Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) pultruded decks and sandwich panels currently represent two of the most extensive applications of FRP materials for load-bearing structural components in the bridge and building domains. Based on the state of the art, ...
In this work, a level-set based finite element method was used to numerically evaluate the mechanical behavior in a small deformation range of semi-solid materials with different microstructure configurations. For this purpose, a finite element model of th ...
One of the most important characteristics of load-bearing structures is ductility, i.e. the ability of a material or a structure to sustain inelastic deformation prior to failure, without loss of resistance. The topic of this PhD Thesis was to develop duct ...
Several toughening mechanisms, such as fibre bridging, can occur during delamination of fibre reinforced composites. In structures made of composite bonded joints, delamination can occur either in the composite or in the adhesive layer. In the first case c ...
Polymer-based composite materials are used to manufacture ultra-light panels, massively introduced in the last decades in the aeronautical industry, as a potential solution to reduce the energy consumption and combustion emissions. Safety being the main co ...
Composite sandwich panels comprising fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) skins and lightweight material cores are being increasingly used in civil engineering. In several applications, such as fa ades, roof structures and bridge decks, these panels may experien ...
Concentrated colloidal suspensions of silica particles in polyethylene glycol exhibit a shear thickening behavior: above a critical shear rate in a confined environment, they show a steep increase of viscosity. This reversible transition from a low to a hi ...
Based on current fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite construction principles, FRP decks fall into two categories: pultruded decks and sandwich decks. Sandwich decks comprise face sheets and either honeycombs or foams reinforced with internal FRP webs ...
Compacted MX-80 bentonite is a potential backfill material in radioactive-waste repositories. Pore space in MX-80 has been the subject of considerable debate. 3D reconstructions of the pore space based on tomographic methods could provide new insights into ...
This paper presents experimental and analytical investigations about the creep behaviour of sandwich panels comprising glass-fibre reinforced polymer faces and rigid polyurethane foam core for civil engineering applications. A full-scale sandwich panel was ...
Highly concentrated suspensions of silica particles present shear thickening properties, shifting from a low to a high viscosity state, instantly and reversibly at a critical shear rate. Their viscosity increases by up to 3 orders of magnitude, changing fr ...
