Related papers: Heterogeneous Interfacial Failure between Two Elas…
We study the dynamics of three particles in a finite interval, in which two light particles are separated by a heavy ``piston'', with elastic collisions between particles but inelastic collisions between the light particles and the interval…
Propagation of a particle accelerated by an external field through a scattering medium is studied within the generalized Lorentz model allowing inelastic collisions. Energy losses at collisions are proportional to $(1-\alpha^{2})$, where…
We study the response of F-actin bundles to driving forces through a simple analytical model. We consider two filaments connected by reversibly bound crosslinks and driven by an external force. Two failure modes under load can be defined.…
The two principal ingredients determining the failure modes of disordered solids are the level of heterogeneity and the length scale of the region affected in the solid following a local failure. While the latter facilitates damage…
Spatial heterogeneity in the elastic properties of soft random solids is investigated via a two-pronged approach. First, a nonlocal phenomenological model for the elastic free energy is examined. This features a quenched random kernel,…
By characterising the hydrodynamic stresses generated by statistically homogeneous and isotropic turbulence in rigid aggregates, we estimate theoretically the rate of turbulent breakup of colloidal aggregates and the size distribution of…
The shear response of soft solids can be modeled with linear elasticity, provided the forcing is slow and weak. Both of these approximations must break down when the material loses rigidity, such as in foams and emulsions at their…
We study the average separation between an elastic solid and a hard solid with a nominal flat but randomly rough surface, as a function of the squeezing pressure. We present experimental results for a silicon rubber (PDMS) block with a flat…
An assessment is made of the J-integral test procedure for initial crack growth in an open-cell aluminium alloy foam by combining finite element (FE) simulations with experiment. It is found experimentally that a zone of randomly failed…
Inspired by recent experimental observations of a harmonically excited elastic foil hovering near a wall while supporting substantial weight, we develop a theoretical framework that describes the underlying physical effects. Using…
We study the effect of strong heterogeneities on the fracture of disordered materials using a fiber bundle model. The bundle is composed of two subsets of fibers, i.e. a fraction 0<\alpha<1 of fibers is unbreakable, while the remaining…
Contact problems with Coulomb friction in linear elasticity are notoriously difficult and their mathematical analysis is still largely incomplete. In this paper, a model problem with heterogeneous friction coefficient is considered in…
When a thin film moderately adherent to a substrate is subjected to residual stress, the cooperation between fracture and delamination leads to unusual fracture patterns, such as spirals, alleys of crescents and various types of strips, all…
Transmission of forces in static granular materials are studied within the framework of the force network ensemble, by numerically evaluating the mechanical response of hexagonal packings of frictionless grains and rectangular packings of…
Fragmentation can be observed in nature and in everyday life on a wide range of length scales and for all kinds of technical applications. Most studies on dynamic failure focus on the behaviour of bulk systems in one, two and three…
Open-cell graphitic foams were fabricated by chemical vapor deposition using nickel templates and their compressive responses were measured over a range of relative densities. The mechanical response required an interpretation in terms of a…
This paper investigates hydraulic fracture in a media with periodic heterogeneous toughness. Results for the plane-strain (KGD) model are analysed. The energy distribution as the fracture propagates is examined, along with the evolution of…
Creep tests on heterogeneous materials under subcritical loading typically show a power-law decaying strain rate before failure, with the exponent often considered material-dependent but independent of applied stress. By imposing successive…
Stressed under a constant load, materials creep with a final acceleration of deformation and for any given applied stress and material, the creep failure time can strongly vary. We investigate creep on sheets of paper and confront the…
A liquid droplet resting on a soft gel substrate can deform that substrate to the point of material failure, whereby fractures develop on the gel surface that propagate outwards from the contact-line in a starburst pattern. In this paper,…