TIME DOMAIN BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD FOR DYNAMIC STRESS INTENSITY FACTOR COMPUTATIONS

This paper presents a procedure for transient dynamic stress intensity factor computations using traction singular quarter-point boundary elements in combination with the direct time domain formulation of the Boundary Element Method. The stress intensity factors are computed directly from the traction nodal values at the crack tip. Several examples of finite cracks in finite domains under mode-I and mixed mode dynamic loading conditions are presented. The computed stress intensity factors are represented versus time and compared with those obtained by other authors using different methods. The agreement is very good. The results are reliable and little mesh dependent. These facts allow for the analysis of dynamic crack problems with simple boundary discretizations. The versatile procedure presented can be easily applied to problems with complex geometry which include one or several cracks.