A simple FEM-DEM technique for fracture prediction in materials and structures

Published in Computational Particle Mechanics, Vol. 2 (3), pp. 301-314, 2015
doi: 10.1007/s40571-015-0067-2

Abstract

This paper presents a new computational technique for predicting the onset and evolution of fracture in a continuum in a simple manner combining the finite element method (FEM) and the discrete element method (DEM). Once a crack is detected at an element side in the FE mesh, discrete elements are generated at the nodes sharing the side and a simple DEM mechanism is considered to follow the evolution of the crack. The combination of the DEM with simple 3-noded linear triangular elements correctly captures the onset of fracture and its evolution, as shown in several examples of application in two and three dimensions.

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