Displaying quasi-brittle failure using avalanches: paper as a material model

Abstract This article aims to discuss and complete the avalanche representations of the failure process of quasi-brittle materials. Paper was used as a model material. We proposed an original method to determine avalanches extracted directly from the force drops in the post-peak regime of experimental force-displacement curves. We studied the avalanche distributions on notched and unnotched samples, taking into account the measurement noise. From these experimental tests, a two regimes power-law in the avalanche distribution was observed during the propagation of a macrocrack, that was consistent with other avalanche distributions based on other methods and other materials in literature. A single power-law was found for a diffuse damage (without a significant macrocrack propagation) using the Mazars’ damage model. Our results showed that the post-peak regime of tensile curves contained the statistical signature of the propagation of a macrocrack during the rupture of paper.