En structure, le bois est soumis à des sollicitations différentes dont les principales sont physiques, mécaniques et environnementales. Lorsque ces sollicitations sont couplées, le comportement mécanique du bois devient difficile à appréhender. L’objectif de cette thèse est de mettre en évidence, via un protocole de suivi de l’évolution de la flèche, l’impact des variations des conditions climatiques sur la durée de vie en structure des poutres de bois. Le travail s’articule essentiellement autour de deux grands axes principaux, un protocole expérimental spécial et une approche analytique basée sur la résistance des matériaux (RDM) de l’évolution de la flèche d’une poutre entaillée en ambiance non contrôlée. Le dispositif prend en compte : les processus de fissuration du bois, notamment de l’ouverture et de la propagation de la pointe d’une fissure se propageant linéairement depuis le droit de l’entaille, jusqu’à la rupture totale de la poutre ; le suivi des paramètres climatiques que sont la température, l’humidité relative du milieu et les variations de l’humidité interne des poutres testées. Les résultats obtenus montrent qu’une humidification entraine une augmentation de la flèche relative et un séchage génère un départ de fissures pouvant conduire à une rupture de la poutre. Le modèle analytique de l’évolution de la flèche d’une poutre entaillée en ambiance non contrôlée, est tiré des hypothèses classiques de la théorie des poutres de Timoshenko et de l’ensemble des résultats expérimentaux obtenus. Il prend en compte les processus de fissuration, les variations de son humidité interne et l’intensité du chargement qui lui est appliqué. Le modèle représente assez bien les comportements instantané et différé de la poutre induits par les chargements mécanique et environnementaux. / In structure, wood is subjected to different loadings, where the principals are physical, mechanical and environmental. The coupling of these different loadings, make the understand of the mechanical behaviour of wood difficult. The aim of this thesis is to highlight, through a protocol for monitoring the evolution of the deflection, the impact of the conditions of climatic variations on the lifetime of timber of the notched beams. The work is essentially based around two major axes highlighting, respectively, a new experimental devices and a new analytical approach of the following of the evolution of the beam deflection, in outdoor conditions. The experimental device takes into account: the monitoring of the evolution of the notched-beam deflection; the cracking processes of wood, in particular the following of its initiation, the opening and the propagation of the tip of crack which appeared, on the notched-beam until its collapse; the monitoring of the climatic parameters such as temperature, the environmental relative humidity and the variations of the moisture content of the beams during the test. The results show that the variations of these climatic parameters favour the acceleration of the wood aging process in the structure. The analytical model of the evolution of the deflection of a notched beam, shown in this work, is based on the classical hypotheses of Timoshenko’s beam theory and all the experimental results obtained. It takes into account the cracking processes of notched-beam, the variations of its moisture content and the intensity of the loading applied on the beam.

This diploma thesis investigates the suitability of relaxation tests as a part of complex characterization of hydrogel materials using classical rheology methods. With respect to the current research, creep and three interval thixotropy tests were taken into account. For them, general optimization was done aiming to find an ideal parameter settings. The optimization was performed using physically crosslinked agarose (AG) hydrogel and the tuned tests were also applied to two more samples: hyaluronan (HyA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVAl) gel. These materials were selected due to their mutually different crosslinking principle. The experiments showed, the AG gel proved to have the best ability to recover after deformation of all studied samples. On the other hand, the HyA gel relaxed the worst. Although the final results of both tests were comparable, the regeneration process itself was different. Hence, the complex relaxation characteristics cannot be described using one of the performed tests alone and both the creep and three interval thixotropy tests have great importance in the scope of complex relaxation behaviour. The obtained results may lead to more precise description of deformation and relaxation, which are frequent phenomena occurring during treatment and application of hydrogel materials.

La thèse est inscrite au sein du projet ASTRID, qui est un démonstrateur technologique pour les réacteurs de quatrième génération (Gen-IV). Le premier matériau choisi pour constituer les gaines de cœur est un acier inoxydable austénitique stabilisé au titane (type 15Cr-15Ni Ti). L’écrouissage à froid des gaines permet la précipitation de nano-carbures de titane en service sur les dislocations, retardant ainsi les phénomènes de restauration par effet d’épinglage. En conditions accidentelles (T > 650°C), et plus particulièrement dans le cas d’une perte de réfrigérant primaire, le comportement en fluage de ces gaines est très mal connu. L’objectif des travaux de thèse est donc de déterminer les mécanismes de déformation et de rupture en fluage, entre 650°C et 950°C, de cet acier à l’état non irradié.Dans un premier temps, les microstructures d’échantillons après différents recuits ont été comparées afin d’étudier l’influence de la température sur les évolutions métallurgiques. L’étude de la précipitation et des cinétiques de restauration et de recristallisation, ont permis de dresser les évolutions microstructurales sans charge appliquée.En plus d’étudier le comportement en fluage uniaxial de l’acier à haute température, les caractérisations des éprouvettes après essais ont permis de déterminer les évolutions microstructurales au cours et après essais de fluage (contributions simultanées de la température et de la contrainte). La comparaison avec les microstructures obtenues après recuits a mis en évidence une accélération de la cinétique de recristallisation sous charge, rendant l’effet de la contrainte sur ces évolutions non négligeable.Après fluage sous air aux plus basses températures (650°C et 750°C), les fractographies présentent une rupture globalement transgranulaire avec certaines zones intergranulaires. Après fluage sous vide secondaire à plus hautes températures (850°C et 950°C), un fort amincissement des éprouvettes et une striction quasiment complète dans l’épaisseur ont été observés. Ce fort amincissement se traduit par un alignement de cupules, caractéristique de ruptures 100% ductiles à très haute température. / The ASTRID project aims at designing a fast-reactor prototype for the 4th generation of nuclear power plants. The material to be used for fuel cladding is a cold-worked austenitic stainless steel stabilized with titanium (15Cr-15Ni Ti type) and optimized in minor elements. This material was developed to limit recovery and irradiation-induced swelling and to improve microstructural stability and mechanical properties in normal operating conditions. In case of incidental situations (irradiation temperature > 650°C), the cladding might rapidly reach higher temperatures up to 950°C where its stability could be affected. The present work aims at improving knowledge and understanding of the microstructural evolution and creep behaviour of this steel at these temperatures (650°C-950°C).Microstructural characterizations of thermally-aged samples have been performed in order to study the effect of temperature on metallurgical evolutions (precipitation, recovery and recrystallization). A phenomenological model including recovery and recrystallization processes was set up to reproduce hardness measurements versus ageing time and temperatures.Isothermal creep tests up to 950°C under a wide range of stress levels allowed investigation of viscoplastic flow, microstructural evolution under stress and damage/failure processes. In order to evaluate the effect of high-temperature loading, microstructural characteristics of stress-free thermally-aged samples were compared with post-mortem examinations of creep specimens.At 650°C and 750°C the value of stress exponent is higher than 7. The main deformation mechanism during creep test is power-low creep, which is consistent with the results found in the literature.Beyond 850°C, the increase in dislocation mobility promotes recovery and recrystallization processes. As a consequence, a competition between work hardening due to viscoplastic deformation and softening due to dynamic recovery takes place. At 950°C, viscoplastic flow is strongly affected by recrystallization during creep test, especially in the tertiary stage. The comparison between microstructures of crept specimens and stress-free, thermally-aged samples leads to the conclusion that the recrystallization kinetics is accelerated by application of a mechanical loading.As for the fracture behaviour, creep tests under air environment at lower temperatures (650°C-750°C), led to predominating ductile fracture but some intergranular zones were observed on fracture surfaces. Creep tests under high vacuum at higher temperatures (850°C-950°C) lead to a high fracture elongation with a reduction of area up to 100%.

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo estudar a relação entre parâmetros de compactação e de deformação permanente à luz dos ensaios de compactação giratória Superpave ® e de ensaios de compressão uniaxial estática e dinâmica. Foram estudadas 8 misturas asfálticas com a mesma granulometria (Faixa C) e tipo de agregado mineral (granito) porém variou-se o ligante asfáltico (CAP 50/70 e CAP 50/70+SBS), o volume de vazios (4% e 7%) e a adição de cal hidratada. A partir dos resultados do ensaio de compactação observou-se que a inclinação das curvas de compactação das misturas compactadas a 7% foram mais acentuadas do que as de 4% e os parâmetros incidentais deste ensaio foram sensíveis à presença de cal e à variação do asfalto das misturas testadas. Quanto aos resultados dos ensaios de creep estático e dinâmico, notou-se que as misturas com Vv de 4% e as com asfalto modificado apresentam menor suscetibilidade à deformação permanente, no entanto, essas vantagens do asfalto modificado foram observadas somente nos ensaios de creep dinâmico. No que se refere às relações entre os parâmetros de compactação e de deformação permanente, os ajuste não se mostraram promissores como verificado pela qualidade dos ajustes (R2) exceto para algumas relações com CDI e TDIm. / This research aims to study relations between compaction and permanent deformation by means of Superpave® gyratory compaction and static and dynamic creep tests. Thus, eight asphalt mixtures were evaluated which were composed by same type (granite) and gradation (dense) of mineral aggregate but two types of asphalt binder (Pen 50/70 AC and Pen 50/70+SBS AC), two different levels of air voids (4% and 7%) and the addition of hydrated lime. Compaction results indicated that curve slopes of 7% air void asphalt mixtures were stronger than the 4% ones, and compaction parameters were sensitive to lime addition and asphalt type change. Static and dynamic creep test results indicated that 4% air void and modified asphalt mixtures presented lower susceptibility to rutting, but, these modified asphalt advantages were observed only in dynamic creep tests. In regard to relation between compaction and rutting parameters, linear models did not fit accurately, excepting some CDI and TDIm ones.

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo estudar a relação entre parâmetros de compactação e de deformação permanente à luz dos ensaios de compactação giratória Superpave ® e de ensaios de compressão uniaxial estática e dinâmica. Foram estudadas 8 misturas asfálticas com a mesma granulometria (Faixa C) e tipo de agregado mineral (granito) porém variou-se o ligante asfáltico (CAP 50/70 e CAP 50/70+SBS), o volume de vazios (4% e 7%) e a adição de cal hidratada. A partir dos resultados do ensaio de compactação observou-se que a inclinação das curvas de compactação das misturas compactadas a 7% foram mais acentuadas do que as de 4% e os parâmetros incidentais deste ensaio foram sensíveis à presença de cal e à variação do asfalto das misturas testadas. Quanto aos resultados dos ensaios de creep estático e dinâmico, notou-se que as misturas com Vv de 4% e as com asfalto modificado apresentam menor suscetibilidade à deformação permanente, no entanto, essas vantagens do asfalto modificado foram observadas somente nos ensaios de creep dinâmico. No que se refere às relações entre os parâmetros de compactação e de deformação permanente, os ajuste não se mostraram promissores como verificado pela qualidade dos ajustes (R2) exceto para algumas relações com CDI e TDIm. / This research aims to study relations between compaction and permanent deformation by means of Superpave® gyratory compaction and static and dynamic creep tests. Thus, eight asphalt mixtures were evaluated which were composed by same type (granite) and gradation (dense) of mineral aggregate but two types of asphalt binder (Pen 50/70 AC and Pen 50/70+SBS AC), two different levels of air voids (4% and 7%) and the addition of hydrated lime. Compaction results indicated that curve slopes of 7% air void asphalt mixtures were stronger than the 4% ones, and compaction parameters were sensitive to lime addition and asphalt type change. Static and dynamic creep test results indicated that 4% air void and modified asphalt mixtures presented lower susceptibility to rutting, but, these modified asphalt advantages were observed only in dynamic creep tests. In regard to relation between compaction and rutting parameters, linear models did not fit accurately, excepting some CDI and TDIm ones.