Coupling local and non-local damage evolutions with the Thick Level Set model

It is well known that damage evolution models requires a length to avoid spurious localization. We gather these type of models under the name “non-local damage models”. In fact, non-locality is strictly needed only when the stress-strain curve starts to have a negative slope. Before this point, local models may be used. For instance, when damage exhibits some hardening, the stress-strain curve may be growing for quite some time before a peak point is reached.