Limits of isotropic damage models for complex load paths -- beyond stress triaxiality and Lode angle parameter

TL;DR

This paper investigates the limitations of using stress triaxiality and Lode angle as the sole parameters for damage prediction in complex load paths, highlighting the need for additional factors like equivalent plastic strain.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the traditional stress invariants are insufficient for damage prediction under complex loading conditions, emphasizing the importance of considering additional parameters.

Findings

Stress triaxiality and Lode angle alone cannot fully predict damage evolution.

Adding equivalent plastic strain does not resolve the ambiguity in damage state.

Damage models need to incorporate more complex parameters for accurate predictions.

Abstract

The stress triaxiality and the Lode angle parameter are two well established stress invariants for the characterization of damage evolution. This work assesses the limits of this tuple by using it for damage predictions in a continuum damage mechanics framework. Isotropic and anisotropic formulations of two well-established models are used to avoid model-specific restrictions. The damage evolution is analyzed for different load paths, while the stress triaxiality and the Lode angle parameter are controlled. The equivalent plastic strain is moreover added as a third parameter, but still does not suffice to uniquely define the damage state. As a consequence, well-established concepts such as fracture surfaces depending on this triple have to be taken with care, if complex paths are to be investgated. These include, e.g., load paths observed during metal forming applications with varying load directions or multiple stages.