Sur les approximations « isotrope » et « anisotrope » de l'opérateur tangent pour les méthodes tangentes incrémentale et affineOn the ‘isotropic’ and ‘anisotropic’ approximations of the tangent operator in the incremental tangent and affine methods

Three localisation rules, TFA, the incremental tangent, and the affine method, are recalled and evaluated in the context of the elastoplastic micromechanical analysis of heterogeneous materials, composites or polycrystals. With the help of a severe example, it is shown how methods based on the complete anisotropic elastoplastic tangent operator yield very stiff predictions which are far from the reference solution; the same conclusion holds for the method using the elastic accommodation rule. On the other hand, using an isotropic form of the tangent operator delivers much better responses. The reasons for such differences are discussed, together with possible justifications for the choice of the isotropic form. To cite this article: J.-L. Chaboche, P. Kanouté, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).