<p>U postupku praćenja stanja građevinskih struktura vr&scaron;i se nadzor nad fizičkim (mehaničkim), meteorolo&scaron;kim i hemijskim parametrima. U praksi se za merenje navedenih parametara koristi veliki broj instrumenata-senzora. Na osnovu uvida u aktuelno stanje iz oblasti istraživanja, zatim evidentne potrebe za istraživanjima o potencijalu postojećih i novih instrumenata i senzora za merenje geometrijskih deformacija i ekspanziji kori&scaron;ćenja fiber optičke senzorske tehnologije definisana je oblast istraživanja ove doktorske disertacije. U doktorskoj disertaciji izvr&scaron;eno je teorijsko i eksperimentalno istraživanje postojećih metoda za praćenje geometrijskih deformacija i razvoj sistema baziranog na fiber optičkom senzoru zakrivljenosti (eng. Fiber Optic Curvature Sensor &ndash; FOCS).</p> / <p>In the process of structural health monitoring (SHM) inspection of physical (mechanical), meteorological and chemical parameters is performed. In practice, a large number of instruments-sensors are used to measure these parameters. The field of research of this doctoral dissertation is based on the insight into the current state in the field of research, then the evident need for research on the potential of existing and new instruments and sensors for measuring geometric deformations and the usage expansion of fiber optic sensor technology. In the doctoral dissertation, theoretical and experimental study of the existing methods for monitoring geometric deformations and the development of a fiber optic curvature sensor (FOCS) system is performed.</p>

Eine einfache Darstellung der Grundgleichungen für 'Große Deformationen' und Herleitung eines geeigneten Fehlerschätzers für die adaptive FEM.

In this paper we continue the considerations of [5] (CSC/09-05). A numerical study for the parameter identification problem with linear elastic material and large deformations is presented. We discuss the numerical implementation in MATLAB and illustrate some results for a 2D test problem.

Dans les tissus, les cellules génèrent et sont soumises en permanence à des forces mécaniques. Les perturbations biochimiques à l'intérieur des cellules, ainsi que les altérations de leur environnement mécanique peuvent modifier l'équilibre physiologique et mener à des pathologies, comme le cancer. Bien que les propriétés mécaniques puissent être modifiées à l'échelle du tissus, la compréhension de la mécanique au niveau de la cellule unique demeure importante. En particulier, la différenciation, la migration des cellules immunitaires et le caractère invasif d'un cancer dépendent fortement des propriétés mécaniques des cellules uniques. Les déformations mécaniques peuvent induire un changement de la surface et du volume cellulaires. Nous nous intéressons particulièrement à la régulation du volume cellulaire chez les cellules mammifères dans le contexte de déformations à différentes échelles de temps. Jusqu'à présent, la régulation du volume dans ce contexte n'a été que très peu étudiée, en raison de la difficulté d'obtention de mesures précises, et du fait que le volume de la cellule est généralement considéré comme constant. Nous avons développé une méthode de mesure du volume cellulaire reposant sur l'exclusion de fluorescence, qui nous permet d'effectuer des mesures de volume précise au niveau de la cellule unique. Dans cette étude, nous nous sommes concentrés sur la régulation du volume cellulaire au cours de l'étalement dynamique sur un substrat (échelle de temps : minutes). Nous avons démontré qu'il existe différents régimes de régulation du volume lors de l'étalement : les cellules réduisent, augmentent ou ne modifient pas leur volume, en fonction de l'état du cortex d'actomyosine et de la vitesse d'étalement. Nous avons constaté que les cellules s'étalant plus vite ont tendance à perdre davantage de volume. Notre hypothèse est que lors d'une extension rapide de lamellipode dépendante d'Arp2/3, l'actine tire sur la membrane et génère une tension et l'activation de transport ionique, s'accompagnant d'une perte de volume compensatoire. L'inhibition de la polymérisation de l'actine ou de sa ramification dépendante d'Arp2/3 réduit la vitesse d'étalement et ainsi la perte de volume. Nous avons ensuite montré que l'inhibition de la contractilité augmente la vitesse d'étalement et la perte de volume. Cependant, l'inhibition d'Arp2/3 dans des cellules à faible contractilité conduit à un étalement rapide sans perte de volume. En effet, l'inhibition d'Arp2/3 induit des bulles de membranes, une déformation rapide n'induirait donc pas de perte de volume car la cellule peut relâcher la tension en dépliant la membrane. Nous avons également montré que la régulation du volume en réponse à une compression mécanique rapide (échelle de temps : millisecondes) indépendante de l'adhérence dépend également de l'état du cortex d'actomyosine. Les cellules perdent jusqu'à 30% de leur volume lorsqu'elles sont confinées, car la membrane plasmique est attachée au cortex et ne peux pas être dépliée en réponse à l'augmentation de la tension. La perturbation du cortex d'actine induit le détachement de la membrane et limite la perte de volume. Enfin, nous avons montré que la réponse du volume à un choc osmotique (échelle de temps : secondes) est plus que complexe que décrite dans la littérature. Nos données indiquent qu'au niveau de la cellule unique, la réponse initiale du volume au changement de l'osmolarité extérieure n'est pas un processus passif uniforme. En utilisant la technique du choc osmotique, nous avons également confirmé que les cellules ont un large excès de membrane repliée dans des réservoirs. Nos résultats montrent que le volume et l'aire cellulaires sont couplés par l'homéostasie de la tension de surface, et, étant donné que les déformations induisent une augmentation de la tension de surface, elles conduisent à des modifications du volume et de l'aire de la cellule. / The field of biomechanics significantly progressed in the last two decades. The importance of the feedback between biochemical signaling and physical properties was revealed in many studies. Cells within tissues constantly generate and experience mechanical forces. Biochemical perturbations inside the cells as well as alterations in the mechanical environment can shift the tiny balance of normal physiological state and lead to pathologies, e.g. cancer. Although the mechanical properties of individual cells can alter when they are within the tissues, the understanding of single cell mechanics is still important. Differentiation, immune cell migration, and cancer invasion strongly depend on the mechanical properties of individual cells. Mechanical deformations can lead to a change in cell surface area and volume. We are particularly interested in single mammalian cell volume regulation in the context of deformations of different timescales. For the moment, volume regulation in this context was out from the research interest, probably due to the difficulties of accurate measurements, and cell volume often considered as a constant parameter. We developed a method for cell volume measurements based on a fluorescent exclusion that allowed us to perform precise volume measurements of individual live cells. In the present study, we mainly focused on cell volume regulation while dynamic spreading on a substrate (timescale – minutes). We demonstrated that there are different regimes for volume regulation while spreading: cells decrease, increase or do not change volume, and a type of the regime depends on the state of the actomyosin cortex and spreading speed. We obtained that faster-spreading cells tend to lose more volume. Our hypothesis is that during fast Arp2/3-driven lamellipodia extension actin pull on the membrane that generates tension and activation of ion transport and regulatory volume loss. Inhibition of actin polymerization or Arp2/3-dependent actin branching decreases spreading speed and volume loss. Next, we showed that inhibition of contractility increases spreading speed and volume loss. However, inhibition of Arp2/3 complex in cells with low contractility leads to fast spreading without volume loss. Our explanation is that inhibition of Arp2/3 induces cell blebbing and even fast deformation does not lead to volume loss as a cell can relax tension by membrane unfolding. We also showed that volume regulation in response to fast mechanical compression (timescale – milliseconds) independent of adhesion also depends on the actomyosin cortex state. Control cells lose up to 30% of volume under confinement, as the cell membrane is attached to the cortex and cannot be unfolded in response to the tension increase. Disruption of actin cortex leads to membrane detachment and prevents volume loss under confinement. Additionally, we showed that cell volume response to the osmotic shock (timescale – seconds) is more complex than it used to be known in the literature. For instance, our data indicate that at the level of individual cells initial volume response to the change of external osmolarity is not a uniform passive process. Using osmotic shock technique, we also confirmed that cells have a large excess of membrane folded in reservoirs. Taken together, our data show that cell volume and surface area are coupled through surface tension homeostasis and as deformations induce surface tension increase, they lead to change volume and surface area.

Cette étude s'intéresse au vieillissement thermique d'élastomères synthétiques, amorphes, vulcanisés et additionnés de charges (noir de carbone). Sur la base d'une même formulation matériau, on étudie plus particulièrement, l'impact du procédé initial (conditions de vulcanisation), les conséquences de l'évolution physico-chimique des matériaux sur le comportement mécanique et l'influence d'un chargement mécanique permanent durant le vieillissement. Des caractérisations mécaniques (essais cycliques, relaxations par paliers, essais de compressibilité) et physico-chimiques (suivi des variation de dimension et de masse, essais de gonflement dans un solvant) sont réalisées afin de quantifier l'impact du vieillissement. Le phénomène dominant étant une augmentation de la densité de réticulation (maturation des ponts polysulfures en ponts disulfures ou monosulfures). D'une manière générale la partie expérimentale a permis de formuler un certain nombre d'hypothèses (isotropie, insensibilité de certaines caractéristiques physiques aux vieillissement, etc.) qui ont guidé le développement d'un modèle multiphysique. Ce modèle s'appuie sur une approche thermo-chimio-mécanique formulée dans le cadre de la thermodynamique des processus irréversibles avec introduction de variables internes afin de traduire d'une part les non-linéarités de comportement de ce type de matériau (grandes déformations, viscoélasticité non-linéaire et effet Payne), et d'autre part de décrire l'évolution physico-chimique du réseau macromoléculaire (qui dépend de la température et de l'état mécanique). Cette modélisation a permis d'introduire un couplage réciproque entre les états physico-chimique et mécanique / This study mainly concerns the thermal aging phenomenon in amorphous synthetic rubbers, initially vulcanized and filled with carbon blacks. On the basis of one material formulation, we study: the impact of the process (vulcanization condition), the influence of the chemo-physical evolution of the cross-linked network on the mechanical behavior and the influence of a permanent mechanical load during aging. Mechanical characterizations (cyclic, relaxation and hydrostatic tests) and chemo-physical ones (variation of mass and volume, swelling in solvent) are realized in order to quantify the impact of ageing. The main phenomena observed is an increase of the crosslink density (maturation of polysulfides to monosulfide or disulfide crosslinks). From a general point of view, we can formulate many hypothesis from the experimental characterizations (isotropy, non-dependence of some physical properties on ageing, etc.). For the modeling, we have adopted a themo-chemo-mechanical approach that is based on the thermodynamics of irreversible processes and the introduction of internal variables in order to phenomelogically describe on one hand the nonlinear mechanical behavior at finite strain (nonlinear viscoelasticty, Payne effect, etc.) and on the other hand the chemo-physical evolution of the macromolecular network (which depends on temperature and mechanical state). This approach has permitted to introduce a reciprocal coupling between chemo-physical and mechanical states

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / We derive the differential identities for isomonodromic tau functions, describing their monodromy dependence. For Painlev´e equations we obtain them from the relation of tau function to classical action which is a consequence of quasihomogeneity of corresponding Hamiltonians. We use these identities to solve the connection problem for generic solution of Painlev´e-III(D8) equation, and homogeneous Painlev´e-II equation. We formulate conjectures on Hamiltonian and symplectic structure of general isomonodromic deformations we obtained during our studies and check them for Painlev´e equations.

No description available.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Nanoscale materials have become an active area of research due to the enhanced mechanical properties of the nanomaterials in comparison to their respective bulk materials. The effect that the size and shape of a nanomaterial has on its mechanical properties is important to understand if these materials are to be used in engineering applications. This thesis presents the results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on copper, gold, nickel, palladium, platinum, and silver nanowires of three cross-sectional shapes and four diameters. The cross-sectional shapes investigated were square, circular, and octagonal while the diameters varied from one to eight nanometers. Due to a high surface area to volume ratio, nanowires do not have the same atomic spacing as bulk materials. To account for this difference, prior to tensile loading, a minimization procedure was applied to find the equilibrium strain for each structure size and shape. Through visualization of the atomic energy before and after minimization, it was found that there are more than two energetically distinct areas within the nanowires. In addition, a correlation between the anisotropy of a material and its equilibrium strain was found. The wires were then subjected to a uniaxial tensile load in the [100] direction at a strain rate of 108 s-1 with a simulation temperature of 300 K. The embedded-atom method (EAM) was employed using the Foiles potential to simulate the stretching of the wires. The wires were stretched to failure, and the corresponding stress-strain curves were produced. From these curves, mechanical properties including the elastic modulus, yield stress and strain, and ultimate strain were calculated. In addition to the MD approach, an energy method was applied to calculate the elastic modulus of each nanowire through exponential fitting of an energy function. Both methods used to calculate Young’s modulus qualitatively gave similar results indicating that as diameter decreases, Young’s modulus decreases. The MD simulations were also visualized to investigate the deformation and yield behavior of each nanowire. Through the visualization, most nanowires were found to yield and fail through partial dislocation nucleation and propagation leading to {111} slip. However, the 5 nm diameter octagonal platinum nanowire was found to yield through reconstruction of the {011} surfaces into the more energetically favorable {021} surfaces.

Shear deformations are, generally, not considered in structural analysis of beams and frames. But shear deformations in members with low clear span-to-member depth ratio will be higher than normally expected, thus adversely affecting the stiffness of these members. Inclusion of shear deformation in analysis requires the values of shear modulus (modulus of rigidity, G) and the shear area of the member. The shear area of the member is a cross-sectional property and is defined as the area of the section which is effective in resisting shear deformation. This value is always less than the gross area of the section and is also referred to as the form factor. The form factor is the ratio of the gross area of the section to its shear area. There are a number of expressions available in the literature for the form factors of rectangular and wide flange sections. However, preliminary analysis revealed a high variation in the values given by them. The variation was attributed to the different assumptions made, regarding the stress distribution and section behavior. This necessitated the use of three-dimensional finite element analysis of rectangular and wide flange sections to resolve the issue. The purpose of finite element analysis was to determine which, if any, of the expressions in the literature provided correct answers. A new method of finite element analysis based on the principle of virtual work is used for analyzing rectangular and wide flange sections. The validity of the new method was established by analyzing rectangular sections for which closed form solutions for form factor were available. The form factors of various wide flange sections in the AISC database were calculated from finite element analysis and an empirical relationship was formulated for easy calculation of the form factor. It was also found that an empirical formula provided good results for form factors of wide flange sections. Beam-column joint sub-assemblies were modeled and analyzed to understand the contribution of various components to the total drift. This was not very successful since the values obtained from the finite element analysis did not match the values calculated using virtual work. This discrepancy points to inaccuracies in modeling and, possibly, analysis of beam-column joints. This issue needs to be resolved before proceeding further with the analysis. / Master of Science

Fiber-reinforced rubberlike materials (FRRM) commonly used in tires undergo large deformations, and exhibit different response in tension and compression along the fiber direction. Assuming that the response of a fiber-reinforced rubberlike material can be modeled as transversely isotropic with the fiber direction as the axis of transverse isotropy, we express the stored energy function, W, in terms of the five invariants of the right Cauchy-Green strain tensor and the fiber direction, and account for different response in tension and compression along the fiber direction. It has been shown in the literature that in shear-dominated deformations, the 5th invariant, I5, significantly contribution to the stress-strain curve. We have implemented the constitutive relation in the commercial software, LS-DYNA. The numerical solutions of several boundary value problems studied here agree with their analytical solutions derived by using Ericksen's inverse approach, in which a part of the solution is assumed and unknowns in the presumed solution are then found by analyzing the pertinent boundary value problem. However, computed results have not been compared with experimental findings. For W of the FRRMs an expression that is a complete quadratic function of the five invariants is also examined. Homogeneous deformations such as simple extension, simple shear, and biaxial loading problems are studied to delineate the mechanical behaviors of FRRMs. Consistency with the infinitesimal deformation theory requires that linear terms in the 4th and 5th invariants, I4 and I5, be included in the expression for W. Stability analysis of deformations reveals the qualitative changes triggered by the second order terms of the quadratic function. Analytical solutions for inflation, extension and twist deformations caused by internal pressure, end torque, and axial force for a pressurized cylindrical laminate are derived using Ericksen's inverse method. Effects of fiber orientations on the mechanical behaviors of a +/-α angle-ply cylindrical tube are investigated using the derived analytical solutions. The T-peel test, widely used for characterizing adhesion across a plethora of adhesives, adherends, and geometries, results in a range of responses that may complicate meaningful interpretation of the test data. This research effort, involving several specific specimen types, was undertaken to investigate concerns that commonly used configurations may not always result in plateaus in the force-displacement response. We experimentally and numerically study debonding of T-peel specimens having 75 mm bond length and 0.81 mm thick adherends made of either 6061 aluminum (Al) or one of the three steels (G70 70U hot dip galvanized, E60 elctrogalvanized (EGZ), 1010 cold-rolled steel (CRS) bonded with either LORD® 406 or Maxlok™ acrylic adhesive. For the EGZ and the Al adherends, specimens with a bond length of 250 mm and adherend thickness of 1.60 mm are also examined. Effects of adherend materials and thicknesses, bond lengths, and adhesives on test results are examined using three metrics to interpret the T-peel bond performance. We find a limited correlation between the commonly used "T-peel strength" and the energy dissipated per unit debond area. For those two metrics, the relative performances of the CRS and the Al specimens are quite different. Quasi-static plane strain deformations of the test specimens are analyzed by the finite element method (FEM) and a cohesive zone model using the commercial software, ABAQUS, to help interpret the test data. Numerical results provided energies required to elastically and plastically deform the adherends, and help determine the transition from non-self-similar to self-similar debonding. The FE simulations also facilitate determination of the fraction of the crosshead displacement at which self-similar debonding occurs. Results reported herein should help practitioners select appropriate specimen dimensions for extracting meaningful data for adhesive performance. / Ph. D.