ON THE TREATMENT OF DUCTILE FRACTURE BY THE LOCAL APPROACH CONCEPT IN CONTINUUM DAMAGE MECHANICS : THEORY AND EXAMPLE

In this paper, a finite element analysis based on the local approach concept to fracture in the continuum damage mechanics is performed to analyze ductile fracture in two dimensional quasi-static state. First an isotropic damage model based on the generalized concept of effective stress is proposed for structural materials in the context of large deformation. In this model, the stiffness degradation is taken as a measure of damage and so, the fracture phenomenon can be explained as the critical deterioration of stiffness at a material point. The modified Riks' continuation technique is used to solve incremental iterative equations. Crack propagation is achieved by removing critically damaged elements. The mesh size sensitivity analysis and the simulation of the well known shearing mode failure in plane strain state are carried out to verify the present formulation. As numerical examples, an edge cracked plate and the specimen with a circular hole under plane stress are taken. Load-displacement curves and successively fractured shapes are shown. From the results, it can be concluded that the proposed model based on the local approach concept in the continuum damage mechanics may be stated as a reasonable tool to explain ductile fracture initiation and crack propagation.