Damage Modelling and Initiation of Defect

Fracture mechanics is generally not accurate to model the full scenario of degradation of solids under mechanical loading. In the preceding chapter, the evolution of cracks and damaged zones have been investigated. The initiation of a crack or a damage zone is to be investigate. Different approaches have been proposed. The model of graded damage material offers a different issue to this problem and unifies in the same framework the initiation of defect and its propagation.