Continuum Damage Mechanics Theory and Application-Part I: Theory

A systematic formulation for isotropic and anisotropic elasto-plastic analysis of static and dynamic damage mechanics problems based on the principle of thermodynamics is presented in this article. These formulations are developed by the combination of concepts between the internal energy dissipation and the damage elasto-plasticity energy potential in terms of a set of internal state variables for explanation of microstructural changes in damaged materials. The main studies in this article are related to isotropic and anisotropic elasto-plastic damage mechanics problems, as well as dynamics of damaged materials and structures. The theory of damage mechanics has also been extended to study the behaviour of isotropic and anisotropic damaged materials subjected to dynamic loading.