A 3D Crack Propagation Model Based on XFEM/GFEM with a Hybrid Strategy for Crack Path Computation

Resumo

Modeling three-dimensional crack propagation remains a challenging task in the context of computational methods, even for the widely used eXtended Finite Element Method/Generalized Finite Element Method (XFEM/GFEM) and its variants. Predicting the crack path for curved and non-planar crack surfaces is a subject of ongoing research and continuous improvement in 3D simulations. This work presents an XFEM/GFEM model for 3D crack propagation involving planar, curved, and non-planar cracks, in which a hybrid methodology for computing the crack direction is analyzed. The proposed approach for evaluating the crack direction combines the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) criterion with the Maximum Principal Stress (MPS) criterion, leveraging the strengths of each approach to address the inherent limitations of the model. The stress intensity factor (SIF) for each crack opening mode is calculated using the Displacement Correlation Method (DCM), and the proposed model can be applied to predict the crack paths of both pure and cohesive cracks in three dimensions.