MEAM Seminar: “Discrete and Continuous Modeling of Fibrous Biological Materials: Compressible Large Deformations, Damage, and Crack Propagation”

Random fiber networks are integral to biological materials such as the extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and blood clots. A random fiber network is the main structural component of the extracellular matrix, the cytoskeleton, and our blood clots. The mechanical behavior of these materials is characterized by large deformations, non-linear stress-strain response, and large compressibility. Experimental and computational studies have shown that macroscopic mechanical properties are strongly influenced by changes in network topology and fiber properties. Similarly, the rupture of these networks is dictated by their microstructural organization. However, a complete understanding of the failure mechanisms and their origins remains elusive.

In this talk, we will present computational models of discrete random fiber networks to understand the mechanical response and rupture of random fiber networks. In addition, we will introduce continuum constitutive models that capture the stress-strain relations and damage accumulation for network materials.