Micromechanical modelling of size effects in failure of porous elastic solids using first order plane strain gradient elasticity

In this paper a first order porous strain gradient elasticity model is presented. The constitutive equations have been obtained by higher order homogenization and the model is used with a failure criterion in order to discuss size effects in failure of porous elastic solids. The model contains two microstructural parameters namely the void volume fraction and the half void spacing. After an extended numerical validation of the porous strain gradient elasticity model, the boundary value problem of a plate with a hole under bi- and uniaxial remote tension is investigated. The numerical simulations have been performed varying both microstructural parameters in order to study the influence of different microstructural dimensions on the onset of macroscopic failure. The numerical results show that the presented model is able to predict size effects and that size effects in failure do not only depend on the microstructural properties but also on the macroscopic geometry, loading conditions, and the failure mechanism.