Modeling failure of heterogeneous viscoelastic solids under dynamic/impact loading due to multiple evolving cracks using a two-way coupled multiscale model

This paper presents a model for predicting damage evolution in heterogeneous viscoelastic solids under dynamic/impact loading. Some theoretical developments associated with the model have been previously reported. These are reviewed briefly, with the main focus of this paper on new developments and applications. A two-way coupled multiscale approach is employed and damage is considered in the form of multiple cracks evolving in the local (micro) scale. The objective of such a model is to develop the ability to consider energy dissipation due to both bulk dissipation and the development of multiple cracks occurring on multiple length and time scales. While predictions of these events may seem extraordinarily costly and complex, there are multiple structural applications where effective models would save considerable expense. In some applications, such as protective devices, viscoelastic materials may be preferred because of the considerable amount of energy dissipated in the bulk as well as in the fracture process. In such applications, experimentally based design methodologies are extremely costly, therefore suggesting the need for improved models. In this paper, the authors focus on the application of the newly developed multiscale model to the solution of some example problems involving dynamic and impact loading of viscoelastic heterogeneous materials with growing cracks at the local scale.