New descriptions of stress, specific geometry, and strain in three dimensions

摘要

This paper extends previous "zensor" descriptions of stress and strain from two to three dimensions. Unlike tensors, each element of a simple zensor has the same physical and mathematical properties as each other element, and must be treated similarly in constitutive equations. New solutions are developed to the problem of visual/graphical representation of tensor information. Zensors may be particularly useful for complex granular materials with large strains, such as uncemented soils, which exhibit induced anisotropy, non-coaxiality, and sign limits on principal effective stresses. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.