Analysis of crack propagation due to fatigue using the Stable Generalized Finite Element Method (SGFEM)

Resumo

This work aims to present a combination of the stable generalized finite element method (SGFEM) and of the displacement correlation method (DCM) for analyzing 2D crack propagation problems due to fatigue. The SGFEM allows to model fracture mechanics problems without excessive refinement and/or concern of the mesh-to-crack alignment. Additionally, this method maintains the numerical conditioning under control. The DCM, in turn, is computationally very efficient when compared to traditional energy based methods (like J integral) and herein is even improved by means of a linear least square extrapolation. The maximum circumferential tension criterion and well-known propagation laws available in literature are adopted for considering the crack propagation. Experimental and numerical benchmark examples are proposed and the obtained results are compared against results provided by a commercial software widely adopted in the aeronautics industry.