DAMAGE MECHANICS MODELS FOR BRITTLE MICROCRACKING SOLIDS BASED ON 3-DIMENSIONAL MESOSCOPIC SIMULATIONS

Fracture behaviors of brittle polycrystalline solids such as ceramic m aterials are deeply related to microcracking. Continuum damage mechani cs is considered a powerful theoretical framework to deal with brittle microcracking solids. However, it is fairly difficult to obtain analy tically, as well as experimentally, evolution equations for microcrack ing and reduced elastic compliances of microcracked solids. In the pre sent study, a three-dimensional mesoscopic simulation method using a d iscontinuum mechanics model is employed to obtain this information. Ba sed on the results of mesoscopic simulations, improved damage mechanic s models assuming anisotropy as well as isotropy are proposed. Some nu merical studies have been conducted to confirm their validities.