An innovative description of elastic constant tensor based upon orthonormal representations

Abstract

A new procedure for representation of elastic constant tensor in terms of its orthonormal decomposed parts is presented. Form invariants and orthonormalized basis elements are used to generate this decomposition method. Numerical examples from various engineering materials serve to illustrate and verify the decomposition procedure. The norm concept of elastic constant tensor and norm ratios are used to study the anisotropy of these materials. It is shown that this method allows to investigate the elastic and mechanical properties of an anisotropic material possessing any material symmetry and determine anisotropy degree of that material. For a material given from an unknown symmetry, it is possible to determine its material symmetry type by this method. © 2012 Newswood Limited. All rights reserved.