A phase-field modeling for brittle fracture and crack propagation based on the cell-based smoothed finite element method

• Published in: Engineering fracture mechanics Vol. 204; pp. 369 - 387
• Main Authors: Bhowmick, Sauradeep, Liu, Gui Rong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Abaqus UEL; Brittle fracture; Coalescing; Computer simulation; Continuum mechanics; Crack initiation; Crack propagation; CS-FEM; Decoupling; Finite element analysis; Finite element method; Mathematical models; Nonlinear equations; Nonlinear systems; Phase-field model; Smoothed finite element method; Smoothed finite element method; Phase-field model; CS-FEM; Brittle fracture; Abaqus UEL; Crack propagation
• ISSN: 0013-7944; 1873-7315
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engfracmech.2018.10.026

•The proposed CS-FEM phase-field is an efficient fracture modeling technique.•The computational cost is slightly lower than the finite element counterpart.•Complex crack paths are simulated without any ad hoc criterion.•Resultant crack patterns are in excellent agreement with experimental observations. This work develops a phase field model in the framework of cell-based smoothed finite element method (CS-FEM) aiming to solve problems of brittle fracture in solids. The phase-field method is employed to model complex discontinuous behaviors including crack initiation, crack coalescence, crack branching without using any ad hoc models. The CS-FEM which has been proven softer than the standard FEM is used to solve the equations that govern the continuum mechanics of solids. The current CS-FEM phase field method offers advantages of both S-FEM and phase field method in accurately predicting the evolution process of complex fracture patterns in solids. This CS-FEM phase-field technique is implemented in the commercial software ABAQUS using its user-element (UEL) and user-material (UMAT) modules. The coupled non-linear system of equations is solved by the built-in solver by decoupling the phase and displacement field parameters. Several examples have been presented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the present method.