ABSTRACT
A multi-scale modelling for analyzing the stretching problem of plates composed of heterogeneous materials using a coupling BEM (Boundary Element Method) and FEM (Finite Element Method) and a multiscale approach is presented. The BEM is adopted to model the macro-continuum problem (represented by the non-linear analysis of the stretching problem) while the equilibrium problem at micro-scale (represented by the Representative Volume Element - RVE) is solved by a FEM formulation. It is important to note that in the non-linear analysis of the stretching problem the consistent tangent operator has been considered along the iterative procedure, what is very important to reduce the computational effort. One RVE has to be assigned to every point of the macro-continuum where the stresses and constitutive tangent operator are required to solve the non-linear plate problem. To solve the RVE equilibrium problem, boundary conditions in terms of displacement fluctuations have to be imposed. After solving the equilibrium problem of the RVE the micro-to-macro transition can be made by applying homogenization techniques for the fields of stress and constitutive tensor in order to compute their homogenized values for a macro-continuum point. In the numerical examples, to define the material microstructure, different RVEs composed of inclusions or voids are considered, each one modeled by properly constitutive models. The results confirm the potentialities of the proposed modeling.
Keywords:
Multi-scale modeling; homogenization; boundary elements; stretching plate problem
