Numerical modelling of the debonding between CFRP strips and concrete in shear tests under static loads using different approaches

The present paper deals with the finite element (FE) analysis of bond slip between concrete and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips in a single pull-out test under static loads. The commercial software LS-DYNA is used to simulate the test set-up using a plastic damage material model and an elastic material model for the concrete prism and the unidirectional CFRP strip, respectively. The bond interface between the concrete and the CFRP strip is simulated following three different approaches using a perfect bond model, a cohesive bond model and contact algorithms based on recently developed proposed bond slip models. The numerical model is validated based on experimental test results available from literature. The debonding failure mode and the delamination loads of the CFRP strip are predicted. The numerical results show a good agreement with the experimental data using the cohesive bond model. The perfect bond model gives an overestimation of the delamination loads and of the damage distribution in the concrete prism

Multi-Step toolpath approach to overcome forming limitations in single point incremental forming

peer reviewedAlthough Incremental Forming offers distinct advantages over traditional forming processes, such as short lead times and low setup costs, the process still has some drawbacks. Besides the obtainable accuracy, one of the main challenges of the process are the process limits. Many workpiece geometries cannot be manufactured due to the fact that the maximum wall angle that can be formed is limited for a certain sheet material and thickness to a given angle. Different solutions to this approach have been proposed and this paper further investigates one of those solutions, the multi step approach for single point incremental forming. Experiments were performed and compared with simulations to better understand the phenomena underlying the improved process performance

Multiscale modelling of the response of Ti-6AI-4V sheets under explosive loading

The objectives of the current study are to develop a multiscale numerical modelling method to predict the plastic deformation of Ti-6Al-4V sheets under blast loading, validate the method with experiments and characterise, at room temperature, the impulsive mechanical behaviour of the alloy. The numerical modelling technique relates the microstructure of the alloy with its macroscopic behaviour taking into account anisotropic effects by combining the viscoplastic self-consistent polycrystal model (VPSC7c) with the Cazacu-Barlat orthotropic yield criterion (CPB06) as implemented in the finite element (FE) solver of LS-DYNA. Sheet specimens of two thicknesses are tested using an experimental setup which applies a planar blast load. High speed cameras and the digital image correlation (DIC) technique are used to measure the evolving strains in the specimens. In addition, an analytical model is used to calculate the maximum displacements. The obtained values are compared with the outcome of the tests and FE simulations

Experimental and numerical investigation on 3D printed PLA sacrificial honeycomb cladding

The increasing use of improvised explosive devices in terrorist attacks against civil targets has challenged the scientific community to find new strengthening or protective solutions, able to mitigate the effects of the blast loads. As a response to this demand, the present study investigates the nonlinear response of 3D printed PLA honeycomb structures in order to analyse their energy absorption capacity when used as the crushable core of a sacrificial cladding solution. The dynamic response of the proposed sacrificial solution is experimentally obtained by means of an explosive driven shock tube, while the corresponding numerical simulations are performed using the commercial finite element software LS-DYNA. Both the experimental and numerical data are in good agreement and clearly show that, as expected, the dynamic force plateau and the specific energy absorption is directly proportional to the considered relative density, which controls the crushing of the top and bottom layers of the PLA honeycomb and the buckling of its interior cell walls. When compared with other available materials, the analysed sacrificial cladding solutions exhibit promising values of energy dissipation and encourage future research in this area

Blast Wave Assessment in a Compound Survival Container: Small-Scale Testing

Propagation of shock waves in partially- or fully-confined environments is a complex phenomenon due to the possibility of multiple reflections, diffractions and superposition of waves. In a military context, the study of such phenomena is of extreme relevance to the evaluation of protection systems, such as survival containers, for personnel and equipment. True scale testing of such structures is costly and time consuming but small-scale models in combination with the Hopkinson-Cranz scaling laws are a viable alternative. This paper combines the use of a small-scale model of a compound survival container with finite element analysis (with LS-DYNA) to develop and validate a numerical model of the blast wave propagation. The first part of the study details the experimental set-up, consisting of a small-scale model of a survival container, which is loaded by the detonation of a scaled explosive charge. The pressure-time histories are recorded in several locations of the model. The second part of the study presents the numerical results and a comparison with the experimental data

Multi-step toolpath approach to overcome forming limitations in single point incremental forming

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Strain Evolution in the Single Point Incremental Forming Process: Digital Image Correlation Measurement and Finite Element Prediction

Incremental Sheet Forming (ISF) is a relatively new class of sheet forming processes that allow the manufacture of complex geometries based on computer-controlled forming tools in replacement (at least partially) of dedicated tooling. This paper studies the straining behaviour in the Single Point Incremental Forming (SPIF) variant (in which no dedicated tooling at all is required), both on experimental basis using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and on numerical basis by the Finite Element (FE) method. The aim of the paper is to increase understanding of the deformation mechanisms inherent to SPIF, which is an important issue for the understanding of the high formability observed in this process and also for future strategies to improve the geometrical accuracy. Two distinct large-strain FE formulations, based on shell and first-order reduced integration brick elements, are used to model the sheet during the SPIF processing into the form of a truncated cone. The prediction of the surface strains on the outer surface of the cone is compared to experimentally obtained strains using the DIC technique. It is emphasised that the strain history as calculated from the DIC displacement field depends on the scale of the strain definition. On the modelling side, it is shown that the mesh density in the FE models plays a similar role on the surface strain predictions. A good qualitative agreement has been obtained for the surface strain components. One significant exception has however been found, which concerns the circumferential strain evolution directly under the forming tool. The qualitative discrepancy is explained through a mechanism of through-thickness shear in the experiment, which is not fully captured by the present FE modelling since it shows a bending-dominant accommodation mechanism. The effect of different material constitutive behaviours on strain prediction has also been investigated, the parameters of which were determined by inverse modelling using a specially designed sheet forming test. Isotropic and anisotropic yield criteria are considered, combined with either isotropic or kinematic hardening. The adopted constitutive law has only a limited influence on the surface strains. Finally, the experimental surface strain evolution is compared between two cones with different forming parameters. It is concluded that the way the plastic zone under the forming tool accommodates the moving tool (i.e. by through-thickness shear or rather by bending) depends on the process parameters. The identification of the most determining forming parameter that controls the relative importance of either mechanism is an interesting topic for future research

Process window enhancement for single point incremental forming through multi-step toolpaths

peer reviewedSingle point incremental forming (SPIF) suffers from process window limitations which are strongly determined by the maximum achievable forming angle. Forming consecutive, intermediate shapes can contribute to a significantly enlarged process window by allowing steeper maximum wall angles for a range of part geometries. In this paper an experimentally explored multi-step toolpath strategy is reported and the resulting part geometries compared to simulation output. Sheet thicknesses and strains achieved with these multi-step toolpaths were verified and contribute to better understanding of the material relocation mechanism underlying the enlarged process window