PSI - Issue 66

Domenico Ammendolea et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 66 (2024) 396–405 Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2025) 000–000

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Fig. 6-a reports a comparison in terms of load versus displacement between the proposed adaptive model and the numerical results obtained by Khoei and Saadat (Khoei and Saadat, 2019). One can observe that the present method is in good agreement with outcomes gained by Authors taken as reference, thus denoting a proper level of accuracy. In addition, to ensure thoroughness, Fig. 6-b depicts the snapshots of the mesh configurations of the beam during the crack propagation predicted by the present method at the points of the load vs displacement curve indicated by Roman numerals in Fig. 6-a. It is worth noting the capability of the proposed adaptive phase-field method to track the crack path without requiring a fine mesh across the entire computational domain (unlike traditional phase-field approaches), resulting in a significant reduction of computational effort. Finally, it can be concluded that the proposed adaptive fracture approach is very effective in predicting the failure response of both homogeneous and heterogeneous members under general loading conditions. 5. Conclusions This work introduces an innovative adaptive phase-field method for reproducing the failure analysis of both homogeneous and heterogeneous structures under general loading conditions within a standard finite element (FE) framework. The developed model enhances the traditional phase-field approach by incorporating an adaptive mesh refinement technique, which dynamically allocates computational resources to zones of interest, thereby improving efficiency without compromising accuracy. The present methodology has been validated via comparisons with both experimental data and numerical outcomes, demonstrating that the use of such adaptive procedure ensures accurate predictions. This improvement in accuracy, particularly in critical areas, highlights the robustness of the method for complex structural analyses. Possible directions for future research include extending it to a 3D setting, enhancing its capabilities to simulate more complex failure mechanisms (i.e. interfacial debonding in fiber-reinforced composites), and incorporating the effect of finite deformations on the overall fracture properties, with special reference to soft composites (see, for instance, (Greco et al., 2016)). Acknowledgements Domenico Ammendolea, Fabrizio Greco, Lorenzo Leonetti, and Paolo Lonetti gratefully acknowledges financial support by the European Union – Next Generation EU – for the Research Grant PRIN 2022 PNRR No. P2022PE8BT "SUSTainable composite structures for energy-harvesting and carbon-storing BUILDings (SUSTBUILD)". References Ammendolea, D., Bruno, D., Greco, F., Lonetti, P., Pascuzzo, A., 2020. An investigation on the structural integrity of network arch bridges subjected to cable loss under the action of moving loads. Presented at the Procedia Structural Integrity, pp. 305–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostr.2020.04.035 Ammendolea, D., Fabbrocino, F., Leonetti, L., Lonetti, P., Pascuzzo, A., 2024. An efficient moving-mesh strategy for predicting crack propagation in unidirectional composites: Application to materials reinforced with aligned CNTs. Composite Structures 118652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2024.118652 Ammendolea, D., Greco, F., Leonetti, L., Lonetti, P., Pascuzzo, A., 2023. Fatigue crack growth simulation using the moving mesh technique. Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures 46, 4606–4627. https://doi.org/10.1111/ffe.14155 Barenblatt, G.I., 1962. The Mathematical Theory of Equilibrium Cracks in Brittle Fracture, in: Dryden, H.L., von Kármán, Th., Kuerti, G., van den Dungen, F.H., Howarth, L. (Eds.), Advances in Applied Mechanics. Elsevier, pp. 55–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065 2156(08)70121-2 Belytschko, T., Black, T., 1999. Elastic crack growth in finite elements with minimal remeshing. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering 45, 601–620. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0207(19990620)45:5<601::AID-NME598>3.0.CO;2-S Bessa, M., Elkhodary, K., Liu, W., Belytschko, T., Moran, B., 2013. Nonlinear Finite Elements for Continua and Structures, Second Edition. Solution Manual. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.2800.0089 Cervera, M., Pelà, L., Clemente, R., Roca, P., 2010. A crack-tracking technique for localized damage in quasi-brittle materials. Engineering Fracture Mechanics 77, 2431–2450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2010.06.013 COMSOL, 2024. COMSOL Multiphysics® v. 6.2, Series COMSOL Multiphysics® v. 6.2 De Maio, U., Greco, F., Leonetti, L., Nevone Blasi, P., Pranno, A., 2022. A cohesive fracture model for predicting crack spacing and crack width in reinforced concrete structures. Engineering Failure Analysis 139, 106452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2022.106452 De Maio, U., Greco, F., Lonetti, P., Pranno, A., 2024. A combined ALE-cohesive fracture approach for the arbitrary crack growth analysis.