Quasi-static and dynamic compression and three-point bending tests have been carried out on Strombus gigas (conch) shells. The mechanical response is correlated with its microstructure and damage mechanisms. The mechanical response is found to vary significantly from specimen to specimen and requires the application of Weibull statistics in order to be quantitatively evaluated. The conch exhibi...

This paper deals with analysis of flexural stiffness, indentation and their energies in three point loading of sandwich beams with composite faces from Eglass/epoxy and cores from Polyurethane or PVC. Energy is consumed in three stages of indentation in laminated beam, indentation of sandwich beam and bending of sandwich beam. Theory of elasticity is chosen to present equations for indentation ...

Dynamic three-point bend tests are performed on small beams specimen made of a quasi-brittle material. The most classical hypotheses needed to analyse the tests with SHPB, which are based on a state of quasi-static balance of the body, cannot be used. In order to get the behaviour it is necessary to perform a transient analysis of the specimen response. In most cases, the useful duration of the...

We have examined the static and dynamic electromechanical responses of PZT–brass (piezoelectric–nonpiezoelectric) plate unimorphs of various brass/PZT thickness ratios. The study was performed both experimentally and theoretically. The static measurements showed that, given a PZT layer thickness, there exists a brass/PZT thickness ratio that gives the unimorph the highest static displacement un...

In this paper, we study the effects of the spontaneous curvature on the static deformation of a vesicle membrane under the elastic bending energy, with prescribed bulk volume and surface area. Generalizing the phase field models developed in our previous works, we deduce a new energy formula involving the spontaneous curvature effects. Several axis-symmetric configurations are obtained through ...

An electrostatic torsion micromirror is designed using the optimized spring-shaped torsion beams and U-shaped groove supporters. The main advantages of this design will be a reduction in the pull-in voltage for low-voltage applications and the function as a switch of the instability mode by adjusting the effective bending stiffness of the torsion beam. In this design, a theoretical model is dev...

This study investigated the size effect on the bending strength (modulus of rupture-MOR) of dimension lumber of Northeast China larch (Larix gmelinii); providing a basis for the further application in light wood frame construction. Experimental and statistical evaluations were conducted on the bending strength. A total of 2409 full-size dimension lumber samples were tested by static bending tes...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the bending moments, and compressive and tensile forces in implant-supported prostheses with three, four or five abutments. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ten Pd-Ag frameworks were tested over two master models with: 1) parallel vertical implants, and 2) tilted distal implants. Strain gauges were fixed on the abutments of each master model to measure the deformati...

Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators, also known as artificial muscles, have remarkable properties such as low energy consumption, low weight, low actuation foot-print, compliance and bio-compatibility. Several methodologies have been proposed to model and analyse their quasi-static bending behaviour with negligible attention paid to their dynamic behaviour. We, therefore, report on an enhance...

In this paper, we study the three-dimensional deformation of a vesicle membrane under the elastic bending energy, with prescribed bulk volume and surface area. Both static and dynamic deformations are considered. A newly developed energetic variational formulation is employed to give an effective Eulerian description. Efficient time and spatial discretizations are considered and implemented. Nu...