Flexural rigidity

About: Flexural rigidity is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3829 publications have been published within this topic receiving 56780 citations.

Panel structure for car body hood

Abstract: A hood structure in which outers and inners are closed through spaces. By a wave-shaped hood structure in which the sectional shapes of the inners are sine curves, sine n-th power curves or spline curves of waveforms near the external diameter of a head portion, there can be realized a head collision resistance which is independent of the collision position against the hood and homogeneous and excellent. This waveform hood structure is also excellent in the tension rigidity, the bending rigidity and the torsional rigidity. Therefore, this panel structure for the car body hood satisfies the demand for a high rigidity such as the head impact resistance for protecting a passenger and the tension rigidity.

A phalangeal fracture model—Quantitative analysis of rigidity and failure

Abstract: Nine types of internal fixation techniques were tested in 4-point bending using a pig metacarpal model for phalangeal fractures. Levels of bending rigidity and bending moments at failure were determined, and the modes of failure are described. Plate and screw fixation afforded the greatest rigidity, and epiphyseal fractures occurred, leaving intact the test section. Flexible wire loop fixation failed by wire cutting into bone when a square knot was used. Twisted wire unraveled when placed in tension. Depending on the fracture type and the wire placement, Kirschner wires failed either by slipping in the bone, twisting in the bone cortex, or bending at the bone cortex interface. Rigidity varied widely depending on the way in which the wires were employed.

Water waves on flexible and porous breakwaters

Abstract: This is a theoretical study of the reflection and transmission of small‐amplitude waves by a flexible, porous, and thin beam‐like breakwater held fixed in the seabed. The fluid motion is idealized as a linearized, two‐dimensional potential flow and the breakwater is idealized as a one‐dimensional beam of uniform flexural rigidity and uniform mass per unit length. The velocity potentials of the wave motion are coupled with the equation of motion of the breakwater. Analytical solutions in closed forms are obtained for the reflected and transmitted velocity potentials together with the displacement of the breakwater. The free‐surface elevation, hydrodynamic force acting on the breakwater, and the overturning moment are determined. The dynamic response of the breakwater in terms of bending moment and shear force are also evaluated. It is found in general that hydrodynamic force increases as structural rigidity increases. The magnitude of the force is reduced dramatically for a stiffer porous breakwater. It is...

Flexural stiffness of feather shafts: geometry rules over material properties

Abstract: Flight feathers of birds interact with the flow field during flight. They bend and twist under aerodynamic loads. Two parameters are mainly responsible for flexibility in feathers: the elastic modulus (Young's modulus, E) of the material (keratin) and the geometry of the rachises, more precisely the second moment of area (I). Two independent methods were employed to determine Young's modulus of feather rachis keratin. Moreover, the second moment of area and the bending stiffness of feather shafts from fifth primaries of barn owls (Tyto alba) and pigeons (Columba livia) were calculated. These species of birds are of comparable body mass but differ in wing size and flight style. Whether their feather material (keratin) underwent an adaptation in stiffness was previously unknown. This study shows that no significant variation in Young's modulus between the two species exists. However, differences in Young's modulus between proximal and distal feather regions were found in both species. Cross-sections of pigeon rachises were particularly well developed and rich in structural elements, exemplified by dorsal ridges and a well-pronounced transversal septum. In contrast, cross-sections of barn owl rachises were less profiled but had a higher second moment of area. Consequently, the calculated bending stiffness (EI) was higher in barn owls as well. The results show that flexural stiffness is predominantly influenced by the geometry of the feathers rather than by local material properties.