Modelling crack growth by level sets in the extended finite element method

M. Stolarska*, D. L. Chopp, N. Mos, T. Belytschko

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

676 Scopus citations

Abstract

An algorithm which couples the level set method (LSM) with the extended finite element method (X-FEM) to model crack growth is described. The level set method is used to represent the crack location, including the location of crack tips. The extended finite element method is used to compute the stress and displacement fields necessary for determining the rate of crack growth. This combined method requires no remeshing as the crack progresses, making the algorithm very efficient. The combination of these methods has a tremendous potential for a wide range of applications. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the combined methods.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)943-960
Number of pages18
JournalInternational Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering
Volume51
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2 2001

Keywords

  • Crack growth
  • Extended finite elements method
  • Level set method

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Numerical Analysis
  • Engineering(all)
  • Applied Mathematics

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