• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.735-758
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• 2015

This work deals with unilateral effect of quasi-brittle materials, such as concrete. For this propose, a two-dimensional meso-scale model is presented. The material is considered as a three-phase material consisting of interface zone, matrix and inclusions - each constituent modeled by an appropriate constitutive model. The Representative Volume Element (RVE) consists of inclusions idealized as circular shapes randomly placed into the specimen. The interface zone is modeled by means of cohesive contact finite elements developed here in order to capture the effects of phase debonding and interface crack closure/opening. As an initial approximation, the inclusion is modeled as linear elastic as well as the matrix. Our main goal here is to show a computational homogenization-based approach as an alternative to complex macroscopic constitutive models for the mechanical behavior of the quasi-brittle materials using a finite element procedure within a purely kinematical multi-scale framework. A set of numerical examples, involving the microcracking processes, is provided. It illustrates the performance of the proposed model. In summary, the proposed homogenization-based model is found to be a suitable tool for the identification of macroscopic mechanical behavior of quasi-brittle materials dealing with unilateral effect.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.595-613
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• 2018

The objective of our study is to analyze the behavior of bonded, riveted and hybrid (bonded / riveted) steel / steel assemblies by tensile tests and to show the advantage of a hybrid assembly over other processes. the finite element method with the ABAQUS numerical code was used to model the fracture behavior of the different assemblies. Cohesive zone models (CZM) have been adopted to model crack propagation in bonded joints using a bilinear tensile separation law implemented in the ABAQUS finite element code. The riveted assemblies were modeled with the XFEM damage method identified in this ABAQUS numerical code. Both CZM and XFEM methods are combined to model hybrid assemblies. The results are consistent with the experimental results and make it possible to guarantee the validity of the applied numerical model. The use of a hybrid assembly shows a high resistance compared to other conventional methods, where the number of rivets has been highlighted. The use of the hybrid assembly improves mechanical strength and increases service life compared to a single lap joint and a riveted joint.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.223-243
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• 2015

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) can be placed and compacted under its own weight with little or no compaction. It is cohesive enough to be handled without segregation or bleeding. Modifications in the mix design of SCC may significantly influence the material's mechanical properties. Therefore, it is vital to investigate whether all the assumed hypotheses about conventional concrete (CC) are also valid for SCC structures. The aim in this paper is to develop analytical models for flexural cracking that describe in appropriate detail the observed cracking behaviour of the reinforced concrete flexural one way slabs tested. The crack width and crack spacing calculation procedures outlined in five international codes, namely Eurocode 2 (1991), CEB-FIP (1990), ACI318-99 (1999), Eurocode 2 (2004), and fib-Model Code (2010), are presented and crack widths and crack spacing are accordingly calculated. Then, the results are compared with the proposed analytical models and the measured experimental values, and discussed in detail.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.83-101
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• 2008

A derivation is given of two-scale models that are able to describe deformation and flow in a fluid-saturated and progressively fracturing porous medium. From the micromechanics of the flow in the cavity, identities are derived that couple the local momentum and the mass balances to the governing equations for a fluid-saturated porous medium, which are assumed to hold on the macroscopic scale. By exploiting the partition-of-unity property of the finite element shape functions, the position and direction of the fractures are independent from the underlying discretization. The finite element equations are derived for this two-scale approach and integrated over time. The resulting discrete equations are nonlinear due to the cohesive crack model and the nonlinearity of the coupling terms. A consistent linearization is given for use within a Newton-Raphson iterative procedure. Finally, examples are given to show the versatility and the efficiency of the approach.

• Composites Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2019

Several studies related to reinforce composites structures in the through thickness direction have been developed along the years. As follows, in this study a new reinforced process is proposed based on previous experimental results using a novel stitching process in T-joints and one-stitched specimens. It was established the need to perform more analysis under standard test methods to obtain a better understanding. FEM analysis were compared after performed mode I interlaminar fracture toughness test, using different stitching patterns to analyze the through thickness strength with reference laminates without stitching. The stitching patterns were defined in $2{\times}2$ and $3{\times}3$, where the upper and lower head of the non-continuous stitching process (I-Fiber) has proven to influence in a higher through thickness strength of the laminate. In order to design the numerical model, cohesive parameters were required to define the surface to surface bonding elements using the cohesive zone method (CZM) and simulate the crack opening behavior from the double cantilever beam (DCB) test.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.8 no.1 s.27
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• pp.139-152
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• 2006

Many experimental and numerical approaches have been developed to evaluate paving materials and to predict pavement response and distress. Micromechanical simulation modeling is a technology that can reduce the number of physical tests required in material formulation and design and that can provide more details, e.g., the internal stress and strain state, and energy evolution and dissipation in simulated specimens with realistic microstructural features. A clustered distinct element modeling (DEM) approach was implemented In the two-dimensional particle flow software package (PFC-2D) to study the complex behavior observed in asphalt mixture fracturing. The relationship between continuous and discontinuous material properties was defined based on the potential energy approach. The theoretical relationship was validated with the uniform axial compression and cantilever beam model using two-dimensional plane strain and plane stress models. A bilinear cohesive displacement-softening model was implemented as an intrinsic interface and applied for both homogeneous and heterogeneous fracture modeling in order to simulate behavior in the fracture process zone and to simulate crack propagation. A disk-shaped compact tension test (DC(T)) with heterogeneous microstructure was simulated and compared with the experimental fracture test results to study Mode I fracture. The realistic arbitrary crack propagation including crack deflection, microcracking, crack face sliding, crack branching, and crack tip blunting could be represented in the fracture models. This micromechanical modeling approach represents the early developmental stages towards a 'virtual asphalt laboratory,' where simulations of laboratory tests and eventually field response and distress predictions can be made to enhance our understanding of pavement distress mechanisms, such its thermal fracture, reflective cracking, and fatigue crack growth.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2017

Because adhesively bonded joints are used in many structural systems, it is important to predict accurate adhesive strengths. Composite aircraft with many joints are easily exposed to low temperatures and high relative humidity. This paper presents a humidity aging effect on the adhesive strength of a composite single-lap joint (SLJ). The adhesive strength of the SLJ is predicted using a finite element analysis with a cohesive zone model (CZM) technique. The humidity aging effect is evaluated based on the adhesive strength and CZM parameters. A lap joint test is carried out on the composite SLJ specimens, which are exposed for four months of 100% R.H. at $25^{\circ}C$. The predicted strengths are in good agreement with experimental data, and the actual crack propagation is satisfactorily simulated using the local CZM technique.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.111-121
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• 2018

It has been argued that fracture energy of composite laminates depends on their thickness and number of layers. In this paper a modified direct energy balance approach (DEBA) has been developed to evaluate the mode-II shear fracture energy for E-glass/Epoxy laminates from finite element model at an arbitrary thickness. This approach considers friction and damage/plasticity deformations using cohesive zone modeling (CZM) and nonlinear finite element modeling. The presence of compressive stress and resulting friction was argued to be a possible cause for the thickness dependency of fracture energy. In the finite element modeling, CZM formulation has been developed with bilinear cohesive constitutive law combined with friction consideration. Also ply element have been developed with shear plastic damage model. Modified direct energy balance approach has been proposed for estimation of mode-II shear fracture energy. Experiments were performed on laminates of glass epoxy specimens for characterization of material parameters and determination of mode-II fracture energies for different thicknesses. Effect of laminate thickness on fracture energy of transverse crack tension (TCT) and end notched flexure (ENF) specimens has been numerically studied and comparison with experimental results has been made. It is shown that the developed numerical approach is capable of estimating increase in fracture energy due to size effect.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 2002

The objective of this study is to examine the fracture characteristics of concrete at early ages such as critical stress intensity factor, critical crack-tip opening displacement, fracture energy, and bilinear softening curve based on the concepts of the effective-elastic crack model and the cohesive crack model. A wedge splitting test for Mode I was performed on cubic wedge specimens with a notch at the edge. By taking various strengths and ages, load-crack mouth opening displacement curves were obtained, and the results were analyzed by linear elastic fracture mechanics and the finite element method. The results from the test and analysis showed that critical stress intensity factor and fracture energy increased, and critical crack-tip opening displacement decreased with concrete ages from 1 day to 28 days. By numerical analysis four parameters of bilinear softening curve from 1 day to 28 days were obtained. The obtained fracture parameters and bilinear softening curves at early ages may be used as a fracture criterion and an input data for finite element analysis of concrete at early ages.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.17 no.6 s.90
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• pp.1053-1064
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• 2005

The mechanical damage of concrete is normally attributed to the formation of microcracks and their propagation and coalescence into macroscopic cracks. This physical degradation is caused from progressive and hierarchical damage of the microstructure due to debonding and slip along bimaterial interfaces at the mesoscale. Their growth and coalescence leads to initiation of hairline discrete cracks at the mesoscale. Eventually, single or multiple major discrete cracks develop at the macroscale. In this paper, from this conceptual model of mechanical damage in concrete, the computational efforts were made in order to characterize physical cracks and how to quantify the damage of concrete materials within the laws of thermodynamics with the aid of interface element in traditional finite element methodology. One dimensional effective traction/jump constitutive interface law is introduced in order to accommodate the normal opening and tangential slips on the interfaces between different materials(adhesion) or similar materials(cohesion) in two and three dimensional problems. Mode I failure and mixed mode failure of various geometries and boundary conditions are discussed in the sense of crack propagation and their spent of fracture energy under monotonic displacement control.