Numerical simulations of localization of deformation in quasi-brittle materials within non-local softening plasticity

The paper presents results of FE-calculations on shear localizations in quasi-brittle materials during both an uniaxial plane strain compression and uniaxial plane strain extension. An elasto-plastic model with a linear Drucker-Prager type criterion using isotropic hardening and softening and non-associated flow rule was used. A non-local extension was applied in a softening regime to capture realistically shear localization and to obtain a well-posed boundary value problem. A characteristic length was incorporated via a weighting function. Attention was focused on the effect of mesh size, mesh alignment, non-local parameter and imperfections on the thickness and inclination of shear localization. Different methods to calculate plastic strain rates were carefully discussed.