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This paper aims to investigate the responses of single piles and pile groups due to tunneling-induced ground movements in a two-layered soil system. The analyses mainly focus on the additional single pile responses in terms of bending moment, lateral deflection, axial force, shaft resistance and pile settlement. Subsequently, a series of parametric studies were carried out to better understand the responses of single piles induced by tunneling. To give further understanding regarding the pile groups, a 2 × 2 pile group with two different pile head conditions, namely, free and capped, was considered.

Using the PLAXIS three-dimensional (3D) software, a full 3D numerical modeling is performed to investigate the effects of ground movements caused by tunneling on adjacent pile foundations. The numerical model was validated using centrifuge test data found in the literature. The relevance of the 3D model is also judged by comparison with the 2D plane strain model using the PLAXIS 2D code.

The numerical test results reveal that tunneling induces significant displacements and internal forces in nearby piles. The magnitude and distribution of internal forces depend mainly on the position of the pile toe relative to the tunnel depth and the distance between the pile and the vertical axis of the tunnel. As the volume loss increases from 1% to 3%, the apparent loss of pile capacity increases from 11% to 20%. By increasing the pile length from 0.5 to 1.5 times, the tunnel depth, the maximum pile settlement and lateral deflection decrease by about 63% and 18%, respectively. On the other hand, the maximum bending moment and axial load increase by about 7 and 13 times, respectively. When the pile is located at a distance of 2.5 times the tunnel diameter (Dt), the additional pile responses become insignificant. It was found that an increase in tunnel depth from 1.5Dt to 2.5Dt (with a pile length of 3Dt) increases the maximum lateral deflection by about 420%. Regarding the interaction between tunneling and group of piles, a positive group effect was observed with a significant reduction of the internal forces in rear piles. The maximum bending moment of the front piles was found to be higher than that of the rear piles by about 47%.

Soil is a complex material that shows differently in primary loading, unloading and reloading with stress-dependent stiffness. This general behavior was not possibly being accounted for in simple elastic perfectly plastic Mohr–Coulomb model which is often used to predict the behavior of soils. Thus, in the present study, the more advanced hardening soil model with small-strain stiffness (HSsmall) is used to model the non-linear stress–strain soil behavior. Moreover, unlike previous studies THAT are usually based on the assumption that the soil is homogeneous and using numerical methods by decoupled loadings under plane strain conditions; in this study, the pile responses have been exhaustively investigated in a two-layered soil system using a fully coupled 3D numerical analysis that takes into account the real interactions between tunneling and pile foundations. The paper presents a distinctive set of findings and insights that provide valuable guidance for the design and construction of shield tunnels passing through pile foundations.

The purpose of the study is to perform elastic stress and deformation analysis of a functionally graded hollow disk under different conditions (rotation, gravity, internal pressure, temperature with variable heat generation) and their combinations.

The classical method of solution, Navier's equation, is used to solve the governing equation. The analysis considers thermal and mechanical boundary conditions and takes into account the variation of material properties according to a power law function of the radius of the disk and grading parameter.

The findings of the study reveal distinct trends and behaviors based on different grading parameters. The influence of gravity is found to be negligible, resulting in similar patterns to the pure rotation case. Variable heat generation introduces non-linear temperature profiles and higher displacements, with stress values influenced by grading parameters.

The study provides valuable insights into the behavior of displacement and stresses in hollow disks, offering a deeper understanding of their mechanical response under varying conditions. These insights can be useful in the design and analysis of functionally graded hollow disks in various engineering applications.

The originality and value of this study lies in the consideration of various loading combinations of rotation, gravity, internal pressure and temperature with variable heat generation. Furthermore, the study of effect of various angular rotations, temperatures and pressures expands the understanding of the mechanical behavior of such structures, contributing to the existing body of knowledge in the field.

In this study, the effects of strain rate on the bending strength of full-scale wide-flange steel beams have been examined at elevated temperatures. Both full-scale loaded heating tests under steady-state conditions and in-plane numerical analysis using a beam element have been employed.

The load–deformation relationships in 385 N/mm²-class steel beam specimens was examined using steady-state tests at two loading rate values (0.05 and 1.00 kN/s) and at two constant member temperatures (600 and 700 °C). Furthermore, the stress–strain relationships considering the strain rate effects were proposed based on tensile coupon test results under various strain rate values. The in-plane elastoplastic numerical analysis was conducted considering the strain rate effect.

The experimental test results of the full-scale steel beam specimens confirmed that the bending strength increased with increase in strain rate. In addition, the analytical results agreed relatively well with the test results, and both strain and strain rate behaviours of a heated steel member, which were difficult to evaluate from the test results, could be quantified numerically.

The novelty of this study is the quantification of the strain rate effect on the bending strength of steel beams at elevated temperatures. The results clarify that the load–deformation relationship of steel beams could be evaluated by using in-plane analysis using the tensile coupon test results. The numerical simulation method can increase the accuracy of evaluation of the actual behaviour of steel members in case of fire.

The paper aims to present an experimental and numerical investigation of the load–settlement behavior of soil reinforced by stone column, as well as to evaluate the plane strain unit cell model for the analysis of stone columns.

The numerical analysis was done using both axisymmetric and plane strain models. The elastic perfectly plastic behavior of Mohr–Coulomb was adopted for both soil and column material. The numerical results of this study were validated by the comparison with the in-situ measurements of a full-scale loading test on a stone column. This study also evaluated the effect of different parameters involved in the design of a stone column, including Young’s modulus of the column material, column diameter, spacing between the stone columns and Poisson’s ratio of the column material.

After the numerical simulation, the results from both axisymmetric and plane strain models are quite comparable. In addition, the numerical results revealed that the stone column with low spacing, a large diameter and a high Young’s modulus indicated better behavior against the settlement.

The axisymmetric unit cell model was used in many numerical studies on the behavior of stone columns. In the present work, a field load test on stone column was simulated using a plane strain unit cell model. This research adds that the plane strain unit cell model can be used to predict the settlement of reinforced soil with stone columns.

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is an extrusion-based manufacturing process using fused thermoplastics. Despite its low cost, the FFF is not extensively used in high-value industrial sectors mainly due to parts' anisotropy (related to the deposition strategy) and residual stresses (caused by successive heating cycles). Thus, this study aims to investigate the process improvement and the optimization of the printed parts.

In this work, a meshless technique – the Radial Point Interpolation Method (RPIM) – is used to numerically simulate the viscoplastic extrusion process – the initial phase of the FFF. Unlike the FEM, in meshless methods, there is no pre-established relationship between the nodes so the nodal mesh will not face mesh distortions and the discretization can easily be modified by adding or removing nodes from the initial nodal mesh. The accuracy of the obtained results highlights the importance of using meshless techniques in this field.

Meshless methods show particular relevance in this topic since the nodes can be distributed to match the layer-by-layer growing condition of the printing process.

Using the flow formulation combined with the heat transfer formulation presented here for the first time within an in-house RPIM code, an algorithm is proposed, implemented and validated for benchmark examples.

This study aims to comprehensively investigate the mixed-mode fracture behavior and mechanical properties of selective laser sintering (SLS) polyamide 12 (PA12) components, considering different build orientations and layer thicknesses. The primary objectives include the following. Conducting mixed-mode fracture and mechanical analyses on SLS PA12 parts. Investigating the influence of build orientation and layer thickness on the mechanical properties of SLS-printed components. Examining the fracture mechanisms of SLS-produced Arcan fracture and tensile specimens through experimental methods and finite element analyses.

The research used a combination of experimental techniques and numerical analyses. Tensile and Arcan fracture specimens were fabricated using the SLS process with varying build orientations (X, X–Y, Z) and layer thicknesses (0.1 mm, 0.2 mm). Mechanical properties, including tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and critical stress intensity factor, were quantified through experimental testing. Mixed-mode fracture tests were conducted using a specialized fixture, and finite element analyses using the J-integral method were performed to calculate fracture toughness. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for detailed morphological analysis of fractured surfaces.

The investigation revealed that the highest tensile properties were achieved in samples fabricated horizontally in the X orientation with a layer thickness of 0.1 mm. Additionally, parts manufactured with a layer thickness of 0.2 mm exhibited favorable mixed-mode fracture behavior. The results emphasize the significance of build orientation and layer thickness in influencing mechanical properties and fracture behavior. SEM analysis provided valuable insights into the failure mechanisms of SLS-produced PA12 components.

This study contributes to the field of additive manufacturing by providing a comprehensive analysis of the mixed-mode fracture behavior and mechanical properties of SLS-produced PA12 components. The investigation offers novel insights into the influence of build orientation and layer thickness on the performance of such components. The combination of experimental testing, numerical analyses and SEM morphological observations enhances the understanding of fracture behavior in additive manufacturing processes. The findings contribute to optimizing the design and manufacturing of high-quality PA12 components using SLS technology.

Thermal fractures initiated under cooling at the surfaces of a 2-D or 3-D structure propagate, arrest and coalesce, leading to its structural failure and material-property changes, while the same processes can happen in the rock mass between parallel hydraulic fractures filled with cold fluid, leading to enhanced fracture connectivity and permeability.

This study used a 2-D plane strain fracture model for mixed-mode thermal fractures from two parallel cooling surfaces. Fracture propagation was governed by the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics, while the displacement and temperature fields were discretized using the adaptive finite element method. This model was validated using two numerical benchmarks with strong fracture curvature and then used to simulate the propagation and coalescence of thermal fractures in a long rock mass.

Modeling results show two regimes: (1) thermal fractures from a cooling surface propagate and arrest by following the theoretical solutions of half-plane fractures before the unfractured portion decreases to 20% rock-mass width and (2) some pairs of fractures from the opposite cooling surfaces tend to eventually coalesce. The fracture coalescence time is in a power law with rock-mass width.

These findings are relevant to both subsurface engineering and material engineering: structure failure is a key concern in the latter, while fracture coalescence can enhance the connectivity of thermal and hydraulic fractures and thus reservoir permeability in the former.

The purpose of this study is to propose a simplifying approach for modelling a reliability test. Modelling the reliability tests of printed circuit board (PCB)/microelectronic component assemblies requires the adoption of several simplifying assumptions. This study introduces and validates simplified assumptions for modeling a four-point bend test on a PCB/wafer-level chip scale packaging assembly.

In this study, simplifying assumptions were used. These involved substituting dynamic imposed displacement loading with an equivalent static loading, replacing the spherical shape of the interconnections with simplified shapes (cylindrical and cubic) and transitioning from a three-dimensional modelling approach to an equivalent two-dimensional model. The validity of these simplifications was confirmed through both quantitative and qualitative comparisons of the numerical results obtained. The maximum principal plastic strain in the solder balls and copper pads served as the criteria for comparison.

The simplified hypotheses were validated through quantitative and qualitative comparisons of the results from various models. Consequently, it was determined that the replacement of dynamic loading with equivalent static loading had no significant impact on the results. Similarly, substituting the spherical shape of interconnections with an equivalent shape and transitioning from a three-dimensional approach to a two-dimensional one did not substantially affect the precision of the obtained results.

This study serves as a valuable resource for researchers seeking to model accelerated reliability tests, particularly in the context of four-point bending tests. The results obtained in this study will assist other researchers in streamlining their numerical models, thereby reducing calculation costs through the utilization of the simplified hypotheses introduced and validated herein.

The determination of mode-I fracture toughness of brittle structural materials by means of the notched Brazilian disc configuration is studied. Advantage is taken of a recently introduced analytical solution and, also, of data provided by an experimental protocol with notched marble specimens under diametral compression using the loading device suggested by International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) and also the three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) technique.

The analytical solution highlighted the role of geometrical factors, like, for example, the width of the notch, which are usually disregarded. The data of the experimental protocol were comparatively considered with those concerning the response of the specific material under uniaxial tensile load.

This combined study provided interesting data concerning some open issues, as it is the exact crack initiation point and the level of the critical load causing crack initiation. It was definitely indicated that the crack initiation point is not a priori known (even for notched specimens) and, also, that the maximum recorded load does not correspond by default to the critical load responsible for the onset of catastrophic macroscopic fracture.

It was suggested that the load considered critical one for the determination of mode-I fracture toughness K_IC is erroneous. At a load equal to about 70% of the maximum one, a process zone is formed (zone of non-reversible phenomena) around the notch's crown, designating termination of the validity of any linear elastic solution used to determine the normalized stress intensity factors (SIFs). Moreover, at a load level equal to about 95% of the macroscopically observed fracture load, crack propagation has already begun. Therefore, the experimental procedure must be monitored with additional equipment, providing an overview of the displacement field developed during loading.

The purpose of this research is present an experimental and numerical study of the mechanical properties of the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) in the additive manufacturing (AM) by fused filament fabrication (FFF). The characterization and mechanical models obtained are used to predict the elastic behavior of a prosthetic foot and the failure of a prosthetic knee manufactured with FFF.

Tension tests were carried out and the elastic modulus, yield stress and tensile strength were evaluated for different material directions. The material elastic constants were determined and the influence of infill density in the mechanical strength was evaluated. Yield surfaces and failure criteria were generated from the tests. Failures over prosthetic elements in tridimensional stresses were analyzed; the cases were evaluated via finite element method.

The experimental results show that the material is transversely isotropic. The elasticity modulus, yield stress and ultimate tensile strength vary linearly with the infill density. The stresses and the failure criteria were computed and compared with the experimental tests with good agreement.

This research can be applied to predict failures and improve reliability in FFF or fused deposition modeling (FDM) products for applications in high-performance industries such as aerospace, automotive and medical.

This research aims to promote its widespread adoption in the industrial and medical sectors by increasing reliability in products manufactured with AM based on the failure criterion.

Most of the models studied apply to plane stress situations and standardized specimens of printed material. However, the models applied in this study can be used for functional parts and three-dimensional stress, with accuracy in the range of that obtained by other researchers. The researchers also proposed a method for the mechanical study of fragile materials fabricated by processes of FFF and FDM.