Dynamic crack propagation analysis using scaled boundary finite element method

The prediction of dynamic crack propagation in brittle materials is still an important issue in many engineering fields. The remeshing technique based on scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is extended to predict the dynamic crack propagation in brittle materials. The structure is firstly divided into a number of superelements, only the boundaries of which need to be discretized with line elements. In the SBFEM formulation, the stiffness and mass matrices of the super-elements can be coupled seamlessly with standard finite elements, thus the advantages of versatility and flexibility of the FEM are well maintained. The transient response of the structure can be calculated directly in the time domain using a standard time-integration scheme. Then the dynamic stress intensity factor (DSIF) during crack propagation can be solved analytically due to the semi-analytical nature of SBFEM. Only the fine mesh discretization for the crack-tip super-element is needed to ensure the required accuracy for the determination of stress intensity factor (SIF). According to the predicted crack-tip position, a simple remeshing algorithm with the minimum mesh changes is suggested to simulate the dynamic crack propagation. Numerical examples indicate that the proposed method can be effectively used to deal with the dynamic crack propagation in a finite sized rectangular plate including a central crack. Comparison is made with the results available in the literature, which shows good agreement between each other.