Some remarks on the variational description of microcracked bodies

The natural minimum energy problem of the statics of a body with free discontinuities, given by a microcrack system, is replaced by a more rough two-field minimum problem on a domain without discontinuities. Equations of motion, in agreement with the classical multifield theory, are deduced for a degree one theory both in static and dynamic cases. Moreover, entropy requirements useful to describe the dissipative behavior are discussed. Brittle materials are considered.