A New Class of Distributed-Element Models for Cyclic Plasticity - Part 1: Theory and Application

A class of multi-dimensional Distributed-Element Models is proposed for constitutive modeling in cyclic plasticity. A new formulation in the "invariant-yield-surface" space is presented in which no kinematic hardening rule is needed to account for the subsequent yielding and strain hardening behavior. This physically-motivated class of models is not only mathematically simple but also parsimonious in parameters. Validity of the model is confirmed by comparison with experimental results from the literature.