Assessment of structural damage and failure

Summary

 In the present-day solid mechanics research damage is treated predominantly on material point level, in constitutive laws, wherein it is formulated for further treatment in boundary value problems of continuum damage mechanics. Damage of a particular structure, on the other hand, is primarily observed on a structural level. Damage effects on structural safety and residual lifetime are most likely recognized here. Accumulation of structural damage over a certain limit is usually considered as a primary source of structural failure.

The scope of the present paper is damage on structural level. Thus, it investigates first in which process variables of a nonlinear structural response damage can be identified best. It further elucidates recognizable properties of damage phenomena on structural level, and then introduces a new damage indicator suitable for a large variety of structural damage and deterioration processes. The paper illuminates the benefits and limits of the proposed description. Finally, it demonstrates the applicability of this new damage indicator by means of two examples: a reinforced concrete plate and a large cooling tower shell.