Bifurcation phenomena in cohesive crack propagation (original) (raw)

The ultimate behaviour of several materials, such as concrete, rocks, bricks, fibre-reinforced composites, is characterized by the localization of a non-linear zone within a very narrow band whilst the rest of the material retains its linear behaviour. The cohesive model describes this band by means of a fictitious crack carrying softening stresses which are decreasing functions of the displacement discontinuity. This oaoer describes an extension of such a model which enables the possible bifurcations of the e&ilibr&n-path to be detected and analysed.