This paper presents an experimental study on the monotonic and fatigue behavior of a link slab designed for a durable concrete bridge deck system. The requirements on the link slab in terms of material properties, dimensions, and reinforcement detailing are considered. Special focus is placed on the deflection capacity of the link slab and its fatigue performance. This paper discusses the choic...

A unique, all-ceramic material capable of nonbrittle fracture via crack deflection and delamination has been mechanically characterized from 25° through 1400°C. This material, fibrous monoliths, was comprised of unidirectionally aligned 250 mm diameter silicon nitride cells surrounded by 10 to 20 mm thick boron nitride cell boundaries. The average flexure strengths of fibrous monoliths were 510...

Ni-Ti shape memory alloy fiber embedded resin matrix composites were produced for evaluation of "smart denture", a newly developing denture with the function to close its own crack. Their bending strength and shape recovery after instant crack repair was estimated. The embedded fibers did not decrease the bending strength of the composite after repair. The crack closure of the composites was pe...

To better understand the relationship between the nucleation and growth of defects and the local stresses and phase changes that cause them, we need both imaging and stress mapping. Here, we explore how this can be achieved by bringing together synchrotron X-ray diffraction and tomographic imaging. Conventionally, these are undertaken on separate synchrotron beamlines; however, instruments capa...

Cracks and craze lines are often observed in the enamel of human teeth, but they rarely cause tooth fracture. The present study evaluates fatigue crack growth in human enamel, and compares that to the fatigue response of sintered hydroxyapatite (HAp) with similar crystallinity, chemistry and density. Miniature inset compact tension (CT) specimens were prepared that embodied a small piece of ena...

We present a non-dimensional analytical model for crack propagation in a z-pinned double cantilever beam specimen (DCB) under mode I loading. Effect of various design parameters on the crack bridging length and apparent fracture toughness are investigated using this model. The efficacy of the analytical model is evaluated by comparing the results with 3D finite element (FE) simulations of the D...