Elasto-plastic finite element analysis of a crack in an infinite plate

The elastic support method was recently developed to simulate the effects o f unbounded solids in the finite element analysis of stresses and displacem ents. The method eliminates all the computational disadvantages encountered in the use of 'infinite' elements or coupled finite element boundary eleme nt methods while retaining all the computational advantages of the finite e lement method. In this paper, the method is extended to the elasto-plastic analysis of fracture in infinite solids by using the load increment approac h and including the effects of strain hardening. Numerical tests and parame tric study are conducted by analysing a straight crack in an infinite plate . Present results for J integrals and plastified zones are compared, respec tively, with analytical solutions and available results obtained by using t he body force method. The agreement between the results is found to be very good even if the truncation boundary of the finite element model is locate d very close to the crack tip or the plastified zone.