From rate-dependent to rate-independent brittle crack propagation (Q849265)

The paper presents a mathematical study of experimental results considering the geometries of the ``single edge notch tension'' (SENT) and the ``compact tension'' (ASTM-CT) in the framework of transition from a rate-dependent crack propagation of Griffith type to a rate-independent one. First, preliminary and basic assumptions of the problems are formulated including the geometrical setting and the main parameters and laws. Then the existence, uniqueness and regularity of the results, based on the evolution law, described by a (doubly nonlinear) differential inclusion, are discussed. In the case of a strictly increasing (in its proper domain) viscosity parameter, \(\Phi\), the author considers the energy balance and states an equivalent incremental variational approach with stable and unstable points. In the case, where \(\Phi\) is only non-decreasing, a larger class of dissipation potentials is considered, closer to those used in the physical literature. The loss of regularity in this case leads to a discontinuity (the velocity gap) in the speed of the tip which may occur for incipient crack propagation. The transition from the rate-dependent crack propagation to the rate-independent one is carried out by means of a suitable time rescaling, considering the case of \(\Phi\) strictly increasing. Here, the author states two interesting features: (i) a strong loss of regularity occurs since the solutions are only BV functions, therefore they can have discontinuity points, characterized mathematically in terms of unstable (or catastrophic) evolutions; as a result, the evolution law itself takes a completely different form, written in terms of Kuhn-Tucker conditions (in the sense of measures); (ii) the energy balance presents an extra source of dissipation concentrated at the discontinuity points and not included in Griffith's law; by time rescaling this amount of energy corresponds exactly to the energy dissipated in the purely rate-dependent source of dissipation (i.e. by microcracking). Moreover, the author gives an application of the variational approach in the rate-independent framework. Finally, explicit numerical examples for the SENT and ASTM-CT geometries are discussed. Basic results on the regularity of the energy release rate are given in an appendix.