3D

XFEM Crack Tutorial

Abaqus Benchmarks Manual: Example 1.16.2

note: this figure shows a quarter symmetry model, we will be using a half-
symmetry model (H will be twice as large)

a=1in

c=4.16in

H=26.66in (53.33in in our model)

W=13.33in

t=1.66in

=1psi

Creating the model

Creating the Crack Domain

The crack domain is the part that is cracked. It is initially modeled
without the crack, which is to be added later. Double-click on parts and
create a 3D Planar, Deformable, Solid part, name: plate, approximate
size: 200. Since this problem is symmetric about the y-axis only half of
the plate needs to be modeled (we choose left half). We cannot use
symmetry about the crack face for an XFEM analysis. Sketch the part as
seen in the Figure to the right, with a final extrude of 1.66in.

Creating the Crack

A separate part is created to represent the crack. It is a 2D, deformable,
shell part, approximate size 40 (10.0in*4). We first draw an ellipse as seen in the figure below.
Then click on ShapeCutExtrude and draw the cut as shown below.

Specifying the Material

Create a material named steel with Youngs Modulus E=30.0E+006psi,
and poissons ratio =0.3. Then create a solid, homogeneous section
of the material and assign it to the plate part.

Assembling the Model

Instance the two parts into the assembly, and place the crack on the
midway point of the plate, intersecting one edge, as seen in the figure
to the right.

Creating the Analysis Step

Create a Static, General step named Tension, accept all defaults.

Loading the model

Double-click on Loads and create a Pressure Load named Tension,
select the top and bottom face of the plate and enter a magnitude of
-1.

Constraining the Model

Double Click on Boundary Conditions and apply an XSYMM B.C. to
the Left Face of the plate. Once the mesh is created, we will create a
second B.C. constraining vertical motion

Requesting Field Output

Double-Click on F-Output-1 under Field Output Requests and add the
output variables PHILSM and PSILSM under the Failure/Fracture
category.
Requesting Contour Integral
Output
Double Click on History Output Requests
and make a request named SIF for the
tension step. Select Crack as the
domain from the drop-down list, output at
the last increment. Request 5 contours
and specify the type of contour integral as
Stress Intensity Factors. Repeat this step
for all desired contour integral types.

Partitioning the Model

To simplify/optimize the meshing process
we create a series of partitions in the
crack domain which separate the cracked
region from the rest of the part. Here we choose the partition boundaries to be 2 inches from the crack
location, as seen in the figure. [Double-Click on Assembly, then ToolsPartitionFace-Sketch]. Then
choose toolspartitioncellextrude/sweep edges and individually sweep each of the three partition
lines through the thickness of the plate
Assigning Element Types
Enter the mesh module, then select Assign Element Type from the toolbox on the right. Select the
entire model and assign reduced-integration first-order elements (C3D8R in this case). Then select only
the cracked region (region between partitions containing the crack) to be made of full-integration first
order elements (C3D8 in this case). This will help reduce computational cost since full integration
elements are only required where cracking takes place.

Meshing the Model

In order to further reduce computational cost, we will make a refined mesh
only in the cracked region. The seeds are as follows:

Horizontal Left Edges (8 edges total): 40 elements

Horizontal Right Edges (8 total): 10 elements

Vertical Bottom&Top Edges (12 total): 20 elements

Vertical Middle Edges (6 total): 21 elements

Through Thickness: 15 elements

Constrain Vertical Movement

We then create a node set in the assembly and select the two nodes (shown
in red) on the edge behind the crack, as shown in the figures below

Then create a Displacement/Rotation B.C. select the node set as the region, and constrain U2 and U3
Defining the Crack
Create a set in the assembly named Crack and select the crack instance. Then under Engineering
Features double click on Cracks. Fill out the dialogue by creating an XFEM crack, choose the plate as
the crack domain and select the created set Crack as the crack location, then click OK.

Analyze the Model

Create a job for the model, then right-click on the job and click submit.

Model Results

Viewing the Crack

In some cases it is difficult to see the crack in the Visualization module, this problem can be solved by
using translucency and View Cuts.

1. Toggle on translucency

2. Click on the View cut manager

3. Select Options for the Crack view cut

4. Go to the On Cut tab and select Use these Options

 5. In the Basic subtab select Filled and No edges

6. In the Color & Style subtab, change the Fill Color in filled/shaded plots and click apply. Try
different colors and translucencies to easily see the crack. (click Apply to view the changes)

1.

3.

4.
2.
5.
6.

Extracting Contour Integral Results

All of the results can be found under ResultHistory
Output although organizing these results can take some
work. Before beginning, read the overview of the name
filter characters by clicking the light bulb.

Results are taken at certain points along the crack front,

each point has a specific XFEM label (XFEM_1, XFEM_2,
etc.) We will first determine the location of each point,
and then the distance along crack front can be
calculated.
First enter *_? in the name filter bar, this will show any results ending in an underscore followed by one
character. Select the x, y, and z coordinates for the first 9 XFEM points, click Save As,
append((XY,XY,)), then click OK.

Right-click on the newly-created XYData in the sidebar and click edit, then copy and paste the y values
column into excel. This gives 27 data points, 1 for each x, y, and z coordinate of the first 9 XFEM points.
In Excel, we then separate the column of 27 into 3 columns of 9.
We then collect the rest of the coordinates (assuming less that 100 XFEM points) by entering *_?? In the
Name Filter bar of the History Output dialogue box. Note that in this case, the coordinates end at
XFEM_34, this means that there are 34 XFEM points along the crack front. We then copy and paste
these data points to Excel by using the same method as before (edit XYData-2 this time!)

The distance along the crack front can now be readily calculated from the coordinates using the
following formula:

Di+1=Di+SQRT((xi+1-xi)2+(yi+1-yi)2+(zi+1-zi)2))

Where Di is the distance along the crack front of the ith XFEM point. Note: D0=0
We are now ready to start collecting XFEM results. Starting with the first contour, enter *_1 in the Name
Filter box of history output. Then select all data points except for the coordinates and the Crack
propagation direction. Paste these into excel and disperse them into the Countour#1 columns, as seen
below.

Repeat this step for all 5 contours and collection of the contour integral results is completed.

Compare Model Results

The benchmarks example evaluates this problem by
plotting the contour integral results against the crack
front location in degrees, as seen by the graph to the
right. Depending on where and how the instances are
positioned relative to the assembly coordinate system,
the equation should look something like this:

i=ARCTAN[(z0-zi)/(xi-xfinal)]

The vertical axis is merely a normalized value of the

first stress intensity factor (K1), since and a are both
equal to 1, vertical axis values are just K1/()
As seen below, the results from our analysis are consistent with those from the benchmarks manual.
This verifies that the problem was accurately analyzed.

Our Results Benchmark Results