Ice failure simulation - Softening material model

A finite element program for ice-structure interaction simulation is under development. In the program the contact force decrease due to the failure of ice-material is obtained by using a strain softening material model and this paper presents some numerical aspects of it. Elastic behavior is assumed to be linear and isotropic. Ice failure stress state and material softening after failure is described with the viscoplastic Drucker-Prager type material model. To reduce mesh dependency problems in strain softening regime, viscoplastic model of Perzyna type has been adopted