The 2014 Mw= 8.1 Iquique (Pisagua), Chile, earthquake sequence ruptured a segment of the Nazca-South America subduction zone that last hosted a great earthquake in 1877. The sequence opened >3700 surface cracks in the fore arc of decameter-scale length and millimeter-to centimeter-scale aperture. We use the strikes of measured cracks, inferred to be perpendicular to coseismically applied tensio...

In this study, cement mortar was used to make specimens containing groups of parallel joints with different inclination angles simulate natural rock mass, and the were subjected shear tests under normal stresses. By analyzing crack propagation path, failure modes, strength characteristics these specimens, effects stress joint on type mass studied. The following conclusions are drawn: 1) when 0°...

By taking the axial tension member as an example, the damage caused by the cyclic stress influencing reliability was researched. According to the damage mechanics theory, some micro-cracks were observed in the material with cyclic load. With the increase of times loads inflicting, the fresh micro-cracks were formed; meanwhile, the existing cracks further extended, consequently, the effective be...

This paper investigates the roles of external loads and specimen geometry on crack path selection in adhesively bonded joints. First, the effect of mixed mode fracture on crack path selection is studied. Using epoxy as an adhesive and aluminum as the adherends, double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens with various T-stress levels are prepared and tested under mixed mode fracture loading. Post-fai...

The propagation of fractures during the drying of a colloidal silica suspension confined in a vertical microtube is investigated. During the drying process, the particle concentration increases until gel formation. In the gelled region, the tensile stresses increase and lead to the formation of two vertical perpendicular cracks propagating in the drying direction, dividing the tube into four eq...

This paper (Part II), which is the second in a series of two papers, presents new closed-form solutions for net-section-collapse (NSC) analysis of circumferentially cracked pipes for several idealized crack shapes subjected to combined bending and tension (pressure-induced) loads. They are based on further simpli®cations of generalized NSC equations developed in a parallel study. Analytical sol...

Durability of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is affected by certain environmental conditions and operational actions which can reduce their lifetime significantly. Among these actions, this paper proposes a stochastic model that accounts for the combined effects of chloride-induced corrosion, climate change and cyclic loading. Separately, corrosion leads to cross-section reduction, climate...