Digital Repository, FCP2003

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Method for Estimation of Crack Path Stability
D.A. Zacharopoulos

Last modified: 2013-12-02

Abstract


Prediction of crack growth path is a prerequisite for estimating the finalshape of broken solids and structures. Crack path in broken specimens providesinformation for the loading conditions just before fracture. Experiments on brittlematerials, pre-cracked specimens of the same geometry under similar loadingconditions, however, may yield different crack trajectories at times. The existingtheories for the prediction of the crack path are based on the perturbation methodcombining the analytical and finite elements methods. They require a knowledge of thetoughness equations. Moreover, they can only be applied to specimens with simplegeometry and loadings. A different approach is used in the present work. The finiteelement technique is used to calculate the strain energy density (SED) contours. Thepredicted trajectory of the crack during unstable propagation is assumed to coincidewith the minimum of the strain energy density function according to the SED criterion.The degree of crack path stability depends on the sharpness of the SED oscillations.This simple method offers a reliable prediction of the crack path stability for two as wellas three-dimensional problems with complex geometry structures and arbitraryloadings. To be specific, both the TPB and DCB specimens are analyzed. The findingsare in good agreement with the theoretical and experimental results in the literature.

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