Kinematic Constraints, Constitutive Equations and Failure Rules for Anisotropic Materials

Abstract

It is common in many branches of continuum mechanics to treat material as though it is incompressible. Although no material is truly incompressible, there are many materials in which the ability to resist volume changes greatly exceeds the ability to resist shearing deformations; examples are liquids with low viscosity, like water, and some natural and artificial rubbers. For such materials, the assumption of incompressibility is a good approximation in many circumstances, and often greatly simplifies the solution of specific problems. It should be noted, though, that there are occasions when even a small degree of compressibility may produce a major effect; an example is the propagation of sound waves in water.