Damage models for studying ductile matrix failure in composites

The contribution aims at assessing different computational models for their capabilities in describing the initiation and growth of ductile cracks in inhomogencous materials at the constituent level. The main emphasis is put on the ductile damage models of Gurson and Rousselier and on a ductile damage indicator triggered model. The models were implemented via user subroutines into the finite element code ABAQUS/Standard, a nonlocal approach being used to overcome their well-known mesh-dependence. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.