A mechanical model for damageable elasto-plastic bars

A thermodynamically consistent mechanical model for damageable elasto-plastic materials is proposed. The governing equations are obtained within the framework of a microstructure theory since an scalar variable, β, (called cohesion variable and related with the links between material points) is introduced as an additional kinematic variable. The constitutive equations are developed within a thermodynamic framework, taking the cohesion variable β and also its gradient ∇ β, as state variables. This model leads to an adequate description of the softening behavior due to the degradation of the microstructure. (author). 9 refs., 4 figs