Void collapse/growth in solid materials under overall shear loading

•Numerical simulations are conducted on unit cells with empty and particle-containing voids.•Shear loading on unit cells with empty voids yields void collapse and decrease of void fraction.•Shear loading on unit cells with particle-containing voids yields void initiation and growth.•The mechanism of void coalescence depends on void concentration, void number and absence/presence of particle(s). The present work aims at studying numerically the influence of void concentration, number of voids and absence/presence of inclusion on void collapse/growth and coalescence in materials submitted to shear loading. Starting from the experimental observation that voiding mostly forms within bands of localised deformation in the form of void sheets, the geometrical configuration retained to that purpose is a layer of periodic cells with 1–5, empty or particle-containing voids, subject to simple shearing.