Abstract
The description of damage nucleation in metals subjected to creep conditions, on the level of material structure, is proposed. In classical approach of mechanics it is achieved by introducing scalar (or tensorial) parameter called damage variable and postulating the phenomenological equation of its evolution. Such an approach has been successfully used in analysis of structures under different loading circumstances, giving rise to the formation of special branch of mechanics called “Continuum Damage Mechanics” (CDM). In spite of achieving numerous solutions to important technical problems, like estimation of the time to the appearance of first macroscopic defect, and further development of cracking process, this approach reflects neither physical process that is underlying macroscopically observed phenomena, nor material structure. In the present paper a multiscale approach is proposed by combining numerical solution on macroscopic level with microscopic behaviour of a particular material structure using Cellular Automata. The solutions of analyzed problems are compared with those obtained by means of CDM.