Configurational Mechanics and Critical Plane Approach: Concept and application to fatigue failure analysis of rubberlike materials

From an engineering viewpoint, life time estimation of industrial rubber parts in service is a critical issue. To this end, the present paper outlines recent development and prospect in the application of the Configurational Mechanics, i.e. mechanics of continua expressed intrinsically in the material manifold, and the Critical Plane Approach, entirely formulated in the deformed configuration of the body, to fatigue failure analysis of rubberlike materials. The efficiency of both approaches is discussed and assessed by means of experimental data previously published in the literature.