Problems in Continuum Mechanics for Engineers

Prof. Dr. E. Mazza Class Exercise 6 AS 2010

Exercise 1
Use the theorem of the minimum of potential
energy to determine an upper limit for the shear
modulus G
23
.Assume the pure shear loading case
as displayed in the gure on the right and use the
Hashin model.
Step 1:
Denition of an admissible deformation eld u

:
[u

]
123
=
_
_
0
0
2
0
x
2
_
_
Determine the resulting strain tensor in Cartesian coordinates

using the kinematic relations:

_

_
123
=
_
_
0 0 0
0 0
0
0
0
0
_
_
Step 2:
Express the resulting strain tensor in cylindrical coordinates. For this, one needs the transforma-
tion matrix R:
R =
_
_
1 0 0
0 cos () sin ()
0 sin () cos ()
_
_
_

_
zr
= R
_

_
123
R
T
=
_
_
0 0 0
0 sin (2) cos (2)
0 cos (2) sin (2)
_
_

0
Step 3:
Determine the compatible stress tensor

using inverted constitutive equations for isotropic

materials:

ij
= 2

ij
+
ij

kk
Now one can write out the components of the stress tensor. The identity = G is used here:

zz
= 2G

zz
----- +(

zz
----- +

rr
+

. .
=0
) = 0
1

rr
= 2G

rr

= 2G

zr
= 2G

zr
----- = 0

r
= 2G

z
= 2G

z
------ = 0
Step 4:
Calculation of the deformation energy U

:
The specic deformation energy

U

for a linear elastic material writes as follows:

=
1
2

ij

ij
=
1
2
_

zz
------

zz
+

rr

rr
+

+ 2
_

rz
-----

rz
+

z
------

z
+

r
__
= G
_

rr
2
+

2
_
+ 2G

r
2
= 2G
2
0
The deformation energy U

of the bre reinforced material is obtained by multiplying the specic

deformation energy

U

with the volume of the matrix and the bre respectively (using here the
local character of the specic deformation energy):
U

= R
2
E
L
1
2G
E

2
0
+
_
R
2
M
R
2
E
_
L
1
2G
M

2
0
= 2L
1

2
0
R
2
M
(cG
E
+ (1 c) G
M
)
where L
1
stands for the material elongation in direction e
1
.
The deformation energy of the homogenized material is obtained by assuming the material to be
homogeneous and multiplying the specic deformation energy by the overall volume:
U = R
2
M
L
1
2G
23

2
0
where G
23
stands in place of G because the homogenized material no longer displays isotropic
behaviour.
Step 5:
Calculation of the potential of the external forces V

:
V

=
_

t u

dS =
_

F
A
2
0
L
2
dS = 2
0
L
2
F
where L
2
stands for the material elongation in direction e
2
. In this case the potential of the
external forces V

is identical to the real potential of the external forces V , because the starting
point of this calculation was an admissible displacement eld compatible with the kinematic
boundary conditions.
Step 6:
Determine potential energies and compare them:
E

= U

+V

= U

+V
E = U +V
2
The theorem of minimum of potential energy states that E

must be greater or equal to E, which

gives the following for G
23
:
E E

U U

G
23
cG
E
+ (1 c) G
M
Comparison of the results
The gure below shows the result of Exercise 2, Assignment 4, together with the solution obtained
above for the limits of the shear modulus G
23
against the mixing ratio c. In addition to these
two there is also the solution from Mechanics of Composite Materials from R.M. Christensen
(1979) which is the exact solution for the 3 phase model.
3