Constitutive equations describe the macroscopic behavior resulting from the internal constitution of a material. They represent, through a mathematical model, the real behavior of a material. However, this model must obey the laws of thermodynamics and satisfy the condition of objectivity or materia...

Delamination can be probably considered the most common failure mode of composite laminates. In it, the loss of adherence between the different layers of the composite leads to a reduction of the section strength and stiffness that can finish in a structural failure. Delamination failure is simulat...

The failure criteria of long fiber composites subjected to compressive forces can be due to two main reasons, fiber buckling and/or composite delamination. A special formulation has been developed to predict this last failure mode. The fiber buckling phenomenon is included into the serial/parallel m...

A common difficulty encountered when modelling biological tissues is determining the correct material parameters for the constitutive models used to represent their behaviour. Unlike inert tissues, biological tissues are difficult to characterize by means of traditional mechanical testing techniques...

In a multi-scale homogenization procedure the modelling problem of heterogeneous or composite materials is divided into two or more scales. Originally the method was formulated in terms of asymptotic expansion theory. Posteriorly, some authors use the method of averages to solve and extend the probl...

The fatigue phenomenon is defined more generally in the ASTM E1823 standard as: "the process of permanent, progressive and localized structural change which occurs to a material point subjected to strains and stresses of variable amplitudes which produce cracks which lead to total failure after a ce...