Engineering with Computers (1993) 9:63-82
9 1993 Springer-VerlagLondon Limited
Arbitrary Crack Representation Using Solid Modeling
Luiz F. Martha
Department of Civil Engineering,Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rua Marquis de Silo Vicente 225, 22453 Rio de
Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Paul A. Wawrzynek; Anthony R. Ingraffea
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering,Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-3501,USA
Abstract. This paper describes the fundamental modeling
approaches adopted for crack nucleation and propagation in
a software system that is specifically designed to simulate
problems with evolutionary geometry. Only the topological
and geometrical aspects of crack modeling, and how these
aspects affect the database representation in the system, are
addressed in the present discussion. The following are the
innovative features of the present crack modeling approach:
(a) crack simulation is done with a true geometric representa-
tion of the structure, via solid modeling; (b) crack modeling
relies on the sophisticated, topology-based data structure of
this system to support linkage to the solid model, fast
interaction and accurate representation of evolving flaw
shapes; (c) the system provides the ability to specify f a w s of
arbitrary shape (including non-planar flaws), size and
orientation at arbitrary locations in the geometric model; (d)
the flaw is specified at the desired location in the actual
structure geometry, rather than at a location in the mesh; (e)
the system uses all its automatic and local remeshing
capabilities for the simulation of flaw initiation and growth.
Keywords. Computational fracture mechanics; Crack
propagation; Three-dimensional fracture mechanics;
Topological data structure
I. Introduction
The widespread simulation of fracture processes in
three-dimensional structures has been delayed because
of the practical difficulties associated with many three-
dimensional problems: no-closed forms solutions
exist for the pertinent fracture mechanics parameters
for most real structures. These have to be calculated
Correspondence and offprint requests to: W. Wawrzynek, School of
Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering,Cornell University,Hollister
Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-3501, USA.
Engineering
C~'~nputers
numerically. Furthermore, depending on the model or
flaw geometry, problem specification and modeling
may be difficult and time consuming. A number of
existing computer codes can conceptually model a
given flaw and perform a limited number of fracture
mechanics calculations. However, none of these codes
can automatically simulate geometrically arbitrary
flaw growth. A fundamental limitation is that these
codes were not originally designed specifically to
simulate problems with evolutionary geometry in three
dimensions. A useful analysis tool must be capable of
modeling an existing flaw in three dimensions,
predicting its growth, updating model geometry to
simulate its propagation and performing a new
analysis. Performing this task requires an integrated
design system based on an interactive graphics
interface.
This paper describes the fundamental crack model-
ing approaches adopted in a system which specifically
focuses on the problems of crack representation and
growth in complex three-dimensional structures [1-3].
This numerical analysis system, workstation-based,
exploits the state of the art in high-performance
computer graphics, direct manipulation user-
interfaces and data representation techniques, which
provide the necessary requirements for efficient
interactive analysis. All model definition, mesh genera-
tion, simulation and visualization (post-processing)
tasks are combined in a seamless package with a
consistent user-interface. By hiding or automating
much of the complexity inherent in a three-dimensional
fracture simulation, the system allows the analyst to
concentrate on the particular physical problem being
studied, rather than on details of the simulation.
There is no intention to focus on fracture mechanics
theories and growth-rate models for predicting the
evolution of a flaw here. Only the topological and
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geometrical aspects of crack modeling, and how these
aspects affect the database representation in the
system, are addressed in the present discussion. That
is, this paper only addresses modeling features such
as flaw creation, representation and evolution due to
propagation.
The current crack modeling approach capitalizes on
the three essential components of the system: non-
manifold topological representation, hierarchy of
topological models as a framework for numerical dis-
cretization and an explicit geometric representation
[4]. The following are the innovative features of the
present crack modeling approach:
1. Crack simulation is done with a true geometrical
representation of the structure, via solid modeling.
This is in contrast to the usual representation based
on a finite or boundary element mesh which is a
mathematical artefact.
2. Since the essence of the problem is predicting and
tracking changing geometry, the crack modeling
relies on the sophisticated, topology-based data
structure of this system to support linkage to the
solid model, fast interaction and accurate repre-
sentation of evolving flaw shapes.
3. The system provides the ability to specify flaws of
arbitrary shape (including non-planar flaws), size
and orientation at arbitrary locations in the
geometric model. The flaw is specified at the desired
location in the actual geometry, rather than at a
location in the mesh.
4. Since crack modeling is integated in the organiza-
tion of the data structures of the system, it uses all
its automatic and local remeshing capabilities for
the simulation of flaw initiation and growth.
The paper is organized into six sections. The
next section describes the system's software organi-
zation which relies on its topology-based data
representation. The following section summarizes
the fundamental aspects of the present crack modeling
approach. The restrictions of the current, implemented
state of crack modeling are indicated. The data
structure used for this modeling is also specified.
Section 4 describes the topological operations that
take place during crack initiation and propagation
(the operators which implement crack modeling
are formally specified in the Appendix). Section 5
describes an example of use of the present fracture
data structure in conjunction with the remaining data
structures of the system. Finally, Section 6 summarizes
the gain introduced by the explicit crack modeling
features.
L.F. Martha et al.
2. Underlying Solid Modeling Representation
The present system always maintains a consistent,
underlying, solid representation of any object being
modeled. Although it is not a solid modeler, many
solid-model-like features and algorithms are available
within it. These are necessary to support the under-
lying representation, but the system is not designed to
be a tool for creating the initial geometric description
of an object to be modeled. The system requires as
input a solid model boundary representation. This
representation consists of a collection of planar and
curved polygonal patches which describe the outer
skin of the object. In addition, it may include internal
features such as interfaces and cracks. Planar poly-
gonal patches are described by the location of their
vertices. Curved patches are described by means of a
grid of interpolating points located on the surface of
the patch. The initial boundary representation is
converted to an internal representation. Surfaces are
parametrically represented by planar polygons, quadri-
lateral, bi-cubic, non-rational B-splines [5], or by
triangular, tri-cubic B6zier-splines [6]. An algorithm
described in reference [7] is adopted to determine a
set of bi-cubic B-spline control points from a set of
interpolation points. This is an efficient algorithm
which relies on the localized influence of a control
point on the shape of a B-spline surface. A triangular
B6zier-surface patch is also input through a set of
interpolation points. Because the tri-cubic B6zier-
surface always has ten control points, ten interpolation
points are required. The generation of the control net
is reduced to the solution of a system of ten equations
and ten unknowns for each coordinate.
Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the
modeling software organization in the system. The
most important aspect of the modeling data repre-
sentation is that it is centralized in a topological
description of the model. The radial-edge topological
data structure is adopted [8]. A topological data
structure maintains the adjacency relationships
between the topological entities of a model explicitly.
The advantage of the radial-edge structure is that it
is able to represent non-manifold internal features of
the model, such as interfaces and cracks, in a fashion
which is consistent with the outer surface representa-
tion. The low-level Opera~ors (Generalized Euler
Operators) and Query Functions for the radial-edge
structure provide a clean, consistent interface to the
data structure which enables the development of an
efficient and modular system. However, these opera-
tors require restricted, and in some cases, long sets of
input data which do not allow the degree of flexibility
necessary for an interaction system. This is one of the