Description
The problem of the solid fracture has occupied scientists and engineers for centuries. This phenomenon is classically addressed within the framework of continuum mechanics. Still, stress enhancement at crack tips makes the failure behavior observed at the continuum-level scale extremely dependent on the presence of microstructure inhomogeneities down to very small scales. This yields statistical aspects which, by essence, cannot be addressed using the conventional engineering continuum approaches. We addressed the problem numerically. The simulations invoke a recent statistical model mapping heterogeneous fracture with the depinning transition of an elastic manifold in a random potential. The numerical exploration of the parameter space (i.e., which loading conditions, microstructure material parameters, material constants and so on) allowed us to unravel when regular dynamics compatible with continuum approaches are expected to be observed and when crackling dynamics calling for statistical approaches are observed. In this latter case, we have characterized quantitatively the dynamics statistic and its variations as a function of the input parameters.
Recommended Citation
Bares, J., & Bonamy, D. (2014). Failure of brittle heterogeneous materials: intermittency or continuum regime. In A. Bajaj, P. Zavattieri, M. Koslowski, & T. Siegmund (Eds.). Proceedings of the Society of Engineering Science 51st Annual Technical Meeting, October 1-3, 2014 , West Lafayette: Purdue University Libraries Scholarly Publishing Services, 2014. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/ses2014/mss/cfm/4
Failure of brittle heterogeneous materials: intermittency or continuum regime
The problem of the solid fracture has occupied scientists and engineers for centuries. This phenomenon is classically addressed within the framework of continuum mechanics. Still, stress enhancement at crack tips makes the failure behavior observed at the continuum-level scale extremely dependent on the presence of microstructure inhomogeneities down to very small scales. This yields statistical aspects which, by essence, cannot be addressed using the conventional engineering continuum approaches. We addressed the problem numerically. The simulations invoke a recent statistical model mapping heterogeneous fracture with the depinning transition of an elastic manifold in a random potential. The numerical exploration of the parameter space (i.e., which loading conditions, microstructure material parameters, material constants and so on) allowed us to unravel when regular dynamics compatible with continuum approaches are expected to be observed and when crackling dynamics calling for statistical approaches are observed. In this latter case, we have characterized quantitatively the dynamics statistic and its variations as a function of the input parameters.