Modeling ductile fracture using a simplified meshfree method

A new meshfree method for modeling ductile fracture in metallic materials is presented. The approach combines the Gurson-Tveergaard-Needleman (GTN) model and the meshfree cracking particles method (CPM). The GTN model is employed to model the ductile constitutive behavior in the bulk material while the discontinuous CPM is employed at post-localization. In the CPM, fracture is modeled by a set of crack segments that cross the entire domain of influence of the meshfree shape functions. This facilitates the method as no crack topology and associated crack propagation algorithms need to be implemented. A seamless transition from a continuum to a discontinuum is provided by the loss-of-material-stability criterion. The efficiency and accuracy of the method is shown by two problems. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.