A PVC-foam material model based on a thermodynamically elasto-plastic-damage framework exhibiting failure and crushing

A well known foam for naval sandwiches is PVC (polyvinyl chloride) foam. This foam exhibits elasto-damage behavior under tension and elasto-plastic behavior under compression. A proper material model is required for the prediction of the failure and post-failure behavior of these sandwiches during (indirect) underwater explosion loading and blast loading. As material models available did not have combined elasto-plastic and elasto-damage behaviors, a new model needed to be developed. To this end a general thermodynamically consistent framework was used and damage and plastic functional were derived describing the PVC foam behavior. The damage functional contains fracture mechanics properties. Special attention was paid to the compression–tension load reversal of the material model, that may occur during underwater shock loading.