Modelling and FE-simulation of plastic ductile damage evolution in plates and shells

Summary

 The present paper reports on modelling and numerical simulation of thin-walled structures close to failure taking into consideration the effects of both geometrical and physical nonlinearity. The approach accounts for finite displacements and rotations, and the material model adopted includes elastic–plastic behaviour, isotropic and kinematic hardening, and ductile damage. Particular attention is paid to the problems of localised damage, damage progression and final collapse of the structure. Numerical simulation of the nonlinear response of bars, plates and shells to quasistatic monotonic and variable loading illustrates how material damage affects the load-carrying behaviour of structural components.