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Masonry is an orthotropic material that exhibits distinct directional properties due to the existence of mortar joints acting as planes of weakness. Therefore, a constitutive model employed in the numerical analysis should be capable of describing the anisotropic behavior. The main objective of this research is to implement a macroscopic failure criterion which describes the failure conditions in structural masonry. For this purpose, a comprehensive framework is outlined for modelling of the mechanical behaviour of structural masonry. In this framework, the anisotropic material properties are described using the microstructure tensor approach (Pietruszczak and Mroz, 2001). Then, a mathematical formulation defining the conditions at failure is discussed. The formulation contains several material parameters as well as material functions that describe the anisotropic behaviour. The identification procedure for these functions is outlined and is verified using the experimental tests conducted by Page (1983). Later, an extensive numerical study, including a set of numerical simulations of biaxial compression-tension and biaxial compression tests for different bedding plane orientations, is conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed macroscopic failure criterion. In the last part of the thesis, some 3D finite element simulations of a shaking table test are performed involving a reduced scale model of four storey masonry building subjected to seismic excitation. A linear dynamic analysis, in which the proposed macroscopic failure criterion is incorporated through the UMAT subroutine, is carried out to assess the plastic admissibility of the stress field. The results including the distribution of the value of the failure function are then compared with the crack pattern in the experimental test. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Gold gains many useful properties when it is formed into a nanoporous structure, but it also becomes macroscopically brittle due to flow localization and may therefore be unreliable for many applications. The goal of this work was to establish processing/structure/property relationships of nanoporous gold, discover controllable structure features, and understand the role of structure on flow localization. The nanoporous gold structure, consisting of a 3D network of nanoscale gold ligaments, was quantified with an automatic software developed for this work called AQUAMI, which uses computer vision techniques to make statistically reliable numbers of repeatable and unbiased measurements per image. AQUAMI increased the efficiency and accuracy of characterization in this work, allowed for the conduction of more experiments, and provided better confidence in morphology and size distribution of the complex NPG microstructural features. Nanoporous gold was synthesized while varying numerous processing factors such as dealloying time, annealing time, and mechanical agitation. Through the expanded scope of synthesis experiments and detailed analysis, it was discovered that the curvature of the ligaments and the distribution width of ligament diameters could be controlled through processing. In situ tensile experiments in SEM and TEM revealed that large ligaments arrested crack propagation while curved ligaments increase ductility by straightening in the tensile direction and forming geometrically required defects, which inhibit dislocation activity. Through synthesis and microstructure characterization, two new controllable structure features were discovered experimentally. In situ mechanical testing revealed the role these structures play on the deformation behavior and flow localization of nanoporous gold. / Doctor of Philosophy / Nanoporous gold contains a network of connected pores running through and between at network of solid gold ligaments or struts. It somewhat resembles the structure of coral. The nanoscale pores and ligaments give the material many useful properties. However, this structure also makes the material very fragile and unreliable in many potential application environments. The goal of this research is to investigate how the structure makes the material so fragile and look for ways the material might be made less fragile while still preserving its useful properties. The material properties are controlled through the material’s structure, which in turn is controlled by processing. To control the structure of nanoporous gold, the structure first had to be characterized. A software called AQUAMI was developed, which uses computer vision, to automatically calculate many features of the structure by looking at an image of it. This software was much faster and more accurate than making hundreds of hand measurements on each image. To find new ways to control the structure through processing, nanoporous gold was synthesized in many different conditions and then the structure was analyzed to determine the effect of each synthesis condition. It was discovered that a single specimen could be given a larger variety of ligament thicknesses by making it with a weaker acid or a smaller variety by heating the structure after forming it. Stirring during synthesis resulted in a structure with curvier ligaments. Mechanical tests were performed in electron microscopes to see how these features affected deformation. Large ligaments slowed crack propagation suggesting that a larger variety of ligament diameters could increase strength by having more large ligaments. Curved ligaments deformed more without breaking by straightening during deformation. Through this work, new ways of controlling the nanoporous gold structure were found and mechanical tests suggest that controlling these features may increase the material’s strength making it reliable in more environments

In this dissertation, simulation techniques are used to understand the role of surfaces, interfaces, and capillary forces on the deformation response of bicontinuous metallic composites and porous materials. This research utilizes atomistic scale modeling to study nanoscale deformation phenomena with time and spatial resolution not available in experimental testing. Molecular dynamics techniques are used to understand plastic deformation of metallic bicontinuous lattices with varying solid volume fraction, connectivity, size, surface stress, loading procedures, and solid density. Strain localization and yield response on nanoporous gold lattices as a function of their solid volume fraction are investigated in axially strained periodic samples with constant average ligament diameter. Simulation stress results revealed that yield response was significantly lower than what can be expected form the Gibson-Ashby formalism for predicting the yield response of macro scale foams. It was found that the number of fully connected ligaments contributing to the overall load bearing structure decreased as a function of solid volume fraction. Correcting for this with a scaling factor that corrects the total volume fraction to "connected, load bearing" solid fraction makes the predictions from the scaling equations more realistic. The effects of ligament diameter in nanoporous lattices on yield and elastic response in both compressive and tensile loading states are reported. Yield response in compression and tension is found to converge for the two deformation modes with increasing ligament diameter, with the samples consistently being stronger in tension, but weaker in compression. The plastic response results are fit to a predictive model that depends on ligament size and surface parameter (f). A modification is made to the model to be in terms of surface area to volume ratio (S/V) rather than ligament diameter (1/d) and the response from capillary forces seems to be more closely modeled with the full surface stress parameter rather than surface energy. Fracture response of a nanoporous gold structure is also studied, using the stress intensity-controlled equations for deformation from linear elastic fracture mechanics in combination with a box of atoms, whose interior is governed by the molecular dynamics formalism. Mechanisms of failure and propagation, propagation rate, and ligament-by-ligament deformation mechanisms such as dislocations and twin boundaries are studied and compared to a corresponding experimental nanoporous gold sample investigated via HRTEM microscopy. Stress state and deformation behavior of individual ligaments are compared to tensile tests of cylinder and hyperboloid nanowires with varying orientations. The information gathered here is used to successfully predict when and how ligaments ahead of the crack tip will fracture. The effects of the addition of silver on the mechanical response of a nanoporous lattice in uniaxial tension and compression is also reported. Samples with identical morphology to the study of the effects of ligament diameter are used, with varying random placement concentrations of silver atoms. A Monte Carlo scheme is used to study the degree of surface segregation after equilibration in a mixed lattice. Dislocation behavior and deformation response for all samples in compression and tension are studied, and yield response specifically is put in the context of a surface effect model. Finally, a novel bicontiuous fully phase separated Cu-Mo structure is investigated, and compared to a morphologically similar experimental sample. Composite interfacial energy and interface orientation structure are studied and compared to corresponding experimental results. The effect of ligament diameter on mechanical response in compressive stress is investigated for a singular morphology, stress distribution by phase is investigated in the context of elastic moduli calculated from the full elastic tensor and pure elemental deformation tests. Dislocation evolution and its effects on strain hardening are put in the context of elastic strain, and plastic response is investigated in the context of a confined layer slip model for emission of a glide loop. The structure is shown to be an excellent, low interface energy model that can arrest slip plane formation while maintaining strength close to the theoretical prediction. Dislocation content in all samples was quantified via the dislocation extraction algorithm. All visualization, phase dependent stress analysis, and structural/property analysis was conducted with the OVITO software package, and its included python editor. All simulations were conducted using the LAMMPS molecular dynamics simulation package. Overall, this dissertation presents insights into plastic deformation phenomena for nano-scale bicontinuous metallic lattices using a combination of experimentation and simulation. A more holistic understanding of the mechanical response of these materials is obtained and an addition to the theory concerning their mechanical response is presented. / Doctor of Philosophy / Crystalline metals can be synthesized to have a sponge-like structure of interconnected ligaments and pores which can drastically change the way that the material chemically interacts with its environment, such as how readily it can absorb oxygen and hydrogen ions. This makes it attractive as a catalyst material for speeding up or altering chemical reactions. The change in structure can also drastically change how the material responds when deformed by pressing, pulling, tearing or shearing, which are important phenomena to understand when engineering new technology. High surface or interface area to volume ratios can cause a massive surface-governed capillary force (the same force that causes droplets of water to bead up on rain coat) and lead to a higher pressure within the material. The effect that both structure and capillary forces have on the way these materials react when deformed has not been established in the context of capillary force theory or crystalline material plasticity theory. For this reason, we investigate these materials using simulation methods at the atomic level, which can give accurate and detailed data on the stress and forces felt atom-by-atom in a material, as well as defects in the material, such as dislocations and vacancies, which are the primary mechanisms that cause the crystal lattice to permanently deform and ultimately break. A series of parameters are varied for multiple model systems to understand the effects of various scenarios, and the understanding provided by these tests is presented.

The structure of nanoporous gold (np-Au) provides a very limited volume for deformation to occur, and thus offers an opportunity to study the role of defects such as dislocations in nanoscale metal volumes. A practical goal is to understand mechanical properties of np-Au so that it can be can produced in stable form, for use in applications that require some mechanical integrity. Bulk and thin film np-Au have been fabricated and studied here. Bulk np-Au was prepared by electrochemically dealloying Au-Ag alloys with 25 and 30 at.% Au. In the lower Au content material, cracks always formed during dealloying. When Au content increased to 30 at.% and a two-step electrochemical dealloying method was used (first using diluted electrolyte and then concentrated acid), bulk np-Au with no volume change and minimal cracking was successfully fabricated. Thermal and mechanical behavior of np-Au was studied by heat treatment and microindentation. During annealing in air, Ostwald ripening governed ligament coarsening, while annealing of ligaments in vacuum was more likely a sintering process. Nanoporous Au thin films were produced by dealloying sputtered Au-Ag alloy films. Residual stresses in np-Au films were measured with wafer curvature. Similar to bulk materials, np-Au thin films made from 25 at.% Au alloy films exhibited extensive cracking during dealloying, whereas films from 30 at.% Au precursor alloys were completely crack-free. 25 at.% Au np-Au films carried almost no stress because of extensive cracking, whereas stress in 30 at.% Au np-Au films was up to ~230 MPa. Ligament coarsening followed a t1/8 time dependence for stress-free films, versus t1/4 in films under stress. It was proposed that bulk diffusion was responsible for formation of larger pits at grain centers during the incipient stages of dealloying. In situ nanoindentation experiments inside the transmission electron microscope were performed to investigate deformation of np-Au films and dislocation motion within ligaments. Dislocations were generated easily and moved along ligament axes, after which they interacted with other dislocations in the nodes of the porous network. It was found that slower displacement rates caused load drops to occur at shorter distance intervals and longer time intervals.

Ce travail concerne l’étude et la modélisation du phénomène de multifissuration transversedes fils dans les CMC tissés. Sa connaissance est fondamentale pour déterminer soneffet sur les champs de contraintes, la progression des endommagements et la durée de viedu matériau.À partir d’observations sur des coupes de CMC, des matériaux virtuels sont développéset des essais virtuels réalisés. Différentes séquences de fissuration transverse sont simuléessur diverses microstructures de CMC. Ces simulations se substituent à des observations expérimentalesimpossibles à réaliser.Un modèle statistique de multifissuration est développé sur la base du principe dumaillon faible appliqué à une distribution ponctuelle de Poisson. Les singularités micostructurellessont représentées par des défauts dans un milieu homogène équivalent (MHE).Les modifications des fonctions de distribution au cours de la multifissuration sont modélisées.Le modèle statistique permet de réaliser un changement d’échelle à la suite duquel lamultifissuration transverse est simulée dans le MHE avec une réduction des temps de calculde l’ordre de 90%. / This work deals with the study and modeling of multiple crakcing of tows in wovenCMCs. Its understanding is fundamental to determine the effect on stress fields, the evolutionof damage and the lifetime of material.From observations on real CMC pieces, virtual materials are developed and multiplecracking virtual testing is achieved. Different scenarii are simulated on various CMC microstructures.These simulations are a substitute for impossible experimental observations.A statistical model for multiple cracking based on the weakest link principle applied to adistribution of Poisson is developed. Micostructural singularities are represented by defectsin a homogeneous medium equivalent (EHM). Modifications of distribution functions duringthe multicracking are modeled.The statistical model realizes a scale changing : transverse multicracking is simulated inthe EHM with a reduction of almost 90% for computational time.

Tailings is leftover material from mining industry and is produced in huge quantities approximately 70-99% of the ore production.  Tailings material is stored as impoundments by constructing tailings dams which are often constructed with tailings material itself. Tailings are artificial material and the mechanical behavior of tailings material upon loading is different as compared to natural soil materials. There are number of dam failures reported every year which has severe impact on inhabitants and environment nearby. Considering the failures of tailings dams and consequences there is a need to understand the tailings material in depth for safe existence of these dams. The confident dam design can assure the safe existence of tailings dams for long term as these dams are presumed to function for generations to come. The material properties in tailings dams can change during operation due to raising of new layer. Raised new layer can change stress level, which in turn may change the material properties in terms of strength, pore pressures, grain sizes etc. Today mostly tailings dam are designed by performing analysis for safety for existing and future rasings as well. These analyses are based upon a for certain factor of safety. Not very much can be done with design and analysis for tailings material if the material is not described very well. Understanding of tailings material in depth can provide help for detailed material parameters which later can be used in safety assessment for future raising and changed conditions in dam. This study presents the work carried out on tailings material from a Swedish tailings dam. The study is conducted on undisturbed and disturbed tailings material. The undisturbed tests are carried out to understand material properties as per in-situ conditions. Whereas disturbed materials are used to created different materials with different particles sizes. Initially in this study the basic properties of tailings materials are studied e.g. specific gravity, phase relationships, particle sizes, particle shapes and shear behavior on collected samples at various depths. During direct shear tests, the unexpected vertical height reductions were observed, these results are presented in this study. The comparison of strength parameters by direct shear and triaxial tests on material from various depths is also done and presented. Based on results from direct shear, triaxial and oedometer tests on uniform sized tailings material; the evaluation of primary and secondary deformations and particle breakage and effect of vertical loads is also carried out and presented. The study also includes the comparison of strength parameters for each particles size. The breakage of particles is analyzed by sieving the material after direct shear tests followed by a particle shape study. The effect of deposition on shear strength parameters is also studied by construction of samples with different angle of deposition of material. The strength parameters of uniform sized particles in triaxial tests are also evaluated and discussed.

Le PER72® est un superalliage à base de nickel élaboré par Aubert & Duval, utilisé pour la fabrication de disques de turbines de moteurs d'hélicoptères. Dans le cadre de son élaboration, l'alliage subit un traitement thermique qui lui confère ses bonnes propriétés mécaniques, mais qui peut aussi être à l'origine de contraintes résiduelles pouvant fragiliser la pièce. L'objectif de ce travail de thèse consiste à étudier le traitement thermique de ce superalliage et proposer des lois de comportements mécaniques afin d'estimer les contraintes résiduelles créées lors de l'élaboration des disques. Les conditions de traitement thermique sont étudiées. D'une part, l'effet de la vitesse de refroidissement sur les propriétés de l'alliage est investigué. D'autre part, pour chaque vitesse de refroidissement, la trempe est interrompue à différentes températures pour procéder à des essais mécaniques de traction à chaud. Pour ce faire, un outillage permettant de réaliser le traitement thermique des éprouvettes directement sur la machine d'essai a été spécialement développé. De plus, pour chaque condition d’essai, une caractérisation de la microstructure des éprouvettes post-mortem est réalisée. En particulier, la taille et la fraction volumique des précipités de phase gamma' sont étudiées. L'objectif premier est de comprendre l'influence des conditions de traitement thermique sur les propriétés mécaniques et la microstructure de l'alliage. Dans un second temps, un lien entre la microstructure et les propriétés mécaniques est discuté. Enfin, un modèle de comportement thermomécanique adapté à la trempe est formulé. Dans sa formulation, ce modèle prend en compte les paramètres microstructuraux identifiés. / PER72® is a nickel-base superalloys developed by Aubert & Duval. This alloy is used in helicopter engine turbine disk manufacturing. During the elaboration, a heat treatment provides the alloy his good mechanical properties, but it can also be at the origin of residual stress that can affect the disk capabilities.The objective of this work is to study the heat treatment and formulate mechanical behaviour law in order to estimate residual stress generated during the process. The heat treatment conditions are studied. On one hand, the effect of cooling rate on mechanical properties is investigated. On the other hand, for each studied cooling rate, the quench is interrupted at a testing temperature to carry out a tensile test. A special testing device has been developed in order to carry out the heat treatment of alloy specimens directly on the testing machine. Moreover, for each testing condition, the microstructure is characterized. In particular, precipitate size and volume fraction have been measured. The first objective is to understand the influence of quenching conditions on mechanical properties and microstructure. A link between the microstructure and the mechanical properties is then discussed. Finally, a thermo-mechanical behaviour law is formulated. This model takes the identified microstructural parameters into account.

Fornos petroquímicos constituem a parte mais importante da indústria de derivados de petróleo. São nesses fornos que se processam as reações químicas imprescindíveis ao processamento dos produtos que constituem nosso cotidiano, como os fertilizantes, polímeros, produtos farmacêuticos e alimentícios. Devido ao caráter fortemente endotérmico dos processos, associado a reações catalíticas provocada numa mistura reacional de vapor de água com hidrocarbonetos (caso da reforma para obtenção de hidrogênio) ou craqueamento por pirólise (processo de pirólise), estes fornos são continuamente aquecidos. Com o objetivo de aumento de produção e produtividade, os fornos têm sido submetidos a condições de temperatura e pressão cada vez mais extremas. Nos fornos de pirólise, adicionalmente tem-se aumentado consideravelmente a velocidade do fluido e para tanto têm tido as seções transversais dos condutos diminuídas levando a um aumento das tensões de trabalho. Além disso, paradas e partidas desses fornos têm se mostrado um elemento crucial na operação. É comum que durante a parada desses fornos se detecte fragilização desse material após certo tempo de serviço à temperatura de trabalho. Quedas significativas nos valores de alongamento têm sido reportadas sendo que em algumas situações, componentes apresentam valores nulos de alongamento à temperatura ambiente quando ensaios mecânicos são efetuados em corpos de prova retirados dos mesmos. Devido a essa fragilização, com conseqüente diminuição nos valores de alongamento, operações de reparo por soldagem têm se mostrado freqüentemente impraticáveis resultando no sucateamento do componente. Nesse trabalho caracterizou-se a fragilização ocorrida no material 20Cr32Ni+Nb que é usado nos coletores de saída de fornos que embora operem em temperaturas mais baixas, estão sujeitos também aos mesmos requisitos de pressão do forno. Para melhor caracterizar o material em estudo, um tubo centrifugado foi analisado tomando-se o cuidado de extrair corpos de prova em regiões que propiciassem microestrutura reprodutível. Para garantir que os corpos de prova fossem submetidos a temperaturas e tempos similares com boa precisão, estes foram envelhecidos em equipamento de ensaios de fluência, porém sem aplicação de tensão. Os corpos de prova envelhecidos foram então ensaiados com tração à temperatura ambiente e o alongamento da fratura foi registrado, evidenciando a fragilização. A região da cabeça do corpo de prova foi examinada por metalografia óptica e por microscópio eletrônico de varredura (MEV). As fraturas foram igualmente examinadas no microscópio eletrônico de varredura. Os resultados obtidos na microscopia ótica, com e sem ataque, bem como no MEV não evidenciaram quaisquer alterações microestruturais significativas que justificassem a alteração do comportamento mecânico com o envelhecimento. Análises fratográficas também não evidenciaram alteração significativa no mecanismo de fratura que ocorre pela nucleação de micro-cavidades (dimples). Adicionalmente procurou-se comprovar ou rejeitar a hipótese de que a fragilização seria causada ela precipitação de um intermetálico frágil em contorno de grão: a chamada fase G (um silicieto misto de nióbio e níquel com estequiometria Ni16Nb6Si7, estrutura cúbica de faces centradas e parâmetro de rede a0 = 1,13nm). A análise dos resultados não evidencia fase nova, nem uma mudança de modo de fratura de trans para intergranular, que poderiam comprovar uma influência da fase G no processo de fragilização (ao menos até o limite de resolução das técnicas experimentais aqui empregadas). / Petrochemical furnaces play an important role in the oil industry. In these furnaces, the essential chemical reactions take place in order to get everyday products like fertilizers, polymers, products for pharmaceutic and food industry. Due to the highly endothermic characteristics of these processes, these furnaces are heated up. It is common during shutdowns and startups of these furnaces, to have fragilization of this material after an aging time at working temperatures. This fragilization impairs repair when needed. In order to have an increase in production and productivity, the furnaces are continuously submitted to higher temperature and pressure working conditions. Pyrolisis furnaces have been also subjected to an increase in fluid speed and in order to reach this, the transverse area of tubes has been significantly decreased resulting in an increase in working stresses. Besides, shutdowns and startups have been a crucial part of operation. Fragilization in this material in service at high temperatures is frequently detected during shutdowns. Significant losses in elongation have been reported and sometimes components show no elongation at room temperature when samples are subjected to tensile testing. Due to this fragilization and low elongation values, repair by welding is sometimes useless resulting in scrapping the component. In this work the characterization of the fragilization that occurs in a 20Cr32Ni+Nb centrifugally cast tube, whose application is the outlet collectors that, though operate in lower temperature, are subjected to the pressure requirements of the furnace. In order to better characterize the material, one centrifugally cast tube was analysed taking care of having the test samples from regions that could provide similar microstructures. In order to assure that the samples were submitted to temperature and time with good accuracy, they were aged in a creep testing machine, but without application of load. The aged samples were then tensile tested at room temperature and the fracture elongation was calculated, evidencing the fragilization. The head of the test sample was examined by optical metalography and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The fractured areas were also examined by SEM. The results from optical microscopy, with or without etching, as well as SEM did not show any microstructural changes that could explain the changes in mechanical behavior with during aging. Additionally one aims to confirm or reject the hypothesis of the fragilization being caused by the precipitation of an fragile intermetallics in the grain boundary: the socalled G-phase (a silicide of Niobium and Nickel with stoichiometry Ni16Nb6Si7 , face centered cubic and lattice parameter of a0 = 1,13nm). The results did not either evidence this new phase nor a change in the fracture mode from trans to intergranular which could confirm the influence of this phase in the fragilization process (at least in the resolution limits of the experimental procedures here employed).

Les câbles supraconducteurs sont largement utilisés dans le domaine des aimants à haut champ et sont en plein développement pour le transport de l’énergie. Un câble est un assemblage complexe de fils composites, euxmêmes constitués de filaments supraconducteurs torsadés dans une matrice métallique et entourés d’une couronne. La dépendance des brins supraconducteurs à la déformation est connue pour être responsable de la dégradation des performances électriques des câbles. La compréhension et la prédiction du comportement mécanique des brins est donc nécessaire afin de prédire les propriétés électriques des câbles dans le but d’optimiser leur mise en forme pour augmenter leurs performances (champ magnétique et capacité de transport).Une caractérisation mécanique multi-échelle de brins Nb3Sn et MgB2 a été réalisée au travers d’essais sur brins complets et sur brins dont la couronne a été dissoute. Un dispositif d’essais a été développé dans le cadre d’essais uniaxiaux sur fil fragile de faible diamètre. Des essais de nano-indentation ont permis d’accéder aux propriétés locales des matériaux constituants les brins. Une stratégie de modélisation et d’identification du comportement mécanique des brins a été développée. La modélisation repose sur une représentation simplifiée de la structure construite à partir des fractions volumiques et des essais de nano-indentation. L’identification des paramètres des lois de comportement est réalisée en utilisant la base de données expérimentales construite préalablement. Les modèles ainsi identifiés vont nourrir les futures simulations mécanique et électrique couplées de câbles.Une discussion sur l’endommagement des brins est menée au travers de l’étude de la localisation de la déformation observée dans certains brins, d’observations après des essais de traction interrompus et d’essais de traction in situ à un tomographe à rayons X. / Superconducting cables are widely used in high field magnets and have recently been extended to electricity transport. Cables are composed of a complex assembly of superconducting strands, themselves composed of superconducting filaments twisted in a metallic matrix and surrounded by an outerlayer. The electrical-strain dependence of individual strands is known to be responsible for the degradation of the electrical performance of cables. Thus, it is necessary to understand and predict the mechanical behavior at the strand scale to predict the electrical properties and optimize the manufacturing process of cables to achieve higher fields and better transport capabilities.A multi-scale mechanical characterization of Nb3Sn and MgB2 strands was carried out through tests on complete strands and strands without an outer-layer. A specific device was developed for uniaxial tests on small brittle wire. Nano-indentation tests were also carried out to access to the local properties of each material in the strand.A strategy for the modeling and identification of the mechanical behavior of strands was developed. The model is based on a simplified representation of the structure built from the component volume fractions and the nanoindentation tests. The identification of the parameters is carried out using the experimental database previously developed. The model is intended to be subsequently used to simulate the coupled mechanical and electrical behavior of cables.Discussion about damage phenomenon in strands is carried out through the study of strain localization observed in strands, observations and analyses after interrupted tests, and tensile tests performed in an X-ray tomograph.