Fatigue Debonding Three-dimensional Simulation with Cohesive Zone

The cohesive zone model (CZM) has found a wide acceptance as a tool for the simulation of debonding in adhesive joints. Recently, fatigue-devoted implementations of CZM have been proposed. In earlier works, the authors have developed a model of the cohesive zone able to correctly simulate the propagation of fatigue of two-dimensional (2D) defects in joints. The procedure has been implemented in the finite-element software (Abaqus (R)) using software-embedded subroutines. That model was then extended to 3D cracks with quasi-straight crack front, where G could be evaluated by contour-integral on slices along the crack front. Inspiring to the approach used by Xie and Biggers in the case of virtual crack extension technique, the aim of this work is to extend the fatigue crack growth evaluation to 3D cracks of general shape. The new procedure has been compared with the previously developed one in the case of planar, 3D cracks showing a good agreement. The evolution of a corner crack is also shown as a qualitative example of the descriptive potential of the new procedure.