Efficient gradient enhancements for plasticity with ductile damage in the logarithmic strain space

Abstract

We contrast different gradient-enhancements for plasticity-damage material models in the logarithmic strain space and compare them to reference models based on multiplicative plasticity. The models being compared include plasticity - gradient-damage, where the gradient-enhancement is applied on the local damage variable, and gradient-plasticity - damage with a gradient-enhanced plastic hardening variable. Thereby, gradient-plasticity proved to be able to simultaneously regularise plastic and ductile (plasticity-driven) damage localisation as confirmed by numerical localisation analyses. This appears to be especially advantageous for logarithmic strain space plasticity-damage, because of the observed plastic localisation even for the case of plasticity with hardening. Even though gradient-plasticity appears to be numerically more demanding, two numerical examples indicate a good robustness and mesh objectivity in the softening regime. Moreover, the internal length for plasticity is able to adjust the damage zone width, similarly to gradient-damage, however ensuring a priori that damage takes place exclusively inside the plastic zone.