• Computers and Concrete
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2017

A coupled experimental-numerical study on shear fracture in concrete specimens with different geometries is carried out. The crack initiation, propagation and final breakage of concrete specimens are experimentally studied under compression loading. The load-strain and the strength of the specimens are experimentally measured, indicating decreasing effects of the shear behavior on the failure load of the specimen. The effects of specimen geometries on the shear fracturing path in the concrete specimens are also investigate. Numerical models using an indirect boundary element method are made to evaluate the crack propagation paths of concrete specimens. These numerical results are compared with the performed experiments and are validated experimentally.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.195-202
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• 2018

Many laboratory experiments on crack propagation under uniaxial loading and biaxial loading have been conducted in the past using transparent materials such as resin, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), etc. However, propagation behaviors of three-dimensional (3D) cracks in rock or rock-like materials under tri-axial loading are often considerably different. In this study, a series of true tri-axial loading tests on the rock-like material with two semi-ellipse pre-existing cracks were performed in laboratory to investigate the acoustic emission (AE) characteristics and propagation characteristics of 3D crack groups influenced by intermediate principal stress. Compared with previous experiments under uniaxial loading and biaxial loading, the tests under true tri-axial loading showed that shear cracks, anti-wing cracks and secondary cracks were the main failure mechanisms, and the initiation and propagation of tensile cracks were limited. Shear cracks propagated in the direction parallel to pre-existing crack plane. With the increase of intermediate principal stress, the critical stress of crack initiation increased gradually, and secondary shear cracks may no longer coalesce in the rock bridge. Crack aperture decreased with the increase of intermediate principal stress, and the failure is dominated by shear fracturing. There are two stages of fracture development: stable propagation stage and unstable failure stage. The AE events occurred in a zone parallel to pre-existing crack plane, and the AE zone increased gradually with the increase of intermediate principal stress, eventually forming obvious shear rupture planes. This shows that shear cracks initiated and propagated in the pre-existing crack direction, forming a shear rupture plane inside the specimens. The paths of fracturing inside the specimens were observed using the Computerized Tomography (CT) scanning and reconstruction.

• Transactions of Materials Processing
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2011

Using a mechano-luminescent(ML) paint, which allows the visualization of fast propagating crack under conventional loading conditions, a catastrophic fracture mechanism associated to crack tip melting and wake bridging in bulk metallic glass, is described in this paper. Fracture occurs in two steps with, first, crack initiation from the mechanically machined sharp notch tip in a rectangular shaped compact tension specimen and melting of its tip due to intense shear deformation within very few deformation bands. Then, the crystalline phase in the glass matrix gradually converts the molten crack into a conventional bridged crack as it propagates.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.248-260
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• 2004

Damage in brittle rock due to stress increase starts from initiation of microcracks, and then results in failure by forming macro failure planes due to propagation and coalescence of these discrete cracks. Conventionally, continuum approaches using macro-failure criteria or a number of elasto-plastic models have been major solution to implement rock damage and failure. However, actual brittle failure processes can be better described in phenomenological approach if initiation and propagation of discrete fractures are explicitly considered. This study presents damage and failure process of rock using a boundary element code, FRACOD, which has been developed to model fracturing process of rocks. Through a series of numerical uniaxial compressive tests, the feasibility of the developed model was verified, and realistic rock failure process was reproduced considering scale effects in rocks. In addition, the fracturing process and the corresponding rock damage in the vicinity of deep shaft in rock mass were presented as an application of this approach. This approach will be expected to contribute to finding better engineering solutions for the analysis of stability problems in brittle rock masses.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.310-318
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• 2006

In this study, we investigate the feasibility of in-situ crack propagation by using a double cleavage drilled compression (DCDC) specimen showing a slow crack velocity down to 0.03 mm/s under 0.01 mm/s of displacement control. Finite element analysis predicted that the DCDC specimens would show at least 4.3 fold delayed crack initiation time than conventional tensile fracture specimens under a constant loading speed. Using DCDC specimens, we were able to observe the in-situ crack propagation process in a particle reinforced transparent polymer composite. Our results confirmed that the DCDC specimen would be a good candidate for the in-situ observation of the behavior of particle reinforced composites with slow crack velocity, such as the self-healing process of micro-particle reinforced composites.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.03a
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• pp.58-63
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• 2009

Biaxial compression test was conducted on a transversely isotropic synthetic jointed rock model for the understanding of the fracture behaviors of a sedimentary or metamorphic rocks with well developed bedding or foliation in uni-direction. The joint angles employed for the model are 30, 45, and 60 degrees to the horizontal, and the synthetic rock mass was made of early strength cement. From the biaxial compression test, initiation propagation of tensile cracks at norm to the joint angle was found. The propagated tensile cracks eventually developed rock blocks, which was dislodged from the rock mass. Furthermore, the propagation process of the tensile cracks varies with joint angle: lower joint angle model shows more stable and progressive tensile crack propagation. The experiment results were validated from the simulation by using discrete element method PFC 2D. From the simulation, as has been observed from the test, a rock mass with lower joint angle produces wider damage region and rock block by tensile cracks. In addition, a rock model with lower joint angle shows a progressive tensile cracks generation around the opening from the investigation of the interacted tensile cracks.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.320-328
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• 2000

The numerical simulation of Brazilian fracture toughness test is carried out using PFC code and the influence parameters are analyzed such as shape of loading plane, size of Brazilian disc and unit particle of model, loading angle and loading rate. The flattened Brazilian disc is adopted for applying uniform load. The range of loading angle(2$\alpha$) necessary to induce the tensile crack at disc center and to obtain the load-displacement curve giving the critical load for the stable crack propagation is shown as 20°∼40°. In condition that the loading angle is 20°, the mode-I fracture toughness is evaluated almost constant in the range of particle size less than 1 mm and loading rate less than 0.01㎜/s. This range of influence parameters seems appropriate condition for the tensile crack initiation at disc center and the control of stable crack propagation, which can give the reliance in evaluation of fracture toughness by Brazilian test.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2000.09a
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• pp.67-75
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• 2000

The numerical simulation of Brazilian fracture toughness test is carried out using PFC code and the influence parameters are analyzed such as shape of loading plane, size of Brazilian disc and unit panicle of model, loading angle and loading rate. The flattened Brazilian disc is adopted for applying uniform load. The range of loading angle(2$\alpha$) necessary to induce the tensile crack at disc center and to obtain the load-displacement curve giving the critical load for the stable crack propagation is shown as 20$^{\circ}$~40$^{\circ}$. In condition that the loading angle is 20$^{\circ}$, the mode-I fracture toughness is evaluated almost constant in the range of particle size less than I mm and loading rate less than 0.01 mm/s. This range of influence parameters seems appropriate condition for the tensile crack initiation at disc center and the control of stable crack propagation, which can give the reliance in evaluation of fracture toughness by Brazilian test.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.68-78
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• 1998

Welding structure contains residual stress due to thermal-plastic strain during welding process, and its magnitude and distribution depend on welding conditions. Cracks initiate from various defects of the weldment, propagate and lead to final fracture, The crack initiation and propagation processes are affected by the magnitude and distribution. Therefore, the magnitude and distribution of weldment residual stress should be considered for safety design and service of welding structures. Also it is very important that more accurate assessment method of fatigue crack growth must take into account the redistributing the residual stress quantitively. because the residual stress in weldment has characteristics of its redistribution with loading magnitude, number of cycles and fatigue crack propagation. In this study fatigue crack behavior of STS-304 weldment was investigated during crack propagation into tensile residual stress region or compressive residual stress region. Crack growth rates were predicted and compared with experimental results.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.61-67
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• 1998

To find out the reason of fracture, specimens were made from the fractured winding shaft and the mechanical properties as well as their microstructures were investigated. Several heat treatments. including caburizing and tempering were carried out to improve the microstructure, mechanical properties, fatigue crack propagation and rotating bending fatigue characteristics. Through these experiments, following conclusions were obtained. (1) Carburized and tempered specimens showed greatly improved mechanical properties including impact energy, hardness and strength. (2) The fatigue strength of the carburized and tempered specimens increased more than twice than that of the original fractured winding shaft. (3) Crack propagation of the carburized and tempered specimens were faster than that of the original fractured speciens under the same △K. However, it is believed that, in the early stage, the fatigue crack initiation and growth for the carburized and tempered specimen is more difficult.