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Meshing strategies for the alleviation of mesh-induced effects in cohesive element models

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Abstract

One of the main approaches for modeling fracture and crack propagation in solid materials is adaptive insertion of cohesive elements, in which line-like (2D) or surface-like (3D) elements are inserted into the finite element mesh to model the nucleation and propagation of failure surfaces. In this approach, however, cracks are forced to propagate along element boundaries, following paths that in general require more energy per unit crack extension (greater driving forces) than those followed in the original continuum. This, in turn, leads to erroneous solutions. We illustrate how the introduction of a discretization produces mesh-induced anisotropy and mesh-induced toughness for problems involving brittle fracture. Subsequently, we quantify those effects through polar plots of the path deviation ratio for commonly adopted meshes. Finally, we propose to reduce those effects through a new type of mesh, which we term conjugate-directions mesh.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge partial funding from Sandia National Laboratories under PO 1188989. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. The authors would like to thank Dr. Alejandro Mota, Dr. James W. Foulk III, and Dr. Jakob Ostien from Sandia National Laboratories for their valuable discussions.

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  1. School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 270 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0150, USA

    J. J. Rimoli & J. J. Rojas

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  1. J. J. Rimoli
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  2. J. J. Rojas
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Correspondence to J. J. Rimoli.

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Rimoli, J.J., Rojas, J.J. Meshing strategies for the alleviation of mesh-induced effects in cohesive element models. Int J Fract 193, 29–42 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-015-0013-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-015-0013-6

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