In this theses the high strength steel Docol 600DP and the ultra high strength steel Docol 1200M are studied. Constitutive laws and failure models are calibrated and veried by the use of experiments and numerical simulations. For the constitutive equations, an eight parameter high exponent yield surface has been adopted, representing the anisotropic behaviour, and a mixed isotropic-kinematic hardening has been used to capture non-linear strain paths.

For ductile sheet metals three dierent failure phenomena have been observed: (i) ductile fracture, (ii) shear fracture, and (iii) instability with localised necking. The models for describing the dierent failure types have been chosen with an attempt to use just a few tests in addition to these used for the constitutive model. In this work the ductile and shear fracture have been prescribed by models presented by Cockroft-Latham and Bressan-Williams, respectively. The instability phenomenon is described by the constitutive law and the nite element models. The results obtained are in general in good agreement with test results.

The thesis is divided into two main parts. The background, theoretical framework, mechanical experiments and nite element models are presented in the rst part. In the second part, two papers are appended.

Developments in computer-aided engineering and the rapid growth of computational power have made simulation-driven process and product development efficient and useful since it enables detailed evaluation of product designs and their manufacturing processes. In the context of a sheet metal component, it is vital to predict possible failure both during its forming process and its subsequent usage. Accurate numerical models are needed in order to obtain trustworthy simulation results. Furthermore, the increasing demands imposed on improved weight-to-performance ratio for many products endorse the use of high-strength steels. These steels often show anisotropic behaviour and more complex hardening and fracturing compared to conventional steels. Consequently, demand for research on material and failure models suitable for these steels has increased.

In this work, the mechanical and fracture behaviour of two high-strength steels, Docol 600DP and Docol 1200M, have been studied under various deformation processes. Experimental results have been used both for material characterisation and for calibration of fracture criteria. One major requirement as concerns the fracture criteria studied is that they should be simple to apply in industrial applications, i.e. it should be possible to easily calibrate the fracture criteria in simple mechanical experiments and they should be efficient and accurate. Consequently, un-coupled phenomenological damage models have been the main focus throughout this work.

Detailed finite element models including accurate constitutive laws have be used to predict and capture material instabilities. Most of the fracture criteria studied are modifications of the plastic work to fracture. Ductile tensile and ductile shear types of fracture are of particular interest in sheet metal applications. For these fractures the modification of the plastic work relates to void coalescence and void collapse, respectively. Anisotropy in fracture behaviour can be captured by the introduction of a material directional function.

The dissertation consists of two parts. The first part contains theory and background. The second consists of five papers.