Bi-stable interlocks of sutured ABS geometries- A numerical study in Abaqus

Abstract

Concrete elements, partially or entirely prefabricated are becoming more and more popular in engineering practice. The biggest challenge in this process is the realization of connections between components. These connections fall within two categories: Precast-to-precast connections with hardened parts and
precast-to-in situ connections, where an in-situ concrete element needs to adhere to a precast element. Some kind of interlocking surface might be effectual in both situations. Geometrical interlocking that exists in natural materials (turtle shells, diatoms), is the main inspiration for interlocking mechanisms in engineering practice. The concept of bistable interlocks has been introduced in the past few years to theoretical mechanics. These interlocks could allow many stable positions before the connection collapses, and may provide an additional ”safety boundary” in brittle concrete-to-concrete connections by spreading the nonlinear deformations through the material and making the transformed material less brittle and more damage tolerant. In this research, the properties of bistable interlocked materials will be explored based on the numerical models built. These properties are immediately correlated to the experiments performed. Sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate the parameters that can lead to the optimal behavior of the sutured geometries.