Some aspects about the crack growth FEM simulations under mixed-mode loading

In this paper, the modeling of a crack propagating through a finite element mesh under mixed-mode conditions was studied. The numerical procedure to perform automatically the crack propagation is widely explained. Crack tip stress intensity factors were estimated in order to determine the crack propagation direction, by using the maximum principal stress criterion. A concentric mesh around the crack tip coupled with elastic degenerated elements has been used to model the stress field singularity. The effect of the mesh size in the crack path estimations was also analyzed and discussed. The calculated results for crack path are compared to data obtained from test specimens made from stainless steels. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.