Mixed mode fracture propagation by manifold method

The numerical manifold method combined with the virtual crack extension method is proposed to study the mixed mode fracture propagation. The manifold method is a new numerical method, and it provides a unified framework for solving problems dealing with both continuums and jointed materials. This new method can be considered as a generalized finite element method and discontinuous deformation analysis. One of the most innovative features of the method is that it employs both physical mesh and mathematical mesh to formulate the physical problem. These two meshes are separated and independent. They are inter-related through the application of weighting functions. A local mesh refinement and auto-remeshing schemes previously proposed by the authors are adopted in this study. The proposed model is first verified by comparing the numerical stress intensity factors with the benchmark solutions, and the results show satisfactory accuracy. The maximum tangential stress criterion is adopted and the mixed mode fracture propagation problems are then fully investigated. The numerical solutions by the present method agree well with the experimental results.