Cracking particles: a simplified meshfree method for arbitrary evolving cracks

TLDR

The study introduces a meshfree method for modelling discrete cracks. Crack growth is represented by activating crack surfaces at individual particles, with local enrichment of test and trial functions using a sign function to create discontinuities as cylindrical planes in three dimensions or lines in two dimensions, eliminating the need for crack topology representation. The method was applied to several two‑dimensional problems and shown to agree with experimental data. © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

Abstract A new approach for modelling discrete cracks in meshfree methods is described. In this method, the crack can be arbitrarily oriented, but its growth is represented discretely by activation of crack surfaces at individual particles, so no representation of the crack's topology is needed. The crack is modelled by a local enrichment of the test and trial functions with a sign function (a variant of the Heaviside step function), so that the discontinuities are along the direction of the crack. The discontinuity consists of cylindrical planes centred at the particles in three dimensions, lines centred at the particles in two dimensions. The model is applied to several 2D problems and compared to experimental data. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.