Two Simple Approximate Methods of Laplace Transform Inversion for Viscoelastic Stress Analysis

Two approximate methods of Laplace transform inversion are given which are simple to use and are particularly applicable to stress analysis problems in quasi-static linear viscoelasticity. Once an associated elastic solution is known numerically or analytically, the time-dependent viscoelastic response can be easily calculated using realistic material properties, regardless of how complex the property dependence of the elastic solution may be. The new feature of these methods is that it is necessary to know only 1) an elastic solution numerically for certain ranges of elastic constants and 2) numerical values of the operational moduli or compliances for real, positive values of the transform parameter. One method utilizes a mathematical property of the Laplace transform, while the other is based on some results obtained from Irreversible Thermodynamics and variational principles. Because of this, they are quite general and can be used with anisotropic and inhomogeneous materials. Two numerical examples are given: As the first one, we calculate the time-dependent strain in a long, internally. pressurized cylinder with an elastic case. The second example consists of inverting a transform which was derived by Muki and Sternberg in the thermo-viscoelastic analysis of a slab and a sphere(1). Both methods were found to provide results which are within the usual engineering requirements of accuracy. Application of the approximate methods to problems in dynamic viscoelasticity is discussed briefly. Supplementing the stress analysis, two techniques for calculating operational moduli and compliances from experimental stress-strain data are discussed and applied. Both can be used with creep, relaxation, and steady-state oscillation data. The most direct one consists of numerically integrating experimental data, while the other is a model-fitting scheme. With this latter method finite-element spring and dashpot models are readily found which fit the entire response.curves. In using these methods to calculate the operational functions employed in the stress analysis examples, we found that model-fitting was the fastest of the two, yet was very accurate