Dynamic crack growth modeling technique based upon the SGBEM in the Laplace domain

This paper presents a new dynamic crack growth prediction tool based upon the symmetric Galerkin boundary element method (SGBEM) in the Laplace domain, combined with the maximum hoop stress (MHS) criterion. The fast Laplace inverse transform developed by Durbin is employed to obtain time-domain solutions of the stress intensity factors required by the MHS criterion. In this work, the proposed Laplace SGBEM tool is used to predict crack trajectories in homogeneous and non-homogeneous isotropic brittle materials under dynamic loading conditions. The effect of the elastic constant mismatches is investigated for the influence of crack–inclusion interaction on crack growth.