Research Objectives
The principal goal of this project is to extend the phase-field fracture framework to include the physical behavior relevant for modeling dynamic ductile fracture and crack evolution. This requires the inclusion of rate and state dependent plasticity and fracture energy within the model. Additionally, it is critically important that the development of methodology is carried out in conjunction with novel experiments that allow for detailed observations and modeling of the relevant failure mechanisms. Finally, due to the coupling between the fine scales associated with the fracture process and the coarse scales related to the structural dimensions, further work on the solution of the multi-scale phase-field model is needed in order to make quantitative comparisons between the model and experiments.
Principal Investigators
Chad M. Landis, K. Ravi-Chandar, T.J.R. Hughes
Highlights
![](https://sites.utexas.edu/cmssm/files/2021/07/fragment1.jpg)
A two-dimensional example of the application of phase-field fracture modeling to dynamic, brittle fragmentation. The idealized model sample is a rectangular plate with an initial crack traversing through half of the centerline. Tensile tractions are applied on the top and bottom surfaces at time t = 0 and held fixed through the duration of the simulation. The contour plots show the phase-field variable with red indicating the location of the cracks and blue indicating intact material. At the level of applied traction shown the crack undergoes (a) branching, (b) secondary branching, (c) initiation of multiple secondary cracks, and (d) the interaction of cracks and the creation of fragments.
Selected Publications
- M.J. Borden, C.V. Verhoosel, M.A. Scott, T.J.R. Hughes and C.M. Landis, 2012. A Phase-field Description of Dynamic Brittle Fracture, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 217-220, 77-95.
- Morales SA, Albrecht AB, Zhang H, Liechti KM, and Ravi-Chandar K, 2012. On the dynamics of localization and fragmentation: V. Aluminum 6061-O tubes coated with polyurea and polycarbonate, International Journal of Fracture 172, 161-185.
- Ghahremaninezhad A and Ravi-Chandar K, 2011. Ductile failure in polycrystalline OFHC copper, International Journal of Solids and Structures 48, 3299-3311.