Constitutive and damage evolution equations of elastic-brittle materials based on irreversible thermodynamics (Q1371221)

The irreversible thermodynamic theory of constitutive and damage evolution equations for elastic-brittle damage materials is developed by employing a second rank symmetric damage tensor in order to describe the state of anisotropic damage. The Helmholtz free energy is represented in terms of the modified elastic strain tensor to investigate the anisotropic and unilateral effects. The authors use the resulting theory to study the anisotropic and unilateral elastic damage behavior, and the change in elastic moduli in a high-strength concrete under uniaxial monotonic tension and compression as well as under non-proportional combined axial-shear loading. The damage surfaces in the axial-shear and biaxial stress spaces are also discussed.