Sharif Digital Repository

Good knowledge of fracture parameters and cracking behavior of self-compacting concrete (SCC) from early ages until the SCC becomes mature plays an important role in design of SCC structure and also in evaluation of durability and consequently prevention of damage. In this paper, variation of fracture parameters and corresponding ductility behavior of SCC at different ages (e.g. 3days, 7days, 28days and 90days) for SCC mixes with w/c ratios of 0.45 and 0.65 have been experimentally studied. To do so, three-point bending tests were carried out on 120 notched beams. Then, size effect method (SEM) and work of fracture method (WFM) were applied to interpret the results. The results of analyses... 

The vapor extraction (VAPEX) process; a solvent-based enhanced oil recovery process has been found promising for some heavy oil reservoirs. In this work, the VAPEX process is studied using a compositional simulator on a number of single-block and multiple block fractured systems. PVT data of one of an Iranian heavy oil reservoir are used to tune the equation of state. Effects of fracture spacing on the performance of process were studied. It was found that the fracture network enhances the VAPEX process in low-permeability systems by increasing the contact area between solvent and oil contained in the matrix blocks. Also, the fracture network reduced the instabilities in the system pressure... 

Most reservoirs in Iran are heterogeneous fractured carbonate reservoirs. Heterogeneity causes an earlier breakthrough and an unstable front which leads to a lower recovery. A series of experiments were conducted whereby the distilled water displaced n-Decane in strongly oil-wet glass micro-models containing a single fracture. Experimental data from image analysis of immiscible displacement processes are used to modify the Buckley-Leverett and fractional flow equations by a heterogeneity factor. It is shown that the heterogeneity factor in the modified equations can be expressed as a function of fracture length and orientation  

Background: Basic epidemiological data can provide estimates when discussing disease burden and in the planning and provision of healthcare strategies. There is little quantitative information in the literature regarding prevalence of traumatic injuries from developing countries. Objectives: The aim of the current preliminary study was to reveal the prevalence and age and gender distribution of various traumatic injuries in a tertiary referral orthopedic hospital in Iran. Patients and Methods: In a prospective descriptive study, all traumatic injured patients attending the Orthopedic Trauma Unit of our center in a five year period were included. Demographic details, the cause of injury,... 

The fracture mechanism of hybrid iPP-EPR-GF composites has been studied by notched Charpy, three- and four-point bending fracture tests. The results of impact tests illustrate that increasing both temperature and EPR/GF ratio increases the impact energy of iPP-EPR-GF. Indeed, with increasing temperature, a brittle, ductile, transition temperature (BDTT) occurs. The results of a three-point bending test show that fracture toughness (KIC) can be improved by addition of both GF and EPR. Since the trend in the fracture toughness values is close to what would be expected by the rule of blends, it can be concluded that the use of both GF and EPR has no significant synergistic effect on toughening.... 

The fracture mechanism of isotactic polypropylene has been studied by three- and four-point bending tests. The result of three-point bending test shows that a wide spread damage zone is present in front of the notch. Looking in more detail via cross-polarised light shows the evidence of birefringence in the stress-whitened zone. Increasing the applied load causes it to spread out the stress-whitened zone. Then the craze-like features are nucleated inside the stress-whitened region. The result of four-point bending test shows that craze-like damage appears in front of pre-crack and its propagation is dictated by spherulite microstructure. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved  

In this study, microstructural aspects that control fracture and deformation resistance of P/M materials are evaluated. Several low-alloy steels were produced under both experimental and commercial conditions for achieving different matrix phases and porosity levels with varying shape factors. A 'porosity map' was constructed and used for a quantified study of the dominant mechanism controlling mechanical behaviors. The role of inclusion gathering and secondary pores, as well as sintering mechanism and alloying method is considered and discussed. The mechanism assessment was performed by using microstructure examination through optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results... 

Most of the reservoirs in Iran are heterogeneous fractured carbonate reservoirs. Heterogeneity causes an earlier breakthrough and an unstable front, which leads to a lower recovery. In this study, a series of experiments was conducted whereby the n-Heptane displaced n-Decane in glass micromodels having different fracture geometries. Experimental data from image analysis of miscible displacement processes are used to modify the fractional flow equations by a heterogeneity factor. It is shown that the heterogeneity factor in the modified equations can be expressed as a function of fracture length and orientation  

Modeling the water flow in cohesive fracture is a fundamental issue in the crack growth simulation of cracked concrete gravity dams and hydraulic fracture problems. In this paper, a mathematical model is presented for the analysis of fracture propagation in the semi-saturated porous media. The solid behavior incorporates a discrete cohesive fracture model, coupled with the flow in porous media through the fracture network. The double-nodded zero-thickness cohesive interface element is employed for the mixed mode fracture behavior in tension and contact behavior in compression. The modified crack permeability is applied in fracture propagation based on the data obtained from experimental... 

In this paper, the 3D cohesive crack propagation is presented in partially saturated porous media. The double-nodded zero-thickness cohesive interface elements are employed to capture the mixed mode fracture behavior. In order to describe the behavior of fractured media, two balance equations are applied similar to those employed for the mixture of solid-fluid phase in semi-saturated media, including: the momentum balance of fractured media, and the balance of fluid mass within the fracture. Crack permeability is modified based on the data obtained from experimental results to consider the roughness of fracture walls effect  

This paper presents the effect of volume of coarse aggregate on fracture characteristics of self- compacting concrete (SCC). Based on an experimental programme, a series of three point bending tests were carried out on 58 notched beams. SCC was prepared with coarse aggregate in varying percentages of 30%, 40%, 50% and 60% (as the percentage of the total aggregate volume). For all mixes, the fracture parameters were analyzed by the work-of- fracture method (WFM) and by the size effect method (SEM) to obtain a suitable correlation between these methods which is used to calibrate fracture numerical models. The results showed that with decrease of volume of coarse aggregate from 60% to 30% in... 

The paper describes an experimental research on fracture characteristics of self-compacting concrete (SCC). Three point bending tests conducted on 154 notched beams with different water to cement (w/c) ratios. The specimens were made from mixes with various w/c ratios from 0.7 to 0.35. For all mixes, common fracture parameters were determined using two different methods, the work-of-fracture method (WFM) and the size effect method (SEM). Test results showed that with decrease of w/c ratio from 0.7 to 0.35 in SCC: (a) the fracture toughness increases linearly: (b) the brittleness number is approximately doubled: (c) the effective size of the process zone cf in SEM and the characteristic... 

Double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens were prepared according to standard surface mount technology (SMT). The samples were stored inside an environmental chamber at two different relative humidity values (i.e. 40 or 100%) for either 2 or 4 h. Then they were aged at 25 °C, 75 °C or 125℃ for the same time. Finally, after being cooled to room temperature, fracture tests were performed under mode-I loading conditions at a strain rate of 0.03 s−1 at room temperature. Storage time did not have a significant effect on the fracture behavior. The fracture load and energy of the solder joints decreased significantly when the temperature was increased from 25 to 75℃. By further increase in the... 

Fractures identification is essential during exploration, drilling and well completion of naturally fractured reservoirs since they have a significant impact on flow contribution. There are different methods to characterize these systems based on formation properties and fluid flow behaviour such as logging and testing. Pressure-transient testing has long been recognized as a reservoir characterization tool. Although welltest analysis is a recommended technique for fracture evaluation, but its use is still not well understood. Analysis of pressure transient data provides dynamic reservoir properties such as average permeability, fracture storativity and fracture conductivity.An infusion of... 

This work concerns experimentally quantifying finger behavior during miscible displacements in fractured porous media. A series of miscible tests were performed on five-spot fractured micromodels which were initially saturated with heavy crude oil, and the developed finger patterns were quantified using an image analysis technique. The results revealed that the numbers of macro fingers formed is well correlated with the square root of dimensionless time, while the rate of finger initiation is independent of fracture characteristics. The level of bypassed oil linearly decreases with dimensionless distance traveled by front precisely. The transient fractal dimension behavior experiences a... 

The Discrete Fracture Network and Dual Continuum concept are two common methods to model naturally fractured reservoirs. Each has specific limitations. The newly introduced recovery curve method is believed to be a compromise between these two current methods. In the recovery curve method, two recovery curves for water and gas displacements are used to more realistically calculate matrix-fracture mass exchanges. This paper presents a new approach to determine appropriate recovery curves by using the recovery curve method and production data. In particular, two recovery curves were determined for a column model by matching phase contact positions throughout the production data. Hybrid genetic... 

Vapour extraction (VAPEX), a newly developed heavy oil recoveiy (HOR) method, has been extensively studied, both theoretically and experimentally, in conventional sandstone models. However, the applicability of this process to naturally fractured reservoirs has not yet been addressed. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effects of fractures' geometrical properties, such as orientation, length of extension, discontinuity in both the upper well region (UWR) and the far well region (FWR) and vertical fracture location on VAPEX performance. Additionally, the effects of horizontal and vertical fracture dispersion in various density, dispersion scheme and networking on the performance of... 

Capillary continuity between adjacent matrix blocks through formation of liquid bridge controls the recovery factor of gravity drainage process in fractured reservoirs. However, stability of liquid bridges as well as related capillary pressure in horizontal rough fractures is not well discussed in the available literature. In this work, new models of rough-walled fracture are developed and the role of roughness size and frequency on formation of liquid bridge and fracture capillary pressure are investigated. The Young-Laplace equation is numerically solved to characterize the liquid bridge formed in the proposed models of rough fractures. Critical fracture aperture for a range of liquid... 

In this investigation, the mechanical and thermal properties of the montmorillonite-epoxy nanocomposites were studied. The epoxy compounds were prepared by in situ polymerization and the intercalation dispersion were obtained as evidenced using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results reveal remarkable stiffening effect and slight toughening effect of the MMT in the epoxy resin and an insight about the crack tip and notch tip toughening mechanism. According to the DMA, the glass transition temperature increases as increasing the MMT content. © 2008 World Scientific Publishing Company  

Water flooding is being widely used in the petroleum industry and has been considered as a simple inexpensive secondary recovery method. But in fractured formations, existence of fracture system in reservoir rock induces an adverse effect on oil recovery by water flooding. Polymer flooding has been successfully applied as an alternative enhanced oil recovery method in fractured formations. But, the role of fracture geometrical properties on macroscopic efficiency of polymer flooding is not yet well-understood, especially in fractured five-spot systems. In this work five-spot glass micromodel, because of micro-visibility, ease of multiple experimentations and also presence of the unexplored...