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Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 86 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-86).

This thesis presents research into the micromechanical modelling of composite materials using numerical techniques. Composite materials are generally examined from two points of view: macromechanics and micromechanics, owing to their inherent heterogeneous nature. In this research, the material behaviour is examined on a microscopic scale, as the properties of interest, i.e. strength and toughness, are dependent on local phenomena. In general, the strength and toughness of composite materials are not as well understood as the simpler elastic properties, because in many cases the modes of failure under a given system of external load are not predictable in advance. Previous research in this field has typically involved specially designed experiments, theoretical/statistical studies, or the use of numerical models. In this study, advanced implementations of numerical methods in continuum mechanics, i.e. the boundary element and the finite element methods are employed to gain a greater understanding of composite behaviour. The advantage of using numerical methods, as opposed to experimental studies, is that the geometric and material characteristics can be investigated parametrically, in addition to the reduced time and expense involved. However, to model the complete behaviour of real composites is still not possible, due to the degree of complexity and uncertainty involved in modelling the various mechanisms of damage and failure, etc. and also due to the immense computational cost. Therefore, simplified models must be employed which are limited by their assumptions. For the preliminary studies within this thesis, geometrically simplified models are presented to provide an understanding of the influence of embedding second phase inclusions on the local stress fields, and also to validate the numerical techniques with readily available analytical solutions. These models are then extended to accommodate additional phenomena, such as inclusion interaction, spatial inclusion arrangement, material formulation, i.e. consisting of two- and three-phases of various material properties. The influence of such factors on the local stress concentrations, which play an important role in determining the strength of the composite, is analysed through a series of parametric studies. The localised toughening of composites is also considered through novel investigations into the interaction between a propagating crack with inclusions and microcracks. Through the development of the numerical models a more realistic representation of composite behaviour is achieved, which in tum, provides an improved knowledge of the factors that control strength and toughness. Such information is invaluable to composite material designers, who presently rely heavily on experimental studies to develop composite materials.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-37). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tennessee Technological University, 2009. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Aug. 21, 2009). Bibliography: leaves 46-50.

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Errata pasted onto front end-paper. Bibliography: leaves 101-104. This thesis employs integral equation methods, or boundary element methods (BEMs), for the solution of three kinds of engineering problems associated with inhomogeneous materials or media: a class of elliptical boundary value problems (BVPs), the boundary value problem of static linear elasticity, and the calculation of the solution of the initial-boundary value problem of non-linear heat conduction for anisotropic media.

This thesis is concerned with a mathematical study of several problems involving infiltration from irrigation channels into an unsaturated homogeneous soil. All the problems considered are two dimensional and are solved numerically by employing boundary integral equation techniques. In the first chapter I introduce some of the literature and ideas surrounding my thesis. Some background information is stated followed by an outline of the thesis and a list of author’s published works that support the material in the thesis. Full descriptions of the fundamental equations used throughout the thesis are provided in chapter 2. Chapter 3 contains the first problem considered in this thesis which is infiltration from various shapes of single and periodic irrigation channels. Specifically strip, semi-circular, rectangular and v shaped channels. The solutions are obtained using the boundary element technique. The solutions are then compared with the results obtained by Batu [14] for single and periodic strip sources. In chapter 4 a boundary integral equation method is adopted for the solution of flow from single and periodic semi-circular channels into a soil containing impermeable inclusions. The impermeable inclusions considered are of rectangular, circular and square shapes. The aim is to observe how the various shapes of inclusions can affect the direction of the flow particularly in the region adjacent to the zone where plant roots would be located. Chapter 5 solves the problem of infiltration from single and periodic semicircular irrigation channels into a soil containing impermeable layers. A modification is made to the boundary integral equation in order to include the impermeable layers with the integration over the layers involving Hadamard finite-part integrals. The objective of the work is to investigate how the number and the depth of the impermeable layers affects the flow. Chapter 6 employs a particular Green’s function in the boundary integral equation. The Green’s function is useful for flow from a single channel since it removes the need to evaluate the boundary integral along the soil surface outside the irrigation channel. A time dependent infiltration problem is considered in chapter 7. The Laplace transform is applied to the governing equations and the boundary integral equation technique is used to solve the resulting partial differential equation. The Laplace transform is then inverted numerically to obtain the time dependent values of the matric flux potential. / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Mathematical Sciences, 2008

Errata pasted onto front end-paper. / Bibliography: leaves 101-104. / xi, 174 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis employs integral equation methods, or boundary element methods (BEMs), for the solution of three kinds of engineering problems associated with inhomogeneous materials or media: a class of elliptical boundary value problems (BVPs), the boundary value problem of static linear elasticity, and the calculation of the solution of the initial-boundary value problem of non-linear heat conduction for anisotropic media. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Applied Mathematics, 2002

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy