Recent developments in cohesive

zone methods for the simulation of

fracture in quasi-brittle materials
Joris Remmersa
Clemens Verhoosela, Ren de Borstb,
Olaf van der Sluisa , Alan Needlemanc
a)
b)
c)

Eindhoven University of Technology

University of Glasgow
University of North Texas

Impact of mechanical and thermal loads

on the long terms stabilbity of PV modules

November 5, 2013
Institut fr Solarenergieforschung GmbH, Emmerthal

Physical aspects of fracture processes

Micro-structure
(voids, aggregates)

Main crack

Process zone

Micro-separation

Fracture is the nucleation, growth and coalescence of

micro-separations in the process zone, characterized by:
Reduction of stiffness and strength of the material.
Dissipation of energy (irreversible process).
Creation of new surfaces (the actual crack).

Discrete / cohesive zone approach

Process zone is lumped in a plane, i.e. the cohesive zone.
Cohesive zone modeled by means of interface elements.
Opening of interface elements is governed by an additional
constitutive relation.

Traction free

Debonding

Dugdale (1967), Barenblatt (1968)

Perfect bond

Discrete / cohesive zone approach

Traction

Process zone is lumped in a plane, i.e. the cohesive zone.

Cohesive zone modeled by means of interface elements.
Opening of interface elements is governed by an additional
constitutive relation.

Traction free

Debonding

Dugdale (1967), Barenblatt (1968)

Perfect bond

Opening
Cohesive constitutive relation

Implementation: Interface element

vs

v
y

vn

x
vd = vnnd + vssd

nd
sd

Implementation: Interface element

R

B d- +

H td =

Continuum element

NT td

External force

Interface element

Continuum element: stress-strain relation

Interface element:

traction-separation law

Simulation of delamination

Bonded
interface elements

Debonded interface elements

Direction of crack is known in advance

(i.e. the material interface)

Interface elements can be inserted in the model

beforehand

Crack growth in arbitrary directions

Interface elements between all continuum elements
Two versions:
With initial dummy stiffness
Initially rigid with element activation criterion

Example: crack branching

Interface elements
between all continuum
elements
Reduced overall stiffness
due to initial compliance
Predefined angles
(0/45/90o)

Xu & Needleman (1994)

Example: effect of interface roughness

Study on the effect of roughness on the toughness of

copper-polymer interfaces.

Example: effect of interface roughness

Interaction between
interface cracks and
bulk cracks.
Different cohesive laws
for interface and bulk
cracks

van der Sluis et al. (2014)

Partition of unity approach

The cohesive zone can be
modeled as discontinuity in
the displacement field.

Displacement field:

Belytschko & Black (1999), Wells & Sluys (2001)

where,

Discrete kinematic relations

Partition-of-unity property:

Discrete displacement field in continuum:

Discrete strain field in continuum:

Discrete displacement jump at

Babuka & Melenk (1996)

Discrete equilibrium equations

Contribution of cohesive interface

The partition of unity property

The discontinuous displacement field can be implemented
in existing finite element models by using the partition-ofunity property of finite element shape functions.
Regular
node
Enhanced node
(i.e. node with additional
set of d.o.f.s that
construct )
Affected elements
Discontinuity
Belytschko & Black (1999), Wells & Sluys (2001)

Example: Impact test

Tensile
Crack

ASB

Late time failure

Low velocity

High velocity

Two regions:
Low impact velocity: tensile crack at an angle of 700
High impact velocity: adiabatic shear band

Kalthoff & Winkler (1988)

Remmers, de Borst & Needleman (2008)

Remmers, de Borst & Needleman (2008)

The partition of unity method

Crack growth in arbitrary directions, irrespective of the
structure of the finite element mesh
Computationally efficient (the discontinuity is only
extended when the crack propagates)
Traditional cohesive constitutive models can still be used

Multiphysics
Thermomechanics:
Poromechanics:
Electromechanics:

temperature as d.o.f.
pore pressure as extra d.o.f.
electric potential as extra d.o.f.

Electromechanics
Extension of the cohesive law with a
plate capacity relation.

Verhoosel, Remmers & Gutirrez (2010)

Electromechanics
Extension of the cohesive law with a
plate capacity relation.

Verhoosel, Remmers & Gutirrez (2010)

Stress-triaxiality at the cohesive zone?

In two-dimensional models:
Stress in the bulk consists of three
independent terms: = [xx; yy ; xy ]
Traction at the interface consists of two
independent terms: t = [tn; ts ]
Interface element insensitive
for stretch mode
This may affect the results
of fracture in hydrostatic
stress states (e.g. thermomechanical loading).

vs

v
y

vn

nd
sd

Cohesive band method: kinematics

Discontinuous displacement
field in the bulk (
and
)

where

Small strain assumption:

Cohesive band method: kinematics

Assumptions:
Thickness of process
zone
is constant.
Strains are constant in
- direction.
Displacement jump
is the most prominent
kinematic quantity in the
band.

Inside the cohesive band

Mode I opening / normal stress

Inside the cohesive band

Mode I opening / normal stress

Mode II opening / shear stress

Inside the cohesive band

Mode I opening / normal stress

Mode II opening / shear stress

Stretch:

Variation of internal energy

Note that the stresses in the cohesive band follow from a

continuum constitutive relation:

Variation of internal energy

Remember:

Finite element discretisation

Strains in surrounding material
are needed to calculate stretch
term in
Partition of unity method allows
to insert a discontinuity in a
continuum element

Strains in continuum:

Strains in cohesive band:

Remmers, de Borst, Verhoosel & Needleman (2013)

Example: DCB peel test

100x9 quad elements
Plane strain constitutive
relation in the bulk material

Cohesive band model:

Cont. damage plane strain

Cohesive zone model:

Mixed mode model

Example: DCB peel test

Example: DCB peel test

Example: DCB peel test

Effect of band thickness

Conclusions
The cohesive zone method is a suitable technique to
model discrete cracks at interfaces and in the bulk.
The partition of unity method allows for a truly meshindependent implementation.
The cohesive zone model can easily be extended to
multi-physics simulations (thermo-mechanical,
electro-mechanical)
The cohesive band method is a new development
and captures stress triaxiality at the interface
Band thickness parameter
needs further
investigation.

Literature
[1] Remmers, J.J.C., Borst, R. de & Needleman, A. (2003). A cohesive segments
method for the simulation of crack growth. Computational Mechanics, 31, 6977.
[2] Verhoosel. C.V., Remmers, J.J.C. & Gutirrez, M.A. (2010). A partition of unitybased multiscale approach for modelling fracture in piezoelectric
ceramics. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 82(8),
966-994.
[3] Remmers, J.J.C., Borst, R. de & Needleman, A. (2008). The simulation of
dynamic crack propagation using the cohesive segments method.Journal of
the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 56(1), 70-92.
[4] Sluis, O. van der, Remmers, J.J.C., Thurlings, M.A.C., Welling, B.J. & Noijen,
S.P.M. (2014) The competition between adhesive and cohesive fracture at a
micro-patterned polymer-metal interface. Key Engineering Materials, 577-578,
225-228.
[5] Remmers, J.J.C., de Borst, R., Verhoosel, C.V. & Needleman, A. (2013)
The cohesive band method: bridging the gap between smeared and discrete
fracture models. International Journal of Fracture, 181: 177-188.