Advances in Extended and Multifield Theories for Continua

Modern computational techniques, such as the Finite Element Method, have, since their development several decades ago, successfully exploited continuum theories for numerous applications in science and technology. Although standard continuum methods based upon the Cauchy-Boltzmann continuum are still of great importance and are widely used, it increasingly appears that material properties stemming from microstructural phenomena have to be considered. This is particularly true for inhomogeneous load and deformation states, where lower-scale size effects begin to affect the macroscopic material response; something standard continuum theories fail to account for. Following this idea, it is evident that standard continuum mechanics has to be augmented to capture lower-scale structural and compositional phenomena, and to make this information accessible to macroscopic numerical simulations.

Continuum Thermodynamic and Rate Variational Formulation of Models for Extended Continua.- From Lattice Models to Extended Continua.- Rotational Degrees of Freedom in Modeling Materials with Intrinsic Length Scale.- Micromorphic vs. Phase-Field Approaches for Gradient Viscoplasticity and Phase Transformations.- Geometrically Nonlinear Continuum Thermomechanics Coupled to Diffusion: A Framework for Case II Diffusion.- Effective Electromechanical Properties of Heterogeneous Piezoelectrics.- Coupled Thermo- and Electrodynamics of Multiphasic Continua.- Ice Formation in Porous Media.- Optical Measurements for a Cold-Box Sand and Aspects of Direct and Inverse Problems for Micropolar Elasto-Plasticity.- Model Reduction for Complex Continua – at the Example of Modeling Soft Tissue in the Nasal Area.