Cosmosworks Orthotropic Material Poisson Ratios

Well... I do not understand the question of the "major or minor Poisson ratio that should be entered into Cosmosworks for FEA of orthotropic materials".

By definition, an orthotropic material has at least 2 orthogonal planes of symmetry, where material properties are independent of direction within each plane. Such materials require 9 independent variables (i.e. elastic constants) in their constitutive matrices.

In contrast, a material without any planes of symmetry is fully anisotropic and requires 21 elastic constants, whereas a material with an infinite number of symmetry planes (i.e. every plane is a plane of symmetry) is isotropic, and requires only 2 elastic constants.

Now you can have "linear" orthotropic materials or "non-linear" orthotropic materials. Look at all the material inside COSMOS Works Help related to linear and not linear analysis of orthotropic materials and I believe you will see there the answers to your question. On a linear orthotropic material you do not define major or minor mechanical properties, all you define is the properties in the three mutually perpendicular directions. For exaple Elastic Modulus in the X, Y, and Z directions or Poisson's Ratio in the X, Y, and Z directions. For non-linear materials it is a little more complex and there are cases where some orthotropic materials do not have Elactic Modulus, nor Poisson's Ratio (like it is the case of some hyperelastic composites particularly if they incorporate layers of elastic weaved fabrics).


If you need to analyze non-linear materials I believe you will need COSMOS ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL (is what we use) since I believe that the standard COSMOS Works do not have the non-linear analysis module active. Modeling material non-linearities (no-linear relationships between stress and strain) will require modeloing of plasticity, creep and maybe even thermopalsticity problems.

Look inside the Help for COSMOS for Material Models, Linear Elastic Orthotropic Materials and also for non-linear Material Models, Hyperelasticity (Mooney, Ogden, Blatz), Plasticity (von Misses, Tresca, Drucker) Viscoelasticity, Creep, Nitinol. But all of this will only be available if you have non-linear fucntionality open on your software.

Dear Mr. Presciuttini,

During my days at colleage, they indicate to me that by definition, an orthotropic material has at least 2 orthogonal planes of symmetry, where material properties are independent of direction within each plane. Such materials require 9 independent variables (i.e. elastic constants) in their constitutive matrices.

By convention, the 9 elastic constants in orthotropic constitutive equations of their matrices are comprised of 3 Young's modulii Ex, Ey, Ez, the 3 Poisson's ratios nyz, nzx, nxy, and the 3 shear modulii Gyz, Gzx, Gxy. (This is correct assuming that Hoke's Law for orthotropic materiasl in Compliace Form still correct this days... one never know... and has been some years since I get my graduation...).

For Orthotropic material, such as wood, or some composites, Poisson's ratio is different in each direction (x, y and z axis) the relation between Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio in the Complaince Matrix is described as follows:

(Vyx / Ey) = (Vxy / Ex)

(Vzx / Ez) = (Vxz / Ex)

(Vyz / Ey) = (Vzy / Ex)

Where Ei is the Youg's Modulus alon axis i
Vjk is a Poisson's Ratio in Plane jk


Again either I do not undertud the question or I am wrong (which is possible).