Generalized continuum theories involve non-standard boundary conditions that are associated with the additional kinematic variables introduced in those theories, e.g., higher gradients of the displacement field or additional kinematic degrees of freedom. Accordingly, formulation of a contact problem for such a continuum necessarily requires that adequate contact conditions are formulated for the additional kinematic variables and/or...

Here we present few remarks on the development of the models of microstuctured media and the generalized continua.

We call nonlinear dilatational strain gradient elasticity the theory in which the specific class of dilatational second gradient continua is considered: those whose deformation energy depends, in an objective way, on the gradient of placement and on the gradient of the determinant of the gradient of placement. It is an interesting particular case of complete Toupin–Mindlin nonlinear strain gradient elasticity: indeed, in it, the...

We discuss the classic rotary inertia notion and extend it for microstructured beams introducing new microinertia parameters as an additional dynamic response to microstructure changes. Slender structures made of beam- or platelet-lattice metamaterials may exhibit not only large translations and rotations but also general deformations of inner structure. Here we considered a few examples of beam-like structures and derive their...

As part of his groundbreaking work on generalized continuum mechanics, Eringen proposed what he called 3M theories, namely the concept of micromorphic, microstretch, and micropolar materials modeling. The micromorphic approach provides the most general framework for a continuum with translational and (internal) rotational degrees of freedom (DOF), whilst the rotational DOFs of micromorphic and micropolar continua are subjected...