Siwei Zhang, Xiaozhou Xia^*, Xin Gu, Meilin Zong, Qing Zhang^*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.145, No.3, pp. 3243-3278, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2025.073841 - 23 December 2025

Abstract This study presents a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-fatigue (THM-F) model, developed based on variational phase-field fatigue theory, to simulate the freeze-thaw (F-T) damage process in concrete. The fracture phase-field model incorporates the F-T fatigue mechanism driven by energy dissipation during the free energy growth stage. Using microscopic inclusion theory, we derive an evolution model of pore size distribution (PSD) for concrete under F-T cycles by treating pore water as columnar inclusions. Drawing upon pore ice crystal theory, calculation models that account for concrete PSD characteristics are established to determine ice saturation, permeability coefficient, and pore pressure. To… More >

Qingcheng Yang^1,*, Arkadz Kirshtein²

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.32, No.3, pp. 1-1, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.011229

Abstract Sintering is a pivotal technology for processing ceramic and metallic powders into solid objects. A profound understanding of microstructure evolution during sintering is essential for manufacturing products with tailored properties. While various phase-field models have been proposed to simulate microstructure evolution in solid-state sintering, correctly incorporating the densification assumption—where particles move toward each other by rigid body motion—remains a challenge. The fundamental obstacle lies in the ad hoc treatment of particle motion, where the thermodynamical driving force cannot be derived from the system's free energy. In this work, we present a novel phase-field micromechanics model More >

Hongzhao Li¹, Peidong Li^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.29, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2024, DOI:10.32604/icces.2024.012711

Abstract Quasicrystals (QCs) are a new class of functional and structural materials with unusual properties, which have quasi-periodic translational symmetry and non-crystallographic rotational symmetry. Due to the special arrangement of atoms, compared with traditional materials, QCs have high strength, high hardness, and high wear resistance, and can be used as a particle reinforcement phase of polymer or metal matrix composites to improve the performance of materials. QC composites are a special type of composites in which the high strength and hardness of QCs can effectively enhance the mechanical properties of the composites while maintaining the lightweight… More >

Jiale Ji^1,*, Mengnan Zhang¹

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.27, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI:10.32604/icces.2023.09632

Abstract The phase-field fracture (PFF) approach has achieved great triumphs in modeling quasi-static fracture. Nevertheless, its reliability in serving dynamic fractures still leaves something to be desired, such as the prediction of the limiting crack velocity. Using a pre-strained fracture configuration, we discovered a disturbing phenomenon that the crack limiting speed identified by the dynamic PFF model is not related to the specific material, which seriously deviates from the experimental observation. To ascertain the truth, we first ruled out the correlation between the limiting crack velocity on the phase-field characteristic scale and external loading. Afterward, by More >