Linear smoothed extended finite element method for fatigue crack growth simulations

In this paper, the recently proposed linear smoothed extended finite element method (LSmXFEM) is employed to simulate the fatigue crack growth. Unlike the conventional extended finite element method, the LSmXFEM does not require special numerical integration technique to integrate the terms in the stiffness matrix. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) are evaluated by using the domain form of the interaction integral technique. The fatigue crack growth rate is evaluated using the generalized Paris' law in conjunction with the maximum hoop stress criterion. The robustness of the method is demonstrated with a few examples for which the results are available in the literature. Then, the fatigue crack growth from the numerical simulation is compared with the experimental investigations performed on CRS grade cold formed steel. It is seen that the fatigue life and the crack path obtained from the proposed method is in close agreement with the experimental observation.