Irregular lattice model for quasistatic crack propagation

An irregular lattice model is proposed for simulating quasistatic fracture in softening materials. Lattice elements are defined on the edges of a Delaundy tessellation of the medium. The dual (Voronoi) tessellation is used to scale the elemental stiffness terms in a manner that renders the lattice elastically homogeneous. This property enables the accurate modeling of heterogeneity, as demonstrated through the elastic stress analyses of fiber composites. A cohesive description of fracture is used to model crack initiation and propagation. Numerical simulations, which demonstrate energy-conserving and grid-insensitive descriptions of cracking, are presented. The model provides a framework for the failure analysis of quasibrittle materials and fiber-reinforced brittle-matrix composites.