Damage model for simulating cohesive fracture behavior of multi-phase composite materials

We propose a new damage model for simulating the cohesive fracture behavior of multi-phase composite materials such as concrete. The proposed model can evaluate the damage of the matrix-phase in composite materials using the volume fraction of the matrix within an element comprising the matrix and other materials. The damage model was first formulated for 1D problems and then extended to two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) problems using the equivalent strain based on the modified von-Mises criterion. The validity of the damage model was verified for 1D and 2D problems, and the model was also applied to the simulation of 3D cohesive crack growth in a heterogeneous solid with a large number of spherical inclusions. The results confirm that the proposed model allows the meshless finite element analysis of cohesive fracturing in composite materials.