Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-132). Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 229-236). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Constitutive modeling of slip, twinning, and untwinning in AZ31B magnesium. Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-152).

Thesis (M.S. in mechanical engineering)--Washington State University, August 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xx, 268 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 256-268). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

L’analyse du comportement des pieux est un problème complexe du fait de la diversité des phénomènes qui gouvernent le comportement du sol et en particulier celui se trouvant au voisinage du pieu. Ce dernier dépend particulièrement du procédé d’installation du pieu qui peut parfois engendrer des déformations de très grande amplitude dans le sol entre autre phénomènes. L’objectif de ce travail est de mettre en place un outil de modélisation pour évaluer le comportement des pieux sous chargements axiaux en développant des modèles représentant les phénomènes physiques pertinents et de les intégrer numériquement dans un logiciel aux éléments finis utilisant des algorithmes robustes et efficaces. Pour pouvoir modéliser la phase d’installation statique ou dynamique d’un pieu quelques problématiques doivent être considérées. Premièrement, étant donné que pendant l’installation d’un pieu des déformations finies (non-infinitésimal) ont lieu au niveau de l’interface, une formulation eulérienne avec un taux logarithmique des déformations a été adoptée pour prendre en compte le fait que l’hypothèse des déformations infinitésimales n’est plus valable. En plus, le modèle constitutive doit prendre en compte le comportement physique du sol lorsqu’il est soumis à des déplacements d’une magnitude élevée. Le dernier est constitué, entre autres, par le phénomène de l’écrasement des grains ce qui influence beaucoup le comportement volumique du sol et finalement sa résistance au cisaillement ou en d’autres termes le frottement mobilisé. Ce phénomène a été modélisé en introduisant une variable d’écrouissage supplémentaire au modèle de comportement élastoplastique de l’ECP. Les critères d’admissibilité thermodynamique ont été vérifiés pour le modèle constitutive original ainsi que pour le modèle révisé. Des simulations numériques ont été faites pour les deux types d’installation, monotone et pseudo-dynamique (cyclique) et les résultats ont été analysés en détail. Finalement, la dégradation de la résistance au cisaillement au niveau du fût des pieux est un phénomène typique qui se produit pendant le chargement cyclique des fondations composées par des pieux. Le modèle constitutive pour pouvoir bien reproduire ce phénomène n’est pas simple à définir car le chemin de chargement suivi par l’interface sol-pieu est très dépendant du comportement volumique du sol qui à son tours dépend de l’histoire de chargement et des conditions aux limites du problème. Une étude détaillée de toutes les composantes du comportement du pieu pendant ce type de chargement a été effectuée afin de mettre en évidence l’influence de l’histoire de chargement sur la résistance au cisaillement et l’apparition des phénomènes tels que la fatigue du frottement. / The analysis of pile behavior is a complex problem due to the diversity of the phenomena governing the soil behavior and particularly that of the neighboring soil. The objective of this work was to develop a valid modeling tool to evaluate piles’ behavior under axial loads by developing a pertinent mechanical model supported in a robust finite element program which would successfully reproduce the soil behaviour under extreme monotonic and cyclic shear strain. This is done to allow for the numerical modelling of the installation procedure of pile foundations and continued loading of high amplitude cyclic paths. In order to model the installation phase of a monotonic, jacked or dynamic pile foundation some issues must be addressed. Finite deformations take place whilst the pile is put in place requiring an adjustment in the mechanical formulation of the model at the interface level to take into account that the small deformations (rotations and strain) hypothesis is no longer valid. Moreover, the constitutive model must take into account the physical behaviour of the soil when subjected to high order of magnitude displacements. This includes the phenomenon of grain breakage, also referred to as particle crushing, which greatly influences the volumetric behaviour of soil as thus reflecting of shear stress mobilization. The elastoplastic ECP model has therefore been enhanced by introducing an internal variable taking into account the breakage mechanism. The thermodynamic admissibility criteria are verified for the original and revised constitutive models. Both monotonic and pseudo-dynamic installation procedures were numerically simulated and the results thoroughly analysed. Finally, the cyclic shear resistance degradation at the pile shaft is a commonly occurring phenomenon during continued cyclic loading of pile foundation (friction fatigue). The constitutive modelling of this phenomenon, however, is not a straightforward matter. The stress path followed by the thin layer at the soil-pile interface level is known to be directly related to the volumetric behaviour due to the boundary conditions of the problem. A comprehensive analysis of all the components of the behaviour of soil during this stage was object of study in this work.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo demonstrar a viabilidade do emprego da teoria de interação de substâncias no contínuo para a análise de compostos multifásicos, sendo possível considerar-se substâncias anisótropas através de sua representação via uma formulação isótropa equivalente. No campo teórico, referente à anisotropia via formulação isótropa equivalente, deduzem-se tensores de mapeamento de tensões e deformações para o espaço fictício na configuração deformada, adequados às análises com grandes deformações. Os modelos de materiais compostos e de anisotropia propostos, foram implementados no âmbito de um código de cálculo para análise dinâmica explícita com grandes deformações. Entre as aplicações do programa destacam-se o estudo de problemas de conformação de lâminas metálicas e de compostos multifásicos e a possibilidade de analisar compostos de matriz frágil reforçada por fibras curtas, considerando-se uma função simples de dano elasto-plástico. Os exemplos executados mostram boa concordância dos resultados obtidos neste trabalho com aqueles obtidos por outros autores e com alguns resultados experimentais existentes. / The aim of this work is to valuate the performance of the theory of interacting substances in the continuum (role of mixtures) applied to composites including anisotropic substances which are modeled by an isotropic equivalent formulation. In the theoretical field, with respect to the anisotropy consideration by an equivalent isotropic formulation on the deformed configuration, convenient mapping tensors for stresses and strains in the fictitious space are deduced and applied to large deformation problems. The proposed models of anisotropy and composites were implemented in an explicit code for dynamic analysis with large deformations. The code is applied to the solution of sheet metal forming processes and multiphase composites including an analysis of a brittle matrix composite reinforced by short fibers by a simple elastoplastic damage model. The numerical results of the chosen examples are in good agreement with those suggested in some references or with some reported experiments.

This thesis is concerned with the deformation and adhesion of thin elastic sheets that come into contact with an underlying substrate. The focus of this work is on the interplay between material and geometric properties of a system and how this interplay determines the equilibrium states of sheet and substrate, particularly in the regime of geometrically nonlinear deformations. We first consider the form of an elastic sheet that is partially adhered to a rigid substrate, accounting for deflections with large slope: the Sticky Elastica. Starting from the classical Euler Elastica we provide numerical results for the profiles of such blisters and present asymptotic expressions that go beyond the previously known, linear, approximations. Our theoretical predictions are confirmed by desktop experiments and suggest a new method for the measurement of material properties for systems undergoing large deformations. With the aim to gain better understanding of the initial appearance of blisters we next investigate the deformation of a thin elastic sheet floating on a liquid surface. We show that, after the appearance of initial wrinkles, the sheet delaminates from the liquid over a finite region at a critical compression, forming a delamination blister. We determine the initial blister size and the evolution of blister size with continuing compression before verifying our theoretical results with experiments at a macroscopic scale. We next study theoretically the deposition of thin sheets onto a grooved substrate, in the context of graphene adhesion. We develop a model to understand the equilibrium of the sheet allowing for partial conformation of sheet to substrate. This model gives phys- ical insight into recent observations of ‘snap-through’ from flat to conforming states and emphasises the crucial role of substrate shape in determining the nature of this transition. We finally present a theoretical investigation of stiction in nanoscale electromechanical contact switches. Our model captures the elastic bending of the switch in response to both electrostatic and van der Waals forces and accounts for geometrically nonlinear deflections. We solve the resulting equations numerically to study how a cantilever beam adheres to a fixed bottom electrode: transitions between free, pinned and clamped states are shown to be discontinuous and to exhibit significant hysteresis. The implications for nanoscale switch design are discussed.

Includes bibliographical references. / This investigation, primarily experimental, examines the failure of circular plates subjected to impulsive velocities. The experiments are conducted on fully clamped circular steel plates subjected to a uniformly distributed impulse. The strain-rate-sensitive mild steel plates fail with mode I (large ductile deformation), mode II (tensile-tearing and deformation) and mode III (transverse-shear) failure modes. The impulse is measured by means of a ballistic pendulum upon which the test plates are attached. During mode II and mode III failure the complete circumferential tearing of the test plate produces a circular disc. The velocity of this disc is recorded. An energy analysis is performed on the test results and an energy balance equation is formulated. Einput = Edeformation + Etearing + Edisc. The input and disc energies are obtained from the experimental measurements and the deformation energy is predicted by using the final deformed height and a shape function together with a rigid-plastic energy analysis adopted by Duffey. Etearing refers to the energy for tensile-tearing in mode II failure or the energy for transverse-shear in mode III failure. Good correlation is found and the experiments show good repeatability. The threshold velocities for the onset of failure modes II and III are given.