The singular edge-based smoothed finite element method for stationary dynamic crack problems in 2D elastic solids

Abstract In this paper, the recently developed singular edge-based smoothed finite element method (sES-FEM) is further developed for dynamic crack analysis in two-dimensional elastic solids. The objective of this work is to provide an efficient and accurate numerical simulation tool for the dynamic fracture behaviors of linear elastic solids in the framework of the strain smoothing approaches. Following this approach, the strains are smoothed and the system stiffness matrix is thus performed using the strain smoothing technique over the smoothing domains associated with the element edges. In order to accurately capture the singular fields at the crack-tip, a two-layer singular 5-node crack-tip element is employed. The governing dynamic equations are transformed into a weakened weak (W2) form, which is then discretized into a sES-FEM system of time-dependent equations to be solved by the unconditionally stable implicit Newmark time integration method. To analyze the fracture behaviors of linear elastic solids, mixed-mode dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIFs) are evaluated using the domain forms of the interaction integrals in terms of the smoothing technique. Four test examples including pure mode-I and mixed-modes are studied to validate the accuracy of the proposed method. The computed results for the normalized DSIFs are compared with analytical and other numerical reference solutions in a wide range of benchmark dynamic crack problems which shows high accuracy of the sES-FEM.