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Mechanics Approach (mechanic + approach)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Engineering	75%

Selected Abstracts

Prediction of crack opening stress levels for 1045 quenched and tempered steel under service loading spectra

FATIGUE & FRACTURE OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES, Issue 1 2006
M. KHALIL
ABSTRACT The opening stresses of a crack emanating from an edge notch in a 1045 quenched and tempered steel specimen were measured under two different Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard service load histories having different average mean stress levels. The two spectra are the Grapple Skidder history (GSH), which has a positive average mean stress, and the Log Skidder history (LSH), which has a zero average mean stress. To capture the behaviour of the crack opening stress in the material, the crack opening stress levels were measured at 900X using an optical video microscope, at frequent intervals for each set of histories scaled to two different maximum stress ranges. A crack growth analysis based on a fracture mechanics approach was used to model the fatigue behaviour of the steel specimens for the given load spectra and stress ranges. Crack growth analysis was based on an effective strain-based intensity factor, a crack growth rate curve obtained during closure-free loading cycles and a local notch strain calculation based on Neuber's rule. The crack opening stress (Sop) was modelled and the model was implemented in a fatigue notch model, and the fatigue lives of the specimens under the two different spectra scaled to several maximum stress levels were estimated. The average measured crack opening stresses were between 6 and 12% of the average calculated crack opening stresses. In the interest of simplifying the use of Sop in design, the average Sop was correlated with the frequency of occurrence of the cycle reducing the Sop to the average crack opening stress level. The use of an Sop level corresponding to the cycle causing a reduction in Sop to a level reached once per 10 cycles gave a conservative estimate of average crack opening stress for all the histories. [source]

A numerical method for the study of shear band propagation in soft rocks

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 13 2009
Marta Castelli
Abstract This paper investigates the possibility of interpreting progressive shear failure in hard soils and soft rocks as the result of shear propagation of a pre-existing natural defect. This is done through the application of the principles of fracture mechanics, a slip-weakening model (SWM) being used to simulate the non-linear zone at the tips of the discontinuity. A numerical implementation of the SWM in a computation method based on the boundary element technique of the displacement discontinuity method (DDM) is presented. The crack and the non-linear zone at the advancing tip are represented through a set of elements, where the displacement discontinuity (DD) in the tangential direction is determined on the basis of a friction law. A residual friction angle is assumed on the crack elements. Shear resistance decreases on elements in the non-linear zone from a peak value at the tip, which is characteristic of intact material, to the residual value. The simulation of a uniaxial compressive test in plane strain conditions is carried out to exemplify the numerical methodology. The results emphasize the role played by the critical DD on the mechanical behaviour of the specimen. A validation of the model is shown through the back analysis of some experimental observations. The results of this back analysis show that a non-linear fracture mechanics approach seems very promising to simulate experimental results, in particular with regards to the shear band evolution pattern. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Smeared crack approach: back to the original track

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 12 2006
M. Cervera
Abstract This paper briefly reviews the formulations used over the last 40 years for the solution of problems involving tensile cracking, with both the discrete and the smeared crack approaches. The paper focuses on the smeared approach, identifying as its main drawbacks the observed mesh-size and mesh-bias spurious dependence when the method is applied ,straightly'. A simple isotropic local damage constitutive model is considered, and the (exponential) softening modulus is regularized according to the material fracture energy and the element size. The continuum and discrete mechanical problems corresponding to both the weak discontinuity (smeared cracks) and the strong discontinuity (discrete cracks) approaches are analysed and the question of propagation of the strain localization band (crack) is identified as the main difficulty to be overcome in the numerical procedure. A tracking technique is used to ensure stability of the solution, attaining the necessary convergence properties of the corresponding discrete finite element formulation. Numerical examples show that the formulation derived is stable and remarkably robust. As a consequence, the results obtained do not suffer from spurious mesh-size or mesh-bias dependence, comparing very favourably with those obtained with other fracture and continuum mechanics approaches. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Modelling of paste flows subject to liquid phase migration

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 10 2007
M. J. Patel
Abstract Particulate pastes undergoing extrusion can exhibit differential velocities between the solid and liquid phases, termed liquid phase migration (LPM). This is observed experimentally but understanding and predictive capacity for paste and extruder design is limited. Most models for LPM feature one-dimensional analyses. Here, a two-dimensional finite element model based on soil mechanics approaches (modified Cam-Clay) was developed where the liquid and the solids skeleton are treated separately. Adaptive remeshing routines were developed to overcome the significant mesh distortion arising from the large strains inherent in extrusion. Material data to evaluate the model's behaviour were taken from the literature. The predictive capacity of the model is evaluated for different ram velocities and die entry angles (smooth walls). Results are compared with experimental findings in the literature and good qualitative agreement is found. Key results are plots of pressure contributions and extrudate liquid fraction against ram displacement, and maps of permeability, liquid velocity and voids ratio. Pore liquid pressure always dominates extrusion pressure. The relationship between extrusion geometry, ram speed and LPM is complex. Overall, for a given geometry, higher ram speeds give less migration. Pastes flowing into conical entry dies give different voids ratio distributions and do not feature static zones. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]