Page "Continuum mechanics" Paragraph 5

When the separation of scales does not hold, or when one wants to establish a continuum of a finer resolution than that of the RVE size, one employs a statistical volume element ( SVE ), which, in turn, leads to random continuum fields.

The latter then provide a micromechanics basis for stochastic finite elements ( SFE ).

The levels of SVE and RVE link continuum mechanics to statistical mechanics.

The RVE may be assessed only in a limited way via experimental testing: when the constitutive response becomes spatially homogeneous.