Creep-damage predictions in thin-walled structures by use of isotropic and anisotropic damage models

Two typical material models describing isotropic and anisotropic creep-damage processes in metals and alloys are applied to the simulation of the mechanical behaviour of transversely loaded thin plates. Numerical solutions of the initial boundary value problem have been obtained by use of both the solid- and the shell-type finite elements. The simulation results for a rectangular plate show the sensitivity of long-term predictions to the material models, the element types as well as the boundary conditions. The influence of these factors on the creep lifetime predictions is discussed.