An analytical-numerical alternating method for elastic-plastic analysis of cracks

A new algorithm based on the Schwartz-Neumann alternating technique is developed for the solution of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics problems. An analytical solution for an elastic crack, with arbitrary crack-face loading, is used inside an initial stress iterative procedure as an addition to the finite element solution for the uncracked body. Iteration processes of the alternating method and of the initial stress method are performed simultaneously. Numerical examples show that the proposed elastic-plastic alternating method in conjunction with the equivalent domain integral method provides reasonable values of the J-integral.This work was supported under the FAA Center of Excellence for Computational Modeling of Aircraft Structures at the Georgia Institute of Technology.