Blog posts

Dear iMechanicians, I hope that the paper below is of interest, given the wide use this experiment. Essentially, we use the generalised Griffith criterion to determine the crack initiation location in the Brazilian split test, establishing the conditions (jaws geometry and material properties) that lead to a valid test. We find that the range of conditions where the Brazilian test is valid is much narrower than previously thought, with current standards being inappropriate for a wide range of rock-like materials.

Join us in San Francisco for the 2023 MRS Spring Meeting, the 50th Anniversary of MRS. We are inviting abstract submissions to Symposium MD02-Data-Driven Multiscale Studies of Materials—Computations and Experiments. Deadline October 27, 2022

Symposium MD02-Data-Driven Multiscale Studies of Materials—Computations and Experiments

This paper considers the fluid–structure interaction problem of two coaxial cylinders separated by a thin layer of fluid. The flexible inner cylinder is imposed a small amplitude harmonic displacement corresponding to a dry vibration mode of an Euler–Bernoulli beam, while the external cylinder is rigid. A new theoretical formulation based on the assumption of a narrow fluid annulus is derived to estimate the modal added-mass matrix of the vibrating cylinder.

The construction of a lunar base is considered to be an important step towards deep-space exploration by humanity, and will rely on the utilisation of in situ lunar resources. In this paper, we discuss the current knowledge on the feasibility of converting lunar soil to high-performance fibres that can be used for the construction of a lunar base. This fibre would be combined with further portions of lunar soil to generate fibre-reinforced composites, which is utilized as multi-functional materials for lunar base construction.

Postdoc positions are available at Jiangsu University, China. Those possessing PhDs in the area of mechanical engineering are sought. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in experimental and computational mechanics, composite materials and structures etc. Applicants should submit a full curriculum vitae to zhujg [at] ujs.edu.cn (zhujg[at]ujs[dot]edu[dot]cn) .