<p>In this work the influence of Under Sleeper Pads on the dynamic forces on a railway track is investigated. A special interest is devoted to the effect of using Under Sleeper Pads in a railway track with changing vertical stiffness. The contact force between wheel and rail and the ballast contact forces are examined. For the investigation a finite element model with the length of thirty sleepers is created and calculations are performed with the software LS-DYNA. Three different cases of varying vertical track stiffness are studied: the transition from an embankment to a bridge, a randomly varying track stiffness along the railway track and hanging sleepers.</p>

<p>This thesis concerns optimization of structures considering various uncertainties. The overall objective is to find methods to create solutions that are optimal both in the sense of handling the typical load case and minimising the variability of the response, i.e. robust optimal designs.</p><p>Traditionally optimized structures may show a tendency of being sensitive to small perturbations in the design or loading conditions, which of course are inevitable. To create robust designs, it is necessary to account for all conceivable variations (or at least the influencing ones) in the design process.</p><p>The thesis is divided in two parts. The first part serves as a theoretical background to the second part, the two appended articles. This first part includes the concept of robust design, basic statistics, optimization theory and meta modelling.</p><p>The first appended paper is an application of existing methods on a large industrial example problem. A sensitivity analysis is performed on a Scania truck cab subjected to impact loading in order to identify the most influencing variables on the crash responses.</p><p>The second paper presents a new method that may be used in robust optimizations, that is, optimizations that account for variations and uncertainties. The method is demonstrated on both an analytical example and a Finite Element example of an aluminium extrusion subjected to axial crushing.</p> / ROBDES

The development of adaptive finite element procedures for the solution of geometrically and physically nonlinear problems in structural mechanics is very important for the augmentation of the efficiency of FE-codes. In this contribution methods of mesh refinement as well as mesh coarsening are presented for a material model considering finite elasto-plastic deformations. For newly generated elements stresses, strains and internal variables have to be calculated. This implies the determination of the nodal values as well as the Gaussian point values of the new elements based on the transfer of data from the former mesh. Analogously, the coarsening of less important elements necessitates the determination of these values for the newly created father elements.

Irradiation induces a high concentration of defects in the structural materials of nuclear reactors, which are typically of body-centered cubic Iron (BCC Fe) and its alloys. The primary effect of irradiation is hardening which is caused by the blocking of dislocations with defects and defect clusters like point defects, self-interstitial loops, and voids. The dislocation-defect interactions are atomistic in nature due to the very small length and time scales involved, i.e., of the order of nanometers and picoseconds. To predict the effect of dislocation-defect interactions on the macroscopic mechanical and plastic behavior of the material, it is critically important to develop robust coupling schemes by which accurate atomic level physics of the rate-limiting kinetic processes can be informed into a coarse-grained model such as crystal plasticity. In this thesis we will develop an atomistically informed constitutive model. Relevant atomistic processes are identified from molecular dynamics simulations. The respective unit process studies are conducted using atomistic reaction pathway sampling methods like Nudged Elastic Band method. Stress-dependent activation energies and activation volumes are computed for various rate-liming unit processes like thermally activated dislocation motion via kinkpair nucleation, dislocation pinning due to self interstitial atom, etc. Constitutive laws are developed based on transition state theory, that informs the atomistically determined activation parameters into a coarse-grained crystal plasticity model. The macroscopic deformation behavior predicted by the crystal plasticity model is validated with experimental results and the characteristic features explained in the light of atomistic knowledge of the constituting kinetics. We also investigate on unique irradiation induced defects such as stacking fault tetrahedra, that are formed under non-irradiated condition. This thesis also includes our work on materials with internal interfaces that can resist irradiation induced damage. Overall, the research presented in this thesis involves the implementation and development of novel computational paradigm that encompasses computational approaches of various length and time scales towards robust predictions of the mechanical behavior of irradiated materials.

This thesis is concerned with the mathematical modelling of elastic-plastic deformation in regimes of stress far exceeding the yield stress. Such scenarios are typically encountered in violent impact testing, where millimetre-thick samples of metal are subjected to pressures on the order of the bulk modulus of the material. We begin with an overview of violent impact testing, with particular attention paid to a specific class of experiments known as isentropic compression experiments (ICEs), which will provide motivation for the mathematical modelling and analysis in subsequent chapters. In chapter 2, by appealing to sound notions from rational mechanics and thermodynamics, we construct a mathematical model which aims to encapsulate the essential phenomena involved in violent elastic-plastic deformation. This is followed in chapter 3 with a numerical analysis of the mathematical model in uniaxial strain, which is the geometry relevant ICEs. In chapters 4 and 5, we corroborate the observations made in chapter 3 via a systematic mathematical analysis. In particular, our focus will be on the elastic and plastic waves that can propagate through finite metal samples during isentropic compression. Finally, in chapter 6, we explore the applicability of our model to other geometries, specifically the radially axisymmetric expansion of a circular cavity embedded in an infinite elastic-plastic medium. We conclude with a summary of our findings and suggest some avenues for future investigation.

Experimental micromechanics of materials is a branch of science that seeks to build tight connections between composition, structure, processing and performance of materials under specific operating conditions required for particular technology applications. The present project is focused on the development of techniques that use the combination of electron, ion and X-ray microscopies to study the deformation behaviour of a particularly important class of metallic alloys used in the manufacture of aeroengines, namely, the so-called Ni-base superalloys. The complex hierarchical structure of these materials means that their macroscopic response is controlled to a great extent by the phenomena that play out on very fine scales, from angstroms (lattice spacing dimension) to nanometres (precipitates, phase boundaries, dislocations, chemical inhomogeneities) to microns (grains and their boundaries, defects and their clusters, dislocation pileups) to millimetres (component scale). Understanding the fine structure and deformation behaviour requires the development of specially configured experimental setup that allow the observation and quantification of deformation to external loading. In this study, FIB-SEM methods for sample characterization and fabrication were combined with synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction and imaging techniques, and backed up by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, to elucidate the origins of the strength of these alloys. Micropillar compression tests using in-SEM nanoindentation were used to reveal the size dependence of the apparent strength, and connection was made with the dislocation-mediated crystal slip to provide an explanation of the observed Hall-Petch type dependence with a modified Hall-Petch equation considering both intrinsic and extrinsic characteristic lengths introduced. X-ray scattering was used in the polychromatic micro-Laue mode and using Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to reveal the crystal distortion arising due to plastic deformation. A Discrete dislocation dynamics in the 2.5D formulation was used to obtain a model description of the observed phenomena. The key outcome of the work presented in this thesis lies in the successful development of advanced observational tools and relevant theoretical or computational models for mesoscale plasticity problems for crystal with complex microstructure.

abstract: The objective of this research is to develop robust, accurate, and adaptive algorithms in the framework of the extended finite element method (XFEM) for fracture analysis of highly heterogeneous materials with complex internal geometries. A key contribution of this work is the creation of novel methods designed to automate the incorporation of high-resolution data, e.g. from X-ray tomography, that can be used to better interpret the enormous volume of data generated in modern in-situ experimental testing. Thus new algorithms were developed for automating analysis of complex microstructures characterized by segmented tomographic images. A centrality-based geometry segmentation algorithm was developed to accurately identify discrete inclusions and particles in composite materials where limitations in imaging resolution leads to spurious connections between particles in close contact.To allow for this algorithm to successfully segment geometry independently of particle size and shape, a relative centrality metric was defined to allow for a threshold centrality criterion for removal of voxels that spuriously connect distinct geometries. To automate incorporation of microstructural information from high-resolution images, two methods were developed that initialize signed distance fields on adaptively-refined finite element meshes. The first method utilizes a level set evolution equation that is directly solved on the finite element mesh through Galerkins method. The evolution equation is formulated to produce a signed distance field that matches geometry defined by a set of voxels segmented from tomographic images. The method achieves optimal convergence for the order of elements used. In a second approach, the fast marching method is employed to initialize a distance field on a uniform grid which is then projected by least squares onto a finite element mesh. This latter approach is shown to be superior in speed and accuracy. Lastly, extended finite element method simulations are performed for the analysis of particle fracture in metal matrix composites with realistic particle geometries initialized from X-ray tomographic data. In the simulations, particles fracture probabilistically through a Weibull strength distribution. The model is verified through comparisons with the experimentally-measured stress-strain response of the material as well as analysis of the fracture. Further, simulations are then performed to analyze the effect of mesh sensitivity, the effect of fracture of particles on their neighbors, and the role of a particles shape on its fracture probability. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Aerospace Engineering 2015

Orientadores: Mauro Augusto Demarzo, Inácio Maria Dal Fabbro / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T17:31:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Affonso_EudirAlves_D.pdf: 5364894 bytes, checksum: 5129a906f83a74c648da3835cf634275 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A análise do comportamento das estruturas das obras de engenharia civil passam pela determinação das deformações e tensões atuantes em seus elementos. Neste contexto, a extensometria desempenha um papel fundamental. Nos laboratórios de estruturas civis do Brasil, os extensômetros utilizados, em geral, têm se limitado a determinar a deformação específica em um dado ponto dos corpos-de-prova. Verifica-se, porém, que a extensometria óptica apresenta-se como alternativa vantajosa para esta tarefa, fornecendo resultados para todos os pontos da área de medição (em campo inteiro ou full field). Entre as técnicas da extensometria óptica, a de moiré foi escolhida por ser a mais simples e apresentar os menores índices relativos de ruídos. O objetivo geral desta tese foi a implantação desta técnica. Os resultados mostraram que a sensibilidade da técnica de moiré por interferência mecânica (ou geométrica) alcançou níveis que anteriormente só podiam ser obtidos com o uso de interferômetros (moiré interferométrico). Esta tarefa foi possível por multiplicação de franjas obtida por processo digital (DFM), e mostrou-se capaz de medir deformações micrométricas a partir de retículos de baixa frequência. Este trabalho é apresentado como técnica de moiré geométrico digital (TMGD), pois tudo, desde a captura da imagem do retículo do modelo até a geração de franjas foi feita por meio digital, e não se insere na classificação geral das técnicas de moiré presente na bibliografia. O resultado obtido foi algo ainda inovador: uma técnica de baixo custo, insensível a perturbações do meio-ambiente, e capaz de fazer medições na superfície plana dos diversos materiais estruturais, sem aparatos dispendiosos. As conclusões mostram a aplicabilidade do método proposto para medir deformações e analisar tensões em modelos e estruturas de engenharia civil / Abstract: The study of the behavior of building structures pass through the determination of the strain and stresses to evaluate the level of local and global security against the active actions. In the last years in Brazil, the extensometers have been commonly used to measure the strain at a specific single point. The optical extensometry presents itself as an alternative to this task by providing results for all points of measurement area (full field). The moiré techniques are the simplest of the optical extensometry and have the smaller indeces relating to noise. In this work, the sensitivity of mechanics (or geometric) interference of moiré technique reached levels that previously could only be obtained using interferometers (moiré interferometry). It is worth noting that interferometers are appliances that cost thousands of dollars. This task was made possible through the multiplication of fringes obtained through digital technology with application present in photography and digital image processing and proved able to measure deformations for micrometric from very low frequency cross gratings. This work is presented as digital geometric moiré technique (TMGD) because everything from image capture of specimen gratings until the generation of fringes was made by digital means and therefore does not fall within the classification set out in chapter which deals with the classification of moiré techniques. The result was something still unheard in civil engineering in Brazil, a low-cost technique, insensitive to vibrations and of the environment, moreover able to make measurements in plane surfaces without major apparatus. Findings show the applicability of the proposed method to measure strain and to analyze stresses in models and civil engineering structures / Doutorado / Estruturas / Doutor em Engenharia Civil

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá návrhem mechanismu řízení letounu TL 4000, určení sil působících na jednotlivé součásti řízení a jejich pevnostní analýzou. V této práci jsou vypracovány všechny tři složky řízení a to tak, aby vyhovovaly stavebnímu předpisu CS 23.

<div><div><div><p>The exceptional long-term performance of concrete is a primary reason that this material represents a significant portion of the construction industry. However, a portion of this construction material is prone to premature deterioration for multi-physical durability issues such as internal frost damage, restrained shrinkage damage, and aggregate susceptibility to fracture. Since each durability issue is associated with a unique damage mechanism, this study aims at investigating the underlying physical mechanisms individually by characterizing the mechanical and thermal properties development and indicating how each unique damage mechanism may compromise the properties development over the design life of the material.</p><p>The first contribution of this work is on the characterization of thermal behavior of porous media (e.g., cement-based material) with a complex solid-fluid coupling subject to thermal cycling. By combining Young-Kelvin-Laplace equation with a computational heat transfer approach, we can calculate the contributions of (i) pore pressure development associated with solidification and melting of pore fluid, (ii) pore size distribution, and (iii) equilibrium phase diagram of multiple phase change materials, to the thermal response of porous mortar and concrete during freezing/thawing cycles. Our first finding indicates that the impact of pore size (and curvature) on freezing is relatively insignificant, while the effect of pore size is much more significant during melting. The fluid inside pores smaller than 5 nm (i.e., gel pores) has a relatively small contribution in the macroscopic freeze-thaw behavior of mortar specimens within the temperature range used in this study (i.e., +24 °C to -35 °C). Our second finding shows that porous cementitious composites containing lightweight aggregates (LWAs) impregnated with an organic phase change material (PCM) as thermal energy storage (TES) agents have the significant capability of improving the freeze-thaw performance. We also find that the phase transitions associated with the freezing/melting of PCM occur gradually over a narrow temperature range (rather than an instantaneous event). The pore size effect of LWA on freezing and melting behavior of PCM is found to be relatively small. Through validation of simulation results with lab-scale experimental data, we then employ the model to investigate the effectiveness of PCMs with various transition temperatures on reducing the impact of freeze-thaw cycling within concrete pavements located in different regions of United States.</p><div><div><div><p>The second contribution of this work is on quantification of mechanical properties development of cementitious composites across multiple length scales, and two damage mechanisms associated with aggregate fracture and restrained shrinkage cracking that lead to compromising the long-term durability of the material. The former issue is addressed by combining finite element method-based numerical tools, computational homogenization techniques, and analytical methods, where we observe a competing fracture mechanism for early- age cracking at two length scales of mortar (meso-level) and concrete (macro-level). When the tensile strength of the cement paste is lower than the tensile strength of the aggregate phase, the crack propagates across the paste. When the tensile strength of the cement paste exceeds that of the aggregate, the cracks begin to deflect and propagate through the aggregates. As such, a critical degree of hydration (associated with a particular time) exists below which the cement paste phase is weaker than the aggregate phase at the onset of hydration. This has implications on the inference of kinetic based parameters from mechanical testing (e.g., activation energy). Next, we focus on digital fabrication of a cement paste structure with controlled architecture to allow for mitigating the intrinsic damage induced by inherent shrinkage behavior followed by extrinsic damage exerted by external loading. Our findings show that the interfaces between the printed filaments tend to behave as the first layer of protection by enabling the structure to accommodate the damage by deflecting the microcrack propagation into the stable configuration of interfaces fabricated between the filaments of first and second layers. This fracture behavior promotes the damage localization within the first layer (i.e., sacrificial layer), without sacrificing the overall strength of specimen by inhibiting the microcrack advancement into the neighboring layers, promoting a novel damage localization mechanism. This study is undertaken to characterize the shrinkage-induced internal damage in 7-day 3D-printed and cast specimens qualitatively using X-ray microtomography (μCT) technique in conjunction with multiple mechanical testing, and finite element numerical modeling. As the final step, the second layer of protection is introduced by offering an enhanced damage resistance property through employing bioinspired Bouligand architectures, promoting a damage delocalization mechanism throughout the specimen. This novel integration of damage localization-delocalization mechanisms allows the material to enhance its flaw tolerant properties and long-term durability characteristics, where the reduction in the modulus of rupture (MOR) of hardened cement paste (hcp) elements with restrained shrinkage racking has been significantly improved by ~ 25% when compared to their conventionally cast hcp counterparts.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div>