Evaluating and predicting fatigue behavior in adhesively bonded joints

The fatigue behavior of an adhesively bonded joint is of key importance to its long-term structural integrity. However, the complex stress distribution inside a bonded joint does not make it easy to evaluate the fatigue behavior. This chapter discusses the various approaches that have been developed for predicting the fatigue behavior of...

Skeleton curve and phantom node method for the Thick Level Set approach to fracture

The Thick Level Set method (TLS) is an approach for non-local damage modeling in which the damage evolution is linked to the movement of a damage front described with the level set method. More recently, a new version of the TLS, designated as the TLSV2, has been proposed as a new concept for coupling continuum damage modeling and discrete...

A stiffness independent Interfacial Thick Level Set method: A modified approach for crack analysis

Crack growth is an important failure mechanism in many engineering materials. Numerical models for crack growth have been developed within the framework of damage mechanics. All these models aim for the same goal, obtaining accurate results for crack growth under various loading conditions. Many damage models are based upon the cohesive crack...

Investigating the size effect in SENB specimens with a triaxiality and Lode angle based damage model

This master thesis is built up around two questions. First: Is it possible to calibrate a ductile failure model, where the strain at failure is a function of stress triaxiality and Lode angle, using only a single SENB specimen? The failure model that is referred to describes local failure in a finite element model to simulate ductile fracture....

Progressive damage modelling of FRPs using a blended stress-strain and fracture mechanics approach in FEM

Despite great strides made in understanding and modelling Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs), their full potential is held back by the inability to accurately predict failure. Contrary to past attempts focused on isolated application of stress-strain and fracture mechanics based failure theories, this research builds upon the existing framework by...