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An Object-Oriented Approach For Modeling And Simulation Of Crack Growth In Cyclically Loaded Structures, D. Cojocaru, Anette M. Karlsson

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

We present an object-oriented modeling frame for simulating crack propagation due to cyclic loadings. Central to the approach is that the crack propagates when a user-defined propagation criterion is fulfilled, i.e., the crack propagation rate is not prescribed but predicted. The approach utilizes the commercial finite element software package ABAQUS and its associated Python based scripting interface. The crack propagation is simulated by a generalized node release technique. If the propagation criteria are satisfied in the end of a cycle, the crack is allowed to propagate. The incremental crack growth is inferred from an iterative investigation of the propagation criteria. …