A Mesomechanical Model for Brittle Deformation Processes: Part I

The discussion centers on the formulation of a constitutive model for brittle solids satisfying two conflicting requirements: simplicity and accuracy. Owing to the inherent complexity oif the problem, stemming from the random distribution of interacting defects, analytical expressions relating macrofields are possible only under some restrictive conditions emphasizing modest levels of defect concentrations.