• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.373-381
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• 2018

Hollow center cracked disc (HCCD) in Brazilian test was modelled numerically to study the crack propagation in the pre-cracked disc. The pre-existing edge cracks in the disc models were considered to investigate the crack propagation and coalescence paths within the modelled samples. The effect of particle size on the hollow center cracked disc (HCCD) in Brazilian test were considered too. The results shows that Failure pattern is constant by increasing the ball diameter. Tensile cracks are dominant mode of failure. These crack initiates from notch tip, propagate parallel to loading axis and coalescence with upper model boundary. Number of cracks increase by decreasing the ball diameter. Also, tensile fracture toughness was decreased with increasing the particle size. In this research, it is tried to improve the understanding of the crack propagation and crack coalescence phenomena in brittle materials which is of paramount importance in the stability analyses of rock and concrete structures, such as the underground openings, rock slopes and tunnel construction.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.919-933
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• 2017

A series of Brazilian tests under diameter compression for disc specimens was carried out to investigate the strength and failure behavior by using acoustic emission (AE) and photography monitoring technique. On the basis of experimental results, load-displacement curves, AE counts, real-time crack evolution process, failure modes and strength property of granite specimens containing two pre-existing holes were analyzed in detail. Two typical types of load-displacement curves are identified, i.e., sudden instability (type I) and progressive failure (type II). In accordance with the two types of load-displacement curves, the AE events also have different responses. The present experiments on disc specimens containing two pre-existing holes under Brazilian test reveal four distinct failure modes, including diametrical splitting failure mode (mode I), one crack coalescence failure mode (mode II), two crack coalescences failure mode (mode III) and no crack coalescence failure mode (mode IV). Compared with intact granite specimen, the disc specimen containing two holes fails with lower strength, which is closely related to the bridge angle. The failure strength of pre-holed specimen first decreases and then increases with the bridge angle. Finally, a preliminary interpretation was proposed to explain the strength evolution law of granite specimen containing two holes based on the microscopic observation of fracture plane.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.541-560
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• 2017

In this research, experimental and numerical simulations were adopted to investigate the effects of ligament angle on compressive strength and failure mode of rock-like material specimens containing two non-coplanar filled fissures under uniaxial compression. The experimental results show that with the increase of ligament angle, the compressive strength decreases to a nadir at the ligament angle of $60^{\circ}$, before increasing to the maximum at the ligament angle of $120^{\circ}$, while the elastic modulus is not obviously related to the ligament angle. The shear coalescence type easily occurred when ${\alpha}$ < ${\beta}$, although having the same degree difference between the angle of ligament and fissure. Numerical simulations using $PFC^{2D}$ were performed for flawed specimens under uniaxial compression, and the results are in good consistency with the experimental results. By analyzing the crack evolution process and parallel bond force field of rock-like material specimen containing two non-coplanar filled fissures, we can conclude that the coalescence and propagation of crack are mainly derived from parallel bond force, and the crack initiation and propagation also affect the distribution of parallel bond force. Finally, the displacement vectors in ligament region were used to identify the type of coalescence, and the results coincided with that obtained by analyzing parallel bond force field. These experimental and numerical results are expected to improve the understanding of the mechanism of flawed rock engineering structures.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.541-557
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• 2015

This research aims to analyze the fracture coalescence characteristics of brittle sandstone specimen ($80{\times}160{\times}30mm$ in size) containing various flaws (a single fissure, double squares and combined flaws). Using a rock mechanics servo-controlled testing system, the strength and deformation behaviours of sandstone specimen containing various flaws are experimentally investigated. The results show that the crack initiation stress, uniaxial compressive strength and peak axial strain of specimen containing a single fissure are all higher than those containing double squares, while which are higher than those containing combined flaws. For sandstone specimen containing combined flaws, the uniaxial compressive strength of sandstone increase as fissure angle (${\alpha}$) increases from $30^{\circ}$ to $90^{\circ}$, which indicates that the specimens with steeper fissure angles can support higher axial capacity for ${\alpha}$ greater than $30^{\circ}$. In the entire deformation process of flawed sandstone specimen, crack evolution process is discussed detailed using photographic monitoring technique. For the specimen containing a single fissure, tensile wing cracks are first initiated at the upper and under tips of fissure, and anti-tensile cracks and far-field cracks are also observed in the deformation process; moreover anti-tensile cracks usually accompanies with tensile wing cracks. For the specimen containing double squares, tensile cracks are usually initiated from the top and bottom edge of two squares along the direction of axial stress, and in the process of final unstable failure, more vertical splitting failures are observed in the ligament region. When a single fissure and double squares are formed together into combined flaws, the crack coalescence between the fissure tips and double squares plays a significant role for ultimate failure of the specimen containing combined flaws.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.73-81
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• 2004

Failure mechanisms of welded joints under fatigue loads are interpreted that multiple collinear surface cracks initiating randomly along the weld toes propagate under the mutual interaction and coalescence of adjacent two cracks. To estimate fatigue crack propagation life for three types of the representative welded joints, i.e. non-load carrying cruciform, cover plate and longitudinal stiffener joint, the stress intensity factors at the front of the surface cracks have to be calculated, which are influenced strongly by the geometry of attachments, weld toes and the crack shapes. For the effective calculation of the stress intensity factors the Mk-factor was introduced which can be derived by a parametric study performed by FEM considering influence of the geometrical effects. The fatigue life of the cruciform joint was estimated by using the Mk-factors and the method considering the propagation mechanisms of the multiple surface cracks. Analysis results for the fatigue life had a good agreement with that of experiment.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.120-125
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• 2004

Fatigue life of welded joints are governed by the propagation of multiple collinear surface cracks distributed randomly along weld bead. These cracks propagate in mutual interaction and coalescence of them. To estimate the fatigue life, the influences of above two mechanisms on the fatigue life should be taken into account. These two mechanisms appear through the stress intensity factors disturbed mutually. However, it is difficult to calculate the stress intensity factors of multiple surface cracks located in vicinity of weld toe. The stress intensity factors are calculated normally by using the Mk-factors, but such Mk-factors are very rare in literature. In this study, the Mk-factors were obtained from a parametric study on crack length and depth, in which a finite element method is used. A fatigue test for a cruciform welded joint was conducted. The fatigue life of the tested specimen was estimated through present method with the informations obtained from the test, e.g. the number, size and locations of the cracks. The estimated and measured fatigue life showed a good agreement.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.6 s.177
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• pp.1584-1592
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• 2000

Reversed plane bending fatigue tests were conducted on SiC whisker reinforced aluminum composite which were consolidated by squeeze casting process. Initiation and growth of small surface fatigue c racks were investigated by means of a plastic replica technique. The fatigue crack initiated in the vicinity of SiC whisker/matrix interface. It was found that a fatigue crack deflected along SiC whisker and grew in a zig-zag manner microscopically, although the crack propagated along the direction normal to the loading axis macroscopically. The coalescence of micro-cracks was observed in the tests conducted at high stress levels, but were not evident in tests in which lower levels of stress were applied. Due to the coalescence, a higher crack growth rate of small cracks rather than those of long cracks was recognized in da/dn -ΔK realtionship.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.104-111
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• 1988

This paper deals with the micro-surface-cracks behavior on the unnotched smooth specimens of Type 304 stainless steel at $593^{\circ}C$ in air under creep and creep-fatigue conditions that have 10 mim and 1 min load holding times respectively. The behaviors of the micro-surface-cracks have been visualized by means of surface replica method and optical micro-photography. The quantitative characteristics of initiation, growth and coalescence of micro-surface-cracks have been investigated by observing and measuring the crack growth behaviors. some of the important results are as follows: Main crack initiates at grain boundary in the early stage(10 to 20%)of its life time and grows through coalescence and finally leads to fracture. The distribution of micro-surface-crack length, 2a, can be plotted against the composite Weibull distribution. The growth rate of the main crack can be plotted against the stress intensity factor, crack tip opering displacement and J integral.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.702-709
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• 2004

Modified Gurson model (Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman model) was used to analyze crack growth in M(T) and C(T) specimens. A commercial finite element code ABAQUS/Explicit is used to account for total failure of material point by cavity coalescence, and crack growth was simulated by finite element extinction. Crack growth resistance curve was obtained by calculating J-integral. Crack growth under residual stress was investigated.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.675-687
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• 2018

In the previous studies on the porous rock strength the effect of pore number and its diameter is not explicitly defined. In this paper crack initiation, propagation and coalescence in Brazilian model disc containing a single cylindrical hole and or multiple holes have been studied numerically using PFC3D. In model with internal hole, the ratio of hole diameter to model diameter was varied between 0.03, 0.17, 0.25, 0.33, and 0.42. In model with multiple hole number of holes was different in various model, i.e., one hole, two holes, three holes, four holes, five holes, six holes, seven holes, eight holes and nine holes. Diameter of these holes was 5 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm. The pre-holed Brazilian discs are numerically tested under Brazilian test. The breakage load in the ring type disc specimens containing an internal hole with varying diameters is measured. The mechanism of cracks propagation in the wall of the ring type specimens is also studied. In the case of multi-hole Brazilian disc, the cracks propagation and b cracks coalescence are also investigated. The results shows that breaking of the pre-holed disc specimens is due to the propagation of radially induced tensile cracks initiated from the surface of the central hole and propagating toward the direction of diametrical loading. In the case of disc specimens with multiple holes, the cracks propagation and cracks coalescence may occur simultaneously in the breaking process of model under diametrical compressive loading. Finally the results shows that the failure stress and crack initiation stress decreases by increasing the hole diameter. Also, the failure stress decreases by increasing the number of hole which mobilized in failure. The results of these simulations were comprised with other experimental and numerical test results. It has been shown that the numerical and experimental results are in good agreement with each other.