Vers une théorie énergétique de la rupture fragile

The drawbacks of the classical theory of brittle fracture, based on Griffith's criterion – a notion of critical energy release rate –, and a fracture toughness k, are numerous (think for instance the issue of crack initiation) and penalize its validity as a good model. Are all attempts at building a macroscopic theory of fracture doomed? The variety and complexity of micromechanical phenomena would suggest that this is indeed the case. We believe however that structural effects still preside over fracture and consequently propose to modify slightly Griffith theory without altering its fundamental components so that it becomes amenable to the widest range of situations. The examples presented here will demonstrate that a revisited energetic framework is a sound basis for a theory which can be used at the engineering level and which reconciles seemingly contradictory viewpoints. To cite this article: G. Francfort, J.-J. Marigo, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 225–233.