A micromechanical framework is proposed to predict effective elastic moduli of particle-reinforced composites. First, the interacting eigenstrain is derived by making use of the exterior-point Eshelby tensor and the equivalence principle associated with the pairwise particle interactions. Then, the near-field particle interactions are accounted for in the effective elastic moduli of spherical-particle-reinforced composites. On the foundation of the proposed interacting solution, the consistent versus simplified micromechanical field equations are systematically presented and discussed. Specifically, the focus is upon the effective elastic moduli of two-phase composites containing randomly distributed isotropic spherical particles. To demonstrate the predictive capability of the proposed micromechanical framework, comparisons between the theoretical predictions and the available experimental data on effective elastic moduli are rendered. In contrast to higher-order formulations in the literature, the proposed micromechanical formulation can accommodate the anisotropy of reinforcing particles and can be readily extended to multi-phase composites.

A higher-order micromechanical framework is presented to predict the overall elastic deformation behavior of continuous fiber-reinforced composites with high-volume fractions and random-fiber distributions. By taking advantage of the probabilistic pair-wise near-field interaction solution, the interacting eigenstrain is analytically derived. Subsequently, by making use of the Eshelby equivalence principle, the perturbed strain within a continuous circular fiber is accounted for. Further, based on the general micromechanical field equations, effective elastic moduli of continuous fiber-reinforced composites are constructed. An advantage of the present framework is that the higher-order effective elastic moduli of composites can be analytically predicted with relative simplicity, requiring only material properties of the matrix and fibers, the fiber–volume fraction and the microstructural parameter γ. Moreover, no Monte Carlo simulation is needed for the proposed methodology. A series of comparisons between the analytical predictions and the available experimental data for isotropic and anisotropic fiber reinforced composites illustrate the predictive capability of the proposed framework.

The nonlinear free vibration of an axially translating viscoelastic beam with an arbitrarily varying length and axial velocity is investigated. Based on the linear viscoelastic differential constitutive law, the extended Hamilton’s principle is utilized to derive the generalized third-order equations of motion for the axially translating viscoelastic Bernoulli–Euler beam. The coupling effects between the axial motion and transverse vibration are assessed under various prescribed time-varying velocity fields. The inertia force arising from the longitudinal acceleration emerges, rendering the coupling terms between the axial beam acceleration and the beam flexure. Semi-analytical solutions for the governing PDE are obtained through the separation of variables and the assumed modes method. The modified Galerkin’s method and the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method are employed to numerically analyze the resulting equations. Further, dynamic stabilization is examined from the system energy standpoint for beam extension and retraction. Extensive numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the influences of varying translating velocities and viscoelastic parameters on the underlying dynamic responses. The material viscosity always dissipates energy and helps stabilize the transverse vibration.