Sequentially linear modelling of combined tension/compression failure in masonry structures

The modelling of brittle fracture is essential for the assessment of structural safety. It remains a challenge due to sharp material softening after realization of the material strength. Standard nonlinear finite element analysis techniques using incremental-iterative solution procedures have been adapted to deal with the sharp softening curves...

Chemomechanics of Damage Accumulation and Damage-Recovery Healing in Bituminous Asphalt Binders

As a contribution to the development of mutli-scale multi-physics approaches to modelling pavement performance, the present thesis considers the topic of damage accumulation accompanied by damage recover self-healing of the bituminous asphalt phase of pavement systems. It is found insightful that by adopting Hveem’s [1943] concept of attributing...

A testing preocedure for the evaluation of directional mesh bias

This paper presents a dedicated numerical test that enables to assess the directional mesh bias of constitutive models in a systematic way. The test makes use of periodic boundary conditions, by which strain localization can be analyzed for different mesh alignments with preservation of mesh uniformity and with exclusion of boundary disturbances...

Dynamic tensile resistance of concrete-split Hopkinson bar test

The behavior of concrete structures is strongly influenced by the loading rate. Compared to quasi-static loading, on meso and macro-scale concrete loaded by impact loading acts in a different way. First, there is a strain-rate influence on strength, stiffness, ductility, and, second, there are inertia forces activated which influence the...

A strain gradient approach to the analysis of nanoarches: Formulation and numerical solution with NURBS interpolation

Size effects observed in the mechanical behavior of micro- and nanostructures cannot be modeled by means of classical continuum mechanics. Enhanced continuum models based on nonlocal integro-differential or higher-order differential formulations have shown, on the contrary, that size effect can be modeled when appropriate modifications to the...