• 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.

• Interaction and multiscale mechanics
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.235-261
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• 2009

This study illustrates the differences between the elasto-plastic cap model and Lade's model with Cosserat rotation through the analyses of two large-scale geosynthetic-reinforced soil (GRS) retaining wall tests that were brought to failure using a monotonically increasing surcharge pressure. The finite element analyses with Lade's model were able to reasonably simulate the large-scale plane strain laboratory tests. On average, the finite element analyses gave reasonably good agreement with the experimental results in terms of global performances and shear band occurrences. In contrast, the cap model was not able to simulate the development of shear banding in the tests. In both test simulations the cap model predicted failure loads that were substantially less than the measured ones.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.161-169
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• 2017

This study aimed to develop a simple and effective method to facilitate the experimental research on mechanical properties of masonry under biaxial compressive stress. A series of tests on full-scale brick masonry panels under biaxial compression have been performed in limited principal stress ratios oriented at various angles to the bed joints. Failure modes of tested panels were observed and failure features were analyzed to reveal the mechanical behavior of masonry under biaxial compression. Based on the experimental data, the failure curve in terms of two orthotropic principal stresses has been presented and the failure criterion of brick masonry in the form of the tensor polynomial has been established, which indicate that the anisotropy for masonry is closely related to the difference of applied stress as well as the orientation of bed joints. Further, compared with previous failure curves and criteria for masonry, it can be found that the relative strength of mortar and block has a considerable effect on the degree of anisotropy for masonry. The test results demonstrate the validity of the proposed experimental method for the approximation of masonry failure under biaxial compressive stress and provide valuable information used to establish experimentally based methodologies for the improvement of masonry failure criteria.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.429-434
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• 2017

Failure of basic structures material is usually accompanied by expansion of interior cracks due to stress concentration at the cracks tip. This phenomenon shows the importance of examination of the failure behavior of concrete structures. To this end, 4 types of mortar samples with different amounts of nano-silica (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) were made to prepare twelve $50{\times}50{\times}50mm$ cubic samples. The goal of this study was to describe the failure and micro-crack growth behavior of the cement mortars in presence of nano-silica particles and control mortars during different curing days. Failure of mortar samples under compressive strength were sensed with acoustic emission technique (AET) at different curing days. It was concluded that the addition of nano-silica particles could modify failure and micro-crack growth behavior of mortar samples. Also, monitoring of acoustic emission parameters exposed differences in failure behavior due to the addition of the nanoparticles. Mortar samples of nano-silica particles revealed stronger shear mode characteristics than those without nanoparticles, which revealed high acoustic activity due to heterogeneous matrix. It is worth mentioning that the highest compressive strength for 3 and 7 test ages obtained from samples with the addition of 1.5% nano-silica particles. On the other hand maximum compressive strength of 28 curing days obtained from samples with 1% combination of nano-silica particles.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2009

A three dimensional rock joint element was developed considering fracture mechanics and subcritical crack growth to simulate non-linear behavior and the progressive failure of rock joints. Using this 3-D joint element, joint shear tests of rock discontinuities were simulated by a numerical method. The asperities on the joint surface began to fail at stress levels lower than the rock fracture toughness and continued progressively due to subcritical crack growth. As a result of progressive failing in each and every asperity, the joint showed non-linear stress-time behavior including stress hardening/softening and the reaching of a residual stress.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2023

This study conducts uniaxial compression tests on intact and single crack-contained rocks to investigate the time-frequency domain characteristics of acoustic emission (AE) signals monitored during the deformation failure process. A processing approach, short-time Fourier transform (STFT), is performed to obtain the evolution characteristics of time-frequency domain of AE signals. The AE signal modes at different deformation stages of rocks are different. Five modes of AE signal are observed during the cracking process of rocks. The evolution characteristics of time-frequency domain of AE signals processed by STFT can be utilized to evaluate the damage process of rocks. The difference of time-frequency domain characteristics between intact and cracked rocks is comparatively analyzed. The distribution characteristics of frequency changing from a single band-shaped cluster to multiple band-shaped clusters can be regarded as an early warning information of damage and failure of rocks. Meanwhile, the attenuation of frequency enables the exploration of rock failure trends.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.3-16
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• 2008

The underground construction and mining are facing many geomechanics challenges stemming from, geological complexities and stress-driven rock mass degradation processes. Brittle failing rock at depth poses unique problems as stress-driven failure processes often dominate the tunnel behaviour. Such failure processes can lead to shallow unravelling or strainbursting modes of instability that cause difficult conditions for tunnel contractors. This keynote address focuses on the challenge of anticipating the actual behaviour of brittle rocks in laboratory testing, for empirical rock mass strength estimation, and by back-analysis of field observations. This paper summarizes lessons learned during the construction of deep Alpine tunnels and highlights implications that are of practical importance with respect to constructability. It builds on a recent presentation made at the $1^{st}$ Southern Hemisphere International Rock Mechanics Symposium held in Perth, Australia, in September this year, and includes results from recent developments.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.111-128
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• 2014

The stochastic response surface method (SRSM) and the response surface method (RSM) are often used for structural reliability analysis, especially for reliability problems with implicit performance functions. This paper aims to compare these two methods in terms of fitting the performance function, accuracy and efficiency in estimating probability of failure as well as statistical moments of system output response. The computational procedures of two response surface methods are briefly introduced first. Then their capabilities are demonstrated and compared in detail through two examples. The results indicate that the probability of failure mainly reflects the accuracy of the response surface function (RSF) fitting the performance function in the vicinity of the design point, while the statistical moments of system output response reflect the accuracy of the RSF fitting the performance function in the entire space. In addition, the performance function can be well fitted by the SRSM with an optimal order polynomial chaos expansion both in the entire physical and in the independent standard normal spaces. However, it can be only well fitted by the RSM in the vicinity of the design point. For reliability problems involving random variables with approximate normal distributions, such as normal, lognormal, and Gumbel Max distributions, both the probability of failure and statistical moments of system output response can be accurately estimated by the SRSM, whereas the RSM can only produce the probability of failure with a reasonable accuracy.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2007

Once assessment of material failure characteristics is captured precisely in a unified way, it can bedirectly incorporated into the structural failure assessment under various loading environments, based on the theoretical backgrounds so called Local Approach to Fracture. The aim of this study is to develop a numerical fatigue test method by continuum damage mechanics applicable for the assessment of structural integrity throughout crack initiation and structural failure based on the Local Approach to Fracture. The generalized elasto-visco-plastic constitutive equation, which can consider the internal damage evolution behavior, is developed and employed in the 3-D FEA code in order to numerically evaluate the material and/or structural responses. Explicit information of the relationships between the mechanical properties and material constants, which are required for the mechanical constitutive and damage evolution equations for each material, are implemented in numerical fatigue test method. The material constants selected from constitutive equations are used directly in the failure assessment of material and/or structures. The performance of the developed system has been evaluated with assessing the S-N diagram of stainless steel materials.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.10 s.175
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• pp.137-143
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• 2005

The integrity of steam generator tubes in nuclear power plant should be maintained sufficiently during operation. For sake of this, complicated assessment procedures are required such as fracture mechanics analysis, etc. The integrity assessment of tubes has been performed by using conventional deterministic approaches while there are many uncertainties to carry out a rational evaluation. In this respect, probabilistic integrity assessment is considered as an alternative method for integrity assessment. The objectives of this study are to develop an integrity assessment system based on probabilistic fracture mechanics and to predict the failure probability of steam generator tubes containing an axial through-wall crack. The developed integrity assessment system consists of three evaluation modules, which apply first order reliability method, second order reliability method and Monte Carlo simulation method, respectively. The system has been applied to predict failure probability of steam generator tubes and the estimation results showed a promising applicability of the probabilistic integrity assessment system.