AN ANALYTICAL-NUMERICAL ALTERNATING METHOD FOR ELASTIC-PLASTIC ANALYSIS OF CRACKS

A new algorithm based on the Schwartz-Neumann alternating technique is developed for the solution of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics prob lems. An analytical solution for an elastic crack, with arbitrary crac k-face loading, is used inside an initial stress iterative procedure a s an addition to the finite element solution for the uncracked body. I teration processes of the alternating method and of the initial stress method are performed simultaneously. Numerical examples show that the proposed elastic-plastic alternating method in conjunction with the e quivalent domain integral method provides reasonable values of the J-i ntegral.