A new method for obtaining a mean mechanical response curve

A recurring problem in investigations involving mechanical tests of materials and structures is the definition of a curve that best represents the responses of a set of specimens, aiming at the development of new materials or engineering design concepts. To address this problem, this paper presents a new mean curve concept for mechanical test responses. The procedure presented here provides an objective representative curve that can be used for multiple purposes, including presenting mechanical behavior information more effectively, comparing experimental and numerical results, and calibrating models or supporting inverse analysis procedures to identify numerical modeling parameters. This curve, referred to as the mechanical mean curve, rigorously preserves fundamental mechanical information of a given set of tested specimens: the average peak load or stress, the average peak displacement or strain, the average ultimate load or stress, and the average area under the curves. In addition, curve shape aspects are also preserved. Validation results obtained from experimental bending, tensile, and compression tests demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed mean curve.