ}C$. The zirconia powders were mixed according to the recipe of color shade blocks and shaped at lower pressure using a uniaxial hydrostatic press. The shaped sample was inserted into a vinyl pack and sealed in a vacuum form machine. The shaped block samples were reshaped at 450 bar using an isostatic cold press and fired at $1530^{\circ}C$ for three hours. In order to investigate the atmospheric color variation with firing temperature, the A2, A3.5, A4 and B3 sintered blocks were fired between $700^{\circ}C$ and $1300^{\circ}C$ under controlled atmosphere of $pN_2$ and $pO_2$. The surface color picture was taken using a smart phone camera and compared with the results obtained using the VITA classical color scale. Quantitative color index value, CIELAB, was measured using a color-meter. Above $800^{\circ}C$, the color darkness greatly increased with the increase of the reduction temperature and keeping time.

• Advances in materials Research
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.147-160
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• 2012

In the present study, diffusion bonding was carried out between AZ31B magnesium and AA2024 aluminium in the temperature range of $405^{\circ}C$ to $475^{\circ}C$ for 15 min to 85 min and 5MPa to 20 MPa uniaxial loads was applied. Interface quality of the joints was assessed by microhardness and shear testing. Also, the bonding interfaces were analyzed by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer and XRD. The maximum bonding and shear strength was obtained at $440^{\circ}C$, 12 MPa and 70 min. The maximum hardness values were obtained from the area next to the interface in magnesium side of the joint. The hardness values were found to decrease with increasing distance from the interface in magnesium side while it remained constant in aluminium side. It was seen that the diffusion transition zone near the interface consists of various phases of $MgAl_2O_4$, $Mg_2SiO_4$ and $Al_2SiO_5$.

• Computers and Concrete
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.229-241
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• 2011

In this work, cement paste samples with 1% (by cement mass) of a conductive carbon fiber admixture have been studied under uniaxial compression. Three different arrangements were used to measure the resistivity of the samples. According to the results obtained, the resistance should be measured using the four wire method in order to obtain good sensitivity and repeatability. The effect of the load value and the load rate on the fractional change of the volume resistivity has been determined. It has been observed that the gage factor (fractional change in resistance respect to strain) increases when the maximum load is increased, and the loading rate does not affect significantly this parameter. The effect of the sample ambient humidity on the material piezoresistivity has also been studied, showing that the response of the composite is highly affected by this parameter.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제6권7호
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• pp.817-826
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• 1998

A finite element model based on the incremental endochronic theory for flexible pavement materials was developed in this study. Three grid systems with eight-node cubic isoparametric elements, and different loading steps were used to perform the calculations for a specimen of circular cylinder. The uniaxial stress experimental results on an asphalt mixture at $60^{\circ}C$ in SHRP conducted by University of California at Berkeley were used to check the ability of the derived numerical model. Then, the numerical results showed isotropic response and deviatoric response on the specimen in a three dimensional manner, which provided a better understanding for a deformed flexible material under the specified loading conditions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.375-382
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• 2000

Experimental investigation into the cyclic behaviour of sand plast brick masonry was performed on forty two square panels. The panels were subjected to cyclic uniaxial compression for two cases of loading: normal to bed joint and parallel to bed joint. Experimental data were used to plot the unloading-reloading curves for the entire range of the stress-strain curve. Mathematical expressions to predict the reloading and unloading stress-strain curves at various values of residual strain are proposed. A simple parabola and an exponential type formula are found adequate to model the unloading and reloading curves respectively. The models account for the potential effects of residual strain on these curves. Comparison of test results with the proposed mathematical expression shows good correspondence.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.401-416
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• 2002

This paper presents a domain decomposition method for buckling analysis of rectangular Kirchhoff plates subjected to uniaxial inplane load and with mixed edge support conditions. A plate is decomposed into two rectangular subdomains along the change of the discontinuous support conditions. The automated Ritz method is employed to derive the governing eigenvalue equation for the plate system. Compatibility conditions are imposed for transverse displacement and slope along the interface of the two subdomains by modifying the Ritz trial functions. The resulting Ritz function ensures that the transverse displacement and slope are continuous along the entire interface of the two subdomains. The validity and accuracy of the proposed method are verified with convergence and comparison studies. Buckling results are presented for several selected rectangular plates with various combination of mixed edge support conditions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.377-388
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• 2004

Based on the basic equations of elasticity, free-edge effects on stresses in cross-ply laminated plates are found by using the state space method. The laminates are subjected to uniaxial-uniform extension plate, which is a typical example of general plane strain problem. The study takes into account material constants of all individual material layers and the state equation of a laminate is solved analytically in the through thickness direction. By this approach, a composite plate may be composed of an arbitrary number of orthotropic layers, each of which may have different material properties and thickness. The solution provides a continuous displacement and inter-laminar stress fields across all material interfaces and an approxiamte prediction to the singularity of stresses occurring in the boundary layer region of a free-edge. Numerical solutions are obtained and compared with the results obtained from an alternative numerical method.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.411-427
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• 2006

The Discrete Element Method, DEM, is increasingly used in fracture studies of non-homogeneous continuous media, such as rock and concrete. A 2D circular rigid DEM formulation, developed to model concrete, has been adopted. A procedure developed to generate aggregate particles with a given aspect ratio and shape is presented. The aggregate particles are modelled with macroparticles formed by a group of circular particles that behave as a rigid body. Uniaxial tensile and compression tests performed with circular and non-circular aggregates, with a given aspect ratio, have shown similar values of fracture toughness when adopting uniform strength and elastic properties for all the contacts. Non-circular aggregate assemblies are shown to have higher fracture toughness when different strength and elastic properties are set for the matrix and for the aggregate/matrix contacts.