Damping properties of an assembly of topologically interlocked cubes

Framed layers of 100 topologically interlocking aluminum-, steel-, or PVC-cubes were used for experimental investigation of their mechanical behavior using concentrated load indentation testing. Numerical simulations of the mechanical response of these assemblies using 3DS Simulia ABAQUS v6.7 were also carried out. The results of the experiments and the simulations were found to be in good agreement. Both show a stage of reversible hysteretic deformation behavior, followed by an irreversible deformation stage. Amplitude dependent damping capacity was measured and simulated. The damping capacity was found to increase monotonically with the displacement amplitude in the reversible deformation region. The structures exhibit unusually large damping capacity in the range of 0.2–0.9 caused mainly by excitation of mechanical vibrations of the cubes and friction at the contact surfaces between the cubes. The damping capacity shows a maximum for a coefficient of friction of about 0.3 between aluminum cubes.