Phase-field damage modelling of high-strength steel failure: Numerical and experimental validation

Phase-field damage modelling (PFDM) has emerged as an effective framework for simulating a material degradation and failure processes due to its ability to predict the evolution of damage. In this study, a 2D axisymmetric PFDM formulation is verified in PAK-DAM FEM software through comparison with 3D solid model for benchmark example from the literature. After that, 2D axisymmetric FE model is used for a comparison with experimental tensile tests of high-strength S1100QL steel. The finite element model is developed using 2D axisymmetric elements, incorporating large-strain von Mises plasticity with a logarithmic strain constitutive model. The FE mesh consists of 970 elements and 1078 nodes, with boundary and loading conditions defined to replicate the experimental setup. A comparison of stress-strain response obtained from numerical simulations and experimental measurements shows good agreement, confirming the capability of the proposed PFDM approach to accurately reproduce the tensile behaviour of metallic materials such as S1100QL steel.