From Fracture to Damage Mechanics: A behavior law for microcracked composites using the concept of Crack Opening Mode

Many studies have been carried out in order to build a coherent macroscopic behavior law for a composite containing microcracks. All of them are only partially coherent and none of them is complete. This study proposes a hyperelastic behavior law for a microcracked composite, respecting all the conditions associated with the damage activation/deactivation, stress/strain relation continuity, induced anisotropy and the Clausius–Duhem inequality. This approach is based on the definition of the Crack Opening Mode for Damage Mechanics as it exists in Fracture Mechanics.