Finite element approximation of a quasi-static model of rock detachment

We report on a numerical implementation of a quasi-static model of

rock detachment based on Allaire, Jouve and Van Goethem's

implementation of Francfort and Marigo's model of damage in brittle

solids, As such, local minimizers of a cost functional involving both

stored elastic energy and a damage penalization term are sought by

using a procedure which alternates between approximately solving a

linear elasticity system and advancing a transport equation for a

level set function describing the loci of still-attached rock. We pay

special attention to the mixed finite element method used in the

approximation of the linear elasticity system.