In this work the deformations of a simply supported, functionally graded, rectangular plate subjected to thermo-mechanical loadings are analysed, extending Unified Formulation by Carrera. The governing equations are derived from the Principle of Virtual Displacements accounting for the temperature as an external load only. The required temperature field is not assumed a priori, but determined separately by solving Fourier's equation. Numerical results for temperature, displacement and stress distributions are provided for different volume fractions of the metallic and ceramic constituent as well as for different plate thickness ratios. They correlate very well with three-dimensional solutions given in the literature.

Severe challenges such as depletion of natural resources, natural catastrophes, extreme weather conditions, or overpopulation require intelligent solutions especially in architecture. Built environments that are conceived from smart materials based on actuator and sensor functionality provide a promising approach in order to address this demand. The present paper reviews smart materials-based technologies which are currently applied or developed for application in civil structures, focusing on smart material applications for actuation or sensing. After giving a definition and categorization of smart materials, applications of the investigated materials (i.e. shape memory materials, electro- and magnetostrictive materials, piezoelectric materials, ionic polymer-metal composites, dielectrical elastomers, polyelectrolyte gels as well as magneto- and electrorheological fluids) are presented for the fields of architecture and civil engineering. While some materials are already highly advantageous in the application context, others still need further research in order to become applicable in real-world constructions. Nonetheless this review indicates their large innovation potential which should be consolidated by systematic research efforts in the near future.

Nanocarbons represented especially by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have been of great interest during the last two decades, both from a fundamental point of view and for future applications. The most eye-catching features of carbon nanostructures (CNSs) are their electronic, mechanical, optical and chemical characteristics, which open a way for versatile applications. Among those future prospects, actuators are one of the promising technologies. Since 1999 when the first macroscopic actuator containing CNTs was reported, the interest of utilizing these materials as well as other CNSs in active systems has been triggered all over the world. This paper gives a thorough review as well as in-depth descriptions of the many aspects of nanocarbon-based actuators. The review covers aspects of worldwide research and development of nanocarbon ionic actuators up to 2012. Materials which are covered by this review include CNTs and their composites, carbon nanofibres (CNFs), graphene and its derivatives, microporous carbon materials (for example carbide derived carbons (CDCs) and carbon aerogels) as well as the possible combinations of these materials. The considered aspects cover the following fields: synthesis and characterization of the investigated materials, the actuation mechanism as well as modelling and simulation. Applications comprising system integration and device development are also reviewed within this paper.

Ionomeric polymer transducers consist of an ion-conducting membrane sandwiched between two metal electrodes. Application of a low voltage (2% strain) due to the transport of ionic species within the polymer matrix. A computational model of transport and electromechanical transduction is developed for ionomeric polymer transducers. The transport model is based upon a coupled chemoelectrical multifield formulation and computes the spatiotemporal volumetric charge density profile to an applied potential at the boundaries. The current induced in the polymer is computed using the isothermal transient ionic current associated with surface charge accumulation at the electrodes induced by nonzero volumetric charge density within the polymer. The stress induced in the polymer is assumed to be a summation of linear and quadratic functions of the volumetric charge density. Euler-Bernoulli beam mechanics are used to compute the bending deflection of the transducer to an applied potential. The diffusion coefficient and permittivity of the polymer is identified from the measured current density to a step change in the applied potential. A comparison between the measured data and the predicted response demonstrates that this model accurately predicts the current discharge due to the applied potential at voltages over the range of 50–500mV. Furthermore, the measured strain response is accurately predicted by determining the two parameters of the mechanics model that relates volumetric charge density to induced stress. The coupled model with parameters identified from the step response analysis is used to predict the harmonic response of the current and the bending strain. Comparisons between measured data and simulations illustrate that the coupled transport-mechanics model accurately predicts the magnitude and trends associated with the current response and strain output. Excellent agreement is obtained at excitation periods above approximately 1s while good agreement is obtained at longer excitation periods. The transport model highlights the importance of the asymmetry that develops at large applied potentials and long excitation periods in the volumetric charge density due to the fixed anionic species in the polymer.