Mini-symposium title 

1-2 – Micromechanics-based Nonlocal Continuum Models 

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Organisers 

Lorenzo Bardella (University of Brescia), Samuel Forest (Mines ParisTech CNRS) 

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Mini-symposium description 

Nowadays, problems involving more physics and more length and time scales have become very relevant in engineering applications. Theoretical frameworks limited to conventional continua are often inadequate to model such problems. This has motivated the introduction of generalised continua (within the framework of, e.g., nonlocal, strain gradient, micromorphic, and stress gradient theories) to efficiently incorporate the effect of fine-scale processes into the overall material response. Some of these continuum models typically rely on assuming that the internal energy depends on additional fields with respect to conventional continua. 

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The goal of this mini-symposium is to bring together contributions concerned with the most recent advances on the multi-scale basis of generalised continua theories. Topics include, but are not restricted to: 

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1. multi-scale methods, such as theoretical and computational homogenisation for heterogeneous materials, leveraging on generalised continua models;

2. theoretical and numerical approaches for generalised continua, with focus on the characterisation and on the role of the unconventional material parameters, possibly through scale-bridging techniques; 

3. strain gradient extensions of both crystal and phenomenological plasticity theories, with focus on the underlying dislocation mechanics;

4. engineering applications of generalised continua involving complex material behaviours, such as size dependent response, damage and fracture, wave propagation in composites materials and structures. ​

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