Size effect and asymptotic matching analysis of fracture of closed-cell polymeric foam (Q1434677)

The paper deals with a closed-cell vinyl foam. In classical works, the failure of this material in tension or compression was usually described as ductile, involving a yield plateau followed by locking, and failure criteria expressed in terms of stresses were used. This kind of failure cannot exhibit size effect. In this paper two types of size effect are considered -- type I, characterizing failure of structures with large cracks or notches, and type II, characterizing failure at crack initiation. Moreover, the size effect of type I is analyzed using an eigenvalue method for cohesive crack model, and the numerical results are shown to agree both with Bažant's size effect law and with test results.