Gp. Nikishkov et al., SGBEM-FEM alternating method for analyzing 3D non-planar cracks and their growth in structural components, CMES-COMP M, 2(3), 2001, pp. 401-422
An efficient and highly accurate, Symmetric Galerkin Boundary Element Metho
d - Finite Element Method - based alternating method, for the analysis of t
hree-dimensional non-planar cracks, and their growth, in structural compone
nts of complicated geometries, is proposed. The crack is modeled by the sym
metric Galerkin boundary element method, as a distribution of displacement
discontinuities, as if in an infinite medium. The finite element method is
used to perform the stress analysis for the uncracked body only. The soluti
on for the structural component, containing the crack, is obtained in an it
eration procedure, which alternates between FEM solution for the uncracked
body, and the SGBEM solution for the crack in an infinite body. Numerical p
rocedures, and the attendant Java code, are developed for the evaluation of
stress intensity factors, and fatigue crack growth modeling. Examples for
non-planar cracks in infinite media, and for planar cracks in finite bodies
, as well as their growth under fatigue, demonstrate the accuracy of the me
thod.