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Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell
Many natural protective structures, such as alligator armour, turtle shells, and the skulls of many animals including humans, contain networks of sutures; those are, soft tissue that bonds adjacent stiff plates typically made of bone. Such protective structures ought to withstand large loads associa...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Mechanical Engineering
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613197182173184 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Alheit, Benjamin |
| author2 | Reddy, Batmanathan |
| author_browse | Alheit, Benjamin Reddy, Batmanathan |
| author_facet | Reddy, Batmanathan Alheit, Benjamin |
| author_sort | Alheit, Benjamin |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Many natural protective structures, such as alligator armour, turtle shells, and the skulls of many animals including humans, contain networks of sutures; those are, soft tissue that bonds adjacent stiff plates typically made of bone. Such protective structures ought to withstand large loads associated with predator attacks. If one considers the optimization process of evolution and the ubiquity of suture networks in natural protective structures, it is reasonable to hypothesize that sutures improve the mechanical behaviour of protective structures during predator attacks. However, the effect of sutures in such loading scenarios is not well understood. We address this by using computational models of turtle shells where special attention is paid to the influence of the network of sutures. Additionally, we elucidate the structure-function relationship using parametric studies varying the suture geometry. Computational experiments are carried out at the suture scale to elucidate its mechanical behaviour and at the shell scale to elucidate the effect that sutures have on the shell. Among other insights, we show that: the compliance of the shell during small deformations can be increased by increasing the height of the interlocking bone protrusions and suture thickness; the bone plates interlock for sufficiently large deformations of sutures with sufficiently long protrusions; suture geometry can be used to tailor stress-wave propagation; and the presence of sutures can reduce the maximum strain energy density, a key indicator for a material failure, during a predator attack by 31 times. The work presented paves the way for the inclusion of sutures in biomimetic protective structures such as helmets and body armour. Computational solid mechanics aspects include multiscale modelling, model order reduction, and finite strain constitutive modelling aspects, such as viscoelasticity, hyperelasticity, and anisotropy. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36670 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:18.917Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36670 Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell Alheit, Benjamin Reddy, Batmanathan Bargmann, Swantje mechanical engineering Many natural protective structures, such as alligator armour, turtle shells, and the skulls of many animals including humans, contain networks of sutures; those are, soft tissue that bonds adjacent stiff plates typically made of bone. Such protective structures ought to withstand large loads associated with predator attacks. If one considers the optimization process of evolution and the ubiquity of suture networks in natural protective structures, it is reasonable to hypothesize that sutures improve the mechanical behaviour of protective structures during predator attacks. However, the effect of sutures in such loading scenarios is not well understood. We address this by using computational models of turtle shells where special attention is paid to the influence of the network of sutures. Additionally, we elucidate the structure-function relationship using parametric studies varying the suture geometry. Computational experiments are carried out at the suture scale to elucidate its mechanical behaviour and at the shell scale to elucidate the effect that sutures have on the shell. Among other insights, we show that: the compliance of the shell during small deformations can be increased by increasing the height of the interlocking bone protrusions and suture thickness; the bone plates interlock for sufficiently large deformations of sutures with sufficiently long protrusions; suture geometry can be used to tailor stress-wave propagation; and the presence of sutures can reduce the maximum strain energy density, a key indicator for a material failure, during a predator attack by 31 times. The work presented paves the way for the inclusion of sutures in biomimetic protective structures such as helmets and body armour. Computational solid mechanics aspects include multiscale modelling, model order reduction, and finite strain constitutive modelling aspects, such as viscoelasticity, hyperelasticity, and anisotropy. 2022-08-11T21:07:56Z 2022-08-11T21:07:56Z 2022 2022-08-11T21:07:27Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36670 eng application/pdf Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment |
| spellingShingle | mechanical engineering Alheit, Benjamin Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell |
| title_full | Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell |
| title_fullStr | Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell |
| title_short | Multiscale modelling of sutures in a high-performing biological protective structure: the turtle shell |
| title_sort | multiscale modelling of sutures in a high performing biological protective structure the turtle shell |
| topic | mechanical engineering |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36670 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alheitbenjamin multiscalemodellingofsuturesinahighperformingbiologicalprotectivestructuretheturtleshell |