Integral formulation and self-consistent modelling of elastoviscoplastic behavior of heterogeneous materials (Q1307735)

Based on projectors operators, the authors propose an integral formulation for elastoviscoplastic heterogeneous materials. The problems requires a complete mechanical formulation, including static equilibrium property concerning the known field \(\sigma\), in addition to classical field equations concerning unknown fields \(\dot\varepsilon\) and \(\dot\sigma\). The formulation leads to an integral equation in which elasticity and viscoplasticity effects interact through an homogeneous elastoviscoplastic medium with elastic moduli \({\mathbf C}\) and viscoplastic moduli \({\mathbf B}\). To approximate the integral equation, a self-consistent scheme is employed. In order to obtain consistent approximation conditions, the authors introduce fluctuations of elastic and viscoplastic strain rate fields with respect to known kinematically compatible fields. It results in a strain rate concentration relation connecting the strain rate at each point to the macroscopic loading conditions and to the local stress field. The results are compared with other models and with experimental data.