A simulation of 3D crack extension using a cohesive zone model (CZM) has be
en carried out for a side-grooved compact tension specimen and a surface-cr
ack tension specimen of aluminium 2024FC. Detailed finite element calculati
ons were conducted by assuming crack extension only along the crack plane (
mode I). For comparison, a 2D plane strain simulation is also presented. Lo
ad, displacement and crack extension histories are predicted and compared w
ith the experiment. It is shown that the 2D approximation appears to agree
reasonably well with experimental results, and that the 3D calculation give
s very good agreement with test data. The determination of the CZM paramete
rs is also discussed. Numerical results show that the CZM is a workable com
putational model which involves only a few microstructurally motivated phen
omenological parameters for crack extension simulation.