Configurational forces - morphology evolution and finite elements

A brief introduction into the theory of configurational forces is presented and two possible applications of the theory are discussed. The first application is microstructure evolution in two-phase materials. In an inclusion problem the driving force on the interface is interpreted in the context of configurational forces. The knowledge of the driving force allows the treatment of microstructure evolution and equilibrium morphologies. The second application deals with configurational forces in the framework of the Finite Element Method. The calculation of configurational forces induced by the numerical method is discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.