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Dynamic Responses of Granular Materials to Impact Loading

Summary

This project aims to experimentally investigate the dynamic responses of granular materials to high strain rates loading using split Hopkinson bar. The experimental data will be used to calibrate and validate numerical simulations using the material point method, one of the meshfree methods. 

Supervisor

Associate Professor Luming Shen.

Research location

Civil Engineering

Program type

Masters/PHD

Synopsis

Most materials, including granular materials, respond differently under quasi-static and dynamic loadings. Under high strain rates loading, material in the vicinity of impacting experience rapid stress changes, while away from it, stress variations are delayed. Such delays can be understood by analysing the propagation of stress waves using continuum mechanics principles. Moreover, the mechanical properties of solid materials are strain-rate dependent. These problems have motivated an extensive research on the characterization of solid materials subjected to impact loading, with particular attention to damage and fracture.The research is to study stress wave, damage and fragmentation propagation in brittle granular materials under high strain rates impact loading. The prospective student will experimentally investigate the dynamic responses of single grain and multi-grain system to high strain rates loading using split Hopkinson bar. The propagation of stress wave, grain damage and grain crushing will be studied using digital image correlation analysis. The prospective student will also develop a rate-dependent damage model and implement it into the Material Point Method (MPM), one of the meshfree methods. The experimental results will then be used to calibrate and validate the MPM simulations of dynamic deformation and failure of multi-grain system under impact loading. The project will have potential applications in block cave mining, earthquake engineering and pharmaceutics.

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 1875

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