Characterization of Mixed-Mode Fracture Behaviour of Thermoplastic Composite Materials by Mandrel Peel Test

Delamination is a significant failure mode that has been the subject of extensive research in laminated structures. The interface in assembly structures often represents the susceptibly weak link and necessitates careful consideration to guarantee structural stability. It is of utmost significance to understand the behaviour of the delamination...

On the application of strong thermoplastic–thermoset interactions for developing advanced aerospace-composite joints

In this study, an aerospace thermosetting composite was co-curing joined by Polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and Polyethylenimine (PEI) films, with an aim of developing advanced composite joints. The semi-crystalline PEEK films were surface activated upon a UV-irradiation technique to obtain a strong film–composite interface, while the amorphous...

Characterizing and modelling the perpendicular to the grain mode-I fracture process of (tropical) hardwood

The demand to build with wood and other bio-based materials has increased rapidly the last decade, due to the ambition to build more with sustainable building materials. One of the major challenges in building with wood, is to account for the lower strength and stiffness perpendicular to the grain. Wood is an anisotropic material, meaning the...

Micromechanics-guided development of strain-hardening alkali-activated composites: Towards a low-carbon built environment

Alkali-activated Materials (AAMs), including those classified as geopolymer, are obtained through the reaction between a solid precursor and an alkaline solution. Compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) binders, these materials maintain comparable mechanical properties but have the advantage of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and...

On the fracture behaviour of aerospace-grade Polyether-ether-ketone composite-to-aluminium adhesive joints

The inherently low surface energy of carbon fibre reinforced Polyether-ether-ketone (CF/PEEK) composites results in an extremely low compatibility with adhesives. This subsequently causes significant challenges in the adhesive joining of them to other dissimilar materials. Herein, the bonding surfaces of the CF/PEEK composites were treated by...

Understanding of Crack Growth in Single- and Bi-Material Bonded Joints with “Extra-Thick” Adhesive Bond-Lines

Experimentally validated meso-scale fracture modelling of mortar using output from micromechanical models

This paper presents a validation process of the developed multi-scale modelling scheme on mortar composites. Special attention was paid to make the material structure of real and virtual mortar specimens comparable at the meso-scale. The input mechanical parameters of cement paste (both bulk cement paste and interfacial transition zone) at the...

Fracture behavior in a modified Transverse Crack Tension test under compressive stress: A qualitative study on model parameters

An increase in apparent mode II fracture toughness in Fiber Reinforced Polymers has been found from modified Transverse Crack Tension (mTCT) tests with compressive stresses added orthogonal to the delamination plane. Numerical reproduction of these results has not yet led to a good understanding of the reasons for this behavior. Currently, an...

Micromechanical Modelling of Fracture Behaviour in Self-Healing Thermal Barrier Coatings

Crack initiation and propagation in composite structures exists as a prominent knowledge gap in computational fracture mechanics. Prior to the development and implementation of fracture modules in FEM solvers, most studies were constrained to simple geometries and load cases. The set of parametric studies that constitute this thesis aims to...

Computational Modelling of Particle Packing in Concrete

Physical particle packing is becoming a hot topic in concrete technology as more and more types of granular materials are used in concrete either for ecological or for engineering purposes. Although various analytical methods have been developed for optimum mixture design, comprehensive information on particle packing properties is still missing...