A multiscale-multifield approach to 'complex' materials: theoretical modelling and computational results

This paper deals with a theoretical and computational multiscale-multifield modelling developed to describe the dynamical behaviour of materials defined as ‘complex’ because of the presence of internal microstructure, detectable at different scale levels (dislocations, cracks, inclusions, etc.). Attention is focused on multiscale approaches which aim to deduce properties and relations at a given macro-scale by bridging information at proper underlying micro-level via energy equivalence criteria. Such approaches allow to naturally identify microstructured/multifield continua. Various analyses performed on composite microcracked materials, using ‘ad hoc’ computational procedures, are selected and interpreted. The results obtained acknowledge the effectiveness of multifield models in describing the influence of the morphological and constitutive micro-features on the macroscopic material response.