Damage, homogenization and crack problems in elastic media
Luca Lanzoni, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy
Lorenzo Morini, School of Engineering, Cardiff University, UK
Keywords: crack propagation, brittle failure, cracked structural elements, energy release rate, homogenized properties
A wide class of materials and structures are prone do cracks, failure, and other damage processes even under ordinary loading conditions. Such phenomena significantly affect the mechanical response of a variety of systems in the framework of civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering and many other contexts as geomechanics, biomechanics, mechanics of MEMS and NEMS, etc.
On the other hand, cracks, voids, and pores generating in an elastic medium can affect significantly its mechanical and physical properties (elastic stiffness, thermal and magnetic resistivity, permeability, etc). Such variation in properties can be described through homogenization techniques including analytic and numerical approaches as well.
The present symposium aims at spreading new results concerning a broad range of issues including cracks, homogenization, and damage problems of elastic bodies. The topics of the symposium include cracks formation and growth in homogeneous as well as inhomogeneous media, interfacial cracks, delamination and failure in composites and layered systems, cracks and damage phenomena in plates, shells and structural systems, cracks driven by fatigue under dynamics loads and, in general, damaging phenomena in materials and structures. Contributions about homogenizations techniques including both analytical and numerical approaches to study bodies with cracks, defects and other inhomogeneities are also covered by the symposium. Multidisciplinary studies encompassing also experimental investigations are welcome.