Axisymmetric deformation of power-law solids containing a dilute concentration of aligned spheroidal voids

T response of an incompressible power-law matrix containing a dispersion of aligned, spheroidal voids is investigated. Attention is restricted to dilute concentrations of voids and to axisymmetric deformation of the solid. The essential step in the analysis is the solution of a kernel problem for an isolated void, and this solution is obtained accurately and efficiently using a Ritz procedure developed for this purpose. Results for macroscopic strain-rates are presented for void shapes ranging from penny-shaped cracks to infinitely long circular cylinders and for a wide range of triaxialities and matrix hardening exponents. These results are used to assess the role of void shape on the overall response of porous solids.