Kelvin decomposition and multiple effective stresses concept in anisotropic materials

The effective stress concept, now classical in continuum damage mechanics, is generalized to the case of an initial anisotropy. In order to be used for both damage–elasticity and damage–(visco-)plasticity coupling, the effective stress should not depend on the elastic properties. Kelvin decomposition of the elasticity tensor allows to define such a stress for isotropic and cubic symmetries. For other material symme- tries, the concept of multiple effective stresses is proposed.