A meshless analysis of mode I fracture propagation in adhesive joints with experimental validation

Abstract

Adhesive bonding is a joining technique with an increasing number of applications in the industry. Being crack induced fracture a major failure mode, a new methodology to predict the fracture propagation in adhesive joints is hereby presented. A recent crack propagation algorithm is combined with the Radial Point Interpolation Method (RPIM) to simulate mode I fracture propagation in Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) adhesive joints. The crack propagation is modelled by rearranging the RPIM integration cells at the crack tip, allowing to iteratively obtain accurate and smooth strain/stress fields with the RPIM. The numerical load-displacement and respective crack length approximation agree with experimental data, thus validating the considered strain-based criterion for crack initiation in mode I fracture propagation. Finally, the resistance curves and critical energy release rates are obtained using distinct methods.