9703000 Armero The project addresses the theoretical and numerical aspects involved in the localized failure of inelastic structural members. Response of inelastic solids results in deformation patterns characterized by a strong concentration of strains, leading to highly localized damage and fracture. Typical examples are shear bands in metals and soils, and localized plastic collapse of structural members. These phenomenon are characterized by their strong nonlinearity and by their non- smooth character. The mathematical basis as well as the finite element formulations that predict the formation of non-smooth solutions in inelastic directed models of structural mechanics are developed. An educational plan is instituted at the University of California, Berkeley emphasizing the theoretical soundness characteristics of mechanics and their relation to techniques in computational mechanics. ***
