Micromechanical Modeling of Heterogeneous Materials with Irregularly Shaped Pores

An approach to predict the overall mechanical properties of materials containing pores of irregular shapes is described. Micromechanical modeling is performed by evaluating cavity compliance contribution tensors of individual pores [1] which are then used as an input for well-developed homogenization models. The cavity compliance contribution tensor can be found either analytically or numerically depending on the pore geometry and the level of anisotropy of the surrounding material. The results of numerical analysis can be used to compare the ability of differently shaped pores to initiate fracture.