The identification of viscoplastic material parameters is addressed using a new powerful method: the virtual fields method (VFM). Contrary to classical procedures that are statically determined, the VFM is applied to heterogeneous mechanical fields. Without any hypotheses of homogeneity required, the exploitation of tests with the VFM is not limited to small levels of strains anymore and it can be taken advantage of the large amount of information available thanks to full‐field measurements. In the case of viscoplastic models, the characterisation of strain‐rate sensitivity with the VFM is attempted in this paper using only one test under high‐speed loading conditions, whereas several tests performed at different constant strain‐rates are required for the classical procedures. This article focuses on the development of the VFM for the characterisation of Johnson–Cook's (JC) viscoplastic model. To his aim a return‐mapping algorithm was developed according to the JC's model with an implicit Euler scheme implemented to integrate the constitutive relations. The whole viscoplastic behaviour of a Titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) is successfully characterised by the VFM using only two tensile tests on notched flat specimens, with full‐field strain measurements by digital image correlation.

Rate‐dependent models require creep or mechanical tests at various strain rates in order to be identified and validated. Different geometries coexist for creep and static tests (normative geometry) and for dynamic tests. Therefore, due to geometrical sample considerations, experimental results could be inconsistent for identification or validation procedures, inducing, for example, differences on the shear modulus only due to the change of geometry. The objective of this work is to present an improved sample geometry that allows to obtain consistent mechanical tests results at various strain rates highlighting the rate dependencies of laminates. In particular, a complete mechanical validation of the sample geometry for dynamic tests is successfully performed in order to avoid inconsistency. Results of static and dynamic tests on the validated geometry are analysed, and the rate dependency of the elastic properties of the UD T700GC/M21 mesoscopic ply is highlighted on a wide strain rate range (10−3 to 102 s−1). Finally, the identification of a non‐linear viscoelastic model is performed on dynamic and creep tests results in order to obtain a representative model for dynamic, static and creep loadings, and to demonstrate the importance of introducing the improved geometry for the dynamic tests.

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Mechanical fastening is a common method used to join composite materials in aeronautical industry. Various studies have been performed dedicated to the behaviour of composite bolted joints under quasi-static loadings, but only few studies deal with the dynamic behaviour (crash or impacts). The aim of this work is to study the loading rate influence on the bearing response of a carbon/epoxy laminate loaded by a pin. For that purpose, a double shear test fixture has been specially designed to measure the global behaviour and the local response around the pin. Infrared thermography and Digital