Non-thermal quenched damage phenomena: The application of the mean-field approach for the three-dimensional case

In this study, we apply the mean-field approach to the three-dimensional damage phenomena. The model approximates a solid as a polycrystalline material where grains are assumed isotropic. While the stiffness properties are considered homogeneous, the heterogeneous distribution of grains’ strengths provides the quenched statistical variability generating non-thermal fluctuations in the ensemble. Studying the statistical properties of the fluctuations, we introduce the concept of susceptibility of damage. Its divergence in the vicinity of the point of material failure can be treated as a catastrophe predictor. In accordance with this criterion, we find that damage growth in reality is much faster than it could be expected from intuitive engineering considerations. Also, we consider avalanches of grain failures and find that due to the slowing down effect the characteristic time of the relaxation processes diverges in the vicinity of the point of material failure.