Virtual element method for damage modelling of two-dimensional metallic lattice materials

Abstract

Additively-manufactured metallic lattice materials are a class of architectured solids that is becoming increasingly popular due to their unique cellular structure, which can be engineered to meet specific design requirements. Understanding and modelling the damage in these innovative materials is a significant challenge that must be addressed for their effective use in aerospace applications. The Virtual Element Method (VEM) is a numerical technique recently introduced as a generalisation of the FEM capable of handling meshes comprising an assemblage of generic polytopes. This advantage in creating domain discretisation has already been used to model the behaviour of materials with complex microstructures. This work employs a numerical framework based on a nonlinear VEM formulation combined with a continuum damage model to study the fracture behaviour of two-dimensional metallic lattice material under static loading. VEM's effectiveness in modelling lattice failure behaviour is assessed through several numerical tests. The influence of micro-architecture on the material's failure behaviour and macroscopic mechanical performance is discussed.