Failure and scaling properties of a softening interface connected to an elastic block

摘要

The damage growth in a softening interfaceconnected to an elastic block is analysed. The elastic block,assumed to be infinite, is modelled as a two-dimensionalcontinuum and the interface is one-dimensional with aconstitutive response which follows a scalar damage model. Thesolution technique is based on the equilibrium of the interfacialforces resulting from the deformation of the elastic block andfrom the interface constitutive response. The interface failureprocess is compared to that of a hierarchical model which wasobtained analytically (Delaplace et al., 1998). The two are foundto be similar, without an internal length scaling the distributionof damage at the inception of macro-cracking. Finally, scaleeffects on the occurrence of bifurcation and instability areconsidered. It is shown that bifurcation may occur prior to orafter the limit point under displacement control, depending on theelastic block height or stiffness.