This study is devoted to the development of an integrated numerical modeling enabling one to investigate the static and the dynamic behaviors and failures of 2-D textile composite as well as 3-D orthogonal woven composite structures weakened by cracks and subjected to static-, impact- and ballistic-type loads. As more complicated modeling about textile composite structures is introduced, some of homogenization schemes, geometrical modeling and crack propagations become more difficult problems to solve. To overcome these problems, this study presents effective mesh-generation schemes, homogenization modeling based on a repeating unit cell and sinusoidal functions, and also a cohesive element to study micro-crack shapes. This proposed research has two: 1) studying behavior of textile composites under static loads, 2) studying dynamic responses of these textile composite structures subjected to the transient/ballistic loading. In the first part, efficient homogenization schemes are suggested to show the influence of textile architectures on mechanical characteristics considering the micro modeling of repeating unit cell. Furthermore, the structures of multi-layered or multi-phase composites combined with different laminar such as a sub-laminate, are considered to find the mechanical characteristics. A simple progressive failure mechanism for the textile composites is also presented. In the second part, this study focuses on three main phenomena to solve the dynamic problems: micro-crack shapes, textile architectures and textile effective moduli. To obtain a good solutions of the dynamic problems, this research attempts to use four approaches: I) determination of governing equations via a three-level hierarchy: micro-mechanical unit cell analysis, layer-wise analysis accounting for transverse strains and stresses, and structural analysis based on anisotropic plate layers, II) development of an efficient computational approach enabling one to perform transient response analyses of 2-D plain woven, 2-D braided and 3-D orthogonal woven composite structures featuring matrix cracking and exposed to time-dependent ballistic loads, III) determination of the structural characteristics of the textile-layered composites and their degraded features under smeared and discrete cracks, and assessment of the implications of stiffness degradation on dynamic response to impact loads, and finally, IV) the study of the micro-crack propagation in the textile/ceramic layered plates. A number of numerical models have been carried out to investigate the mechanical behavior of 2-D plain woven, 2-D braided and 3-D orthogonal woven textile composites with several geometrical representations, and also study the dynamic responses of multi-layered or textile layered composite structures subjected to ballistic impact penetrations with a developed in-house code. / Ph. D.

Large Area Maskless Photopolymerization (LAMP) is a disruptive additive manufacturing technology developed in the Direct Digital Manufacturing Laboratory at Georgia Tech. Due to polymerization shrinkage during the layer-by-layer curing process, stresses are accumulated that can give rise to cracks and delaminations along the interfaces between adjacent layers. The objective of this doctoral dissertation is to investigate the mechanisms of stress evolution and cracking/delamination during the LAMP manufacturing process through theoretical modeling and experimental characterization methods. The evolving conversion degree in a layer was characterized through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and this leads to a so-called print-through curve. The polymerization shrinkage strain in each exposed layer was calculated on the basis of the theoretical relationship between the volumetric shrinkage and the degree of conversion. Furthermore, the material’s elastic modulus, which also evolves with the degree of conversion, was characterized by three-point bending tests. With the degree of conversion, cure-dependent modulus and shrinkage strain as the three primary inputs, finite element modeling was conducted to dynamically simulate the layer-by-layer manufacturing process and to predict the process-induced stresses. To investigate the fracture process, Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of the LAMP-built laminates was characterized, using the double cantilever beam (DCB) test and the end notched flexure (ENF) test, respectively. In order to predict the crack initiation and propagation occurring in a LAMP-built part, a mixed-mode cohesive element model was developed. The Mode I and Mode II cohesive parameters, which are used to describe the bilinear constitutive behavior of the cohesive elements, were determined by matching the numerical load-deflection curves to the experimental ones obtained from the DCB tests and the ENF tests, respectively. Using this model, the fracture of a hollow-cylinder part was analyzed and the simulation results were compared with experiments. Finally, several possible strategies for mitigating the shrinkage related defects were investigated. Reducing the overall polymerization shrinkage, optimizing the print-through curve and delaying the gel point of resin composite were demonstrated to be effective in reducing stresses and cracks.

Understanding the mechanical behavior of composite materials requires extensive knowledge of fracture behavior as a crack approaches an interface between the bulk material and the reinforcement structure. Overall material toughness can be greatly influenced by the propensity of an impinging crack to propagate directly through the substrate or deflect along an interface boundary. As the basis for this thesis; the assertion that an impinging crack may encounter a reinforcement structure at various incident angles is explored. This requires the ability to predict crack penetration/ deflection behavior not only normal to the reinforcement, but at various incident angles. Previous work in the area of interface fracture mechanics has used a stress or energy based approach, with recent advances in the field of a combined cohesive-zone method. Work presented here investigates the interaction between strength and toughness when using the cohesive-zone method on the problem of an impinging crack not normally incident to the interface of a composite material. Computational mechanics methods using Abaqus and user-define cohesive elements will be applied to this angled incident crack problem. A circular model based on the displacement field equations for mode-I fracture loading is introduced and verified against well-established LEFM solutions. This circular model is used to study the effects of incident crack angle on the penetration vs. deflection behavior of an impinging crack at various angles of incidence. Additionally, the effects of angle on the load applied to the model at fracture are explored. Finally, a case study investigating how the interaction between strength and toughness found using the cohesive-zone method helps to explain some of the inconsistencies seen in the interface indentation fracture test procedure. / Graduation date: 2013

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Nous avons donc proposé dans cette thèse une stratégie pour suivre l’évolution des fissures dans une structure en béton précontraint. L'objectif principal est de définir des briques de modélisation permettant d'étudier le comportement des fissures dans les enceintes de confinement des centrales nucléaires. Chaque brique de modélisation permet ainsi de représenter un phénomène non-linéaire présent dans ces structures : la fissuration du béton, les grilles d'armatures, les cables de précontrainte, la décohésion de l'acier dans le béton ainsi que le vieillissement du béton. Elles ont été validées grâce à plusieurs essais expérimentaux et appliquées à différentes zones. de l'enceinte de confinement pour simuler l'amorçage et la propagation des fissures. Enfin, une stratégie pour définir un état initialement fissuré a été développé à l'aide de ces différentes briques ainsi qu'une méthode de zoom pour reproduire les conditions limites de la précontrainte et la montée en pression sur une partie de l'enceinte. / The difficulty of predicting cracks on reinforced concrete structures is due to the heterogeneity of the concrete and the dependence on environmental boundary conditions. To overcome this problem, we introduce directly a potential crack at the initial time, using cohesive zone models. A major difficulty will be to juggle the cohesive zone models describing cracking and the phenomena of creep and drying, and thus to consider three types of nonlinearities appearing in the calculation : cracking, decohesion of steelconcrete and creep. We also propose a strategy to represent an initially cracked structure. In this thesis, the crack behavior in different parts of the confinement building are modeled using the above described method.

Indonesia is a developing country that suffers from earthquakes and windstorms and where at least 60% of houses are non-engineered structures, built by unskilled workers using masonry and timber. The non-engineered housing units developed in urban region are also vulnerable to seismic hazard due to the use of low quality of material and constructions method. Those structures are not resistant to extreme lateral loads or ground movement and their failure during an earthquake or storm can lead to significant loss of life. This thesis is concerned with the structural performance of Indonesian low-rise buildings made of masonry and timber under lateral seismic load. The research presented includes a survey of forms of building structure and experimental, analytical and numerical work to predict the behaviour of masonry wall and traditional timber frame buildings. Experimental testing of both masonry and timber have been carried out in Indonesia to establish the quality of materials and to provide material properties for numerical simulations. The experimental study found that the strength of Indonesia-Bali clay brick masonry are below the minimum standard required for masonry structures built in seismic regions, being at least 50% lower than the requirement specified in British Standard and Eurocode-6 (BS EN 1996-1-1:2005). In contrast, Indonesian timber materials meet the strength classes specified in British Standard/Eurocode- 5 (BS EN 338:2009) in the range of strength grade D35-40 and C35).Structural tests under monotonic and cyclic loading have been conducted on building components in Indonesia, to determine the load-displacement capacity of local hand-made masonry wall panels and timber frames in order to: (1) evaluate the performance of masonry and timber frame structure, (2) investigate the dynamic behaviour of both structures, (3) observe the effect of in-plane stiffness and ductility level, and (4) examine the anchoring joint at the base of timber frame that resists the overturning moment. From these tests, the structural ductility was found to be less than two which is below the requirement of the relevant guidelines from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, USA (FEMA-306). It was also observed that the lateral stiffness of masonry wall is much higher than the equivalent timber frame of the same height and length. The experimental value of stiffness of the masonry wall panel was found to be one-twelfth of the recommended values given in FEMA-356 and the Canadian Building code. The masonry wall provides relatively low displacement compared to the large displacement of the timber frame at the full capacity level of lateral load, with structural framing members of the latter remaining intact. The weak point of the timber frame is the mechanical joint and the capacity of slip joint governs the lateral load capacity of the whole frame. Detailed numerical models of the experimental specimens were setup in Abaqus using three-dimensional solid elements. Cohesive elements were used to simulate the mortar behaviour, exhibiting cracking and the associated physical separation of the elements. Appropriate contact definitions were used where relevant, especially for the timber frame joints. A range of available material plasticity models were reviewed: Drucker-Prager, Crystalline Plasticity, and Cohesive Damage model. It was found that the combination of Crystalline Plasticity model for the brick unit and timber, and the Cohesive Damage model for the mortar is capable of simulating the experimental load-displacement behaviour fairly accurately. The validated numerical models have been used to (1) predict the lateral load capacity, (2) determine the cracking load and patterns, (3) carry out a detailed parametric study by changing the geometric and material properties different to the experimental specimens. The numerical models were used to assess different strengthening measures such as using bamboo as reinforcement in the masonry walls for a complete single storey, and a two-storey houses including openings for doors and windows. The traditional footing of the timber structures was analysed using Abaqus and was found to be an excellent base isolation system which partly explains the survival of those structures in the past earthquakes. The experimental and numerical results have finally been used to develop a design guideline for new construction as well as recommendations for retrofitting of existing structures for improved performance under seismic lateral load.