An improved phase-field model incorporating the critical energy release rate for simulating damage evolution in cracked Brazilian disks under non-uniform compressive loading

Key Points

• Damage evolution is accurately predicted in cracked Brazilian disks under varying loading conditions.
• The analysis reveals a significant relationship between the critical energy release rate and damage progression.
• Phase-field model simulations were conducted to observe the effects of non-uniform compressive loading.
• Findings may enable better predictions of material failure in engineering applications.