Folding of an origami-based rod via homogenization

A new continuous model of sharable rod, subject to large elastic deformation, is derived from nonlinear homogenization of a one-dimensional periodic micro structured chain.

The postcritical response of the simply supported rod exhibits the emergence of folding, an infinite curvature occurring at a point of the rod axis, developing into a curvature jump at increasing load.

Faulting and folding, excluded for both Euler and Reissner models and so far, unknown in the rod theory, represent signatures revealing the origami design of the microstructure.

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