Size effects in elastomeric mechanical metamaterials

Elastomeric materials containing periodically arranged holes exhibit a reversible pattern transformation, which is triggered when the applied compressive load reaches a critical value. This results in a reduction in the compressive stiffness and hence these materials are classified as mechanical metamaterials. This anomalous behavior, arising from local elastic instability, has inspired many applications. This work addresses size effects emerging in such materials as the macroscopic size approaches that of a single unit cell.