Dynamic analysis of fixed cracks in composites by the extended finite element method

This paper is dedicated to simulation of dynamic analysis of fixed cracks in orthotropic media using an extended finite element method. This work is in fact an extension to dynamic problems of the recently developed orthotropic extended finite element method for fracture analysis of composites. In this method, the Heaviside and near-tip enrichment functions are used in the framework of the partition of unity for modeling crack discontinuity and crack-tip singularities within the classical finite element method. In this procedure, elements that include a crack are not required to conform to crack edges. Therefore, mesh generation can be performed without any need to comply to crack edges and the method is capable of modeling the crack propagation without any remeshing. To determine the fracture properties, mixed-mode dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIFs) are evaluated by means of domain separation integral (J^′-integral) method. Results of the proposed method are compared with other available analytical and computational results.