FLEXURAL PROPERTIES OF BRITTLE MULTILAYER MATERIALS .1. MODELING

Multilayer systems comprising brittle materials can exhibit substantially different behaviors under flexural and tensile loadings. The present article addresses the origins of such differences, with emphasis on the modeling of the flexural stress-strain response. Systems with both a deterministic tensile strength and a distribution in strengths (characterized by Weibull statistics) are considered. The model predictions show that both the ultimate strength and strain-to-failure in flexure exceed the corresponding values in uniaxial tension. In addition, systems comprising alternating layers of two different materials are examined, and disparities in the flexural and tensile behaviors addressed.