ISSN 1809-5860

ANLISE DA PROPAGAO DE FISSURAS EM FADIGA USANDO MTODO

DOS ELEMENTOS DE CONTORNO
Edson Denner Leonel1 & Wilson Sergio Venturini2
Resumo
Este trabalho trata da anlise da propagao de fissuras em regime de fadiga usando o Mtodo dos Elementos de
Contorno (MEC). O MEC conhecido por ser robusto e preciso nesse tipo de problema, necessitando de pequeno
esforo computacional durante o processo de remeshing. A formulao desenvolvida baseada no Dual BEM,
onde equaes integrais de diferentes tipos so empregadas na discretizao. Equaes integrais em
deslocamentos so escritas para pontos fontes localizados ao longo de uma das faces da fissura, enquanto
equaes integrais em traction so usadas nos pontos fontes situados na face oposta. A tcnica de correlao de
deslocamentos aplicada para avaliar os fatores de intensidade de tenso, enquanto a Lei de Paris foi adotada
no clculo do nmero de ciclos de carregamento aplicado. Estruturas simples e multi-fissuradas so analisadas
ilustrando a aplicabilidade do modelo proposto.
Palavras-chave: Mtodo dos Elementos de Contorno. Propagao de fissuras. Fadiga.

ANALYSIS OF CRACK PROPAGATION UNDER FATIGUE USING BOUNDARY

ELEMENT METHOD
Abstract
This work deals with analysis of crack growth process under fatigue using Boundary Element Method (BEM).
BEM is known as robust and accurate technique for this type of problem, which in addition requires relatively
small computational effort to the remeshing procedure. This formulation is based on the dual BEM, in which
integral equations of different types are employed into the discretization. Displacement integral equations are
written for collocation points along one side, while traction integral equations are used for collocation points
along the opposite side of crack. The displacement correlation technique is applied to evaluate stress intensity
factor while the Paris law was adopted to calculate the number of load cycles. Examples of simple and multifractured bodies are shown to illustrate the applicability of the proposed scheme.
Keywords: Boundary Element Method. Crack propagation. Fatigue.
Linha de Pesquisa: Mecnica das Estruturas

INTRODUCTION

In the last decade, the crack growth process under fatigue has received large interest by the
scientific community, as it is the origin of most structural collapses. To deal with complex engineering
structures and quantify the structural behavior, numerical methods are an important tool to provide
useful solutions. Particularly the boundary element method (BEM) has already been recognized as an
accurate and efficient numerical technique to deal appropriately with many problems in engineering, in
particular with crack growth problems. Compared to finite elements, the BEM is recommended to
1
2

Doutorando em Engenharia de Estruturas - EESC-USP, edleonel@sc.usp.br

Professor do Departamento de Engenharia de Estruturas da EESC-USP, venturin@sc.usp.br

Cadernos de Engenharia de Estruturas, So Carlos, v. 11, n. 53, p. 135-139, 2009

Edson Denner Leonel & Wilson Sergio Venturini

136

analyze crack problems because of the efficiency of dimensionality reduction for this kind of problems,
as only the boundary is discretized. The BEM is even more efficient for mixed mode propagation, as
the remeshing problems are avoided, whatever the structural complexity. For these reasons, the BEM
has been widely applied to deal with fatigue problems as show Cisilino & Aliabadi (1999) and Jivkov
(2004).
BEM is applied to analyze crack growth process under fatigue in 2D domains in this paper. The
crack model is constructed using the Dual version of BEM in which integral equations of different types
are employed along the opposite sides of the crack surface. Displacement integral equations are
written for collocation points along one side, while traction integral equations are used for collocation
points along the opposite side. This technique precludes singularities of the resulting algebraic system
of equations, in spite of the fact that the material points coincide for the two opposite crack faces. The
displacement correlation technique is applied to evaluate stress intensity factor while the Paris law was
adopted to predict the structural life in terms of number of load cycles. Examples of simple and multifractured bodies are shown to illustrate the applicability of the proposed scheme.

2
2.1

METHODOLOGY
Fatigue life prediction

Life prediction under fatigue and crack propagation is a challenging problem in engineering
design, inspection and maintenance. The crack propagation law of Paris, Paris and Erdogan (1963), is
widely applied and has been verified for various materials:

da
= C K n
dN

(1)

where a is the crack length, N is the number of loading cycles, C and n are material parameters and
K is the stress intensity factor range. This equation relates the crack growth for one cycle, da , to the
stress intensity range, K . This equation is only valid for stress intensity ranges greater than the
threshold stress intensity range, K th , and smaller than the fracture toughness, K C .
The stress state at the crack tip is defined by stress intensity factors, which depend on crack
and structure geometries, as well as on the loading. Analytical expressions relating stress intensity
factors to geometry and loading are available only for geometrically simple structures. For complex
structures, numerical methods have to be employed. In the present paper, the displacement correlation
technique is adopted to evaluate stress intensity factors, using BEM. This technique is based on
correlating displacements at the crack lips and in the crack tip vicinity to the stress intensity factors. For
plane structures, stress intensity factors for modes I (opening) and II (sliding) are given by the following
expressions:

KI =

COD
r ( + 1)

(2)

K II =

CSD
r ( + 1)

(3)

where K I and K II are the stress intensity factors for modes I and II, respectively; COD is the Crack
Opening Displacement, CSD is the Crack Sliding Displacement, r is the distance between the crack tip
and the computation point (i.e. mesh node) and and are material properties.
In mixed mode propagation, it is necessary to compute the equivalent stress intensity factor, K,
and the crack propagation (or bifurcation) angle, p. For this purpose, the maximum circumferential
stress theory is adopted, which yields:
Cadernos de Engenharia de Estruturas, So Carlos, v. 11, n. 53, p. 135-139, 2009

Anlise da propagao de fissuras em fadiga usando Mtodo dos Elementos de Contorno

K = K I cos3 p 3 K II cos 2 p sin p
2
2
2
p
tan
2

137

(4)

1 K I
KI
=
+ 8

4
K
K
II

II

(5)

Under cyclic loading, the equivalent stress intensity factor is calculated for each stress cycle,
and the corresponding increment K is directly used in Paris law. If the crack growth rate, da dN , is
larger than 0.1 mm/cycle, it is assumed that instantaneous fracture takes place, following Pimenta et al.
(2001), and the analysis is stopped. On the other hand, if the stress intensity range is less than Kth ,
no crack growth is computed.

2.2

Boundary element formulation

The boundary element method is widely applied in various engineering fields, such as contact
problems, fatigue and fracture mechanics, due to the methods precision and robustness in modeling
strong stress concentration (i.e. singular stress and displacement fields). Consider a 2D homogeneous
elastic domain , with boundary . The equilibrium equation, written in terms of displacements, is
given by:

ui , jj +

b
1
u j , ji + i = 0

1 2

(6)

where is the shear modulus, is the Poissons ratio, ui are components of the displacement field and
bi are body forces. Using Bettis theorem, one obtains a singular integral for displacements, with no
body forces, as:

cil ( f , c)ul ( f ) + Pil* ( f , c)ul (c) d = Pl (c)uil* ( f , c) d

(7)

where Pl and ul are the tractions and displacements on the boundary, respectively;

is the principal

value integral of Cauchy and the term cil is equal to il/2 for smooth contours. In Eq. (7), Pil* and uil* are
the fundamental solutions, for tractions and displacements, which ones are shown in Portela et al.
(1992).
Linear elastic 2D domains can be analyzed by evaluating Eq. (7) on the elements located on
the bodys boundary. However, for solids with cracks, use of this equation for discretization of all
boundaries leads to singularities, because both crack faces are located on the same geometrical
position. Different formulations have been proposed in the literature to properly deal with crack
problems in BEM (Portela et al., 1992 and Jiang and Venturini, 2000). The dual boundary element
formulation stands out, as it applies to analysis of arbitrary crack growth. In this formulation, four
algebraic relationships are required at each node along the crack path. To avoid redundant
relationships, the four relationships are obtained from two different integral equations, which are written
in terms of displacements and tractions. For simplicity, displacement representations can be used to
define the collocation points along one of the crack faces, while traction representations can be written
for the collocation points along the opposite crack face. For the external boundaries, the displacement
representation is sufficient for a complete discretization.
In terms of tractions, the hyper-singular integral representation at the boundary can be obtained
from Eq. (7). This equation must be differentiated to obtain the integral representation in terms of
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Edson Denner Leonel & Wilson Sergio Venturini

138

strains and then one use the Hookes law to obtain the integral representation in terms of stress.
Finally, multiplication by the director cosines of the normal to crack surfaces at the collocation point
leads to the traction representation, as follow:

1
Pj ( f ) + k Skj ( f , c)uk (c)d = k Dkj ( f , c) Pk (c)d
2

where

(8)

is the principal value integral of Hadamard, terms Skj and Dkj contain the derivatives of Pij*

and uij* , respectively, following Portela et al. (1992). In the present investigation, only linear boundary
elements are used. The singular integrals are evaluated in numerical form, using the sub-element
procedure, while the hyper-singular integrals are calculated by analytical expressions. This procedure
is efficient and sufficiently accurate in the solution of arbitrary crack growth problems.

DEVELOPMENT

This paper shows results of a model developed to analyze crack propagation under fatigue. The
proposed model is able to simulate crack growth process with a simple crack or multiple cracks inside a
2D domain using the theories already described.

RESULTS

The model proposed is able to simulate the crack growth process in 2D domains. Fig. (1) shows
this process in a perforated plate with multiple cracks. In each hole one have two cracks which ones
grow according the fatigue cycle loads. The model gives accurate results to crack growth trajectory and
to structural life prediction.

Figure 1 Crack growth process with multiple cracks.

CONCLUSIONS

The BEM formulation to deal with crack propagation under fatigue has been studied. The model
proposed has shown good agreement with analytical and experimental results in terms of structural life
prediction and crack growth trajectory. The BEM model is also able to simulate coalescence and then
is possible to considerer localization problems.

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139

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To FAPESP So Paulo State Research Foundation for the support given to this work.

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