The dynamics of a fibre-bundle-type model with equal load sharing rule is numerically studied. The system, formed by N elements, is driven by a slow increase of the load upon it which is removed in a novel way through internal transfers to the elements broken during avalanches. When an avalanche...

The possible parallelism existing between phase transitions and fracture in disordered materials is discussed using the well-known fiber bundle models and a probabilistic approach suited to smooth fluctuations near the critical point. Two limiting cases of load redistribution are analyzed: the...