The coastal population is growing, putting extra stress on coastal sediments and protection features, such as beach dunes. Moreover, global warming will increase the frequency of storms, and coastal dunes and other defense infrastructure will be subjected to increased erosion and scouring, endangering the people they are meant to protect. Understanding soil dynamics and fluid interaction is crucial to predict the effects of sand erosion. In particular, the study of wind erosion of sands in coastal dunes is essential due to the protective role these earthen structures have during storm events. One of the challenges about predicting wind erosion in coastal dunes is its extended spatial scale and the associated economic and logistics costs of sampling and characterizing the sediments. Because of this, in-situ testing for sediment characterization is essential. In particular, the usage of free-fall penetrometers (FFP) is appealing due to their portability and robustness. The sediment properties obtained with this type of testing can later be used to assess wind erosion susceptibility by determining, for example, the wind velocity to initiate the erosion process. FFP testing involves dropping an instrumented probe that impacts the soil and measures the kinematics or kinetics during the penetration process. For example, deceleration measurements are used to compute an equivalent quasi-static failure, which is not in line with the dynamic process characteristic of FFP testing. This preassumed failure mechanism is used to back-calculate the sand's geomechanical properties. However, soil behavior is highly complex under rapid loading, and incorporating this behavior into FFP sediment characterization models is challenging. Advanced numerical modeling can improve the understanding of the physics behind FFP testing. This thesis presents various advancements in numerical modeling and erosion models to bridge FFP in-situ testing with predicting the initiation of wind erosion of sands. First, improvements oriented to the Material Point Method (MPM) for modeling in-situ FFP testing are proposed. The numerical results show that the simulation of FFP deployment in sands is affected by strain localization and highlight the importance of considering constitutive models sensitive to different loading rates. Because of the importance of rate effects in soil behavior, the second aspect of this thesis proposes a novel consistency framework. Two constitutive models are adapted to study strain-rate sensitive non-cohesive materials: i) a strain-softening Mohr-Coulomb, and ii) a NorSand model. In addition to increased strength, the proposed framework captures increased dilatation, an early peak deviatoric stress, and relaxation. Finally, a novel sand erosion model is derived using a continuum approximation and limit equilibrium analysis. The erosion law considers geotechnical parameters, the effects of slope, and moisture suction, in a combined manner. The proposed model is theoretically consistent with existing expressions in the literature. It covers a wide range of environmental and geometrical conditions and helps to reconcile the results from FFP testing with the prediction of the initiation of wind erosion. The model was validated in a wind tunnel and is demonstrated to be a viable alternative for predicting sand erosion initiation. This thesis opens up new research prospects, such as improving the soil characterization models or the direct prediction of sand erosion using rapid, reliable, and efficient in-situ testing methods. / Doctor of Philosophy / With global warming and climate change, it is expected that the frequency and intensity of storms will increase. This increment will put extra stress on coastal sediments such as beach sand and coastal dunes, making them prone to erosion. Coastal dunes lose their ability to withstand storms as they erode, potentially making coastal flooding more frequent. In light of this, all stakeholders involved in the protection against coastal disasters must have the tools to predict, prepare for, and mitigate for situations like the ones stated above. An essential aspect of the prediction component is dependent on a successful sediment characterization, for example, determining how much wind the sand can withstand before it erodes. Free-fall penetrometers (FFP) are devices designed to conduct the characterization mentioned above. However, the procedures used to perform this characterization are mainly based on empirical or semi-empirical expressions. Computer models, capable of simulating the physics behind FFP testing, can bring more insight into the process of interaction between FFP devices, sands, and water and can be the basis to improve the characterization methods. The latter results can be utilized for instance to predict wind erosion, including several properties of the sand, such as its mineralogy and shape. This study contributes to developing the computer simulations of FFP deployment and the wind erosion prediction models. Eventually, these developments can help engineers and coastal managers to anticipate and prepare for more frequent coastal hazards.

Equivalent, three-dimensional elastic moduli are determined from unit cell models of balanced plain weave, 2D braid, 2D triaxial braid and 4x4 twill textile composite materials consisting of interlaced or intertwined yarns. The yarn paths are modeled with undulation portions, in which one yarn passes over and under one or more yarns, and with straight portions. It is assumed that the centerline of a yarn in the undulation portions is described by the sine function, and that the cross-sectional area of a yarn and the thickness of a yarn, normal to the centerline, are uniform along the centerline. For the balanced plain weave architecture, equations for the fiber volume fraction and the cross-sectional shape of the yarn are derived for large crimp angles. It is shown that the maximum crimp angle is limited to forty-five degrees, and that limits on the ratio of the length of the undulation portion of the path to the width of the unit cell impose constraints on the fiber volume fraction and yarn packing density. For small crimp angles, approximations to the volume fraction and yarn shape equations are obtained. This assumption is used in the derivation of the geometry of the remaining architectures, and subsequent equations are obtained for the corresponding geometric parameters. For each architecture, the yarns are assumed to be transversely isotropic and a stress averaging technique based on an iso-strain assumption is used to determine the effective moduli of the unit cells. Comparisons of the effective moduli are made to other unit cell models in the literature. The micromechanical models are implemented in Fortran programs and user material subroutines for ABAQUS, called UMAT, are created out of these programs. For a balanced plain weave fabric under the small crimp angle approximation, a progressive failure model is developed to predict failure within each yarn and to degrade the material properties of the representative unit cell. Material failure is predicted by discretizing the yarns into slices and applying Tsai-Wu quadratic criterion to the on-axis strains in each slice. A stiffness and strength reduction scheme is then used to account for the change in yarn compliance. At the present time, the UMAT has only been tested as a stand-alone program with Visual Fortran 6.0, and would require further development to be used within ABAQUS on sample structural problems. / Master of Science

Yes / This study established a dynamic damage constitutive model for ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) with nanofillers, based on a viscoelastic dynamic constitutive model and a damage evolution equation. Ten types of nanofillers, including particle, tube and flake nanofillers, were incorporated to modify UHPC. The split Hopkinson pressure bar was used to obtain the relationship between stress and strain of UHPC specimens at a strain rate of 200/s-800/s. The experimental results indicated that the dynamic compressive strength of UHPC with nanofillers at strain rates of approximately 200/s, 500/s, and 800/s can reach 172.8 MPa, 219.6 MPa, and 275.9 MPa, respectively, reflecting an increase of 85.2 %, 76.5 %, and 53.9 % compared with the blank UHPC. The established dynamic damage constitutive model considered the damage accumulation with strains under dynamic loading. The fitting coefficients of the dynamic damage constitutive model, when compared against experimental results, range from 0.8796 to 0.9963, showing a higher accuracy compared with traditional Zhu-Wang-Tang (ZWT) viscoelastic model, especially at a strain rate of approximately 200/s. / National Science Foundation of China (52178118 and 52308236), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M720648 and 2022M710973)

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) is a key component in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). During standard fuel cell operation, the PEM degrades due to cyclic hygrothermal loads, resulting in performance loss or total failure. Improvement of current PEM materials and development of cheaper, more durable materials is essential to the commercialization of PEMFC technology, which may provide an attractive alternative energy source for transportation. This dissertation investigates a new PEM material which is a blend of sulfonated perfluorocyclobutane (PFCB) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Hereafter referred to as PFCB/PVDF, this polymer blend was developed by General Motors Company™ as a potential replacement for the current benchmark PEM, the DuPont™ product Nafion®. The PFCB/PVDF blend is less costly to manufacture than standard PEM materials and investigations into its long-term mechanical durability are ongoing. Specifically, this document discusses the experimental and analytical work performed in the material characterization, constitutive expression development, and implementation of that expression into uniaxial and biaxial finite element geometries. Extension of the model to time-varying temperature and moisture conditions is also explored. The uniaxial finite element model uses a non-linear viscoelastic viscoplastic (NLVE-VP) constitutive expression with parameters determined from uniaxial creep and recovery experiments at a single environmental condition. Validation tests show that this model accurately predicts results from uniaxial tension experiments, such as stress relaxation, force ramp, and multistep creep and recovery, to stresses of 8 MPa and strains approaching 15%, which is the maximum hygrothermal strain expected in an operating fuel cell. The biaxial finite element model combines the NLVE-VP constitutive expression with the geometry of a pressure-loaded blister experiment, which better approximates fuel cell membrane constraints. Results from the biaxial model are compared to experimental results. The model accurately predicts strain in the blister test but predicts stresses that differ from those estimated from blister curvature. Additionally, it is found that both the non-linear viscoelastic and viscoplastic parameters are functions of the operating environment. Future experimental work is needed to characterize that dependence before the constitutive model is used to simulate the response of the PFCB/PVDF blend to fuel cell operating conditions. / Ph. D.

Aluminum alloys are increasingly being used in a broad spectrum of applications such as lightweight structures, light rail, bridge decks, marine crafts, and off-shore platforms. The post-fire (residual) integrity of aluminum structures is of particular concern as a severe degradation in mechanical properties may occur without catastrophic failure, even for short duration, low intensity fires. The lack of research characterizing residual mechanical behavior results in an unquantified mechanical state of the structure, potentially requiring excessively conservative repair. This research aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms governing the residual aluminum alloys so as to establish a knowledge-base to assist intelligent structural repair. In this work, the residual mechanical behavior after fire exposure of marine-grade aluminum alloys AA5083-H116 and AA6061-T651 is characterized by extensive mechanical testing. Metallography was performed to identify the as-received and post-fire microstructural state. This extensive characterization was utilized to develop constitutive models for the residual elasto-plastic mechanical behavior of the alloys. The constitutive models were developed as a series of sub-models to predict (i) microstructural evolution, (ii) residual yield strength, and (iii) strain hardening after fire exposure. The AA5083-H116 constitutive model was developed considering the microstructural processes of recovery and recrystallization. The residual yield strength was calculated considering solid solution, subgrain, and grain strengthening. A recovery model was used to predict subgrain growth and a recrystallization model was used to predict grain nucleation and growth, as well as subgrain annihilation. Strain hardening was predicted using the Kocks-Mecking-Estrin law modified to account for the additional dislocation storage and dynamic recovery of subgrains. The AA6061-T651 constitutive model was developed considering precipitate nucleation, growth, and dissolution. A Kampmann-Wagner numerical model was used to predict precipitate size distribution evolution during elevated temperature exposure. The residual yield strength was calculated using solid solution and precipitate strengthening, considering both shearable and non-shearable precipitates. A modified KME law was used to predict residual strain hardening considering the additional effects of the precipitate-dislocation interactions, focusing on the efficient of dislocation (Orowan) loop storage and recovery about the precipitates. In both cases, the constitutive models were bench-marked against experimental data. / Ph. D.

The genus <i>Gluconobacter</i> is known to carry out limited oxidations using the NAD(P)-independent membrane-bound dehydrogenases in which the products are released back to the medium. Reports of further limited oxidations of these primary oxidation products by <i>Gluconobacter</i> in single step or sequential oxidations by secondary dehydrogenases are also published. The objective of this project was to evaluate the nature of one primary (sorbitol) dehydrogenase and one secondary (sorbose) dehydrogenase because of their importance in Vitamin C production. My hypotheses were that sorbitol (the primary) dehydrogenase is constitutive, while sorbose (the secondary) dehydrogenase is inducible. Six <i>Gluconobacter</i> strains from three different species grew on plates containing 50/0 sorbose, indicating their ability to oxidize sorbose thus possessing a secondary dehydrogenase. When four strains were tested for their ability to carry out the sequential oxidation of sorbitol and then sorbose on media containing growth-limiting sorbitol concentrations, three strains showed possible biphasic growth. However, thin layer chromatography of culture media did not support sequential sorbitol and sorbose oxidation. F erricyanide assays for sorbitol and sorbose dehydrogenases from membrane fractions isolated from cells grown on glycerol, sorbitol, or sorbose showed that sorbitol dehydrogenase activity in all four strains (three species) tested was always present (constitutive) and its specific activity was always enhanced by growth on sorbose. Membrane fractions showed no or very low constitutive sorbose dehydrogenase activity and no evidence that this secondary dehydrogenase was induced. / Master of Science

This rhetorical analysis of a coal advocacy and a coal-critical environmentalist organization examines how each group constitutes different West Virginian identities that accord with their organizational mission. Based on the constitutive concepts advanced by Edwin Black, Maurice Charland, and Michael McGee, this study has analyzed the ideological narratives, which underlie each argument, and which call into existence two antagonistic West Virginian identities. Whereas the coal industry conceives of a dutiful West Virginian people, who take pride in providing energy to the nation and fueling its economy, the environmentalists interpellate a primitive people who live at the mercy of their environment. In a father-child relationship, the groups take oppositional roles in a mutually constructed drama. Hence, this constitutive analysis of two public opponents strongly suggests that public activist groups derive their identities from conflict and are thus disinterested in resolving their disagreement. / Master of Arts

Transparent laminates are widely used for body armor, goggles, windows and windshields. Improved understanding of their deformations under impact loading and of energy dissipation mechanisms is needed for minimizing their weight. This requires verified and robust computational algorithms and validated mathematical models of the problem. Here we have developed a mathematical model for analyzing the impact response of transparent laminates made of polymeric materials and implemented it in the finite element software LS-DYNA. Materials considered are polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC) and adhesives. The PMMA and the PC are modeled as elasto-thermo-visco-plastic and adhesives as viscoelastic. Their failure criteria are stated and simulated by the element deletion technique. Values of material parameters of the PMMA and the PC are taken from the literature, and those of adhesives determined from their test data. Constitutive equations are implemented as user-defined subroutines in LS-DYNA which are verified by comparing numerical and analytical solutions of several initial-boundary-value problems. Delamination at interfaces is simulated by using a bilinear traction separation law and the cohesive zone model. We present mathematical and computational models in chapter one and validate them by comparing their predictions with test findings for impacts of monolithic and laminated plates. The principal source of energy dissipation of impacted PMMA/adhesive/PC laminates is plastic deformations of the PC. In chapter two we analyze impact resistance of doubly curved monolithic PC panels and delineate the effect of curvature on the energy dissipated. It is found that the improved performance of curved panels is due to the decrease in the magnitude of stresses near the center of impact. In chapter three we propose constitutive relations for finite deformations of adhesives and find values of material parameters by considering test data for five portions of cyclic loading. Even though these values give different amounts of energy dissipated in the adhesive, their effect on the computed impact response of PMMA/adhesive/PC laminates is found to be minimal. In chapter four we conduct sensitivity analysis to identify critical parameters that significantly affect the energy dissipated. The genetic algorithm is used to optimally design a transparent laminate in chapter five. / Ph. D.

Ligaments and tendons are rope-like structures in our body that possess time- and history-dependent material properties. Despite the many advances made in experimental and theoretical biomechanics, the material properties of these biological structures are still not fully characterized. This dissertation represents a step forward in the development of combined theoretical and experimental tools that capture the time- and history-dependent material properties of ligaments and tendons. The mechanical behavior of bundles of collagen fibers which form ligaments and tendons was investigated. Axial stress-stretch data and stress relaxation data at different axial stretches were collected by testing rat tail tendon fascicles. The experimental results demonstrated, for the first time, that the shape of the normalized axial stress relaxation curve depends on the axial stretch level thus suggesting that the fascicles are nonlinear viscoelastic. A constitutive model was then formulated within the nonlinear integral representation frame- work proposed by Pipkin and Rogers (1968). Unlike the well-known quasi-linear viscoelastic model, the proposed constitutive law was able to capture the observed nonlinearities in the stress relaxation response of rat tail tendon fascicles. By extending the constitutive model for collagen fiber bundles, a new nonlinear three- dimensional model for the stress relaxation of skeletal ligaments was formulated. The model accounts for the contribution of the collagen fibers and the group substance in which they are embedded. Published uniaxial experimental data on the stress relaxation of human medial collateral ligaments were used to determine the model parameters. The model predictions for simple shear in the fiber direction, simple shear transverse to the fiber direction, and equibiaxial extension were then examined and, for the case of simple shear in the fiber direction, such predictions were found to be in good agreement with published experimental data. The relationship between the mechanical response and structure of suspensory ligaments was examined by performing state-of-the-art small angle x-ray diffraction experiments in tandem with incremental stress relaxation tests. Specifically, small angle x-ray diffraction was used to measure changes in strain and orientation of collagen fibrils during the stress relaxation tests. Throughout the tests the collagen fibrils were found to gradually orient towards the loading direction. However, the collagen fibril strain did not change significantly suggesting that collagen fibers do not play a significant role in dissipating load during stress relaxation. / Ph. D.

In the continuing quest for more efficient designs, structural adhesives are being used in place of, or with, traditional fastening methods; however designing with adhesives is refined as traditional methods. To obtain the adhesive design properties, tests are often performed on bulk tensile and bonded shear specimens. Questions remain about the relationship between properties obtained from in situ adhesive joints and bulk adhesive specimens. As a result, an experimental plan was developed which characterized both the linear and nonlinear region of bulk and in situ adhesive performance of a two-part acrylic adhesive from Dow Chemical Company. A standard uniaxial tensile test was used for the bulk normal, while an Iosipescu shear test was used to characterize the bulk shear performance. In situ testing was performed on a napkin-ring specimen loaded in both tension and torsion. Stress-strain relationships in both shear and normal were developed and bulk and in situ adhesive performance was compared. Observations from testing were: 1. Bulk shear and in situ shear tests showed similar performance in both the linear and nonlinear regions. 2. Modulus of elasticity in bulk adhesive tests was similar to the effective modulus of elasticity in in situ tests. 3. Prediction of normal yield strengths of the in situ adhesive through simple failure theory models proved to be inaccurate. Stress singularities, loading imperfections, and potentially a hydrostatic sensitivity were considered possible explanations. 4. Adhesive showed sensitivity to voiding and surface flaws when loaded in a tensile configuration, refinement of specimen fabrication minimized these effects. / Master of Science