A phase-field damage model based on evolving microstructure

In this paper we discuss a damage model that is based on microstructure evolution. In the context of evolutionary Γ-convergence we derive a corresponding effective macroscopic model. In this model, the damage state of a given material point is related to a unit cell problem incorporating a specific microscopic defect. The size and shape of this underlying microscopic defect is determined by the evolution. According to the small intrinsic length scale inherent to the original models a numerical simulation of damage progression in a device of realistic size is hopeless. Due to the scale separation in the effective model, its numerical treatment seems promising.