PSI - Issue 66

ScienceDirect Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2025) 000–000 Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2025) 000–000 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect

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Procedia Structural Integrity 66 (2024) 495–501

8th International Conference on Crack Paths Fracture analysis in quasi-brittle materials via an adaptive cohesive interface model Umberto De Maio a , Daniele Gaetano a , Fabrizio Greco a *, Paolo Lonetti a , Paolo Nevone Blasi a , Aandrea Pranno a a Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy 8th International Conference on Crack Paths Fracture analysis in quasi-brittle materials via an adaptive cohesive interface model Umberto De Maio a , Daniele Gaetano a , Fabrizio Greco a *, Paolo Lonetti a , Paolo Nevone Blasi a , Aandrea Pranno a a Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, Rende 87036, Italy

Abstract This study presents an advanced numerical model for simulating fracture propagation in heterogeneous materials utilizing an inter-element cohesive zone approach combined with the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) kinematic description. In particular, the proposed methodology uses the moving mesh technique to adjust the computational domain so that the crack segment, selected once a suitable stress criterion for fracture onset is satisfied, is aligned to the computed crack propagation direction. Subsequently, a zero-thickness interface cohesive element, equipped with a traction-separation law, is inserted on-the fly along the crack segment to describe the nonlinear fracture process. Despite the recent fracture models, the proposed framework allows the multiple crack onset and propagation without requiring mesh updated procedures and sensibly reduces the well-known mesh dependency issues of alternative discrete fracture approaches. Numerical analyses have been performed to validate the proposed model, involving quasi-brittle heterogeneous materials like fiber-reinforced concrete subjected to different loading conditions. Comparisons with available experimental and numerical results have highlighted the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed model in the prediction of fracture in quasi-brittle materials. © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of CP 2024 Organizers Keywords: cohesive fracture modeling; moving mesh technique; quasi-brittle materials. Abstract This study presents an advanced numerical model for simulating fracture propagation in heterogeneous materials utilizing an inter-element cohesive zone approach combined with the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) kinematic description. In particular, the proposed methodology uses the moving mesh technique to adjust the computational domain so that the crack segment, selected once a suitable stress criterion for fracture onset is satisfied, is aligned to the computed crack propagation direction. Subsequently, a zero-thickness interface cohesive element, equipped with a traction-separation law, is inserted on-the fly along the crack segment to describe the nonlinear fracture process. Despite the recent fracture models, the proposed framework allows the multiple crack onset and propagation without requiring mesh updated procedures and sensibly reduces the well-known mesh dependency issues of alternative discrete fracture approaches. Numerical analyses have been performed to validate the proposed model, involving quasi-brittle heterogeneous materials like fiber-reinforced concrete subjected to different loading conditions. Comparisons with available experimental and numerical results have highlighted the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed model in the prediction of fracture in quasi-brittle materials. © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of CP 2024 Organizers Keywords: cohesive fracture modeling; moving mesh technique; quasi-brittle materials. © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of CP 2024 Organizers

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +39-0984-496916. E-mail address: fabrizio.greco@unical.it * Corresponding author. Tel.: +39-0984-496916. E-mail address: fabrizio.greco@unical.it

2452-3216 © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of CP 2024 Organizers 2452-3216 © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of CP 2024 Organizers

2452-3216 © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of CP 2024 Organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2024.11.102