Vibration-induced assembly of topologically interlocked materials. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bahmani, Aram; Pro, J. William; Barthelat, Francois
• Is Part Of: Applied materials today. Volume 29(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: Vibration-driven assembly -- Granular materials -- Topologically interlocked materials -- Polyhedral building blocks -- Discrete element modeling; Materials science -- Periodicals; Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; 620.1105
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2022.101601
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-9407

Abstract

Highlights: Vibration-driven assembly is an efficient fabrication method for block-based materials. Polyhedral blocks can be self-crystalized into large topologically interlocked panels. The states of blocks are characterized into three regimes and two phase transitions. Blocks assembly regime and its phase transition can be captured by single-block models. Blocks with a lower moment of inertia can be self-interlocked in wider vibration range. Abstract: Dense architectured, granular, and other material systems based on the assembly of discrete building blocks provide mechanical responses not ordinarily achieved in monolithic materials. The performances of these material systems can be tuned and expanded by simply changing the building block geometry, their packing arrangement, and/or their jamming states. Applications for these material systems have however remained limited, in part because of fabrication challenges and scalability. We explored the vibration-driven assembly method to form periodic arrangements of convex polyhedral building blocks into large-piece free-standing topologically interlocked panels. We used a combination of experiments and discrete elements modeling (DEM) to explore how vibration can be manipulated to steer polyhedral building blocks into one of three possible states: static, assembly, and fluttering and study the governing physics and mechanics underlying these states. The results specified the role of the normalized relative acceleration of mechanical agitation, bouncing, and rotation mechanisms on both phase transitions and crystallization and/or interlocking. The geometry-dependency, re-fragmentation, re-crystallization, and re-configurability of athermal out-of-equilibrium material systems can be understood and optimized based on our findings and provided guidelines in this study. Graphical abstract: Image, graphical abstract