One of the most critical issues for Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs) in naval applications is the structural performance of composites at high temperature such as that experienced in a fire. A three-dimensional model including the effect of orthotropic viscoelasticity and decomposition is developed to predict the thermo-mechanical behavior and compressive failure of polymer matrix composites (PMCs) subjected to heat and compressive load. An overlaid element technique is proposed for incorporating the model into commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The technique is employed with the user subroutines to provide practicing engineers a convenient tool to perform analysis and design studies on composite materials subjected to combined fire exposure and mechanical loading. The resulting code is verified and validated by comparing its results with other numerical results and experimentally measured data from the one-sided heating of composites at small (coupon) scale and intermediate scale. The good agreement obtained indicates the capability of the model to predict material behavior for different composite material systems with different fiber stacking sequences, different sample sizes, and different combined thermo-mechanical loadings. In addition, an experimental technique utilizing Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) is developed to manufacture PMCs with a hypodermic needle inserted for internal pressure measurement. One-sided heating tests are conducted on the glass/vinyl ester composites to measure the pressure at different locations through thickness during the decomposition process. The model is employed to simulate the heating process and predict the internal pressure due to the matrix decomposition. Both predicted and measured results indicate that the range of the internal pressure peak in the designed test is around 1.1-1.3 atmosphere pressure. / Ph. D.

Mechanical fatigue testing has shown that MEAs (membrane electrode assemblies) fail at lower stresses than PEMs (proton exchange membranes) at comparable times under load. The failure of MEAs at lower stresses is influenced by the presence of mud cracks in the catalyst layers acting as stress concentrators. Fatigue testing of MEAs has shown that smaller-scale cracking occurs in the membrane within these mud cracks, leading to leaking during mechanical fatigue testing and the failure of the membrane. In addition, this testing of MEAs has further established that the cyclic pressurization pattern, which affects the viscoelastic behavior of the membranes, has a significant effect on the relative lifetime of the MEA. To investigate this behavior, pressure-loaded blister tests were performed at 90 °C to determine the biaxial fatigue strength of Gore-Primea® Series 57 MEAs. In these volume-controlled tests, the leak rate was measured as a function of fatigue cycles. Failure was defined as occurring when the leak rate exceeded a specified threshold. Post-mortem characterization FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy) was conducted to provide visual documentation of leaking failure sites. To elucidate the viscoelastic behavior of the MEA based on these results, testing was conducted using a DMA to determine the stress relaxation behavior of the membrane. This data was then used in a FEA program (ABAQUS) to determine its effect on the mechanical behavior of the MEAs. A linear damage accumulation model used the ABAQUS results to predict lifetimes of the membrane in the MEAs. The models showed that under volume-controlled loading, the stress decays with time and the stress dropped towards the edges of the blisters. The lifetimes of the MEAs varied depending on the cycling pattern applied. This is important for understanding failure mechanisms of MEAs under fatigue loading, and will help the fuel cell industry in designing membranes that better withstand imposed hygrothermal stresses experienced during typical operating conditions. / Master of Science

The research summarized in this thesis is comprised of an experimental analysis of the mechanical behavior of a wood composite I-joist with different bracing configurations exposed dynamic walking loads. Three 16 in. deep GPI® 65 I-joists were simply supported and laid parallel to each other, while the bracing was attached to the top flange. Five different brace stiffnesses were used: zero stiffness (control), 1.2 lb/in., 8.5 lb/in., 14.0 lb/in. and infinitely stiff. Two different brace configurations were used: one-quarter of the span length (60 in.) and one third the span length (80 in.). The dynamic walking loads consisted of human test subjects attached to a safety platform walking across the I-joist at a designated pace. Experimental results for this research consisted of the I-joist's lateral accelerations, lateral displacements and twist. An Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used for the statistical analysis of the results and was performed for each measurement. The statistical analysis determined the effects of different bracing configurations, stiffnesses, measurement locations as well as test subjects' weight and occupation. Test results and observed trends are provided for all test configurations. Lateral displacement and twist experienced the same trend throughout the experiment: as brace stiffness increased, lateral displacement and twist decreased. This correlated with basic beam theory and bracing fundamentals. It should be noted that as the stiffness increased, the effect on lateral displacement and twist response decreased. However, the trend for lateral displacement and twist was not observed for the lateral accelerations. The 1.2 lb/in. brace stiffness had much larger lateral accelerations for the 60 in. brace configuration throughout the span and were also larger at the bracing point for the 80 in. brace configuration. This could have been due to the energy applied from the springs or a natural frequency of the I-joist system could have been reached during testing. However, the other four brace stiffnesses followed the same trend as the lateral displacements and twist. In addition, this research demonstrates a method for the measurement of lateral buckling due to worker loads. The mitigation of lateral buckling can use appropriate bracing systems. The measurements of the change in lateral buckling behavior can be used to develop safety devices and ultimately ensure the protection of construction workers. / Master of Science

The mechanical behavior of discrete atoms has been studied with molecular dynamics whose computational time is proportional to the square of the number of atoms, O(N²). Recently, a faster algorithm, Atomic-scale Finite Element Method (AFEM) with computational time proportional to the number of atoms, O(N), had been developed. The main idea of AFEM, compared with conventional finite element method is to replace nodes with atoms and elements with electric forces between atoms. When interpreting a non-linear system, it is necessary to use an iteration scheme. A simulation of molecular dynamics based on the Verlet's method was conducted in order to validate AFEM in one dimension. The speed of AFEM was investigated in one and two dimensional atomic systems. The results showed that the computational time of AFEM is approximately proportional to the number of atoms, and the absolute computation time appears to be small. The frameworks of AFEM not only for multi-body potential but also pair potential are presented. Finally, AFEM was applied to analyze and interpret the mechanical behavior of a carbon nanotube and a quartz. The buckling behavior of carbon nanotube showed a good agreement with the results illustrated in the original literature. / Master of Science

The present work deals with the behavior of ancient railway sub-structure in France. A statistical study was firstly undertaken on problems occurred in the whole ancient French railway network. The analysis evidenced the particular importance of sub-grade quality for the performance of the sub-structure and the track geometry. Afterwards, an ancient railway line in the West of France was investigated. The analysis showed that the degradation speed of this line was correlated with different parameters such as the nature of sub-grades and the thickness of different layers. An increase trend of degradation speed with the increase in interlayer thickness was identified. The interlayer has a positive impact since it reduces the train-induced stress applied to the sub-grade. The hydro-mechanical behavior of interlayer soil under different conditions (water content, fines content, stress, number of cycles) was investigated. A set of triaxial tests and infiltration tests were performed for this purpose. By analyzing the shear strength properties, the permanent axial strain and the resilient modulus of interlayer soil, we found that the water content and the fines content must be considered together. Adding more fines into the interlayer presents a positive impact under unsaturated conditions thanks to the suction effect, but a negative impact under saturated conditions. The infiltration column tests with drying/wetting cycles showed that the hydraulic conductivity of interlayer soil is governed by fines fraction but did not change significantly with fines content. In order to study the mechanism of interlayer creation and mud pumping, a physical model of 550 mm inner diameter was developed. Soil samples representing the ancient French railway substructure with a ballast layer overlying an artificial silt layer (mixture of crushed sand and kaolin were tested. The effects of monotonic and cyclic loadings, water content and dry unit mass of sub-soil were investigated. It was found that the pore water pressure developed in the sub-soil and the sub-soil stiffness are the key factors for the migration of fine particles or the creation of interlayer/mud pumping. Water is the necessary condition, but it is the soil compressibility that governs the phenomenon to occur

L'objectif de ce travail est de prédire les évolutions microstructurales se produisant dans le tantale pur lors d'un traitement thermique en fonction de son état microstructural initial. La restauration, la recristallisation et la croissance de grains sont décrites à l'aide d'un modèle en champ moyen qui nécessite une description adéquate de la microstructure, en termes de distributions de tailles de grains et de densités de dislocations équivalentes. La densité de dislocation équivalente moyenne peut être évaluée par une simple mesure de dureté Vickers. L'établissement de la relation dureté-densité de dislocations nécessite l'utilisation d'une loi de comportement basée sur la densité de dislocations équivalente. Les évolutions microstructurales au cours d'un traitement thermique ont été observées et les paramètres pilotant ces phénomènes ont été identifiés à l'aide d'essais originaux comme l'observation in situ de la recristallisation ou l'utilisation d'essais à gradient de déformation pour déterminer le seuil de densité de dislocations équivalente pour déclencher la recristallisation. Des essais plus classiques ont permis d'obtenir des cinétiques de recristallisation dans la gamme 1000°C-1100°C pour différentes microstructures initiales. Les simulations des différents traitements thermiques à l'aide du modèle à champ moyen rendent bien compte des évolutions microstructurales en termes de fraction recristallisée et de taille des grains recristallisés pour des microstructures faiblement déformées ou fortement déformées et fragmentées, en utilisant une description adéquate du type de microstructure initiale. Le modèle devra en revanche être adapté pour traiter le cas de microstructures intermédiaires, en enrichissant non seulement la description de la microstructure initiale mais également celle de l'étape de germination des grains recristallisés. Il deviendra alors capable de prédire les évolutions de microstructures pour tout type de microstructure initiale de tantale. / This study aims at predicting the microstructural evolution of pure tantalum during annealing according the initial microstructural state. Static recovery and discontinuous recrystallization as well as grain growth are described using a mean-field model requiring an appropriate description of the microstructure, using both equivalent dislocation densities and grain sizes distributions. The average equivalent dislocation density can be assessed from Vickers microhardness measurements. The calibration of such a relation between microhardness and dislocation density involves the use of a dislocation density-based constitutive law. Microstructural evolutions during annealing have been observed and control parameters of these phenomena have been determined using original tests such as in situ observation of the recrystallization process or the use of strain gradient samples to assess the critical dislocation density for the onset of recrystallization. More classical tests have been carried out to get recrystallization kinetics in the range 1000-1100°C for different initial microstructures. Simulations of annealing using the mean-field model adapted for tantalum match the experimental evolution of both recrystallized fraction and recrystallized grain size, in either weakly deformed or severely deformed and fragmented microstructures. On the other hand, the model needs to be further adapted for intermediate microstructures, with both a more elaborate description of the initial microstructure and of the nucleation stage of the recrystallized grains. It will then be suitable to predict evolutions of any initial tantalum microstructure during annealing.

Les sols argileux peuvent présenter des variations importantes de volume lors d’un changement hydrique, tel une période de sécheresse. Ce phénomène de retrait-gonflement des sols argileux est à l’origine de nombreux préjudices aux bâtis ce qui le situe, après les inondations, au second rang des aléas naturels français en matière de coût des dommages : 5 milliard d’euros entre 1988 et 2007. Les maisons individuelles sont les plus touchées par ce phénomène qui provoque un tassement différentiel du bâti à l’origine de sa dégradation (fissures dans les éléments de maçonnerie non armée en particulier). L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier la vulnérabilité des bâtis vis-à-vis de l’aléa retrait-gonflement à travers une analyse de l’interaction sol-structure. Ce travail s’est porté sur les trois grands volets suivants : 1 - le comportement hydromécanique des sols argileux, 2 - l’interaction sol-structure, 3 - l’évaluation des dommages structuraux. Le comportement hydromécanique des sols argileux a été modélisé par le concept de surface d’état et intégré dans un modèle d’interaction sol-structure inspiré du modèle de Winkler, avec des approches de plus en plus complexes : cas unidimensionnel tout d’abord, 2D ensuite en assimilant la structure à une poutre, puis en 3D en représentant la structure par une plaque. Ces modèles d’interaction sol-structure permettent de calculer la déflexion relative d’un bâti, en fonction d’une valeur de succion imposée et des propriétés mécaniques ou hydromécaniques de la structure et du sol d’assise. La déflexion relative du bâti est alors comparée à des valeurs seuils afin d’évaluer le dommage.La dernière partie de cette thèse consiste en une étude de faisabilité pour le développement de courbes de vulnérabilités adaptées à la problématique du retrait gonflement. Ces courbes représentent la moyenne des dommages d’un type de bâti conçu sur un type de sol gonflant pour une valeur de succion imposée. Ces courbes ont été développées à partir d’une typologie des sols gonflants et d’une typologie des bâtis issue des bases de données des maisons sinistrées. La moyenne des dommages est calculée par la méthode de Monte-Carlo, en prenant en compte la variabilité des paramètres du bâti. / Clayey soils can present large volumetric deformations in response of water content change. This phenomenon of shrinkage and swelling of clayey soils is recognized as a costly natural hazard throughout the world. In France, this cost is reported between 1988 and 2007 to 5 million Euros, ranking in second class of the French natural hazards in terms of cost of damage after the floods. The individual masonry buildings with shallow foundations are the most affected by this phenomenon that causes a differential settlement of the building leading to cracks in facades and structural elements, especially in unreinforced masonry elements.The objective of this thesis was to study the vulnerability of the building, against the shrink-swell hazard through an analysis of soil-structure interaction. This work was focused on three major points: - Hydro-mechanical behavior of clay soils - Soil-structure interaction - Evaluation of structural damage.The hydro-mechanical behavior of clay soils was considered by the concept of state surface and integrated into a soil-structure interaction model, based on the Winkler model, with increasingly complex approaches: 1D, 2D and 3D by modeling the building behavior respectively by a spring system, the beam element and the plate element. These models of soil-structure interaction are able to calculate the relative deflection of the building, according to the values of imposed suction, mechanical properties of the structure and hydro-mechanical properties of the soil. The relative deflection of the building is then compared to threshold values of the classical damage categories to assess the building damage.Finally a feasibility study was conducted on the development of vulnerability curves adapted to the problem of shrinkage – swelling of clayey soils. These curves represent the average of structural damage versus suction, for each type of building. These curves were developed based on a classification of expansive soils and a building typology outcome from databases of affected buildings. The average damage is calculated by the Monte-Carlo method, taking into account the variability of the building parameters.

Dans le domaine automobile, intégrer de plus en plus de matériaux composites recyclés tout en améliorant les performances initiales et en diminuant les masses emportées devient un compromis auquel il faut répondre. Par ailleurs, les pièces de structures en matériaux composites destinées au crash sont souvent soumises à des conditions environnementales, notamment des températures modérément élevées, pouvant produire une dégradation physico-chimique progressive. Ainsi, pour assurer une meilleure conception et une durabilité des pièces, il est primordial de bien cerner l’influence du vieillissement thermique sur les propriétés dynamiques des matériaux. Dans ce but, ce travail vise à coupler la physique de la cinétique de dégradation par oxydation et le comportement mécanique multi-échelles d’un nouveau matériau composite totalement issu du recyclage à renfort carbone et matrice à base polypropylène. Le premier axe de l’étude est dédié à l’élaboration, la caractérisation physicochimique, microstructurale et mécanique de plusieurs formulations de composites. Une fois le composite optimal sélectionné, une méthodologie hybride, expérimentale et numérique, visant à caractériser les propriétés dynamiques rapides allant jusqu’à des vitesses de déformation de 100 s-1 est développée. Le deuxième axe de ce travail est focalisé sur l’étude de l’influence de la thermo-oxydation sur les propriétés physico-chimique et mécaniques à différentes vitesses de sollicitation du composite optimal et sa matrice. L’ensemble des données expérimentales issues du vieillissement a permis l’identification d’un modèle cinétique basé sur un schéma mécanistique de l’oxydation des matériaux vieillis. D’autre part, une étude qualitative et quantitative de l’effet du vieillissement sur les mécanismes d’endommagement a été réalisée à l’échelle microscopique visant à mettre en place une loi d’endommagement reliant, pour une déformation imposée donnée, le taux d’endommagement local à la concentration des produits d’oxydation. Les résultats de cette étude mettent en évidence la possibilité de développer des lois de comportement affectés par les paramètres de modèles cinétiques décrivant l’évolution de l’état physico-chimique du composite au cours du vieillissement. / In the automotive sector, integrating more and more recycled composite materials while improving the initial performance and decreasing the carried masses becomes a compromise that needs to be addressed. Moreover, structural parts made of composite materials intended for crash are often subjected to environmental conditions, including moderately high temperatures, capable of causing gradual physico-chemical degradation. Thus, to ensure better design and durability of parts, it is important to understand the influence of thermal aging on the dynamic properties of materials. To this end, this work aims to couple the physics of oxidative degradation kinetics and the multi-scales mechanical behavior of a new fully recycled composite based on a polypropylene matrix and carbon fibers. The first axis of the study is dedicated to the elaboration, the physicochemical, microstructural and mechanical characterization of several formulations of composites. Once the optimal composite is selected, a hybrid experimental and numerical methodology is s is developed in order to characterize the dynamic properties at high strain rates reaching 100 s-1. The second axis of this work is focused on the study of the influence of thermo-oxidation on the physicochemical and mechanical properties at different strain rates of the optimal composite and its matrix. The resulting experimental has allowed the identification of a kinetic model parameters based on a mechanistic scheme. Furthermore, a qualitative and quantitative study of the effect of aging on the damage mechanisms has been carried out at a microscopic scale in order to establish a damage law linking, for a given imposed strain, the local damage density to the concentration of the oxidation products. The results of this study highlight the possibility of developing behavioral laws affected by the parameters of kinetic models describing the evolution of the physicochemical state of the composite during aging.

Le renforcement en flexion des poutres de béton armé par collage externe de matériaux composites s’est révélé être une technique efficace et pratique. Cette thèse présente une étude sur la performance à la flexion des poutres continues en béton armé avec trois travées réparées ou renforcées par collage de tissus en fibres de carbone (CFRP) ou en fibres de verre (GFRP). Le programme expérimental se compose de deux groupes. Le groupe-1 est composé de huit poutres et le groupe-2 est composé de huit poutres. Dans chaque groupe, il y a une poutre de référence, poutre non renforcée. Toutes les poutres ont la même longueur de 9m et la même section de 15x25 (cm). Les essais expérimentaux avec le chargement monotone ont été effectués à l’aide d’une presse de 1000 kN. Les paramètres étudiés sont : effet du renforcement par CFRP et GFRP, épaisseur optimale du renforcement, efficacité de la réparation des poutres endommagées par CFRP et GFRP, comportement mécanique, les modes de rupture des poutres continues en béton armé renforcées. Les essais experimentaux et des calculs par la simulation numérique ont été effectués. Cinq modes de rupture des poutres ont été observés. La résistance maximale d’une poutre peut être améliorée entre 14,8 et 33,0% dans le cas des poutres renforcées par collage de CFRP et entre 7,2 et 11,8% par collage de GFRP. Il existe d’une épaisseur optimale du renforcement dans les trois portées de la poutre. La poutre complètement endommagée peut être réparée à 100%. Le moment de flexion maximal de la poutre endommagée et réparée devient supérieur à celui de la poutre de référence. Une étude numérique, à l'aide de la méthode des éléments finis en utilisant le logiciel ABAQUS, sur les poutres continues en béton armé renforcées ont été également réalisée. / The flexural strengthening of RC beams by external bonding of composite materials has proved to be an efficient and practical technique. This thesis presents a study on the flexural performance of reinforced concrete continuous beams with three spans repaired or strengthened by bonding carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP). The experimental program consists of two groups. Group-1 consists of eight beams and group-2 consists of eight beams. In each group, there is a reference beam, unreinforced beam. All beams have the same length of 9m and the same section of 15x25 (cm). The experimental tests with the monotonic loading were carried out using a 1000 kN press. The parameters studied are effect of reinforcement by CFRP and GFRP, the optimum thickness of the strengthening, repair efficiency of the beams damaged by CFRP and GFRP, mechanical behavior, the rupture modes of strengthened reinforced concrete beams. Experimental tests and calculations by numerical simulation were carried out. Five modes of the breaking of the beams were observed. The maximum strength of a beam can be improved by 14.8 and 33.0% for beams reinforced by CFRP bonding and between 7.2 and 11.8% by bonding GFRP. There is an optimum thickness of the reinforcement in the three spans of the beam. The fully damaged beam can be repaired at 100%. The maximum bending moment of the damaged and repaired beam becomes greater than that of the reference beam. A numerical study, using the finite element method with the help of ABAQUS software, on strengthening the continuous concrete beams, was also carried out.

L’utilisation des matières composites est fortement conditionnée par la capacité du constructeur ou du sous-traitant à dimensionner les structures automobiles sous divers types de chargements complexes tel que la fatigue. Le présent travail de thèse a pour objectif de développer un outil de modélisation par transition d’échelles couplée à une approche phénoménologique afin d’apporter une réponse à un besoin de maîtrise du dimensionnement de pièce de structure en composite SMC (polyester chargé en fibres de verre) soumis à des sollicitations de type fatigue sous différents niveaux de température 23°C, 80°C et -30°C. Pour ce faire, le travail a été mené selon deux axes principaux. En premier lieu, une investigation expérimentale sous chargement monotone et fatigue. Les résultats de l’analyse expérimentale de l’endommagement du matériau a permis d’accéder aux données nécessaires à la construction d’un modèle micromécanique constituant la base des approches prédictives de la durée de vie des SMC sous chargements cycliques constituant la seconde phase de travail. Ainsi, deux approches de modélisations hybrides phénoménologiques/micromécaniques ont été proposées. Elles sont toutes les deux basées sur une modélisation micromécanique qui permet de traduire le comportement mécanique du matériau d’étude sous chargement monotone avec prise en compte de la microstructure et de l’endommagement. Ces deux approches prédictives ne nécessitent qu’un nombre limité d’essais et d’investigations expérimentales mais restent bien fiables et pertinentes dans leurs capacités de prédire la durée de vie d’un matériau composite SMC sous chargement en fatigue. L’approche est validée dans le cas de chargements thermomécaniques séquentiels à température ou amplitude variable. / The composite materials are strongly conditioned by the ability of the company to design the automotive structures under various complexes loadings such as fatigue. The aim of this thesis is to develop a multi-scale modeling coupled to a phenomenological approach in order to provide a response to the dimensioning need of structural parts subjected to cyclic loading at different temperatures of 23°C, 80°C and -30°C. By this way, the work was conducted along two main lines; firstly, an experimental investigation under monotonic and fatigue loadings. The results of this experimental study provide the necessary data for the construction of a micromechanical model which constitute the basis of the second part of this work; the predictive approaches of the fatigue lifetime for SMC composite. Thus, two hybrid, phenomenological/micromechanical, modeling approaches have been proposed. Both are based on a micromechanical modeling that allows describing the mechanical behavior of our material under monotonic loading, taking into account the microstructure and the damage phenomenon. These two predictive models require only a limited number of experimental tests and investigations but remain very reliable in their capacity to predict the lifetime of an SMC composite material under fatigue loading. The approach is validated in the case of thermomechanical sequential loadings at variable temperatures or amplitudes.