Strain- and stress-based continuum damage models. I. Formulation (Q1097099)

Continuum elastoplastic damage models employing irreversible thermodynamics and internal state variables are developed within two alternative dual frameworks. In a strain [stress]-based formulation, damage is characterized through the effective stress [strain] concept together with the hypothesis of strain [stress] equivalence, and plastic flow is introduced by means of an additive split of the stress [strain] tensor. In a strain-based formulation we redefine the equivalent strain, usually defined as the \(J_ 2\)-norm of the strain tensor, as the (undamaged) energy norm of the strain tensor. In a stress-based approach we employ the complementary energy norm of the stress tensor. These thermodynamically motivated definitions result, for ductile damage, in symmetric elastic-damage moduli. For brittle damage, a simple strain- based anisotropic characterization of damage is proposed that can predict crack development parallel to the axis of loading (splitting mode). The strain- and stress-based frameworks lead to dual but not equivalent formulations, neither physically nor computationally. A viscous regularization of strain-based, rate-independent damage models is also developed, with a structure analogous to viscoplasticity of the Perzyna type, which produces retardation of microcrack growth at higher strain rates. This regularization leads to well-posed initial value problems. Application is made to the cap model with an isotropic strainbased damage mechanism. Comparisons with experimental results and numerical simulations are undertaken in Part II of this work.