Analysis of cylindrical cavity expansion in a strain weakening material

Abstract

A numerical technique is suggested that allows a prediction of the behaviour of a single phase, strain softening material during the expansion of a long cylindrical cavity. The method provides the entire pressure-expansion relationship, including the identification of the limit pressure at large deformations. The numerical solutions, obtained using the finite element technique and allowing for finite deformations, show very good agreement with closed form answers that are available for a restricted class of material models. Results are also presented for the more general, dilatant (or collapsing), strain softening materials for which closed form solutions do not exist. The importance of the rate of dilation and rate of softening in determining the behaviour during cavity expansion is illustrated.