Further Consideration of Progressively Fracturing Solids

Abstract

A material idealization in which degradation of stiffness leads to nonlinear behavior and strain softening is described. Such a model may have applications with materials such as nonwoven fabrics, rocks, concrete, etc. The theory is developed partly by analogy with the theory of hardening plasticity, and completed by establishing how the change of stiffness can be found for any given history of deformation. Examples are given with the idealization being used to obtain results for a two-dimensional, sheet-like, material subjected to a variety of deformation paths. These illustrate the principal features of the model including softening, strain induced anisotropy, and dilatancy.