Comparison of finite element techniques for 2D and 3D crack analysis under impact loading

For several technical applications the dynamic aspect in fracture mechanics cannot be neglected. When the reliability of components with macroscopic cracks has to be assessed, the consideration of dynamic effects may lead to much higher stress intensity factors than under static conditions. In this paper three different methods to calculate the dynamic stress intensity factor for the mode-I loading of stationary cracks are compared. Based on two- and three-dimensional finite element simulations, the dynamic stress intensity factor is computed with the dynamic J-integral, the modified crack closure integral and the displacement interpretation method. The theoretical fundamentals of all three methods are summarized in the paper and the numerical implementation is explained briefly. Results for different models are shown and compared to findings in the literature.