Applying the Virtual Fields Method to the identification of elasto-plastic constitutive parameters

• Published in: International journal of plasticity Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 602 - 627
• Main Authors: Grédiac, Michel, Pierron, Fabrice
• 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); Heterogeneous tests; Identification; Inelasticity (thermoplasticity, viscoplasticity...); Inverse problem; Measurement and testing methods; Physics; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Virtual Fields Method; Virtual Fields Method; Identification; Heterogeneous tests; Inverse problem; Constitutive equation; Minimization; Modeling; Finite element method; Inelasticity; Elastoplasticity; Virtual work principle; Cost function; System identification; Mathematical programming; Signal to noise ratio
• ISSN: 0749-6419; 1879-2154
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijplas.2005.04.007

This paper deals with the identification of constitutive parameters governing elasto-plastic constitutive equations. The procedure used is the virtual fields method. It consists in writing the principle of virtual work with particular virtual fields. A cost function is then deduced. Minimizing this cost function provides the unknown parameters. An important feature is the fact that no finite element analysis is required with this approach. Moreover, it is not sensitive to the distribution of the loading if suitable virtual fields are used. Some numerical examples illustrate the relevancy of the method and its sensitivity to noisy data.