Analysis of a model of field crack mechanics for brittle materials

Léo Morin       Amit Acharya

(in Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering)

A computational model for arbitrary brittle crack propagation, in a fault-like layer within a 3-d
elastic domain, and its associated quasi-static and dynamic fields is developed and analyzed. It
uses an FFT-based solver for the balance of linear momentum and a Godunov-type projection-evolution
method for the crack evolution equation. As applications, we explore the questions of equilibria
and irreversibility for crack propagation with and without surface energy, existence of strength
and toughness criteria, crack propagation under quasi-static and dynamic conditions,
including Modes I, II and III, as well as multiaxial compressive loadings.

Link to preprint