Mesh-free simulation of ductile fracture

This paper is concerned with mesh-free simulations of crack growth in ductile materials, which is a major technical difficulty in computational mechanics. The so-called reproducing kernel particle method, which is a member of the mesh-free method family, is used together with the Gurson– Tvergaard–Needleman constitutive model for simulation of ductile fracture. A study has been carried out to compare the proposed mesh-free simulation with the available experimental results and previous finite element simulations for crack propagation in a three-point-bending steel specimen. The results show that the mesh-free simulation agrees well with experimental results, and it is confirmed that the proposed method provides a convenient and yet accurate means for simulation of ductile fracture