Abstract
It is an important and interesting problem to obtain averaged mechanical behaviors of multi phase composite materials. We propose an advanced averaging technique for three or more phase materials. The new technique, which we call Generalized Periodic (GP) method, borrows basic idea from two different existing schemes, a periodic structure and a self consistent method. The GP accounts for the interaction among the same phase inclusions by the model of periodic distributions, while the homogeneity of surrounding inhomogeneous matrix is assumed. Simple numerical examples show the character of GP method. GP's character is appreciable when the number of phase is relatively small and each volume fraction is large. On the other hand, when the number of phases increases, the GP's estimation of averaged behavior rapidly gets close to that of the self consistent method.
