A qualitative simulation algorithm for the rheological behavior of visco-elastic materials

This paper describes an algorithm of qualitative simulation of the rheological response of a visco-elastic material to creep-like experiments, that is tests in which a material is subject to an external force and the time evolution of the produced deformation is observed. The algorithm is designed to operate at the lowest level of description of the material, expressed by a symbolic qualitative model, called rheological formula. A rheological formula describes symbolically the structure of an analogical mechanical model of the material, obtained connecting in series or in parallel basic components reproducing the elastic and viscous response. The qualitative behavior of a material in response to the action of an external force is built by assembling the individual responses of the basic components in accordance with their modality of interaction.