Numerical Simulation of Inelastic Structural Crack-Damage

Abstract

Cracking processes damage a structure in local areas, but their effects can be — apart from very small cracks — not at all local. Cracks can influence the overall load-bearing capacity considerably and thus modify safety and reliability of the structure. The simulation of cracking phenomena consequently requires a computational treatment in a 3D environment in which inelastic phenomena are formulated. Nevertheless, the application of classical structural models of reduced internal dimensions, such as rods or shells, leads to considerable advantages, because the kinematic reduction in general emphasizes the main deformation modes and always saves computing-time. Since for exactness the material description should remain in the E3, the computational evaluation calls for rather sophisticated multi-level simulation strategies from 3D material points over reduced structural models, different finite elements to the final structural level, as described in the following paper.