Linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis of bi-material using boundary element methods

• Main Author: Goh, Terry Jun Jie
• Other Authors: Ang Hock Eng
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/75780
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

A two dimensional numerical study employing the multi-domain boundary element method with quarter-node crack tip singular elements was used to obtain stress intensity factors for a central horizontal Griffith crack in an elastic matrix which contains a circular inclusion. The fracture mechanics prediction of crack growth in the elastic matrix involves the interaction of several parameters with the stress field resulting from the presence of inclusion in the matrix. The parameters include the location of inclusion from the crack tip, angular orientation of inclusion with respect to the crack tip and the elastic modulus ratio of inclusion to matrix. The present work investigates the effect of the parametric variations on crack tip stress intensity factor. Numerical results for the problems treated are presented for a wide range of geometric parameter variations. The crack inclusion interaction effect on the stress intensity factors along the front crack tips diminishes when the inclusion is located further away from the crack tip. Varying the elastic modulus ratio and the angular orientation of the inclusion in the vicinity of the crack tip alters the shielding or enhancement effects on that crack tip drastically. The parametric variation on circular inclusion has a more pronounced interaction effect on normalized stress intensity factor on the nearby crack tip.