Fracture Process Analysis in Silicate-Based Composite Specimens

Estimation of the size and shape of the zone of material failure developing around the crack tip during fracture of silicate-based composites presents the main focus of the paper. Numerical simulations utilizing two different modelling approaches (lattice-particle type model and finite element model) are used for verification of a semi-analytical technique for the inelastic zone determination developing by the authors. The problem is studied via virtual three-point bending tests on notched beams of two considerably different sizes made of silicate-based materials with three different compositions resulting in significantly dissimilar cohesive behaviour (from quasi-brittle to quasi-ductile/strain hardening). Good agreement between results of the semi-analytical technique for the estimation of the fracture process zone extent and the simulations with discrete model is reported.