Crack growth prediction in composites using the dual boundary element method

This paper presents a predictive technique for evaluating the crack growth path in composites and anisotropic materials. This technique is based on the strain energy density criterion and was implemented in the DELA, the dual boundary element code to perform crack propagation analysis in anisotropic media. Numerical examples are presented to validate this procedure for predicting the propagation path for cracks in unidirectional composites. This work is supported by the Fundaçao de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Säo Paulo (FAPESP).