Microgel multi-layer films assembled from anionic particles and linear polycation were prepared on elastomeric substrates and their self-healing properties studied. Dried films were imaged in situ during mechanical deformation and were determined to undergo plastic deformation in response to linear strain, leading to film buckling upon strain relaxation. Hydration leads to rapid reorganization ...

The elastic properties of micrometer-sized hollow colloidal particles obtained by emulsion templating are probed by nanoindentation measurements in which point forces are applied to solvent-filled particles supported on a flat substrate. We show that the shells respond linearly up to forces of 7-21 nN, where the indentation becomes of the order of the shell thickness (20-40 nm). In the linear r...

The mechanisms by which carbon nanotubule ~CNT! proximal probe tips deform during the indentation of surfaces are explored using classical molecular-dynamics simulations. The forces acting on the atoms in the simulations are calculated using the Brenner empirical bond-order potential for hydrocarbons. The results show that open and capped single-walled CNT tips indented against hydrogen-termina...

This paper presents the results of an experimental study into the behavior of concrete-filled steel tube columns confined by fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP). Eleven columns were tested to investigate the effects of the FRP layer number, the thickness of the steel tube and concrete strength on their load capacity and axial deformation capacity. The experimental results indicated that the FRP wrap...

We report a new class of tunable and switchable acoustic metamaterials comprising resonating units dispersed into an elastic matrix. Each resonator consists of a metallic core connected to the elastomeric matrix through elastic beams, whose buckling is intentionally exploited as a novel and effective approach to control the propagation of elastic waves. We first use numerical analysis to show t...

This paper is concerned with the airway closure problem and investigates the quasi-steady deformation characteristics of strongly collapsed (buckled) airways occluded by liquid bridges of high surface tension. The airway wall is modeled as a thin-walled elastic shell, which deforms in response to an external pressure and to the compression due to the surface tension of the liquid bridge. The go...

Differential growth of thin elastic bodies furnishes a surprisingly simple explanation of the complex and intriguing shapes of many biological systems, such as plant leaves and organs. Similarly, inelastic strains induced by thermal effects or active materials in layered plates are extensively used to control the curvature of thin engineering structures. Such behaviour inspires us to distinguis...