Advances in the Stochastic Modeling of Constitutive Laws at Small and Finite Strains
The characterization and identification of uncertainties in the physical properties of complex materials have been the subjects of longstanding interest in both research and engineering. These efforts were supported by the growing interest in Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) where predominating system-parameter and model-form uncertainties are integrated in a unified mathematical treatment to endow predictions with some statistical measure of uncertainty (fidelity) [7] (see also [23, 30]). Once properly modeled and calibrated, these uncertainties can then be propagated to the structural response, following for instance the spectral approach introduced in the celebrated monograph by Ghanem and Spanos [8] (see also [13]). Such stochastic simulations are then purposely used in order to increase the robustness of the computational models and design procedures, especially when the mechanical models are highly nonlinear (in which case small variations in the inputs can have dramatic effects on the predicted outputs and thus, on design procedures). They also enable a deeper understanding of the critical mechanisms governing the physics (associated with damage propagation, for instance) at relevant scales.