On the effective elasticity tensor of cellular materials obtained by an energetic homogenization procedure

Aim of the present study is the determination of the effective elastic prop erties of cellular materials using two-dimensional cellular structures whic h are common as core materials for structural sandwich panels as a model ma terial. The cellular microstructure is homogenized by a strain-energy based RVE-procedure assuming that strain states, which are equivalent on the mac roscopic level, lead to equal strain energy in a representative volume elem ent whether the real microstructure or the quasi-homogeneous "effective" me dium is considered.