Strong Discontinuity Approach In Dynamic Fracture Simulations.

Abstract

A cohesive model for simulating dynamic fracture problems is proposed. The use of an embedded strong discontinuity finite element recently introduced by Sancho et al. [9] in the context of quasi-static fracture problems is followed. Two new ingredients of that model are added to extend the applicability of that formulation to dynamic fracture: a) the integration of the constitutive law by using the “implex” scheme determining a very robust procedure; b) the addition of a like-distributed damage law in a parallel direction to the principal crack allowing for the crack branching capture. The formulation is particularly apt to capture the most important features of the dynamic crack propagation problem, such as the crack tip velocity and the crack branching phenomena. In the final sections of the paper, it is shown some numerical applications of this phenomenon.