Notion of Continuum Damage Mechanics and its Application to Anisotropic Creep Damage Theory

After discussing the notion and the practical procedures of continuum damage mechanics, their utility is elucidated by applying them to formulate an anisotropic creep damage theory for nonsteady multiaxial states of stress. By taking account of the mechanisms of microstructural change of materials due to creep, it is shown that the creep damage state can be described by a second rank symmetric damage tensor, while the effects of material damage on creep deformation of damaged materials should be expressed by a fourth rank tensor formed from the damage tensor. Validity of the creep theory formulated in terms of these damage variables is examined by performing model tests. Specialization of the proposed theory is also discussed.