A state-based peridynamic model for quantitative fracture analysis

A new state-based peridynamic model is proposed to quantitatively analyze fracture behavior (crack initiation and propagation) of materials. In this model, the general relationship of the critical stretch and the critical energy release rate is for the first time obtained for the state-based peridynamic model of linear elastic brittle materials, and the released energy density is defined to quantitatively track the energy released during crack propagation. The three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) (for both plane stress and plane strain) cases are all considered. As illustrations, the compact tension and double cantilever beam tests are analyzed using the proposed model, which is capable of successfully capturing fracture behaviors (e.g., crack path and concentration of strain energy density) of the considered fracture tests. The characteristic parameters (i.e., critical load, critical energy release rate, etc.) are calculated and compared with available experimental and numerical data in the literature to demonstrate validity of the proposed model.