The mechanical engineering department at the University of Idaho is conducting a project with the purpose of developing a complete system for investigating creep-, creep-fatigue- and fatigue properties of metallic materials at elevated temperatures up to 650 ˚C with Compact Tension (CT) specimens. Considerable efforts have been made to study and understand these phenomena, although numerous problems still exist. It is important to explore more extensively the complicated phenomena of creep, fatigue and of creep-fatigue interactions. The Direct Current Potential Drop (DCPD) method is a common method used to investigate, for example, the initiation of cracks, crack growth rates and to monitor crack growth. The technique utilizes the fact that the electrical resistance of a CT specimen changes with crack growth. By applying a constant current over the specimen and measuring the resulting voltage over the crack, the crack length can be related to the voltage, and the difference in crack length with difference in voltage. Standards from the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) were used as guidance when designing the DCPD system and CT specimen. The development and implementation processes were divided into an analytical and an experimental stage. The final product consisted of a high temperature extensometer, to measure crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD), and a DCPD system, to measure crack growth, controlled by separate control units. The DCPD system consisted of a DC supply and a nano voltmeter along with Constantan wire and NiCr60 wire respectively, that were mechanically fastened. The DCPD system delivered overall satisfying results and was able to generate sufficient data to produce a crack growth curve, da/dN vs. ΔK. Although, by taking advantage of resistance welding equipment to attach the DCPD wires, along with implementing one shared control unit for the DCPD system and the extensometer, more accurate and accessible measurements and correlations could be extracted. / Mechanical engineering avdelningen på University of Idaho genomför just nu ett utvecklingsprojekt med syftet att utveckla ett komplett system för undersökning av krypnings, krypnings-utmattnings- samt utmattnings- egenskaper av metalliska material vid höga temperaturer upp till 650 ˚C med hjälp av kompakta spänningsprovstavar (CT specimens). Betydande ansträngningar har gjorts för att undersöka och förstå dessa fenomen, men flera problem kvarstår. Det är viktigt att djupare undersöka kopplingen mellan krypnings- och utmattningsegenskaper. Direct Current Potential Drop (DCPD) metoden är en vanlig metod vilken används för att undersöka, exempelvis, sprickinitiering, spricktillväxthastigheter och spricktillväxt. Tekniken utnyttjar faktumet att den elektriska resistansen i en provstav ändras med spricktillväxt. Genom att föra en konstant ström genom provstaven och sedan mäta den resulterande spänningen över sprickan, kan spricklängden relateras till uppmätt spänning. På samma sätt kan spricktillväxt relateras till spänningsförändringar. Standarder från American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) användes för att designa ett DCPD system samt en CT provstav. Utvecklings- och implementeringsprocessen var uppdelad i en analytisk och en experimentell del. Den slutgiltiga produkten bestod av en extensometer, för mätning av spricköppning vid höga temperaturer, och ett DCPD system, för mätning av spricktillväxt vid höga temperaturer, vilka kontrollerades av separata kontrollenheter. DCPD systemet bestod av en strömkälla och en nanovoltmeter tillsammans med Constantan kablar respektive NiCr60 kablar, vilka fastsättes mekaniskt. DCPD systemet levererade generellt sett tillfredställande resultat och hade kapacitet att generera tillräckligt precisa data för att producera en spricktillväxtkurva, da/dN vs. ΔK. Däremot, genom att utnyttja en resistanssvets, för att fastsätta DCPD-kablarna, tillsammans med en gemensam kontrollenhet för extensometern och DCPD systemet, kan det tänkas att bättre och mer tillgängliga resultat kunde åstadkommas.

The thesis focuses on the computational simulation of wedge splitting test of a concrete specimen by using finite element method. Different levels of numeric model for different notch depth and for different position of support are solved. Depending on the depth of a notch and difference of configuration, the crack paths and responses to an exterior load on a crack mouth opening displacement are evaluated.

Specified topic of the thesis is a multilevel evaluation of brittleness of selected building composites. The work deals with the opinions of fracture parameters of test specimens of lightweight and ordinary concrete. Specimens further differed fibres content in concrete mixtures, their type and length. The work is divided into two parts, theoretical and practical. The theoretical part conceives composite materials and introduction to fracture mechanics. The practical part describes the different steps for fracture-mechanical parameters evaluation using StiCrack and Excel Visual Basic software. The main part of the work is to evaluate the brittleness of different test specimens, taking into account the type of concrete mix and type of fibres.

This final thesis is divided into two parts. The first, theoretic part is focused on issue about industrial concrete floors, their production and adjustment. Special attention is paid to the mineral shakes, steel fibres and concrete, which is used to these constructions. There are more information about specific standardized tests of steel fibre concrete and some damages of concrete floors in other chapters. Second part of the diploma thesis is practical. Theoretical knowledge are applied to the actual construction. Survey methodology and diagnostic work are also desribed. Data processing and evaluation with the commentary is also attached to this part. The conclusion summarizes the results and selected findings relating to the issue are also included there.