A visco-damage model for brittle materials under monotonic and sustained stresses

A theoretical model is proposed to describe the evolution of damage in brittle materials, such as concrete and masonry, subjected to increasing or sustained stresses of relatively high intensity. The model is based on the introduction of suitable damage variables in a rheological model. In this way, it is possible to describe the material behaviour under stresses either increasing or constant in time. The capabilities of the model in describing the mechanical response of material elements subjected to different stress histories are illustrated. Some correlations with experimental data from tests performed on masonry and concrete specimens are presented, to assess the reliability of the theoretical predictions. The results of some numerical applications to non-proportional stress paths are also illustrated. Finally, the limitations of the proposal are discussed and possible further improvements are envisaged.