Laplace‐domain,high‐order homogenization for transient dynamic response of viscoelastic composites

This paper presents a high‐order homogenization model for wave propagation in viscoelastic composite structures. Asymptotic expansions with multiple spatial scales are employed to formulate the homogenization model. The proposed multiscale model operates in the Laplace domain allowing the representation of linear viscoelastic constitutive relationship using a proportionality law. The high‐order terms in the asymptotic expansion of response fields are included to reproduce micro‐heterogeneity‐induced wave dispersion and formation of bandgaps. The first and second‐order influence functions and the macroscopic deformation are evaluated using the finite element method with complex coefficients in the Laplace domain. The performance of the proposed model is assessed by investigating wave propagation characteristics in layered and particulate composites and verified against direct numerical simulations and analytical solutions. The analysis of dissipated energy revealed that material dispersion may contribute significantly to wave attenuation in dissipative composite materials. The wave dispersion characteristics are shown to be sensitive to microstructure morphology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.