Spatial heterogeneity in 3D-2D dimensional reduction

Abstract

A justification of heterogeneous membrane models as zero-thickness limits of a cylindral three-dimensional heterogeneous nonlinear hyperelastic body is proposed in the spirit of Le Dret & Raoult. Specific characterizations of the 2D elastic energy are produced. As a generalization of Bouchitt\'e, Fonseca & Mascarenhas, the case where external loads induce a density of bending moment that produces a Cosserat vector field is also investigated. Throughout, the 3D-2D dimensional reduction is viewed as a problem of $\Gamma$-convergence of the elastic energy, as the thickness tends to zero.