K. Umesh¹, R. Ganguli¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.41, No.3, pp. 215-240, 2014, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2014.041.215

Abstract Fractal dimension based damage detection method is investigated for a composite plate with random material properties. Composite material shows spatially varying random material properties because of complex manufacturing processes. Matrix cracks are considered as damage in the composite plate. Such cracks are often seen as the initial damage mechanism in composites under fatigue loading and also occur due to low velocity impact. Static deflection of the cantilevered composite plate with uniform loading is calculated using the finite element method. Damage detection is carried out based on sliding window fractal dimension operator using the static deflection. Two dimensional homogeneous Gaussian random… More >

S. Liu¹, X. Liu^2,3, Y. Yuan², P. F. He¹, H. A. Mang^2,4

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.39, No.2, pp. 85-112, 2014, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2014.039.085

Abstract Autogenous shrinkage is defined as the bulk deformation of a closed, isothermal, cement-based material system, which is not subjected to external forces. It is associated with the hydration process of the cement paste. From the viewpoint of engineering practice, autogenous shrinkage deformations result in an increase of tensile stresses, which may lead to cracking of early-age concrete. Since concrete is a multi-phase composite with different material compositions and microscopic configurations at different scales, autogenous shrinkage does not only depend on the hydration of the cement paste, but also on the mechanical properties of the constituents and of their distribution. In… More >