An improved finite element method for cracks with multiple branches

The conventional finite element method is improved to tackle complex cracks with multiple branches. The parasitic nodes are introduced to the nodes whose nodal support is completely cut by the crack surfaces, while the nodes whose supports contain crack tips inside are accordingly enriched by the cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhang, H. H., Li, L. X., An, Xinmei, Ma, Guowei
Other Authors: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2013
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/103136
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/16946
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
Description
Summary:The conventional finite element method is improved to tackle complex cracks with multiple branches. The parasitic nodes are introduced to the nodes whose nodal support is completely cut by the crack surfaces, while the nodes whose supports contain crack tips inside are accordingly enriched by the crack tip functions. The principle to set parasitic nodes is regulated, and the relation to the previous methods is dissected. The formulation of the present method is derived, and numerical experiments are conducted. The results show that the present method can treat complex cracks conveniently and efficiently, and the unknowns have a clear physical interpretation.