Some novel numerical applications of Cosserat continua

Cosserat continua demonstrated to have peculiar mechanical properties, with respect to classic Cauchy continua, because they are able to more accurately describe heterogeneous materials, as particle composites and masonry-like material, taking into account size effects. Many studies have been devoted to their numerical implementation. In this paper, some reference benchmarks, referred to an isotropic heterogeneous sample, are shown by comparing the solutions provided by strong and weak formulations. The strong formulation finite element method (SFEM), implemented in MATLAB®, is compared to the finite element method (FEM), given by COMSOL® Multiphysics, and the advantages of the two approaches are highlighted and discussed.