Abstract
The character of load distribution near cracks under the stochastic brittle-fracture evolution is studied by numerical simulation of 2D-problems with account for the damage accumulation and its interaction with macroscopic discontinuities. The load redistribution process is shown to be analogous to the random multiplicative cascade thus resulting in the multifractal character of a load distribution near the growing cracks. The type of material's stochasticity affects both the morphology of the fractures (their fractal dimension) and the f(α)-dependence.