High-fidelity simulation tools have significant potential to support composite aircraft sustainment, though further study is required on incorporating the complex impact damage field. In this paper, compressive residual strength assessment is investigated using the high-fidelity computational tool BSAMTM. The experimental impact damage was mapped and modelled at a high-fidelity level, which included ply-by-ply definition of the geometry of the impact indentation, fibre fracture in the plies and delamination in ply interfaces. It was shown that applying a small lateral displacement or ‘pseudo-impact’ step was highly effective in generating matrix cracks in the impact region, which provided a suitably realistic representation of the interconnected damage map through-the-thickness. It was found that inclusion of all damage modes in the post-image damage map at a high-fidelity definition was essential due to the strong degree of interaction between damage modes. The results support improved sustainment of defence platforms, through enhanced predictive capability and understanding.

In the USA, as many as 20 % of recruits sustain stress fractures during basic training. In addition, approximately one-third of female recruits develop Fe deficiency upon completion of training. Fe is a cofactor in bone collagen formation and vitamin D activation, thus we hypothesised Fe deficiency may be contributing to altered bone microarchitecture and mechanics during 12-weeks of increased mechanical loading. Three-week old female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to one of four groups: Fe-adequate sedentary, Fe-deficient sedentary, Fe-adequate exercise and Fe-deficient exercise. Exercise consisted of high-intensity treadmill running (54 min 3×/week). After 12-weeks, serum bone turnover markers, femoral geometry and microarchitecture, mechanical properties and fracture toughness and tibiae mineral composition and morphometry were measured. Fe deficiency increased the bone resorption markers C-terminal telopeptide type I collagen and tartate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAcP 5b). In exercised rats, Fe deficiency further increased bone TRAcP 5b, while in Fe-adequate rats, exercise increased the bone formation marker procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide. In the femur, exercise increased cortical thickness and maximum load. In the tibia, Fe deficiency increased the rate of bone formation, mineral apposition and Zn content. These data show that the femur and tibia structure and mechanical properties are not negatively impacted by Fe deficiency despite a decrease in tibiae Fe content and increase in serum bone resorption markers during 12-weeks of high-intensity running in young growing female rats.

In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provides an avenue to explore time-dependent nanoscale material changes induced by a wide range of environmental conditions that govern material performance and degradation. The In-situ Ion Irradiation TEM (I3TEM) at Sandia National Laboratories is a JEOL 2100 microscope that has been highly modified with an array of hardware and software that makes it particularly well suited to explore fundamental mechanisms that arise from coupled extreme conditions. Examples pertaining to multibeam ion irradiation, rapid thermal cycling, and nanomechanical testing on the I3TEM are highlighted, along with prospective advancements in the field of in-situ microscopy.

This study describes results from mechanical tests conducted on magnesium single crystals in comparison with polycrystalline magnesium. It was found by impact testing that the magnesium single crystal is highly ductile due to energy absorption by twinning and slip, while the polycrystalline samples fracture easily upon impact. Compressive testing along two orthogonal directions at low plastic strains was also performed. The microstructure studies by electron backscatter diffraction and XRD pole figure analysis revealed profuse ( $10\overline12$ ) twinning when compression is done along the growth plane (72 16 $\overline {88}$ 62). The twinning and interaction between different twin modes resulted in incipient recrystallization at strains as low as 8% at room temperature. Compression along the nearly orthogonal plane (2 2 $\bar{4}$ 15) was marked by a much lower degree of both twinning and recrystallization. The variation in microstructural response with the orientation of loading allows for a wide range for tailoring mechanical properties of pure magnesium single crystals without any need of alloying.

The directional dark-field signal obtained with X-ray grating interferometry yields direction-dependent information about the X-ray scattering taking place inside the examined sample. It allows examination of its morphology without the requirement of resolving the micrometer size structures directly causing the scattering. The local morphology in turn gives rise to macroscopic mechanical properties of the investigated specimen. In this study, we investigate the relation between the biomechanical elasticity (Young’s modulus) and the measured directional dark-field parameters of a well-defined sample made of wood. In our proof-of-principle experiment, we found a correlation between Young’s modulus, the average dark-field signal, and the average dark-field anisotropy. Hence, we are able to show that directional dark-field imaging is a new method to predict mechanical sample properties. As grating interferometry provides absorption, phase-contrast, and dark-field data at the same time, this technique appears promising to combine imaging and mechanical testing in a single testing stage. Therefore, we believe that directional dark-field imaging will have a large impact in the materials science world.

In this study, the failure response of two serial bolted joints in composite laminates was investigated. The composite material was consisted of epoxy matrix and glass fibers. To find out the effects of joint geometry and stacking sequences on the failure response, parametric studies were performed experimentally. Three different geometrical parameters that were the edge distance-to-hole diameter ratio (E/D), plate width-to-hole diameter ratio (W/D) and the distance between two serial holes-to-hole diameter ratio (K/D) were investigated. Hence, E/D, W/D and K/D ratios were considered from 1 to 5, 2 to 5 and 3 to 5, respectively. In addition, the failure tests were carried out for a range of preload moments as 2, 3, 4, 5 Nm and without any preload moments as 0Nm. Tested composite laminates were oriented two different stacking sequences as [0°]8 and [0°/0°/90°/90°]s. Experimental results point out that failure response of two serial bolted composite joints are firmly effected from material parameters, geometrical parameters and the magnitudes of applied preload moments.

Ce travail présente une étude théorique du comportement mécanique des poutres sandwiches dont le cœur est en nid d'abeilles (NIDA) soumises à un essai de flexion 3 points. Les poutres étudiées sont obtenues à partir de plaques sandwiches destinées à la fabrication de bateaux de plaisance. Deux types de poutres sandwichs sont utilisés. Chaque poutre est composée de deux peaux symétriques dont les fibres sont en verres disposées en mat pour la poutre 1 et en plis croisés pour la poutre 2. L'âme est constituée de feuilles de polyéthylène dont les cellules sont de forme hexagonale. Les modules d'Young longitudinal et transversal des peaux sont obtenus expérimentalement par essai de traction, ils servent au calcul des contraintes normales et de cisaillement. L'effet de la cinématique, de l'élancement (rapport de la longueur de la poutre sandwich par son épaisseur totale), $\frac{L}{h}$, du rapport de l'épaisseur de l'âme par celle de la peau, et de l'effet du rapport du module d'Young longitudinal de la peau Ep par celui de l'âme Ea sur les contraintes normales et de cisaillement sont analysés. Les résultats des contraintes normales et de cisaillement pour trois champs de déplacement différents sont comparés. La différence des résultats justifie les conditions d'utilisation des théories simplifiées de Bernoulli et celle de Timoshenko pour ces types de poutres sandwiches.