Author(s)

S. Guimaraes & J.C.F. Telles

Abstract

On a critical appreciation of the hyper-singular boundary element formulation applied to fracture mechanics problems S. Guimaraes, J.C.F. Telles COPPE/UFRJ, Programa de Engenharia Civil, Caixa Postal 68506, CEP 21945-970, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil ABSTRACT The present paper discusses the application of the hyper- singular boundary integral equation, the so called traction formulation, to solve Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) problems. Emphasis is given to two-dimensional boundary element implementations, combining continuous or discontinuous quadratic and quarter-point elements in order to identify the limitations and improvements for computing stress intensity factors. The study shows the importance of considering displacement derivative continuities into the numerical implementation and the usage of quarter-point elements to improve results. INTRODUCTION The limitations of the standard or displacement bo

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