Cosserat Elasticity of Lattice Solids

We discuss a model of fibrous solids composed of three families of continuously distributed Kirchhoff rods embedded in a matrix material. This is a special case of Cosserat elasticity in which the basic kinematic descriptors are a single deformation field and three rotation fields, one for each fiber family. The fibers are assumed to convect with the underlying continuum deformation as material curves. Various kinds of internal connectivity, imposing restrictions of the fiber rotations fields, are considered.

The Legendre–Hadamard condition in Cosserat elasticity theory

Summary The Legendre–Hadamard necessary condition for energy minimizers is derived in the framework of Cosserat elasticity theory.

Derivation of a refined six-parameter shell model: descent from the three-dimensional Cosserat elasticity using a method of classical shell theory

Starting from the three-dimensional Cosserat elasticity, we derive a two-dimensional model for isotropic elastic shells. For the dimensional reduction, we employ a derivation method similar to that used in classical shell theory, as presented systematically by Steigmann (Koiter’s shell theory from the perspective of three-dimensional nonlinear elasticity. J Elast 2013; 111: 91–107). As a result, we obtain a geometrically nonlinear Cosserat shell model with a specific form of the strain energy density, which has a simple expression, with coefficients depending on the initial curvature tensor and on three-dimensional material constants. The explicit forms of the stress–strain relations and the local equilibrium equations are also recorded. Finally, we compare our results with other six-parameter shell models and discuss the relation to the classical Koiter shell model.