Upper bounds for the homogenization problem in nonlinear elasticity: the incompressible case

Abstract

We consider periodic homogenization of hyperelastic models incorporating incompressible behavior via the constraint $\det(\nabla u)=1$. We show that the 'usual' homogenized integral functional $\int W_{\rm hom}(\nabla u)\,dx$, where $W_{\rm hom}$ is the standard multicell-formula of non-convex homogenization restricted to volume preserving deformations, yields an upper bound for the $\Gamma$-limit as the scale of periodicity tends to zero.