Abstract
In this paper, we present a general partition of unity-based cohesive zone model for fracture propagation and nucleation in saturated porous materials. We consider both two-dimensional isotropic and orthotropic media based on the general Biot theory. Fluid flow from the bulk formation into the fracture is accounted for. The fracture propagation is based on an average stress approach. This approach is adjusted to be directionally depended for orthotropic materials. The accuracy of the continuous part of the model is addressed by performing Mandel’s problem for isotropic and orthotropic materials. The performance of the model is investigated with a propagating fracture in an orthotropic material and by considering fracture nucleation and propagation in an isotropic mixed-mode fracture problem. In the latter example we also investigated the influence of the bulk permeability on the numerical results.
Highlights
Modelling of crack propagation behaviour correctly is important in many soil and biomedical engineering problems
Understanding of the fracture mechanism in porous materials is of great importance in oil recovery and intervertebral disc herniation
We have extended two-dimensional numerical formulation for fracture propagation in porous materials to model nucleation in orthotropic materials
Summary
Modelling of crack propagation behaviour correctly is important in many soil and biomedical engineering problems. (2007) used the finite element method to model a cohesive fracture as well, but included an adaptive remeshing method in order to accommodate for fracture propagation in arbitrary directions. This method was successfully applied to simulate a propagating crack in arbitrary directions and was even extended to three-dimensional situations (Secchi and Schrefler 2012). Pure mode-I and mode-II fractures were described with a continuous and discontinuous pressure, respectively In this contribution we enhance the aforementioned models to accommodate for crack nucleation similar to (Remmers et al 2003), mixed-mode crack growth and propagation in an orthotropic material.
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