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Truss structures composed of members that work exclusively in tension or in compression appear in several problems of science and engineering, e.g., in the study of the resisting mechanisms of masonry structures, as well as in the design of spider web-inspired web structures. This work generalizes previous results on the existence of cable webs that are able to support assigned sets of nodal forces under tension. We extend such a problem to the limit analysis of compression-only 'strut nets' subjected to fixed and variable nodal loads. These systems provide discrete element models of masonry bodies, which lie inside the polygon/polyhedron with vertices at the points of application of the given forces ('underlying masonry structures'). It is assumed that fixed nodal forces are combined with variable forces growing proportionally to a scalar multiplier (load multiplier), and that the supporting strut net is subjected to kinematic constraints at given nodal positions., Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures

We consider the problem of finding a net that supports prescribed forces applied at prescribed points, yet avoids certain obstacles, with all the elements of the net under compression (strut net) or under tension (cable web). In the case of masonry structures, for instance, this consists in finding a strut net that supports the forces, is contained within the physical structure, and avoids regions that may be not accessible due, for instance, to the presence of holes. We solve such a problem in the two-dimensional case, where the prescribed forces are applied at the vertices of a convex polygon, and we treat the cases of both single and multiple obstacles. By approximating the obstacles by polygonal regions, the task reduces to identifying the feasible domain in a linear programming problem. For a single obstacle we show how the region $\Gamma$ available to the obstacle can be enlarged as much as possible in the sense that there is no other strut net, having a region $\Gamma_1$ available to the obstacle with $\Gamma_1 \subset\Gamma$. The case where some of the forces are reactive, unprescribed but reacting to the other prescribed forces, is also treated. It again reduces to identifying the feasible domain in a linear programming problem. Finally, one may allow a subset of the reactive forces to each act not at a prescribed point, but rather at any point on a prescribed line segment. Then the task reduces to identifying the feasible domain in a quadratic programming problem., Comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, 3 supplemental videos

In many applications of Structural Engineering the following question arises: given a set of forces $\mathbf{f}_1,\mathbf{f}_2,\dots,\mathbf{f}_N$ applied at prescribed points $\mathbf{x}_1,\mathbf{x}_2,\dots,\mathbf{x}_N$, under what constraints on the forces does there exist a truss structure (or wire web) with all elements under tension that supports these forces? Here we provide answer to such a question for any configuration of the terminal points $\mathbf{x}_1,\mathbf{x}_2,\dots,\mathbf{x}_N$ in the two- and three-dimensional case. Specifically, the existence of a web is guaranteed by a necessary and sufficient condition on the loading which corresponds to a finite dimensional linear programming problem. In two-dimensions we show that any such web can be replaced by one in which there are at most $P$ elementary loops, where elementary means the loop cannot be subdivided into subloops, and where $P$ is the number of forces $\mathbf{f}_1,\mathbf{f}_2,\dots,\mathbf{f}_N$ applied at points strictly within the convex hull of $\mathbf{x}_1,\mathbf{x}_2,\dots,\mathbf{x}_N$. In three-dimensions we show that, by slightly perturbing $\mathbf{f}_1,\mathbf{f}_2,\dots,\mathbf{f}_N$, there exists a uniloadable web supporting this loading. Uniloadable means it supports this loading and all positive multiples of it, but not any other loading. Uniloadable webs provide a mechanism for distributing stress in desired ways., Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures

Thanks to an expansion with respect to densities of energy, mass and entropy, we discuss the concept of thermocapillary fluid for inhomogeneous fluids. The non-convex state law valid for homogeneous fluids is modified by adding terms taking into account the gradients of these densities. This seems more realistic than Cahn and Hilliard's model which uses a density expansion in mass-density gradient only. Indeed, through liquid-vapor interfaces, realistic potentials in molecular theories show that entropy density and temperature do not vary with the mass density as it would do in bulk phases. In this paper, we prove using a rescaling process near the critical point that liquid-vapor interfaces behave essentially in the same way as in Cahn and Hilliard's model., Comment: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and physical sciences, Royal Society, The, 2017

This chapter consists of three parts. In the first part we recall the elastodynamic equations under coordinate transformations. The idea is to use coordinate transformations to manipulate waves propagating in an elastic material. Then we study the effect of transformations on a mass-spring network model. The transformed networks can be realized with "torque springs", which are introduced here and are springs with a force proportional to the displacement in a direction other than the direction of the spring terminals. Possible homogenizations of the transformed networks are presented, with potential applications to cloaking. In the second and third parts we present cloaking methods that are based on cancelling an incident field using active devices which are exterior to the cloaked region and that do not generate significant fields far away from the devices. In the second part, the exterior cloaking problem for the Laplace equation is reformulated as the problem of polynomial approximation of analytic functions. An explicit solution is given that allows to cloak larger objects at a fixed distance from the cloaking device, compared to previous explicit solutions. In the third part we consider the active exterior cloaking problem for the Helmholtz equation in 3D. Our method uses the Green's formula and an addition theorem for spherical outgoing waves to design devices that mimic the effect of the single and double layer potentials in Green's formula., Comment: Submitted as a chapter for the volume "Acoustic metamaterials: Negative refraction, imaging, lensing and cloaking", Craster and Guenneau ed., Springer

Within the context of linear elasticity we show that a two-terminal network of springs and masses, can respond exactly the same as a normal spring, but with a frequency dependent spring constant. As a consequence a network of such springs can have a frequency dependent effective elasticity tensor but zero effective mass density. The internal masses influence the elasticity tensor, but do not contribute to the effective mass density at any frequency., Comment: 5 pages 1 figure

Electromagnetic circuits are the electromagnetic analog at fixed frequency of mass-spring networks in elastodynamics. By interchanging the roles of epsilon and mu in electromagnetic circuits one obtains magnetoelectric circuits. Here we show that by introducing tetrahedral connectors having epsilon=mu=0 one can join electromagnetic and magnetoelectric circuits to obtain hybrid circuits. Their response is governed by a symmetric matrix with negative semidefinite imaginary part. Conversely given any such matrix a recipe is given for constructing a hybrid circuit which has that matrix as its response matrix., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Submitted to the Proceedings of the ETOPIM8 Conference

The classical theory of Laplace is not suitable for describing the behavior of microscopic bubbles. The theory of second gradient fluids (which are able to exert shear stresses in equilibrium conditions) allows us to obtain a new expression for surface tension and radius of these bubbles in terms of functionals of the chemical potential. This relationship allows us to generalize the results of Cahn-Hilliard and Tolman., Comment: 9 pages

The classical energy minimization principles of Dirichlet and Thompson are extended as minimization principles to acoustics, elastodynamics and electromagnetism in lossy inhomogeneous bodies at fixed frequency. This is done by building upon ideas of Cherkaev and Gibiansky, who derived minimization variational principles for quasistatics. In the absence of free current the primary electromagnetic minimization variational principles have a minimum which is the time-averaged electrical power dissipated in the body. The variational principles provide constraints on the boundary values of the fields when the moduli are known. Conversely, when the boundary values of the fields have been measured, then they provide information about the values of the moduli within the body. This should have application to electromagnetic tomography. We also derive saddle point variational principles which correspond to variational principles of Gurtin, Willis, and Borcea., Comment: 32 pages 0 figures (Previous version omitted references)

The electromagnetic analog of an elastic spring-mass network is constructed. These electromagnetic circuits offer the promise of manipulating electromagnetic fields in new ways, and linear electrical circuits correspond to a subclass of them. They consist of thin triangular magnetic components joined at the edges by cylindrical dielectric components. (There are also dual electromagnetic circuits consisting of thin triangular dielectric components joined at the edges by cylindrical magnetic components.) Some of the edges can be terminal edges to which electric fields are applied. The response is measured in terms of the real or virtual free currents that are associated with the terminal edges. The relation between the terminal electric fields and the terminal free currents is governed by a symmetric complex matrix $\BW$. In the case where all the terminal edges are disjoint, and the frequency is fixed, a complete characterization is obtained of all possible response matrices $\BW$ both in the lossless and lossy cases. This is done by introducing a subclass of electromagnetic circuits, called electromagnetic ladder networks. It is shown that an electromagnetic ladder network, structured as a cubic network, can have a macroscopic electromagnetic continuum response which is non-Maxwellian, and novel., Comment: 33 pages, 11 figures. Two new sections have been added (section 4 and 6). Two new figures, 4 and 8 have been added. Definitions have been clarified. An example is now given of a material with non-Maxwellian behavior

We give a complete characterization of the possible response matrices at a fixed frequency of n-terminal electrical networks of inductors, capacitors, resistors and grounds, and of n-terminal discrete linear elastodynamic networks of springs and point masses, both in the three-dimensional case and in the two-dimensional case. Specifically we construct networks which realize any response matrix which is compatible with the known symmetry properties and thermodynamic constraints of response matrices. Due to a mathematical equivalence we also obtain a characterization of the response matrices of discrete acoustic networks., Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures