Parameter identification in elastoplastic material models by Small Punch Tests and inverse analysis with model reduction

Small Punch Tests (SPT) are, at present, frequently employed for diagnostic analyses of metallic structural components and are considered in codes of practice because the damage generated by miniature specimen extraction is small (“quasi-non-destructive” tests). This paper contains a description of the following contributions for improvement in the state-of-the-art of SPT practice: assessment of material parameters through inverse analysis, made faster and more economical by employing model reduction through a Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) procedure. The methodology is developed to assess material parameters entering into diverse constitutive models, thus resulting in a more flexible identification framework, capable of addressing different kinds of material behaviour. Within the paper, real experimental data are used and comparisons of computed stress–strain curves with experimentally measured ones, through typical tensile tests, show an excellent agreement.