An accurate material representation of polymeric interlayers in laminated glass panes has proved fundamental for a reliable prediction of their response in both static and dynamic loading regimes. This issue is addressed in the present contribution by examining the time–temperature sensitivity of the shear stiffness of two widely used interlayers made of polyvinyl butyral (TROSIFOL BG R20) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVALAM 80-120). To that end, an experimental program has been executed to compare the applicability of two experimental techniques, (i) dynamic torsional tests and (ii) dynamic single-lap shear tests, in providing data needed in a subsequent calibration of a suitable material model. Herein, attention is limited to the identification of material parameters of the generalized Maxwell chain model through the combination of linear regression and the Nelder–Mead method. The choice of the viscoelastic material model has also been supported experimentally. The resulting model parameters confirmed a strong material variability of both interlayers with temperature and time. While higher initial shear stiffness was observed for the polyvinyl butyral interlayer in general, the ethylene-vinyl acetate interlayer exhibited a less pronounced decay of stiffness over time and a stiffer response in long-term loading.

This paper deals with Plaxis 3D finite element simulations of the mechanical response of deep foundations founded in a collapsible tropical soil. Main attention is initially paid to differences between single continuous flight auger (CFA) pile behavior and the behavior of CFA piles in standard groups. The numerically computed load-settlement curves are compared to field load test data obtained at the experimental research site of the University of Brasília (UnB), leading to conclusions about the appropriateness of adopting laboratory, in situ or back calculated parameters as input of numerical programs that simulate 3D foundation systems. Further, the contribution of the contact surficial soil/top raft is numerically examined by simulating the behavior of identical “piled raft” systems founded in the same site. The numerical simulated results of “piled raft” and standard pile group systems are then compared in terms of load capacity, system stiffness, load share between pile tip, shaft and raft, and mean developed lateral pile shaft friction. Having the results at distinct loading stages, as at working and failure levels, the analyses show the differential behavior, and design obtained responses, one may expect from conventional pile groups and “piled rafts” of CFA floating piles when founded in tropical soils. It is a mixed theoretical/experimental paper with practical interest for foundation designers and constructors.

In this work, we describe an experimental setup for a spatially resolved pump-probe experiment with an integrated wide-field magneto-optical (MO) microscope. The MO microscope can be used to study ferromagnetic materials with both perpendicular-to-plane and in-plane magnetic anisotropy via polar Kerr and Voigt effects, respectively. The functionality of the Voigt effect-based microscope was tested using an in-plane magnetized ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As. It was revealed that the presence of mechanical defects in the (Ga,Mn)As epilayer alters significantly the magnetic anisotropy in their proximity. The importance of MO experiments with simultaneous temporal and spatial resolutions was demonstrated using a (Ga,Mn)As sample attached to a piezoelectric transducer, which produces a voltage-controlled strain. We observed a considerably different behavior in different parts of the sample that enabled us to identify sample parts where the epilayer magnetic anisotropy was significantly modified by the presence of the piezoelectric transducer and where it was not. Finally, we discuss the possible applicability of our experimental setup for the research of compensated antiferromagnets, where only MO effects even in magnetic moments are present.

Laminated glass composed of several layers of glass plies bonded to a polymer interlayer enjoys ever growing interest in modern architecture. Being often used in impact protection designs requires understanding of both pre- and post-breakage behavior of these structures. This paper contributes to this subject by examining an application of an explicit phase field dynamic model to the description of fracture in a laminated glass subjected to a low velocity impact. The achieved results indicate the ability of the proposed model to successfully describe the onset of damage and subsequent crack propagation. It has, however, been observed that a relatively fine mesh is needed to interpolate a sharp discontinuity accurately, which makes this approach computationally demanding. The model is first validated against experimental results obtained for a single-layer float glass. Next, the usability of the phase-field damage model as a crack predictor in individual layers of the composite is investigated. The dependence of the results on residual stiffness, element type, and initial tensile strength is examined and discussed.