A heuristic approach to microcracking and fracture for ceramics with statistical consideration

Microcracking damage and toughening are examined for ceramics. These effects have been found to depend on the material microstructure and macrocrack growth. Isotropic damage, attributed to random distribution of microcrack location, length and orientation can be associated with a disordered microstructure and a non-uniform residual stress field. When the applied stress is the main cause of cracking, the microcrack distribution is no longer random such as a system of quasi-parallel cracks. To highlight the effect of crack interaction, discrete models are advanced where damage is simulated by a distribution of microcracks. The dilute concentration assumption is invoked to simplify the analysis.The two-dimensional discrete model is based on a phenomenological approach that is statistical in character. Interactions of microcracks and with a macrocrack are considered by means of a boundary element technique (A. Brencich, A. Carpinteri, Int. J. Fracture 76 (1996) 373–389; A. Brencich, A. Carpinteri, Eng. Fract. Mech. 59 (1998) 797–814) where both isotropic and anisotropic damage could be treated. Comparisons with other results are made to show that the model can be applied to analyse the fracture behaviour of different materials.