Nonlinear Computational Homogenization Experiments

G.E. Stavroulakis[1], K. Giannis[1], G.A. Drosopoulos[2], M.E. Stavroulaki[1]
[1]Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
[2]Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany
Published in 2013

Numerical homogenization is based on the use of finite elements for the description of average properties of materials with heterogeneous microstructure and composites. The Representative Volume Element (RVE) of a masonry is solved with COMSOL Multiphysics®. It consists of linearly elastic bricks and elastoplastic mortar joints. A parametric analysis is applied for increasing loading. Results concerning the average stress and strain in the RVE domain are calculated using subdomain integration postprocessing. The average stress and strain vectors are obtained for each parameter. For each loading path and each loading level, three test incremental loadings are applied to the RVE and the tangent stiffness information is obtained. An overall nonlinear homogenization procedure is solved. Results are compared with a direct heterogeneous macro model.