Engineers crack the code on materials that stop slipping under repeated stress
Researchers have validated a 70-year-old mathematical theorem for predicting when cracked materials will stabilize after repeated loading—a finding with direct applications in infrastructure, aerospace, and manufacturing. The work could help engineers design safer, longer-lasting structures without expensive over-engineering or premature failure.
Originaltitel: Shakedown in an elastic-plastic solid with a frictional crack
<p>When subjected to periodic loading, elastic systems containing contact interfaces might exhibit frictional slip which ceases after some loading cycles. In such cases, it is said that the system shakes down. For elastic discrete systems presenting complete contacts, it has been proved that Melan’s theorem, originally proposed for elastic-plastic problems, offers a sufficient condition for the system to shake down, provided that the contact is of an uncoupled type. In the present paper, the application of Melan’s theorem is speculated for systems involving plasticity and friction. A finite element example of an elastic-plastic solid containing a frictional crack is discussed.</p>