Crack propagation analysis using Boundary Element Method

Static and dynamic crack propagation problems are solved by using a boundary element method (BEM). The BEM is based on the traction integral formulation, in which unknown terms are crack opening displacements distributed on the crack surface. In the BEM analysis, only the craick surface is divided into elements, and thus a crack growth process can be pursued by adding a new boundary element to a crack tip. Two numerical examples are presented. One is a quasi-static propagation of multiple fatigue cracks. The other is a dynamic propagation of a two-dimensional antiplane shear crack.