An Alternative Protocol for Determining Viscoelastic Material Properties Based on Tensile Tests Without the Use of Poisson’s Ratios

Abstract

Analytical and experimental protocols are formulated and outlined in detail wherein unidirectional tensile creep or relaxation experiments are performed on viscoelastic specimen. A combination of a photogrametric system and a tensile testing machine provides stress data in the loaded direction and strains in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The data is integrated through the use of the integral constitutive relations, and produce values for the creep compliance parameters. Subsequently, the viscoelastic Young’s, shear and bulk moduli are determined without the use of viscoelastic Poisson’s ratios. Experimental results indicate strong time, stress and stress history dependencies of viscoelastic PRs. Current experimental results are compared with traditional methods based on assumed time independent Poisson ratios. Maximum errors in strain values from 160% to 205% for the constant PR approach are demonstrated when its results are compared to results for the experimental time interval.