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In this present work, a damage-coupled cyclic plasticity model has been developed for more accurate ratcheting–fatigue life estimation under strain and stress controlled ratcheting. Ratcheting–fatigue damage behavior under uniaxial multistep strain-controlled ratcheting shows that the incremental mean ratcheting strain deteriorates the elastic slopes cycle by cycle, by means of ratcheting damage. Severe ratcheting strain accumulation rate has been observed in tertiary region under uniaxial stress controlled ratcheting. The proposed damage-coupled model has been constructed which incorporates both fatigue damage and damaging effect of the accumulated mean plastic strain. The proposed model incorporates a critical fatigue damage parameter which can predict effects of early fatigue crack nucleation due to combined ratcheting and fatigue damages. The performance of the proposed damage-coupled model has been investigated in the present study based on the critical fatigue damage parameter. The proposed model is calibrated on experimental data of SA333 Gr. 6 carbon steel and SA508 Gr. 3 steel. The proposed formulations have been applied in user material subroutine UMAT of finite element software, ABAQUS. The proposed model has been validated by comparing predicted ratcheting behavior with experiments for the two different steels. All the predicted number of cycles to failure are located within 0.5 times error band. The proposed damage-coupled model has demonstrated excellent capabilities of predicting ratcheting–fatigue life under cyclic loading with ratcheting damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratcheting analysis for cantilever beams subjected to the thermomechanical loads is presented using the finite element method. The cantilever beam is constrained along the vertical direction, and plane stress conditions are assumed according to the bilinear isotropic hardening model. Two points are considered to obtain areas of ratcheting by using linear extrapolation. The results and output diagrams for ratcheting with elastic-perfect plastic behavior are illustrated. It was revealed that the beam behaves elastically after the first considerable plastic strain, which is seen in two shakedown regimes. The numerical results are verified with known and analytical results in the literature. The results indicate a strong correlation between the outcomes from the cyclic ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) model and Bree's analytical predictions. This consistency between the finite element analysis and the analytical solutions underscores the potential of finite element analysis as a powerful tool for addressing complex engineering challenges, offering a reliable and robust alternative to traditional analytical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the response of Ottawa sand to cyclic loading using virtual oedometer tests and the level-set discrete element method. We study both the macroscopic and the micromechanical behavior, shedding light on the grain-scale processes behind the cyclic response observed in crushable sand, namely stress relaxation under strain control and ratcheting under stress control. Tests without particle breakage first show that asymmetrical frictional sliding during loading-unloading induces these cyclic-loading effects. Then, tests considering particle breakage reveal more pronounced stress relaxation and ratcheting, which decrease in rate over cycles, accompanied by increased frictional sliding and reduced particle contact forces. It is found that the broken fragments unload the most and promote an enhanced cushioning effect. These micromechanical processes contribute to a decrease in breakage potential as the cycles progress, implying that cyclically loaded materials may become more resistant to breakage when compared to the same material loaded monotonically at the same strain level. These new insights highlight the main contributions of the present work, factoring in real particle shapes from 3D X-ray tomography and notably contributing to the existing literature on the topic, where most studies rely on idealized particle shapes and rarely consider crushable grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Pipelines subjected to thermal or mechanical loads may fail due to plastic strain accumulation which leads to ratcheting. In this research, cyclic plastic behavior and shakedown limit are investigated experimentally and numerically for a defected pressurized pipe under cyclic bending moment. In the numerical model, the combined isotropic/kinematic hardening model based on the Chaboche model is adopted to represent the cyclic plastic flow of the material. The hardening parameters are determined experimentally and used in the finite element (FE) model. A four-point bending test rig is manufactured to test a pressurized API 5L steel pipe under cyclic bending. An elliptical defect is created by machining to depict corrosion pits in pipes. The plastic strains are measured experimentally and the results are used to tune the parameters of the FE model. The shakedown limit of the defected pipe is determined numerically by tracking the critical points behavior and the results are verified experimentally. Furthermore, the plastic work dissipated energy (PWD) is estimated within the defective structure to study the behavior of the pipe. By running this compatible model, it is found that the yield and the shakedown limits are lowered by mean values of 55% and 25% respectively due to the presence of metal loss defect occupying almost half of the pipe thickness.

Pipelines subjected to thermal or mechanical loads may fail due to plastic strain accumulation which leads to ratcheting. In this research, cyclic plastic behavior and shakedown limit are investigated experimentally and numerically for a defected pressurized pipe under cyclic bending moment. In the numerical model, the combined isotropic/kinematic hardening model based on the Chaboche model is adopted to represent the cyclic plastic flow of the material. The hardening parameters are determined experimentally and used in the finite element (FE) model. A four-point bending test rig is manufactured to test a pressurized API 5L steel pipe under cyclic bending. An elliptical defect is created by machining to depict corrosion pits in pipes. The plastic strains are measured experimentally and the results are used to tune the parameters of the FE model. The shakedown limit of the defected pipe is determined numerically by tracking the critical points behavior and the results are verified experimentally. Furthermore, the plastic work dissipated energy (PWD) is estimated within the defective structure to study the behavior of the pipe. By running this compatible model, it is found that the yield and the shakedown limits are lowered by mean values of 55% and 25% respectively due to the presence of metal loss defect occupying almost half of the pipe thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low cycle fatigue (LCF) and ratcheting experiments were carried out on annealed low-carbon steel at room temperature within a laboratory environment, utilising stress and strain control modes. The annealed low-carbon steel consistently demonstrates a cyclic softening response over its LCF lifespan, across all tested strain amplitudes. Notably, it was observed that ratcheting strain rises while ratcheting life declines with both rising mean stress and stress amplitude. Annealed low-carbon steel, being entirely ferritic and lacking precipitation or substitutional solid solution strengthening or hard phase strengthening, exhibits a restricted ability to withstand or alleviate the accumulation of ratcheting strain, particularly under very low mean stress conditions. In both LCF and ratcheting, significant substructure formation was detected. Nevertheless, there was no discernible difference in substructure formation between LCF and ratcheting when employing electron channelling contrast imaging techniques. The existing mean stress-based fatigue life prediction model has successfully forecasted ratcheting and LCF life within the 102–105 cycles range. A novel approach utilising modulus is introduced to characterise the cyclic hardening/softening behaviour of alloys in stress and strain-controlled experiments. The cyclic hardening model based on modulus effectively captures the responses observed in cyclic hardening/softening during LCF and ratcheting experiments.

Scaled rolling contact fatigue tests, used to practically simulate the wear of the wheel and rail material under laboratory conditions, are typically classified into two categories. Tests in the first category use twin-disc stands, while the second group of test rigs use two discs of different diameters considering the rail disc as the larger one. The latter setup is closer to the real situation, but problems can occur with high contact pressures and tractions. The focus of this paper is on two main contributions. Firstly, a case study based on finite element analysis is presented, allowing the optimization of the specimen geometry for high contact pressures. Accumulated plastic deformation caused by cycling is responsible for abrupt lateral deformation, which requires the use of an appropriate cyclic plasticity model in the finite element analysis. In the second part of the study, two laser profilers are used to measure the dimensions of the specimen in real time during the rolling contact fatigue test. The proposed technique allows the changes in the specimen dimensions to be characterized during the test itself, and therefore does not require the test to be interrupted. By using real-time values of the specimen's dimensional contours, it is possible to calculate an instantaneous value of the slip ratio or the contact path width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniaxial strain‐controlled fatigue tests were carried out on a 304L austenitic stainless‐steel specimens in air at 300°C and in pressurized water reactor (PWR), without or with the application of a mean stress, at different total strain amplitudes. For strain amplitude no less than 0.2%, a deleterious effect of PWR water on fatigue life is observed, associated with the enhancement of both crack initiation and propagation. Besides, the fatigue life is reduced by the application of a mean stress for a fixed strain amplitude in a given environment. In particular, due to the acceleration of crack initiation stage by an enhancement of the plastic strain accumulation, the PWR water effect on fatigue life is re‐activated for strain amplitude below 0.2% in the presence of a mean stress. The fatigue life reduction under mean stress application is mostly related to the maximum stress level and strain amplitude, rather than the generated ratcheting strain. Highlights: The results of strain‐controlled fatigue tests in air and in PWR water are presented.The application of a mean stress affects the fatigue strength in both environments.The effect of environment and mean stress on initiation and propagation is analyzed.A modified SWT equation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-pressure steam pipes inevitably suffered from the reciprocal interaction of high pressure and temperature during a long-period service, causing deformation and cracking. However, only limited studies about abnormal bulging caused by condensed water have been carried out. To study the relationship between bulging and condensed water, bulging tee joints belonging to high-pressure steam pipes were investigated with a macro visual inspection, chemical composition analysis, and metallographic microscopy. According to the analysis of the bulging samples, pearlite spheroidization was found in the abnormal bulging tee joint. The ANSYS FLUENT modeling indicated that the tube wall of bulging tees was continuously subjected to alternating stress, causing the cyclic transformation of the liquid–gas phase inside the tee joint. The results indicate that the stress produced by a condensed water droplet ranges from 532.8 MPa to 59 MPa, continuously exerting pressure on the tube wall of the tee joint. When combined with the variation in the temperature field, the temperature of the severe bulging tee joint and slight bulging tee joint alternates. Further modeling illustrates that the stress generated by the impact of condensed water droplets on the high-temperature tee joints causes a ratcheting effect, which is identified as the main factor contributing to the bulging of the tee joint. Deterioration of the microstructure is considered a secondary mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-amplitude repetitive drained loading may hinder the long-term performance of engineered and natural systems. This study examines the volumetric and shear response of a uniform quarzitic sand subjected to repetitive drained simple shear loading under constant vertical stress while tracking the evolution of the secant stiffness and the small-strain shear modulus. We explore the effects of initial density, initial shear stress and cyclic shear stress amplitude to identify criteria that can be used to anticipate asymptotic volumetric and shear states. We analyze experimental results in reference to the sand response under monotonic simple shear loading. All specimens evolved toward some asymptotic terminal void ratio eT when subjected to simple shear cycles. Contractive specimens exhibited unceasing shear strain accumulation and ratcheting when the normalized shear stress exceeded τ*=(τo+Δτ)/τult>0.85 ; on the other hand, dense-dilative specimens exhibited ratcheting only when the normalized shear stress exceeded τ*=(τo+Δτ)/τult>1.25. The small-strain Gmax and the secant Gpp shear moduli increased during repetitive shear cycles to reflect early fabric changes followed by abrasion/fretting among enduring contacts. Results obtained in this study allow us to propose simple guidelines to predict the asymptotic shear and volumetric response of uniform sands subjected to repetitive simple shear loading for first-order engineering analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-time dynamic for granular materials arising in the hypoplastic theory of Kolymbas type is investigated. It is assumed that the granular hardness allows exponential degradation, which leads to the densification of material states. The governing system for a rate-independent strain under stress control is described by implicit differential equations. Its analytical solution for arbitrary inhomogeneous coefficients is constructed in closed form. Under cyclic loading by periodic pressure, finite ratcheting for the void ratio is derived in explicit form, which converges to a limiting periodic process (attractor) when the number of cycles tends to infinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the interaction system within the mechanical soil processing process, consisting of two large elements, the metal of the tool and the soil. Due to the two main forces acting on the chisel knives—friction and impact with the sandy soil—the wear of these chisel knives was determined. To determine the wear, a stand was used which allowed testing chisel-type knives in laboratory conditions by changing their functional parameters: working depth, angle of the knives to work the soil, working speed, humidity and granulation of the test environment. The present paper presents an application of the Archard-type wear law to the contact between a chisel-type knife and sandy soil (wet and dry sand). The theoretical model regarding the Archard wear coefficient considered three forms of surface damage (shake down, ratcheting and micro-cutting). The sand was considered spherical and rigid and the surface of the knife was flat. The experimental model considered real steel knives with different surface hardness and operation under controlled conditions of sand granulation, humidity, attack angle, depth of penetration and speed of sliding. The theoretical and experimental results highlight the wear behavior of chisel knives (Archard coefficient) in wet and dry sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent empirical studies point out that the firms do not fully incorporate the managers' past performance when revising future contractual terms. This study offers a theoretical perspective on the firm's executive compensation strategy that supports such latest empirical findings. Using a two-period principal-agent model, we examine firm's compensation schemes with ratchet principle taking into account key factors such as informational rent, capability uncertainty, and performance noise. After characterizing the optimal incentive rates for a given degree of ratcheting, we examine the efficacy of ratcheting contract in executive compensation. We also explore the optimal degree of ratcheting that strikes a fine balance between informational rent and ratchet effect. We find that the capability gap-performance noise ratio plays a critical role in determining the optimal degree of ratcheting. Funding: I. Hwang and M. K. Lim acknowledge support from the Institute of Management Research at Seoul National University. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/deca.2023.0467. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalloyed steels have emerged to replace conventional plain-carbon steels to achieve longer wheel life on Chinese railroads. In this work, with the aim of preventing spalling, a mechanism that consists of ratcheting and shakedown theory correlated with steel properties is systematically investigated. Mechanical and ratcheting tests were carried out for microalloyed wheel steel to which vanadium was added in the range of 0–0.15 wt.% and the results were compared with that obtained for conventional plain-carbon wheel steel. The microstructure and precipitation were characterized via microscopy. As a result, the grain size was not obviously refined, and the pearlite lamellar spacing decreased from 148 nm to 131 nm in microalloyed wheel steel. Moreover, an increase in the number of vanadium carbide precipitates was observed, which were mainly dispersed and uneven, and precipitated in the pro-eutectoid ferrite region, in contrast to the observation of lower precipitation in the pearlite. It has been found that vanadium addition can lead to an increase in yield strength by precipitation strengthening, with no reduction or increase in tensile strength, elongation or hardness. The ratcheting strain rate for microalloyed wheel steel was determined to be lower than that for plain-carbon wheel steel via asymmetrical cyclic stressing tests. An increase in the pro-eutectoid ferrite content leads to beneficial wear, which can diminish spalling and surface-initiated RCF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scaled rolling contact fatigue tests, used to practically simulate the wear of the wheel and rail material under laboratory conditions, are typically classified into two categories. Tests in the first category use twin-disc stands, while the second group of test rigs use two discs of different diameters considering the rail disc as the larger one. The latter setup is closer to the real situation, but problems can occur with high contact pressures and tractions. The focus of this paper is on two main contributions. Firstly, a case study based on finite element analysis is presented, allowing the optimization of the specimen geometry for high contact pressures. Accumulated plastic deformation caused by cycling is responsible for abrupt lateral deformation, which requires the use of an appropriate cyclic plasticity model in the finite element analysis. In the second part of the study, two laser profilers are used to measure the dimensions of the specimen in real time during the rolling contact fatigue test. The proposed technique allows the changes in the specimen dimensions to be characterized during the test itself, and therefore does not require the test to be interrupted. By using real-time values of the specimen’s dimensional contours, it is possible to calculate an instantaneous value of the slip ratio or the contact path width.

Abstract Mechanical engineering structures and structural components are often subjected to cyclic thermomechanical loading which stresses their material beyond its elastic limits well inside the inelastic regime. Depending on the level of loading inelastic strains may lead either to failure, due to low cycle fatigue or ratcheting, or to safety, through elastic shakedown. Thus, it is important to estimate the asymptotic stress state of such structures. This state may be determined by cumbersome incremental time-stepping calculations. Direct methods, alternatively, have big computational advantages as they focus on the characteristics of these states and try to establish them, in a direct way, right from the beginning of the calculations. Among the very few such general-purpose direct methods, a powerful direct method which has been called RSDM has appeared in the literature. The method may directly predict any asymptotic state when the exact time history of the loading is known. The advantage of the method is due to the fact that it addresses the physics of the asymptotic cycle and exploits the cyclic nature of its expected residual stress distribution. Based on RSDM a method for the shakedown analysis of structures, called RSDM-S has also been developed. Despite most direct methods for shakedown, RSDM-S does not need an optimization algorithm for its implementation. Both RSDM and RSDM-S may be implemented in any Finite Element Code. A thorough review of both these methods, together with examples of implementation are presented herein.

The stiffness and hysteretic response due to mechanical and thermo‐mechanical cycling have been studied in plasma‐sprayed yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Mechanical cycling of free‐standing cantilevers of YSZ shows that the progressive decrease in stiffness is accompanied by monotonic increase in hysteretic energy dissipation per cycle and a permanent ratcheting displacement of ∼20 nm/cycle. Below a critical stress, it varies from coating to coating, ratcheting accompanied by a slow decrease in stiffness does not lead to failure even after ∼1000 cycles. In contrast, at higher stresses, the rates of ratcheting and decrease in stiffness increase rapidly, leading to the nucleation of macrocracks that lead to fracture failure. Prior thermal cycling of coatings on Inconel substrate up to 700°C, which induced an estimated cyclic thermal stress of ∼35 MPa, led to a pronounced reduction in stiffness and mechanical cycling life. During bending, damage accumulates in the tension side of the cantilever and the volume going through the compression cycle remains relatively undamaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology considering Chaboche's isotropic‐kinematic hardening (CIKH) model and genetic algorithm optimization technique is examined here to simulate the cyclic‐plastic response for materials exhibiting cyclic hardening or softening behavior. The aim of the present report is to illustrate the inherent potential of this approach by assessing the closeness of fit of the obtained predictions to the experimental results for several materials like Z2CND18.12N, and 25CDV4.11 steels, OFHC copper, and INCONEL718 alloy. The obtained results were further subjected to comparative examinations with the available predictions to demonstrate the adoptability of the suggested methodology for the cyclic hardening or softening materials. This proposed approach provides a single set of CIKH model parameters to replicate the stabilized hysteresis loops and cyclic hardening or softening behavior under symmetric strain‐controlled loading, as well as ratcheting characteristics under asymmetric stress‐controlled cycling, and is thus generalized in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creep–fatigue interaction occurs in many structural components of high-temperature systems operating under cyclic and steady-state service conditions, such as in nuclear power plants, aerospace, naval, and other industrial applications. Thus, understanding micromechanisms governing high-temperature creep–fatigue behavior is essential for safety and design considerations. In this work, stress-controlled creep–fatigue tests of advanced austenitic stainless steel (Alloy 709) were performed at a 400 MPa stress range and 750 °C with tensile hold times of 0, 60, 600, 1800, and 3600 s, followed by microstructural examinations. The creep–fatigue lifetime of the Alloy 709 was found to decrease with increasing hold time until reaching a saturation level where the number of cycles to failure did not exhibit a significant decrease. Softening behavior was observed at the beginning of the test, possibly due to the recovery of entangled dislocations and de-twining. In addition, hysteresis loops showed ratcheting behavior, although the mean stress was zero during creep–fatigue cycling, which was attributed to activity of partial dislocations. Microstructural examination of the fracture surfaces showed that fatigue failure dominated at small hold times where the cracks initiated at the surface of the sample. Larger creep cracks were found for longer hold times with a lower probability of dimpled cavities, indicating the dominance of creep deformation. The results were compared with other commonly used stainless steels, and plausible reasons for the observed responses were described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the interaction system within the mechanical soil processing process, consisting of two large elements, the metal of the tool and the soil. Due to the two main forces acting on the chisel knives—friction and impact with the sandy soil—the wear of these chisel knives was determined. To determine the wear, a stand was used which allowed testing chisel-type knives in laboratory conditions by changing their functional parameters: working depth, angle of the knives to work the soil, working speed, humidity and granulation of the test environment. The present paper presents an application of the Archard-type wear law to the contact between a chisel-type knife and sandy soil (wet and dry sand). The theoretical model regarding the Archard wear coefficient considered three forms of surface damage (shake down, ratcheting and micro-cutting). The sand was considered spherical and rigid and the surface of the knife was flat. The experimental model considered real steel knives with different surface hardness and operation under controlled conditions of sand granulation, humidity, attack angle, depth of penetration and speed of sliding. The theoretical and experimental results highlight the wear behavior of chisel knives (Archard coefficient) in wet and dry sand.

The objective of this investigation is to evaluate the cyclic plastic deformation response at the subsurface during rolling contact fatigue (RCF) under the conditions of pure rolling and rolling-sliding. The finite element simulation results indicate that the slip-to-roll ratio (SRR)has an immense effect on the cyclic plastic deformation evolution at the subsurface during RCF. At SRR of 0% (pure rolling), symmetric shear stress cycling is evident at the subsurface, and as a result plastic shakedown takes place. On the other hand, at SRR of 5% (rolling-sliding), asymmetric shear stress cycling is noticed at the subsurface, and consequently ratcheting i.e. progressive accumulation of shear strain is evident. Rolling-sliding results in the shear flow of the subsurface material along the sliding direction.

The most dominant failure mode of piping components under seismic loading is fatigue failure with ratcheting. While it was confirmed via the experimental tests in the past, the Primary stress limit is applied to seismic loading to prevent plastic collapse. The plastic collapse due to seismic loading was first confirmed at Pipe-Fitting Dynamic Reliability Program (PFDRP) conducted by EPRI in 1980s. But, the mechanism and occurrence condition of this failure has not been clarified yet. In this research, a composite failure mode of the ratchet-induced collapse, which represents the behavior of the plastic collapse failure induced by ratchet deformation, is introduced. The transition of the failure modes along ratcheting is explained with the seismic failure mode map which identifies the occurrence condition of ratcheting and first-excursion failure, and the X-Y trajectory, which explains the excitation condition of structures under ratcheting, is introduced to project the transition. With the X-Y trajectory and the occurrence condition of the plastic collapse, this study conceptually proposes the prediction approach of the ratchet-induced collapse without the simulation analyses.

A semianalytical model is introduced to assess rolling contact fatigue problems in railway applications. The constitutive law is based on the nonlinear kinematic and isotropic hardening model of Chaboche–Lemaitre, which allows the cyclic elastoplastic strain under the contact surface to be evaluated. The much higher computational effectiveness in comparison with finite element (FE) analyses is quantified. The Dang Van multiaxial fatigue criterion is implemented to evaluate the rolling contact fatigue in the subsurface elastic region where cracking is relatively rare but more dangerous than surface cracks. The influence of the presence of sulfides in the wheel matrix in decreasing fatigue strength is also assessed by means of Murakami's approach. The model is used to compare conditions under small‐scale twin‐disk experiments to full‐scale wheel/rail contact conditions. It is found that, for the same Hertzian pressure, the small‐scale contact is more conservative in that it causes a deeper plasticized layer as compared with the elliptical full‐scale contact. In the investigated cases, crack initiation is also not expected according to Dang Van criterion in neither of the studied contact conditions. Highlights: A semianalytical model is developed to study the rail–wheel contact problem.Full‐scale rail–wheel contact and small‐scale twin‐disk contact problems are compared.The line contact problem experiences a deeper plasticized layer.The subsurface crack initiation is assessed using the Dang Van fatigue criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical engineering structures and structural components are often subjected to cyclic thermomechanical loading which stresses their material beyond its elastic limits well inside the inelastic regime. Depending on the level of loading inelastic strains may lead either to failure, due to low cycle fatigue or ratcheting, or to safety, through elastic shakedown. Thus, it is important to estimate the asymptotic stress state of such structures. This state may be determined by cumbersome incremental time-stepping calculations. Direct methods, alternatively, have big computational advantages as they focus on the characteristics of these states and try to establish them, in a direct way, right from the beginning of the calculations. Among the very few such general-purpose direct methods, a powerful direct method which has been called RSDM has appeared in the literature. The method may directly predict any asymptotic state when the exact time history of the loading is known. The advantage of the method is due to the fact that it addresses the physics of the asymptotic cycle and exploits the cyclic nature of its expected residual stress distribution. Based on RSDM a method for the shakedown analysis of structures, called RSDM-S has also been developed. Despite most direct methods for shakedown, RSDM-S does not need an optimization algorithm for its implementation. Both RSDM and RSDM-S may be implemented in any Finite Element Code. A thorough review of both these methods, together with examples of implementation are presented herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are exploring the idea of data pruning via hyperreduction modeling. The main novelty of this paper is a lossy data compression/decompression approach for ploycrystalline data, which is based on a hyperreduction scheme that preserves data driven modeling capabilities after compression. We assume to know a mechanical model whose equations are satisfied by the data. It is shown that the proposed reconstruction of the data performs an oblique projection of selected original data. This is achieved by the solution of reduced mechanical equations. High resolution crystal plasticity finite element simulations demand computational and storage resources that are unusual, especially in cases where hundreds of grains are interacting under cyclic loading. The development of image-based modeling via computed tomography highlights the problem of long-term storage of simulation data by using data pruning. The present paper focuses on modeling cyclic strain-ratcheting as an example of numerical modeling that the proposed algorithm preserves. The size of the remaining sampled data can be user-defined, depending on the needs concerning storage space. The relevance of the pruned data is tested afterwards for statistics on the predicted strain, as if full finite element data were available. The proposed method is compared to the Gappy POD method, when no additional modeling step is expected after data pruning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation in-plane anisotropy in tensile and ratcheting behavior of cold rolled and annealed commercially pure titanium plate has been studied. Flat tensile and fatigue test specimen oriented at 0, 45, and 90 degree to the rolling direction from the rolling directiontransverse direction (RDTD) plane of the plate has been machined out. Specimens with loading axis at 0, 45 and 90 degree to RD have been designated as 0T, 45T and 90T for tensile and 0R, 45R and 90R for fatigue. Owing to initial TD split basal texture of as received plate, 0T sample has crystallographic direction aligned with loading axis. It shows lowest yield strength but highest ductility in monotonic tension. Although ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and strain to failure of samples 45T and 90T are similar, the former has significantly lower yield strength than the latter, indicating different strain-hardening behavior due to different slip/twin activity. On the other hand, 0R sample exhibits longer ratcheting life while 90R sample accumulates highest ratcheting strain. This has been attributed to the formation of intersecting multi-variant twins, which increases fatigue crack propagation resistance during cyclic deformation of 0R sample. Viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) simulations of one-cycle tension-compression-reload tension indicate alternating activity of pyramidal c+a slip and extension twinning with loading cycle. The detwinning of extension twin during compression cycle induces cross slip activity, which causes rapid accumulation of strain leading to early fatigue failure of 45R and 90R sample.

In an experimental study that simulated a fast breeder reactor (FBR) vessel near the coolant surface, it was reported that the long distance travel of temperature distribution causes a new type of thermal ratcheting, even in the absence of primary stress. When the distance of temperature travel is moderate, the accumulation of the plastic strain due to this mechanism is finally saturated. Through the large number of Finite Element Analysis, we have found the strong relationship between hoop-membrane distributions of accumulated plastic strain and residual stress in this saturated case. Focusing on this relationship, we have aimed to predict the saturated distribution of the plastic strain based on the residual stress distribution that is required for the elastic shakedown behavior. In this paper, based on classical shell theory, we formulated the plastic strain distribution that brings uniform hoop-membrane stress in the given region. And then, we compared the formulated strain distribution with the accumulated plastic strain distribution obtained by finite element analyses using an elastic-perfectly plastic material. As a result, we confirmed that the formulated strain distribution can be used as the prediction of the plastic strain distribution for the cases with moderate distance of temperature travel. For the cases with long-distance travel of temperature, the region with plastic strain expanded with the repetition of temperature travel. By considering the effect of this expansion, the formulated strain distribution can be used as conservative prediction of the accumulated plastic strain also for the cases with long distance temperature travel.

When adhesively bonded joints are subjected to a cyclic load, they will primarily behave viscoelastically. Under certain loading conditions, they can also experience permanent deformation, or ratcheting. This research considered loading conditions that result in ratcheting for a toughened and standard adhesive in scarf joint coupons. Adhesive strain was measured using edge mounted resistance strain gages that was verified with digital image correlation. At low stress levels both adhesives exhibited a purely viscoelastic response. At high stress levels, the standard adhesive exhibited a viscoelastic response in tension-tension and a ratcheting response under reversed loading. At high stress levels the toughened adhesive exhibited ratcheting during tension-tension and reversed loading with higher ratcheting strain in tests that involved reversed loading. Enhanced ratcheting during reversed loading is consistent with a kinematic hardening response, which these adhesives have been shown to follow.

This technical note presents a numerical study on the stability of single degree of freedom (SDOF) systems with asymmetric bi-linear hysteretic restoring force, subjected to earthquake excitations. The aim is to report: (a) the existence of an unstable behavior in the response of such systems, under a specific ground motion, given small modifications of the yielding conditions of the hysteresis model, and (b) the introduction of a novel three-dimensional graphic visualization of the problem. The modifications of the yielding conditions were introduced via the symmetry-breaking produced by very small variations of the static equilibrium position of the system, equivalent to having an initial position and restoring force different from zero and symmetric yielding. The concise study comprises of nonlinear dynamic analyses of three system cases, one of them with symmetric (reference) and two with asymmetric yielding conditions. The results show that the system presented a stable response and severe ratcheting toward the weakest yielding direction for the symmetric and asymmetric cases, respectively. Differences as large as ± 2 8 0 0 % between the asymmetric and reference cases were obtained for the residual displacement of the systems, due to variations as small as ± 7 % in the static-equilibrium position, and consequent ± 7 % variations of the positive/negative yielding displacements and forces. In turn, negligible variations of the velocity between the three cases were predicted. To conclude, the paper introduces novel three-dimensional representations of the solution-curve and of the hysteresis cycles of the systems, deepening the discussion on the identified bifurcation. The 3D hysteresis curve, in particular, can be of much use for seismic engineering and mechanical studies, either numerical or experimental, as it allows visualizing the sequence of events in the hysteresis plots in a much clearer fashion compared to the traditional two-dimensional counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratcheting is one of the dominant failure modes under excessive earthquakes and may cause extreme failures of structures (e.g., collapse). We focused on clarifying the ratcheting mechanism of piping under sinusoidal excitations. Both finite element analyses and experiments were conducted on bent solid bars, which represented piping in this study. Seismic ratcheting occurred due to the combined effect of constant external compressive force and cyclic vibrations. The external compressive force acted as a load-controlled load. Vibrations were applied to provide the source of the dynamic load. Characteristics of vibrations between load-controlled and displacement-controlled properties were studied from the viewpoint of the frequency ratio of the forcing frequency to the natural frequency of the piping model. In addition, the influence of supports on the occurrence of ratcheting was also considered. The results showed that the resonance effect was evident in the piping model compared with the beam model due to the limited plastic area in the piping model. The vibration with a lower frequency had load-controlled characteristics. In contrast, the vibration with a higher frequency presented displacement-controlled properties. In terms of the occurrence of ratcheting, providing more supports sometimes increased the possibility of the occurrence of ratcheting under relatively higher forcing frequencies because more supports increased the natural frequency and decreased the frequency ratio.

Herein, the ratchet transport of particles under static asymmetric potential with periodicity is investigated. Ratchet transport garners considerable attention due to its potential for application in smart transport techniques on a micrometer scale. In previous studies, either particle self‐propulsion or time‐varying potential has been introduced to realize unidirectional transport. The ratchet transport through particle interactions during crowding without utilizing these two factors is experimentally demonstrated. Such ratchet transport induced by particle interaction has not previously been experimentally demonstrated, although some theoretical studies have suggested that particle crowding enhances ratchet transport. In addition, a model for such transport in which the potential varies depending on the particle density is constructed, which agrees well with the experimental results. The development of transport techniques on a micrometer scale is accelerated.

Sediments experience shear and volumetric strains during freeze–thaw cycles. Measurements during globally drained and undrained cycles under constant deviatoric stresses show that the asymptotic shear and volumetric response vary with sediment type and drainage conditions. In particular, the sediment response is intimately related to the ice pore habit that results from effective stress and the ice capillary pressure σz′/Δuiw. Pore-invasive ice formation in coarse-grained soils may trigger some contraction during the first freeze–thaw cycle, even in sands denser than the critical state. Grain-displacive ice growth in fine-grained soils causes cryogenic consolidation of the surrounding sediment; subsequent melting of the segregated ice lenses yields a high increase in pore water pressure during undrained thawing, a pronounced volume contraction under drained conditions, and preferential shear deformation along melting ice lenses in either case. Both dilative sand and normally consolidated (NC) clay specimens subjected to deviatoric loading exhibit unceasing vertical strain accumulation (i.e., ratcheting) during freeze–thaw cycles; the void ratio evolves toward asymptotic values in all cases. The freezing rate relative to the pressure diffusion rate Π=DT/Cv regulates drainage conditions during freeze–thaw cycles; globally drained freezing and thawing are anticipated in coarse-grained sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate the creep–ratcheting deformation behavior of nanocrystalline aluminum (NC Al) having an average grain size of ~ 8 nm. The influence of deformation temperature on creep–ratcheting behavior has been studied and associated with underlying mechanisms based on the structural evolution of the material identified. The vacancy concentrations, strains and dislocation densities have been evaluated at the end of each stage of creep–ratcheting process for two ratcheting stress ratios and three different temperatures. In the mean time, the microstructural and defect evolution has been investigated. Accumulation of creep–ratcheting strain is found to increase with the deformation temperature in the range of temperature investigated: 10–467 K. Cyclic hardening dominates in the initial stages of creep–ratcheting, whereas cyclic softening dominates in the final stages at a higher temperature. The creep–ratcheting plots exhibit a primary and steady state regions at room temperature (300 K). In addition, a tertiary region is also perceived at high temperature (467 K). The NC Al specimen is also found to be damaged earlier at a higher temperature (i.e., 467 K) than at 10 K and 300 K. The highest dislocation density is attained for room temperature creep–ratcheting deformation. Finally, it is seen from the dislocation analysis that the Shockley partial and full dislocations are the driving dislocations for the creep–ratcheting deformation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of experiments subjected to uniaxial and non-proportionally multiaxial cyclic loadings were performed to investigate the ratcheting responses of SA508 Gr.3 steel at room and elevated temperatures. The influences of different stress levels and nonproportional loading paths on the damage-coupled ratcheting responses were discussed. From experimental results, cyclic softening characteristic and dynamic strain aging can be observed under cyclic loadings. Moreover, the steel exhibits an obvious nonproportional path-dependence of the damage evolution under multiaxial loading paths. To numerically simulate the ratcheting responses under uniaxial and multiaxial loadings with the extended cyclic plastic model, the damage-coupled variable was introduced into the classic isotropic and nonlinear kinematic hardening rules. Corresponding material parameters could be calibrated from experimental data, and comparisons between experimental and simulated results were performed to validate the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]