Publications related to Crack tip kinematics reveal the process zone structure in brittle fracture

Experimental and analytical investigation of shear-reinforced concrete and dowel action

Codes of practice can be overly conservative, particularly for the shear resistance of reinforced concrete beams with shear reinforcement when large loads act close to supports. This thesis addresses the topic by proposing a refined design approach based o ...

EPFL2024

A global framework for data-informed bridge examination

Eugen Brühwiler, Numa Joy Bertola, Philippe Schiltz

Examining the performance of an existing bridge requires information on several aspects, such as design choices, material properties, and ongoing degradation processes. It often happens that some critical information is not available. The traditional appro ...

2024

Numerical investigation of two-dimensional Mode-II delamination in composite laminates

Thomas Keller, Anastasios Vassilopoulos, Congzhe Wang

Existing standards for delamination tests on composite materials typically employ one-dimensional (1D) beam specimens. However, such specimens may not represent real delamination scenarios in composite structures, where cracks tend to propagate in two dime ...

Elsevier Sci Ltd2024

Strain engineering and strain measurement by spring tethers on suspended epitaxial GaN-on-Si photonic crystal devices

Romuald Houdré, Jun Wang

Suspended epitaxial gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon (Si) photonic crystal devices suffer from large residual tensile strain, especially for long waveguides, because fine structures tend to crack due to large stress. By introducing spring-like tethers, des ...

Iop Publishing Ltd2024

Modeling friction and wear using an adaptive discrete-continuum coupling

Manon Eugénie Voisin--Leprince

When two objects slide against each other, wear and friction occur at their interface. The accumulation of wear forms what is commonly referred to as a ``third-body''. Understanding third-body evolution has significant applications in industry, where contr ...

EPFL2024

Controlling crystal cleavage in focused ion beam shaped specimens for surface spectroscopy

Philip Johannes Walter Moll, Matthias Carsten Putzke, Andrew Scott Hunter

Our understanding of quantum materials is commonly based on precise determinations of their electronic spectrum by spectroscopic means, most notably angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and scanning tunneling microscopy. Both require atomicall ...

Aip Publishing2024

Structure and dynamics of liquid water from ab initio simulations: adding Minnesota density functionals to Jacob's ladder

Ursula Röthlisberger, Justin Villard, Martin Peter Bircher

The accurate representation of the structural and dynamical properties of water is essential for simulating the unique behavior of this ubiquitous solvent. Here we assess the current status of describing liquid water using ab initio molecular dynamics, wit ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2024

Additive Manufacturing of Bioinspired Mineral-Based Composites

Ran Zhao

Biominerals are used by natural organisms for example as structural supports and optical sensors. They are produced from a limited number of elements and under ambient conditions. Nevertheless, they often possess excellent mechanical properties and sometim ...

EPFL2024

Friction and fracture: richness and complexity in dynamic rupture

Thibault Didier Roch

Understanding how things break and slide is of paramount importance to describe the dynamics of a broad range of physical systems. This includes day-to-day problems such as the breaking of a glass of wine or the sliding of skis on snow, but also engineerin ...

EPFL2023

Proposed residual stress model for hot‐rolled wide flange steel cross sections

Dimitrios Lignos, Albano António De Abreu E Presa De Castro E Sousa, Andronikos Skiadopoulos

Residual stresses in hot-rolled wide flange steel cross sections may lead to premature yielding, accelerated corrosion and brittle fracture of steel members. The above phenomena lead to a loss of a steel member's stiffness and resistance under mechanical l ...

Ernst & Sohn2023