Foundation of Polar Linear Elasticity for Fibre-Reinforced Materials

This study is motivated by evidence suggesting that the equations of polar elasticity of fibre-reinforced materials are non-elliptic even within the regime of infinitesimal deformations. In its endeavour to resolve this issue, which in symmetric-stress elasticity emerges in the regime of finite deformations only, it lays the foundation for development of a second-gradient theory of linear elasticity. Complete formulation of this new theory is achieved for locally transverse isotropic materials; namely, materials having embedded a single unidirectional family of arbitrarily shaped fibres which are resistant in bending, stretching and twist. The associated analysis shows that, indeed, the obtained Navier-type displacement equations are not elliptic. They accordingly predict that there exist in the material weak discontinuity surfaces, which may indeed be activated within the infinitesimal deformation regime. Surfaces containing the fibres are certainly such surfaces of weak discontinuity; this result may be not irrelevant to numerous practical situations where straight metallic fibres in fibre-reinforced concrete structures emerge partially de-bonded and exposed from their concrete matrix. Nevertheless, the analysis reveals further that additional surfaces of weak discontinuity may well exist in the locally transverse isotropic material of interest. An extension framework is also outlined towards cases of fibrous composites containing two or more families of non-perfectly flexible fibres.