• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.167-177
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• 2023

A probabilistic micromechanical framework is proposed to quantify numerically the self-healing capabilities of polymers containing microcapsules. A two-step self-healing process is designed in this study: A probabilistic micromechanical framework based on the ensemble volume-averaging method is derived for the polymers, and a hitting probability model combined with a crack nucleation model is then utilized for encountering microcapsules and microcracks. Using this framework, a series of parametric investigations are performed to examine the influence of various model parameters (e.g., the volume fraction of microcapsules, microcapsule radius, radius ratio of microcracks to microcapsules, microcrack aspect ratio, and scale parameter) on the self-healing capabilities of the polymers. The proposed framework is also implemented into a finite element code to solve the self-healing behavior of tapered double cantilever beam specimens.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2020

There is an inherent randomness for concrete microstructure even with the same manufacturing process. Meanwhile, the concrete material under the aqueous environment is usually not fully saturated by water. This study aimed to develop a stochastic micromechanical framework to investigate the probabilistic behavior of the unsaturated concrete from microscale level. The material is represented as a multiphase composite composed of the water, the pores and the intrinsic concrete (made up by the mortar, the coarse aggregates and their interfaces). The differential scheme based two-level micromechanical homogenization scheme is presented to quantitatively predict the concrete's effective properties. By modeling the volume fractions and properties of the constituents as stochastic, we extend the deterministic framework to stochastic to incorporate the material's inherent randomness. Monte Carlo simulations are adopted to reach the different order moments of the effective properties. A distribution-free method is employed to get the unbiased probability density function based on the maximum entropy principle. Numerical examples including limited experimental validations, comparisons with existing micromechanical models, commonly used probability density functions and the direct Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the proposed models provide an accurate and computationally efficient framework in characterizing the material's effective properties. Finally, the effects of the saturation degrees and the pore shapes on the concrete macroscopic probabilistic behaviors are investigated based on our proposed stochastic micromechanical framework.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.250-257
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• 2000

A Helmholtz free energy for a martensitic transformation of a single crystalline shape-memory alloy is obtained by a micromechanical approach, 24 variants of the single crystal are taken into account. In the framework of irreversible thermodynamics, a kinetic relation, a martensitic nucleation criterion and the reorientation criterion of martensitic variants are obtained. These relations are valid for a three-dimensional proportional or non-proportional mechanical loading or a combination of mechanical and thermal loading. Reorientation behavior of a single crystalline shape-memory alloy CuZnAl is simulated. When a tensile load is applied to a thermally-induced martensite, 24 self-accommodated martensitic variants are reoriented to the most favorable variant. In the following unloading, the most favorable variant in the tensile load is reoriented to the most favorable variant in this loading condition.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.525-539
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• 2010

Polymer matrix composites are widely used in many engineering applications as they can be customized to meet a desired performance while not only maintaining low cost but also reducing weight. Polymers can experience viscoelastic-viscoplastic response when subjected to external loadings. Various reinforcements and fillers are added to polymers which bring out more complexity in analyzing the timedependent response. This study formulates an integrated micromechanical model and finite element (FE) analysis for predicting effective viscoelastic-viscoplastic response of polymer based hybrid composites. The studied hybrid system consists of unidirectional short-fiber reinforcements and a matrix system which is composed of solid spherical particle fillers dispersed in a homogeneous polymer constituent. The goal is to predict effective performance of hybrid systems having different compositions and properties of the fiber, particle, and matrix constituents. A combined Schapery's viscoelastic integral model and Valanis's endochronic viscoplastic model is used for the polymer constituent. The particle and fiber constituents are assumed linear elastic. A previously developed micromechanical model of particle reinforced composite is first used to obtain effective mechanical properties of the matrix systems. The effective properties of the matrix are then integrated to a unit-cell model of short-fiber reinforced composites, which is generated using the FE. The effective properties of the matrix are implemented using a user material subroutine in the FE framework. Limited experimental data and analytical solutions available in the literatures are used for comparisons.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2018

A differential scheme based micromechanical framework is proposed to obtain the effective properties of the saturated concrete repaired by the electrochemical deposition method (EDM) considering the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) effects. The constituents of the repaired concrete are treated as different phases, consisting of (micro-)cracks, (micro-)voids and (micro-)pores (occupied by water), deposition products, intrinsic concrete made up by the three traditional solid phases (i.e., mortar, coarse aggregates and their interfaces) and the ITZs. By incorporating the composite sphere assemblage (CSA) model and the differential approach, a new multilevel homogenization scheme is utilized to quantitatively estimate the mechanical performance of the repaired concrete with the ITZs. The CSA model is modified to obtain the effective properties of the equivalent particle, which is a three-phase composite made up of the water, deposition products and the ITZs. The differential scheme is employed to reach the equivalent composite of the concrete repaired by EDM considering the ITZ effects. Moreover, modification procedures considering the ITZ effects are presented to attain the properties of the repaired concrete in the dry state. Results in this study are compared with those of the existing models and the experimental data. It is found that the predictions herein agree better with the experimental data than the previous models.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.913-930
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• 2016

It is common practice to use Reduced Web Beam Sections (RWBS) in steel moment resisting frames. Perforation of beam web in these members may cause stress and strain concentration around the opening area and facilitate ductile fracture under cyclic loading. This paper presents a numerical study on the cyclic fracture of these structural components. The considered connections are configured as T-shaped assemblies with beams of elongated circular perforations. The failure of specimens under Ultra Low Cycle Fatigue (ULCF) condition is simulated using Cyclic Void Growth Model (CVGM) which is a micromechanics based fracture model. In each model, CVGM fracture index is calculated based on the stress and strain time histories and then models with different opening configurations are compared based on the calculated fracture index. In addition to the global models, sub-models with refined mesh are used to evaluate fracture index around the beam to column weldment. Modeling techniques are validated using data from previous experiments. Results show that as the perforation size increases, opening corners experience greater fracture index. This is while as the opening size increases the maximum observed fracture index at the connection welds decreases. However, the initiation of fracture at connection welds occurs at lower drift angles compared to opening corners. Finally, a probabilistic framework is applied to CVGM in order to account for the uncertainties existing in the prediction of ductile fracture and results are discussed.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1011-1033
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• 2015

In this article, large amplitude bending behaviour of laminated composite flat panel under combined effect of moisture, temperature and mechanical loading is investigated. The laminated composite panel model has been developed mathematically by introducing the geometrical nonlinearity in Green-Lagrange sense in the framework of higher-order shear deformation theory. The present study includes the degraded composite material properties at elevated temperature and moisture concentration. In order to achieve any general case, all the nonlinear higher order terms have been included in the present formulation and the material property variations are introduced through the micromechanical model. The nonlinear governing equation is obtained using the variational principle and discretised using finite element steps. The convergence behaviour of the present numerical model has been checked. The present proposed model has been validated by comparing the responses with those available published results. Some new numerical examples have been solved to show the effect of various parameters on the bending behaviour of laminated composite flat panel under hygro-thermo-mechanical loading.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.501-507
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• 2017

The predictive utility of a damage model depends heavily on its particular choice of a damage variable, which serves as a macroscopic approximation in describing the underlying micromechanical processes of microdefects. In the case of spatially perfectly randomly distributed microcracks or microvoids in all directions, isotropic damage model is an appropriate choice, and scalar damage variables were widely used for isotropic or one-dimensional phenomenological damage models. The simplicity of a scalar damage representation is indeed very attractive. However, a scalar damage model is of somewhat limited use in practice. In order to entirely characterize the isotropic damage behaviors of damaged materials in multidimensional space, a system theory of isotropic double scalar damage variables, including the expressions of specific damage energy release rate, the coupled constitutive equations corresponding to damage, the conditions of admissibility for two scalar damage effective tensors within the framework of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes, was provided and analyzed in this study. Compared with the former studies, the theoretical formulations of double scalar damage variables in this study are given in the form of matrix, which has many features such as simpleness, directness, convenience and programmable characteristics. It is worth mentioning that the above-mentioned theoretical formulations are only logically reasonable. Owing to the limitations of time, conditions, funds, etc. they should be subject to multifaceted experiments before their innovative significance can be fully verified. The current level of research can be regarded as an exploratory attempt in this field.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.633-649
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• 2022

This paper is first implemented with the bending behavior of three-dimensional functionally graded (3DFG) plates in the framework of level set-based topology optimization (LS-based TO). Besides, due to the suitable properties of the current design domain, the thin-plate spline (TPS) is recognized as a RBF to construct the LS function. The overall mechanical properties of the 3DFG plate are assessed using a power-law distribution scheme via Mori-Tanaka micromechanical material model. The bending response is obtained using the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The mixed interpolation of four elements of tensorial components (MITC4) is also implemented to overcome a well-known shear locking problem when the thickness becomes thinner. The Hamilton-Jacobi method is utilized in each iteration to enforce the necessary boundary conditions. The mathematical formulas are expressed in great detail for the LS-based TO using 3DFG materials. Several numerical examples are exhibited to verify the efficiency and reliability of the current methodology with the previously reported literature. Finally, the influences of FG materials in the optimized design are explained in detail to illustrate the behaviors of optimized structures.