H. Jiang1,2, B. Yang1, S. Liu3
CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.38, No.2, pp. 61-77, 2013, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2013.038.061
Abstract Actin, fibrin and collagen fiber networks are typical hierarchical biological materials formed by bundling fibrils into fibers and branching/adjoining fibers into networks. The bundled fibrils interact with each other through weak van der Waals forces and, in some cases, additional spotted covalent crosslinks. In the present work, we apply Timoshenko's beam theory that takes into account the effect of transverse shear between fibrils in each bundle to study the overall mechanical behaviors of such fiber networks. Previous experimental studies suggested that these fibers are initially loose bundles. Based on the evidence, it is hypothesized that the fibers undergo transitions from… More >
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