Boundary integral equation fracture mechanics analysis of plane orthotropic bodies

In this paper, a quick and efficient means of determining stress intensity factors, K _I and K _II, for cracks in generally orthotropic elastic bodies is presented using the numerical boundary integral equation (BIE) method. It is based on the use of quarter-point singular crack-tip elements in the quadratic isoparametric element formulation, similar to those commonly employed in the BIE fracture mechanics studies in isotropic elasticity. Analytical expressions which enable K _Iand K _II to be obtained directly from the BIE computed crack-tip nodal traction, or from the computed nodal displacements, of these elements are derived. Numerical results for a number of test problems are compared with those established in the literature. They are accurate even when only a very modest number of boundary elements are used.     

Interactions between inclusions and various types of cracks

The problems of a crack inside, outside, penetrating or lying along the interface of an anisotropic elliptical inclusion are considered in this paper. Because the crack may be represented by a distribution of dislocation, integrating the analytical solutions of dislocation problems along the crack and applying the technique of numerical solution on the singular integral equation, we can obtain the general solutions to the problems of interactions between cracks and anisotropic elliptical inclusions. Since there are no analytical solutions existing for the general cases of interactions between cracks and inclusions, the comparison is made with the numerical results obtained by other methods or with the analytical results for the special cases which can be reduced from the present problems. These results show that our solutions are correct and universal     

Application of an elastoplastic boundary-element method to some fracture-mechanics problems

The boundary-integral equation (BIE) method for 3D elastic fracture mechanics has been extended to the elastoplastic problem. The formulation makes use of a special elastic Green's function for the crack, thereby eliminating the need to model the crack itself. Application of the general formulation is made to problems of localized or limited plasticity. Such problems occur through the local yield of stress concentrations, together with the plastic field of the crack tip. In these problems, the elastic stress intensity factor still provides a useful characterization for cyclic-crack-growth predictions. This paper reports on an accurate and efficient calculation procedure for crack-tip stress intensity factors for cracks in welds and prestressed bolt holes, where uncracked plastic strains are important. The use of the new algorithm for crack-tip plasticity modeling is explored for small- and large-scale plasticity conditions.     

Interaction between an interface crack and a parallel subinterface crack in dissimilar anisotropic composite materials

In this paper, the pseudo-traction method is combined with the edge-dislocation method (i.e. PTDM) to solve the interaction problem between an interface crack and a parallel subinterface crack in dissimilar anisotropic materials. After deriving the fundamental solutions for an interface crack loaded by normal or tangential tractions on both crack surfaces and the fundamental solutions for an edge dislocation beneath the interface in the lower anisotropic material, the interaction problem is reduced to a system of a singular integral equations by adopting the well-known superposition technique. The equations are then solved numerically with the aid of the Chebyshev numerical integration and the Chebyshev polynomial expansion technique. Several typical examples are calculated and numerical results are shown in figures and tables from which a series of valuable conclusions is obtained. Since the present results should be verified and since no previous results exist to compare them with a consistency check in introduced which starts from the conservation law of the J-integral in anisotropic cases. It is shown that the check provides a powerful tool to examine the results, although it really presents a necessary condition rather than a sufficient way to the crack-tip parameters of the interface crack and the subinterface crack in the dissimilar anisotropic materials.     

Hybrid finite element analysis of transient thermoelastic fracture problems subjected to general heat transfer conditions

This paper presents the singular characteristics of heat flux in the vicinity of the crack-tip for two dimensional transient thermoelastic fracture problems subjected to general heat transfer conditions at crack surfaces. Based on a restricted variational principle, a rigorous hybrid finite element procedure is then developed to perfectly describe the singularities of heat flux and thermal stress induced at the crack-tip. For verification purposes, the examples of transient thermoelastic problems with insulated crack surfaces are first analyzed. Excellent agreements between the computed results and referenced solutions can be drawn. To evaluate the influence of heat convection and radiation on the computation of temperature distributions and thermal stress intensity factors, several numerical examples are also presented.     

Treatment of bimaterial interface crack problems using the boundary element method

Quadratic quarter-point crack-tip elements are introduced in the two-dimensional boundary element analysis of problems in which a crack lies along the interface of dissimilar elastic materials. Such problems present some modelling difficulties using conventional procedures because the stresses are oscillatorily singular in the neighbourhood of the crack-tip. Analytical expressions relating the stress intensity factor to the computed displacements of the crack-tip element or to the computed crack-tip nodal tractions are derived and their veracity demonstrated with some examples. Numerical results, compared with exact solutions where possible, are accurate even with relatively coarse mesh designs.     

Interaction effect of stress intensity factors for any number of collinear interface cracks

In this study, the stress intensity factors for any number of interface cracks are calculated for various spacings, elastic constants and number of cracks and the interaction effect of interface cracks is discussed. The problem is formulated as a system of singular integral equations on the basis of the body force method. In the numerical analysis, the unknown functions of the body force densities which satisfy the boundary conditions are expressed by the products of fundamental density functions and power series. Here, the fundamental density functions are chosen to express the stress field due to a single interface crack exactly. The accuracy of the present analysis is verified by comparing the present results with the results obtained by other researchers and examining the compliance with boundary conditions. The calculation shows that the present method gives rapidly converging numerical results for those problems as well as ordinary crack problems in homogeneous materials. The interaction effect of interface crack appears in a similar way to ordinary collinear cracks having the same geometrical condition and the maximum stress intensity factor is shown to be linearly related to the reciprocal of number of interface cracks. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An analysis of interface cracks between dissimilar isotropic materials using conservation integrals in elasticity

A new method of analysis is presented for studying the mixed-mode interface crack between dissimilar isotropic materials. The method of approach is formulated on the basis of recently developed conservation laws in elasticity for nonhomogeneous solids and fundamental relationships in fracture mechanics of interface cracks. A solution procedure for the analysis is established and shown to be computationally efficient and operationally simple, involving only known auxiliary solutions and evaluation of conservation integrals along a path removed from the crack tip. An important feature of the present approach is that the crack-tip stress intensity factor solution for each individual fracture mode can be determined accurately and -conveniently by information extracted in the far field. Numerical examples, whose solutions are available in the literature, are presented to demonstrate the accuracy, convergence, and related characteristics of the current approach.     

A FINITE ELEMENT TECHNIQUE TO SIMULATE THE STABLE SHAPE EVOLUTION OF PLANAR CRACKS WITH AN APPLICATION TO A SEMI-ELLIPTICAL SURFACE CRACK IN A BIMATERIAL FINITE SOLID

This paper describes a numerical procedure to model the crack front evolution of initially arbitrary shaped planar cracks in a three-dimensional solid. The influence of a bimaterial interface on the fracture path of a semi-elliptical surface crack in a three-dimensional structure is examined. The analysis is based on the assumption that fracture is controlled by small-scale yielding and linear elastic fracture mechanics. The finite element method and the crack-tip contour J-integral in a volume domain representation are utilized to calculate the crack front energy release rate. The computed values of the energy release rate are used with a crack-tip velocity growth law to model crack growth increment. The progress of the crack growth evolution is brought forward by successive iterations. Examples of computed crack evolution are given for an embedded circular crack, a semi-elliptical surface crack in a finite plate, and a configuration that defines an isotropic homogeneous material layer with a surface crack located between two material layers. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved numerical method for the Traction Boundary Integral Equation by application of Stokes' theorem

This paper concerns the direct numerical evaluation of singular integrals arising in Boundary Integral Equations for displacement (BIE) and displacement gradients (BIDE), and the formulation of a Traction Boundary Integral Equation (TBIE) for solving general elastostatic crack problems. Subject to certain continuity conditions concerning displacements and tractions at the source point, singular integrals in the BIE and the BIDE corresponding to coefficients of displacement and displacement gradients at the source point are shown to be of a form that allows application of Stokes' theorem. All the singular integrals in 3-D BIE and BIDE are reduced to non-singular line integrals, and those in 2-D BIE and BIDE are evaluated in closed form. Remaining terms involve regular integrals, and no references to Cauchy or Hadamard principal values are required. Continuous isoparametric interpolations used on continuous elements local to the source point are modified to include unique displacement gradients at the source point which are compatible with all local tractions. The resulting numerical BIDE is valid for source points located arbitrarily on the boundary, including corners, and a procedure is given for constructing a TBIE from the BIDE. Some example solutions obtained using the present numerical method for the TBIE in 2-D and 3-D are presented. © British Crown Copyright 1997/DERA.     

含曲线裂纹柱体扭转问题的新边界元法

研究了带曲线裂纹柱体的扭转断裂问题,推导出了可以直接应用于任意形状截面含有任意形状曲线裂纹的柱体扭转问题的新的边界积分方程,并建立了带裂纹柱体扭转问题的边界元数值计算方法,提出了裂纹尖端的奇异元和线性元插值模型,给出了抗扭刚度和应力强度因子的边界元计算公式。该文对含有圆弧裂纹、曲线裂纹及直线裂纹的不同截面形状柱体的典型问题进行了数值计算,所得结果证明了边界元方法的正确性和有效性。     

Traction BIE solutions for flat cracks

The paper deals with the numerical solution techniques for the traction boundary integral equation (BIE), which describes the opening (and sliding) displacements of the surface of the traction loaded crack or arbitrary planform embedded in an elastic infinite body (buried crack problem). The traction BIE is a singular integral equation of the first kind for the displacement gradients. Its solution poses a number of numerical problems, such as the presence of derivatives of the unknown function in the integral equation, the modeling of the crack front displacement gradient singularity, and the regularization of the equation's singular kernels. All of the above problems have been addressed and solved. Details of the algorithm are provided. Numerical results of a number of crack configurations are presented, demonstrating high accuracy of the method.     

Boundary element‐free method for fracture analysis of 2‐D anisotropic piezoelectric solids

This paper considers a 2‐D fracture analysis of anisotropic piezoelectric solids by a boundary element‐free method. A traction boundary integral equation (BIE) that only involves the singular terms of order 1/r is first derived using integration by parts. New variables, namely, the tangential derivative of the extended displacement (the extended displacement density) for the general boundary and the tangential derivative of the extended crack opening displacement (the extended displacement dislocation density), are introduced to the equation so that solution to curved crack problems is possible. This resulted equation can be directly applied to general boundary and crack surface, and no separate treatments are necessary for the upper and lower surfaces of the crack. The extended displacement dislocation densities on the crack surface are expressed as the product of the characteristic terms and unknown weight functions, and the unknown weight functions are modelled using the moving least‐squares (MLS) approximation. The numerical scheme of the boundary element‐free method is established, and an effective numerical procedure is adopted to evaluate the singular integrals. The extended ‘stress intensity factors’ (SIFs) are computed for some selected example problems that contain straight or curved cracks, and good numerical results are obtained. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analyzing interaction between coplanar square cracks using an efficient boundary element‐free method

This paper examines the interaction between coplanar square cracks by combining the moving least‐squares (MLS) approximation and the derived boundary integral equation (BIE). A new traction BIE involving only the Cauchy singular kernels is derived by applying integration by parts to the traditional boundary integral formulation. The new traction BIE can be directly applied to a crack surface and no displacement BIE is necessary because all crack boundary conditions (both upper and lower ones) are incorporated. A boundary element‐free method is then developed by combining the derived BIE and MLS approximation, in which the crack opening displacement is first expressed as the product of weight functions and the characteristic terms, and the unknown weight is approximated with the MLS approximation. The efficiency of the developed method is tested for isotropic and transversely isotropic media. The interaction between two and three coplanar square cracks in isotropic elastic body is numerically studied and the case of any number of coplanar square cracks is deduced and discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The finite element discretized symplectic method for interface cracks

The method of symplectic series discretized by finite element is introduced for the stress analysis of structures having cracks at the interface of dissimilar materials. The crack is modeled by the conventional finite elements dividing into two regions: near and far fields. The unknowns in the far field are as usual. In the near field, a Hamiltonian system is established for applying the method of separable variables and the solutions are expanded in exact symplectic eigenfunctions. By performing a transformation from the large amount of finite element unknowns to a small set of coefficients of the symplectic expansion, the stress intensity factors, the displacements and stresses in the singular region are obtained simultaneously without any post-processing. The numerical results are obtained for various cracks lying at the bi-material interface, and are found to be in good agreement with the reference solutions for the interface crack problems. Some practical examples are also given.     

A hybrid finite element analysis of interface cracks

A versatile hybrid finite element scheme consisting of special crack-tip elements and crack face contact elements is developed to analyse a partially closed interface crack between two dissimilar anisotropic elastic materials. The crack-tip element incorporates higher-order asymptotic solutions for an interfacial crack tip. These solutions are obtained from complex variable methods in Stroh formalism. For a closed interfacial crack tip, a generalized contact model in which the crack-tip oscillation is eliminated is adopted in the calculation. The hybrid finite element modelling allows the stress singularity at an open and closed crack tip to be accurately treated. The accuracy and convergence of the developed scheme are tested with respect to the known interface crack solutions. Utilizing this numerical scheme, the stress intensity factors and contact zone are calculated for a finite interface crack between a laminated composite material.     

Modified crack closure integral using six-noded isoparametric quadrilateral singular elements

Six-noded, isoparametric serendipity type quadrilateral regular/singular elements are used for the estimation of stress intensity factors (SIF) in linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) problems involving cracks in two-dimensional structural components. The square root singularity is achieved in the six-noded elements by moving the in-side nodes to the quarter point position. The modified crack closure integral (MCCI) method is adopted which could generate accurate estimates of SIF for a relatively coarse mesh. The equations for strain energy release rate and SIF are derived for mixed mode situations using six-noded quadrilateral elements at the crack tip. The model is validated by numerical studies for a centre crack in a finite plate under uniaxial tension, a single edge notched specimen under uniaxial tension, an inclined crack in a finite rectangular plate and cracks emanating from a pin-loaded lug (or lug attachment). The results compare very well with reference solutions available in the literature.     

A non-hypersingular time-domain BIEM for 3-D transient elastodynamic crack analysis

A three-dimensional (3-D) time-domain boundary integral equation method (BIEM) is presented for transient elastodynamic crack analysis. A non-hypersingular traction BIE formulation is used with the crack opening displacements and their derivatives as unknown quantities. A collocation method in conjunction with a time-stepping scheme is developed to solve the non-hypersingular time-domain BIEs. To simplify the analysis and to describe the proper behaviour of the unknown quantities at the crack front, a constant spatial shape function is applied for elements away from the crack front, while a spatial ‘square-root’ crack-tip shape function is adopted for elements near the crack front. A linear temporal shape function is used in the time-stepping scheme. Numerical calculations, have been carried out for penny-shaped and square cracks. Results for the elastodynamic stress intensity factors are presented as functions of the temporal and the spatial variables. For the test examples considered, good agreement between the present results and those of other authors is obtained.     

Singular intensity factors at bimaterial anisotropic interfaces

The singular intensity factors at bimaterial anisotropic interfaces in bonded joints with composite adherends are found by using a hybrid method based on numerical and elasticity solutions. The method is applicable to the solution of problems having complex geometry, loading and boundary conditions, which is the case in typical composite structures. Results are given in terms of the singular intensity factor, which is a generalization of the stress intensity factor commonly used with cracks. Both closed and open wedges, which are found, respectively, in bonded joints with or without adhesive fillets, are considered. Equivalent singular intensity factors in modes I, II and III are defined, and the results indicate that the mode III factor, which arises due to out-of-plane coupling, is negligible in all cases studied. Moreover, use of the Erdogan–Sih failure criterion indicates that the direction of crack propagation in lap joints with fillets remains constant beyond a very small region near the point of singularity, while for joints without fillets crack initiation always occurs in a direction parallel to the adhesive–adherend interface.