Modeling fracture in Mindlin-Reissner plates with the extended finite element method

A technique for the modeling of cracks and crack growth in plates using the extended finite element method (X-FEM) is presented. Beginning with a plat e formulation which does not exhibit shear locking, the finite element appr oximation is enriched with both discontinuous and near-tip functions. This allows for the modeling of crack geometries which are independent of the fi nite element mesh topology, and greatly facilitates the simulation of crack growth. Guidelines for the construction of the enriched approximation and the numerical integration of the weak form in the X-FEM framework are revie wed. To obtain the mixed-mode stress intensity factors, we derive appropria te domain forms of an interaction integral in the context of Mindlin-Reissn er plate theory. Several benchmark problems of through-the-thickness cracks in infinite and finite plates are solved to illustrate the accuracy and ut ility of the new formulation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.