Material spatial randomness: From statistical to representative volume element

• Published in: Probabilistic engineering mechanics Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 112 - 132
• Main Author: Ostoja-Starzewski, Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Inelasticity (thermoplasticity, viscoplasticity...); Physics; Random media; Representative volume element; Scale effects; Solid mechanics; Static elasticity (thermoelasticity...); Statistical volume element; Structural and continuum mechanics; Vibration, mechanical wave, dynamic stability (aeroelasticity, vibration control...); Representative volume element; Random media; Scale effects; Statistical volume element; Neumann problem; High strain; Statistical analysis; Probabilistic approach; Scale effect; Periodicity; Homogenization; Mechanical properties; Permeability; Modeling; Inelasticity; Mesoscale; Boundary value problem; Linear elasticity; Size effect; Dirichlet problem; Random medium; Deterministic approach

The material spatial randomness forces one to re-examine various basic concepts of continuum solid mechanics. In this paper we focus on the Representative Volume Element (RVE) that is commonly taken for granted in most of deterministic as well as in stochastic solid mechanics, although in the latter...