Mechanics Research Communications 95 (2019) 85–88

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Mechanics Research Communications

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/mechrescom

Neural network based constitutive modeling of nonlinear viscoplastic

structural response
Marcus Stoffel∗, Franz Bamer, Bernd Markert
Institute of General Mechanics, RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 64, Aachen D-52056, Germany

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In the present study constitutive equations in finite element simulations are replaced by means of an ar-
Received 5 December 2018 tificial neural network (ANN). Following this approach, a physically nonlinear stress-strain behavior with
Revised 10 January 2019
strain rate dependency is substituted by an algebraic system of equations. Implementing this mathe-
Accepted 10 January 2019
matical approximation of a constitutive law into a finite element code, a so-called intelligent element is
Available online 11 January 2019
created. This approach leads to a significant reduction of computing time, because a complex material
MSC: model is treated numerically by matrix multiplications as in the case of elasticity. Here, a viscoplastic
74K20 material analysis by means of an ANN is proposed and applied to nonlinear structural behavior.
74-05
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Artificial neural network
Structural mechanics
Intelligent finite element

1. Introduction loadings. A comparative study is then conducted between mea-

Artificial neural networks have already been applied to engi-
neering problems as an alternative approach compared to classi-
cal methods based on continuum mechanical modeling, e.g. steel
structures [1], stability [2] or welding problems [3]. However, the
modeling of the entire structure with neural networks limits the
application to one particular problem. But if only the material law
is replaced by an ANN, then the neural network based constitutive
model can be applied to different engineering problems wherein
the same material behavior is considered [4]. For this reason, in
the present study, an ANN is developed to mimic nonlinear vis-
coplastic material behavior. Studies about the substitution of a con-
stitutive model by means of an ANN have been published in [5]. A
beam element, based on a neural network, is proposed in [6] and
leads to less computing time than a classical finite element ap-
proach. This advantage is in multiscale approaches even more visi-
ble [7]. Several neural network constitutive models (NNCM) were
discussed in [8]. However, it was pointed out that the correct
choice of the training data is essential for a reliable intelligent fi-
nite element [5].
In this study, a neural network based constitutive viscoplas-
tic model with nonlinear hardening is proposed and implemented
into a finite element code. As an example, this intelligent element
code is applied to structural deformations caused by shock wave
∗
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: stoffel@iam.rwth-aachen.de (M. Stoffel).
surements of plate deformations in a shock tube, finite element
simulations, and intelligent element predictions.
2. Experiment
In order to obtain measurements of structural deformations and
corresponding loads, experiments in shock tubes are carried out
[9].
In Fig. 1, the shock tube is shown for subjecting aluminum
plates of 553 mm diameter and 2 mm thickness to impulsive load-
ings. The tube consists of a high pressure chamber (HPC) and a
low pressure chamber (LPC), separated from each other by an alu-
minum membrane. Due to the pressure difference between HPC
and LPC, the membrane bursts, generating a shock wave which is
moving through the LPC and loading the plate specimen at the end
of the tube. Consequently, a high-density impulse during millisec-
onds is caused, leading to inelastic deformations of the plate sam-
ple. The mid-point deflection of the plate is measured during mi-
croseconds by a capacitive sensor, developed for this purpose [9].
The pressure acting on the plate is measured during the impulse
period by means of piezoelectric pressure sensors. The pressure
evolution during the shock wave loading can be varied by using
different gases in the HPC. If a light gas, such as helium, is used
in the HPC, then a faster shock wave and, hence, a higher pressure
on the plate specimen can be caused, than in the case of nitrogen.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechrescom.2019.01.004
0093-6413/© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
86 M. Stoffel, F. Bamer and B. Markert / Mechanics Research Communications 95 (2019) 85–88

of all weighted normalized input values in the propagation func-

tion

N
Xj = xni wi j (5)
i=1

with N as the number of input neurons and j for the jth neuron in
the hidden layer. Bias terms are neglected, because they were not
necessary in the present study.
For training the neural network, a matrix A with Z input data
rows is necessary. Each row denotes the input vector xTn leading to
a matrix multiplication
B = A w, (6)
see Fig. 2. The vector XT
is obtained Z-times, with components Xj
representing the values which are important for the activation of a
neuron in the hidden layer. Hence, they are the arguments of the
sigmoid activation function
1
Fj = (7)
1 + e−X j
for each neuron in the hidden layer. Calculating forwardly to the
Fig. 1. Picture of the shock tube. output layer, the next propagation function reads

K
Yk = Fj w∗jk (8)
3. Artificial neural network based viscoplastic model i=1

with K as the number of output neurons, k for the kth neuron in

The starting point for developing a material model based on an
the output layer, and new weights w∗jk between hidden layer and
ANN is the viscoplastic law from [10] with kinematic hardening. It
is expressed by output layer. With Z vectors F, each in a row of matrix C in Fig. 2,
a second matrix multiplication is performed by
3 σi j − Xi j
   σ n
ε p˙
= p˙ with p˙ =
v
(1) D = C w∗ . (9)
ij 2 J2 (σrs − Xrs ) K
The obtained components Yk in Z rows, one row for each vector
 2 YT (Fig. 2), are inserted into the activation function
σv = J2 (σi j − X ij ) − k and X˙ i j = aε˙ ipj − sXi j p˙ . (2)
3 1
Gk = (10)
1 + e−Yk
Here, εipj ,
σ ij , Xij , k, p, σ v denote plastic strain tensor, stress
leading to normalized components Gnk of the output vector
tensor, backstress tensor, yield limit, equivalent plastic strain, over-  
stress, and a, s, n, K are material parameters. The deviatoric part of GTn = ε˙ 11
pn
ε˙ 22
pn
ε˙ 12
pn
ε˙ 13
pn
ε˙ 23
pn ˙ n ˙ n
X11 X22 X˙ 12
n ˙n ˙n
X13 X23 . (11)

a tensor is denoted by () , () ˙ indicates the material time deriva-
Transforming these normalized values by means of Eq. (3) back
tive.
to physical ones, the strain rate and hardening rate tensors are ob-
During the numerical simulation at a time t, the values of
tained for the simulation time t + t. As an example, the neurons
stresses, strains, and backstresses are known and can be regarded
in the upper row in Fig. 2 are marked with their mathematical
as input values for the ANN. With this information in the current
meaning. In order to identify the weight matrices wij and w∗jk , the
configuration the ANN must predict the strain and backstress in-
ANN has to be trained by given input and output values with Z in-
crements εi j and Xij , respectively, for a time step t. Conse-
p
put and output vectors. The training data is obtained from the con-
quently, the output values are defined as plastic strain rate ε˙ i j and
p
stitutive law in the above mentioned ranges (Eq. (3)) expected dur-
backstress rate X˙ i j . In order to obtain better convergence and nu- ing the simulation. The ANN is implemented in a separate python
merical stability, all input and output values are normalized [11,12]. code. In this algorithm a loop is generated over the entire train-
Here, this is carried out for all stress, strain, strain rate, backstress, ing data together with the back-propagation method. This gradient
and backstress rate values, denoted by xi , in the form descent algorithm is applied in order to minimize the least square
 x −x  error between calculated and provided output data. The topology
i imin
xni = 0.1 + 0.8 · (3) of the ANN has to be determined by the user.
ximax − ximin
However, the use of an ANN represents mathematically a func-
leading to unified values xni and with ximin and ximax as minimum tion approximation, in which the user has to determine the num-
and maximum values. The index i stands for the ith input neuron. ber of neurons in the hidden layer iteratively. This process could
Following this approach, an input vector with normalized compo- be continued by including further internal variables, such as ad-
nents, abbreviated with the index n, is obtained in the form ditional hidden layers or biases, if necessary. Nevertheless, all
 variables are obtained by applying an optimum criterion. In the
xTn = σ11n σ22
n
σ12
n
σ13n
σ23
n
ε11
pn
ε22
pn
ε12
pn

 present study, the determined topology of the ANN, shown in

ε13
pn
ε23
pn n
X11 n
X22 n
X12 n
X13 n
X23 . (4) Fig. 2, lead to the smallest error between input and output val-
ues during the training procedure. Changes around this optimized
In the present study, a feed forward neural network is devel-
topology, e.g. changes in the number of neurons in the hidden
oped, see Fig. 2. This type of ANN is well established in literature
layer, would impair the accuracy the output results.
[13]. All components of the input vector have to be multiplied with
Consequently, seven neurons in the hidden layer have been
weights wij between input layer and hidden layer, leading to a sum
identified iteratively to lead to the minimal least square error.
 M. Stoffel, F. Bamer and B. Markert / Mechanics Research Communications 95 (2019) 85–88 87

Fig. 2. Artificial neural network with arithmetic operations for replacing viscoplastic constitutive equations.

Fig. 3. Comparative study between measured and simulated plate deflections using FEM and ANN.

For detailed descriptions of activation and propagation functions
in ANNs it is referred to related textbooks [14]. Extended studies
about backpropagation methods are reported in [15].
Finally, two optimized weight matrices wij and w∗jk are ob-
tained, which are needed to replace the constitutive law in the
finite element simulation by means of the ANN. In the finite el-
ement code [9], the material law in Eqs. (1) and (2) is substituted
by Eqs. (3)–(11), leading to a new material description in form of
matrix multiplications, see Fig. 2. Then, one input vector in matrix
A denotes the input data in one Gaussian point. This mathematical
way is comparable to pure elastic constitutive equations. Thus, no
treatment of history variables representing the inelastic evolution
of the material is required in the present study, which is essential
for reducing computing time. The structural part in this finite ele-
ment code is based on a geometrically nonlinear first-order shear
deformation shell theory as reported in [9].
4. Results and discussion
In Fig. 3 middle point deflections of two aluminum plates and
the pressures acting on them during the impulse duration are
shown. Two experiments with peak pressures pp = 7 bar and
pp = 3.5 bar using helium (He) and nitrogen (N2 ) in the HPC, see
88 M. Stoffel, F. Bamer and B. Markert / Mechanics Research Communications 95 (2019) 85–88
Fig. 1, are presented together with numerical predictions based on
FEM and ANN. In the case of the ANN result the finite element
simulation includes the so-called intelligent element based on the
developed neural network. Due to the fact, that the ANN simula-
tion is trained with the constitutive data, which is also used for the
FEM simulation, the ANN simulation can only tend towards the fi-
nite element result. However, the ANN simulation can simulate the
plate deflection faster than the FEM solution, which is the advan-
tage of the present approach. In this study, the computing time us-
ing the ANN was up to 50% lower, than in the case of the FEM sim-
ulation. However, the accuracy of the ANN depends strongly on the
trained data. Interpolations between provided training data could
be a reason between differences of the ANN and FEM solutions.
5. Conclusions
The developed intelligent element based on an artificial neu-
ral network leads in the present study to lower computing times
and very similar simulation results compared to classical finite el-
ement analyses. The ANN was able to account for nonlinear hard-
ening and strain rate dependency by using an algebraic system of
equations. Two weight matrices of the mathematical system were
obtained by an optimized feed-forward neural network python al-
gorithm. Finally, the combination of a neural network based con-
stitutive model with a geometrically nonlinear shell theory within
a finite element was successful.
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