On the use of J2 plasticity models for the simulation of 2D strong discontinuities in solids

The paper presents a kinematical mechanism to model the formation of a strong discontinuity as tile collapsed state of a strain-softening induced weak discontinuity (with a characteristic band-with) which propagates in tile solid domain. Conditions to induce bifurcation, keeping plastic lending at the discontinuous interface and elastic unloading st tile rest of the body, provide a critical value for the bandwidth at tile onset of tile weak discontinuity as well as its direction of propagation. Then tile evolution of the bandwidth to zero is imposed in terms of a stress-like variable thus characterizing the onset of the strong discontinuity Some numerical simulations illustrate tile proposed methodology which is compared with alternative approaches.