Search results for "stiffness"

Towards modern understanding of the Achilles tendon properties in human movement research

2023

The Achilles tendon (AT) is the strongest tendon in humans, yet it often suffers from injury. The mechanical properties of the AT afford efficient movement, power amplification and power attenuation during locomotor tasks. The properties and the unique structure of the AT as a common tendon for three muscles have been studied frequently in humans using in vivo methods since 1990's. As a part of the celebration of 50 years history of the International Society of Biomechanics, this paper reviews the history of the AT research focusing on its mechanical properties in humans. The questions addressed are: What are the most important mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon, how are they stud…

Stiffness-Adaptive Taylor method for the integration of non-stiff and stiff kinetic models

1992

A systematic derivation procedure that greatly facilitates the application of the Taylor method to the integration of kinetic models is developed. In addition, an algorithm that gives the integration step as a function of the required level of accuracy is proposed. Using the Taylor method, application of this algorithm is immediate and largely reduces the integration time. In addition, a new method of integration of kinetic models, whose most important feature is the self-adaptability to the stiffness of the system along the integration process, is developed. This “stiffness-adaptive” Taylor method (SAT method) makes use of several algorithms, combining them to meet the particular requireme…

Finite element method for a nonlocal Timoshenko beam model

2014

A finite element method is presented for a nonlocal Timoshenko beam model recently proposed by the authors. The model relies on the key idea that nonlocal effects consist of long-range volume forces and moments exchanged by non-adjacent beam segments, which contribute to the equilibrium of a beam segment along with the classical local stress resultants. The long-range volume forces/moments are linearly depending on the product of the volumes of the interacting beam segments, and their relative motion measured in terms of the pure beam deformation modes, through appropriate attenuation functions governing the spatial decay of nonlocal effects. In this paper, the beam model is reformulated wi…

Analytical solution for the magneto-electro-elastic bimorph beam forced vibrations problem

2009

Based on the Timoshenko beam theory and on the assumption that the electric and magnetic fields can be treated as steady, since elastic waves propagate very slowly with respect to electromagnetic ones, a general analytical solution for the transient analysis of a magneto-electro-elastic bimorph beam is obtained. General magneto-electric boundary conditions can be applied on the top and bottom surfaces of the beam, allowing us to study the response of the bilayer structure to electromagnetic stimuli. The model reveals that the magneto-electric loads enter the solution as an equivalent external bending moment per unit length and as time-dependent mechanical boundary conditions through the def…

Residual out-of-plane capacity of infills damaged by in-plane cyclic loads

2020

Abstract During earthquakes, infills are subjected to In-Plane (IP) and Out-Of-Plane (OOP) actions. In the case of strong earthquakes, infills may progressively change their mechanical behavior resulting in a reduction of IP and OOP stiffness and strength. Recent earthquakes have proved that the OOP collapse of infills is a diffused mechanism also for buildings designed to resist seismic events in agreement to the most modern codes. This is potentially a very dangerous event with risk for human health. The strong interaction between IP and OOP behavior of infills traduces in a progressive reduction of the OOP strength. The IP damaging loads may cause a loss of the OOP capacity not predicted…

Steel fibre and transverse reinforcement effects on the behaviour of high strength concrete beams

2012

An experimental program was carried out to investigate the influence of fibre reinforcement on the mechanical behaviour of high strength reinforced concrete beams. Eighteen beams, loaded in fourpoint bending tests, were examined by applying monotonically increasing controlled displacements and recording the response in terms of load-deflection curves up to failure. The major test variables were the volume fraction of steel fibres and the transverse steel amount for two different values of shear span. The contribution of the stirrups to the shear strength was derived from the deformations of their vertical legs, measured by means of strain gauges. The structural response of the tested beams …

Mathematical modeling of a vehicle crash test based on elasto-plastic unloading scenarios of spring-mass models

2011

Published version of an article in the journal: The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. Also available from the publisher on SpringerLink: htp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00170-010-3056-x This paper investigates the usability of spring which exhibit nonlinear force-deflection characteristic in the area of mathematical modeling of vehicle crash. We present a method which allows us to obtain parameters of the spring-mass model basing on the full-scale experimental data analysis. Since vehicle collision is a dynamic event, it involves such phenomena as rebound and energy dissipation. Three different spring unloading scenarios (elastic, plastic, and elasto-plastic) are covered…

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VITAMIN D STATUS AND EARLY ARTERIAL CHANGES IN PRIMARY HYPERTENSION. PRELIMINARY DATA

2011

Buckling and post-buckling of variable stiffness plates with cutouts by a single-domain Ritz method

2023

Structural components with variable stiffness can provide better performances with respect to classical ones and offer an enlarged design space for their optimization. They are attractive candidates for advanced lightweight structural applications whose functionalities often impose the presence of cutouts that requires accurate and effective analysis for their design. In the present work, a single-domain Ritz formulation is proposed, implemented and validated for the analysis of buckling and post-buckling behaviour of variable stiffness plates with cutouts. The plate model is based on the first-order shear deformation theory with nonlinear von Karman strain–displacement relationships. The p…

Ventricular-vascular coupling in hypertension: methodological considerations and clinical implications.

2014

The present review is addressed to analyse the complex interplay between left ventricle and arterial tree in hypertension. The different methodological approaches to the analysis of ventricular vascular coupling in the time and frequency domain are discussed. Moreover, the role of hypertension-related changes of arterial structure and function (stiffness and wave reflection) on arterial load and how ventricular-vascular coupling modulates the process of left ventricular adaptation to hypertension are analysed.The different interplay between vascular bed and left ventricle emerges as the pathophysiological basis for the development of the multiple patterns of ventricular structural adaptatio…