Numerical modeling of damage accumulation under complex plastic deformation

Within the framework of the mechanics of defective materials (MDM), a mathematical model describing fatigue damage accumulation in structural materials (metals and their alloys) under multi-axial non-proportional (combined thermal and force) loading paths is developed. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of the constitutive relations are made by analyzing the deformation trajectory that reflects the fatigue life of metals. It is shown that the proposed constitutive MDM-relations adequately (qualitatively and quantitatively) describe the main effects of elasto-plastic deformation and damage accumulation in structural materials for the arbitrary trajectories of deformation.