Abstract Understanding size effects is important to rigorously analyse the behaviour of rocks and rock masses at different scales for applications. A number empirical numerical studies have included on uniaxial compressive strength rocks, but only few focussed triaxial strength. In this study, several tests were conducted granite samples confinements (from 0.2 15 MPa) sizes 30 84 mm in diameter...

Thermally activated escape of an over-damped particle from a metastable well under the action of a time-ramped force is studied. We express the mean first passage time (MFPT) as the solution to a partial differential equation, which we solve numerically for a model case. We discuss two approximations of the MFPT, one of which works remarkably well over a wide range of loading rates, while the s...

This paper presents a tool for dynamic loading of components into run-time environments. This tool was implemented in the context of the Odyssey environment. Using this tool, it is possible to select, at runtime, the desired set of functionality for the Odyssey environment. Depending on the selected configuration, new components are downloaded and dynamically plugged into the environment. Moreo...

Nanoindentation has recently gained attention as a characterization technique for mechanical properties of biological tissues, such as bone, on the sub-micron level. However, optimal methods to characterize viscoelastic properties of bones are yet to be established. This study aimed to compare the time-dependent viscoelastic properties of bone tissue obtained with different nanoindentation meth...

This work focuses on time-dependent rheological behaviour of bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogel. Due to its ideal biocompatibility, BC hydrogel could be employed in biomedical applications. Considering the complexity of loading conditions in human body environment, time-dependent behaviour under relevant conditions should be understood. BC specimens are produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinus ATCC...

Under time-dependent loading, an elastic material is undergoing the simplest form of damage, that which consists in passing from its original state to a weaker elastic state. Elaborating on prior work [FM93], we establish existence of a relaxed variational evolution where, at each time, the two states of the material combine to form a fine mixture, optimal from the standpoint of the applied loa...