XFEM Crack Propagation Tutorial

Tutorial 15b:
1 X-FEM, Modelling
crack propagation
Stephanie Miot
Strategic Simulation & Analysis Ltd

Southill Barn, Southill Business Park, Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxfordshire, OX7 3EW
T. 01608 811777 F. 01608811770 E.info@ssanalysis.co.uk W. www.ssanalysis.co.uk
1. Introduction
In this tutorial, you will modify a model of a compact tension (CT) test to define
the material properties, include a pre-existing
pre crack and create X-FEM
FEM domains.
domains
You will then perform a static analysis and visualize the simulation of the crack
propagation with Abaqus/Viewer.
Abaqus/Viewer
When you complete this tutorial, you

y will be able to:
- Define the material properties including the failure criterion
- Create an initial crack
- Define the crack surface properties
- Create X-FEM
FEM enriched domains
Preliminaries
The geometry of the compact tension specimen is presented in Figure 1. The

material is a carbon/epoxy unidirectional ply. The lay-up
lay is (08,908)S.
Figure 1: Compact tension specimen

T. 01608 811777 F. 01608811770 E.info@ssanalysis.co.uk W. www.ssanalysis.co.uk 2
The part is divided in 3 partitions which represent the 3 groups of plies: 08, 9016
and 08. The failure of the interface between the plies is not modelled.
About X-FEM
X-FEM
FEM can be used in conjunction with two approaches:
- The cohesive zone model (X-FEM-based
(X based cohesive behaviour)
- The virtual crack closure technique (X-FEM-based
(X LEFM approach)
In this tutorial, both approaches will be used. X-FEM-based

X based cohesive behaviour is
best suited for modelling failure of ductile material (matrix failure in the 90° ply)
while X-FEM-based
based LEFM approach is appropriate for modelling failure of brittle
material (fibre failure in the 0°
0 ply).
2. Setting up the model

Open the model Tutorial15b.cae.
Tutorial15b
This file contains the geometry and the mesh of the CT specimen,, the boundary
conditions and the loading.. In this tutorial, you will create an initial crack, define
the material properties and the crack surface properties and create X-FEM
domains to allow cracks to propagate in the structure. You will finally run a static
analysis and use the visualization module to post-process
post process the results of the
simulation.

3. Initial crack
1. Create a surface to be used to locale the initial crack in the structure.
a. Go into the Part Module and create a new part named Crack.
Crack Select: 3D,
Deformable, Shell Extrusion.
b. Draw a horizontal line of 11 mm. Click OK.
c. Set the depth of the extrusion at 6 mm.
d. Go into the Assembly Module and instance the part: Crack.
e. Use the Translate Instance tool to position the surface as shown in Figure 2.
The surface is wider than the part (4 mm) and longer than the
the initial crack (10
mm). It should be positioned so that the edges are at 1mm of the faces of the
CT specimen.
Figure 2: Compact tension specimen with initial crack

4. XFEM-based
based cohesive behaviour
1. Define the orthotropic elastic behaviour of the 90° ply with the following
material properties:
Elasticity coefficients:
- E1 = 156 GPa - ν12 = ν13 = 0.34
- E2 = 8.6 GPa - ν23 = 0.4
- E3 = 8.0 GPa - G12 = G13 = G23 = 4.5 GPa
Coefficients for matrix failure criterion:

- YT = 60 MPa - SL = ST =200
0 MPa
- Energy release rate in mode I:
I GIc = 0.3 kJ/m²
- Energy release rate in mode II:
II GIIc = 0.8 kJ/m²
- Energy release rate in mode III:
III GIIIc = 0.8 kJ/m²
a. Go into the Property Module and click the Create Material icon
b. In the Edit Material dialog box, name the material T300/920_90..
c. From the material editor’s menu bar, select Mechanical → Elasticity →

Elastic
d. Select Type: Engineering constants and enter

nter the material data as defined
above.
e. From the material editor’s menu bar, select Mechanical → Damage for
Traction Separation Laws → Maxs Damage
f. Select Direction relative to local 1-direction:

1 Parallel and accept the default
value of the Tolerance:
olerance: 0.05.
0.0
g. Specify the maximum stress

s in the normal and the two shear directions.
directions

h. Click Suboptions and select Damage Evolution. In the Suboption Editor
dialog box, select Type: Energy and Mixed Mode behaviour: BK.
BK Toggle on
Power and specify η = 2.2.
2.2 Specify the Fracture Energy for the three failure
modes.
i. Click Suboptions and select Damage Stabilization Cohesive.

Cohesive In the
Suboption Editor dialog box, specify the Viscosity coefficient:
coefficient 1e-5. Then
click OK to exit the Suboption editor and OK to exit the Material editor.

2. Create a new section and assign section properties to the 90°° plies.
a. In the model tree, expand Parts and right click Part-1. Click Make Current.
Current
b. Click the Create Section icon . Name the section: Ply90

Ply90. Select
Category: Solid and Type: Homogeneous.
Homogeneous Click Continue...
c. In the Edit Section dialog box, select Material: T300/920_90

920_90. Click OK to
complete the creation of the new section.
d. Click the Assign Section icon . Select the 3 middle cells (see Figure 3)
then click Done.
e. In the Edit Section Assignment

Assign dialog box, select Section: Ply90 and click
OK.

Figure 3: In green,
green cells to be assigned section: Ply90
3. Define the material orientation for the 90° plies.
a. Click the Assign Material Orientation icon then select

elect the 3 middle cells
as shown in Figure 3.
b. Click Use Default Orientation or Other Method.

Method
c. In the Edit Material Orientation dialog box, select Definition: Coordinate

system and click the Edit icon . Click Datum CSYS List...
... in the bottom
right corner and select Datum csys-1.
csys
d. Specify the Additional Rotation Direction: 3 and the Additional Rotation /

Angle: 90.. Accept the default selection of the direction 3 for the stacking
direction. Click OK.

4. Create an X-FEM
FEM domain (or enriched zone).
zone)
a. Go into the Interaction Module.

Module In the menu bar, click Special / Crack/
Manager...
b. In the Crack Manager dialog box, click Create... Name the new domain
Crack-90-1 and select Type: XFEM.
XFEM Click Continue...
c. Specify the selection of the crack domain: geometric cells.

d. Select the 3 middle cells as shown in Figure 3.
3
e. In the Edit Crack dialog box, check that the option: Allow crack growth is
selected then toggle on Crack location. Click the Edit icon then select
the surface highlighted pink in Figure 4. Click OK.
Figure 4: XFEM domain + crack location for the 90°

90 plies

5. XFEM-based
based LEFM approach
1. Define the orthotropic elastic behaviour of the 0° ply with the following
material properties:
Elasticity coefficients:
- E1 = 156 GPa - ν12 = ν13 = 0.34
- E2 = 8.6 GPa - ν23 = 0.4
- E3 = 8.0 GPa - G12 = G13 = G23 = 4.5 GPa
a. Go into the Property Module and click the Create Material icon
b. In the Edit Material dialog box, name the material T300/920_0.
c. From the material editor’s menu bar, select Mechanical → Elasticity →

Elastic
d. Select Type: Engineering constants and enter the material data as defined
above.
2. Create a new section and assign section properties to the 0° plies.

plies
a. Click the Create Section icon . Name the section: Ply0. Select
Category: Solid and Type: Homogeneous.
Homogeneous Click Continue...
b. In the Edit Section dialog box, select Material: T300/920_0.. Click OK.
c. Click the Assign Section icon and select the regions which remain
undefined (grey
grey cells in Figure 3). In the Edit Section Assignment dialog
box, select Section: Ply0
Ply and click OK.

3. Define the material orientation for the 0° plies.
a. Click the Assign Material Orientation icon then select

elect the 0° plies.
b. Click Use Default Orientation or Other Method.

Method
c. In the Edit Material Orientation dialog box, select Definition: Coordinate

system and click the Edit icon . Click Datum CSYS List...
... in the bottom
right corner and select Datum csys-1.
csys
d. Accept the default selections

selections for the additional rotation and the stacking
directions. Click OK.
4. Define a fracture-based
based surface behaviour and specify the fracture
criterion in enriched elements.
elements
a. Go into the Interaction Module and click the Create Interaction Property
icon
b. Name the new interaction property FibreFailure and accept the default
selection Type: Contact.
Contact
c. From the Contact Property editor’s menu bar, select Mechanical

echanical → Fracture
Criterion.
d. Select Direction of crack

crac growth: Normal. Modify the Tolerance
olerance value to
0.1.

e. Specify the critical energy release rates for the three failure modes and the
exponent for the BK law as:
- GIc = GIIc = GIIIc = 50 mJ/mm²
mJ/mm
- η = 2.

5. Create an X-FEM
FEM domain for each group of 0° plies.
a. In the menu bar, click Special / Crack/ Manager...
b. In the Crack Manager dialog box, click Create... Name the new domain
Crack-0-1 and select Type: XFEM.
XFEM Click Continue...
c. Specify the selection of the crack domain: geometric cells.
d. Select the 3 cells highlighted red in Figure 5.
e. In the Edit Crack dialog box, check that the option: Allow crack growth is
selected then toggle on Crack location. Click the Edit icon then select
the surface highlighted pink in Figure 5.
Figure 5: XFEM domain + crack

c location for one group of 0° plies

f. Toggle on Specify contact property
propert and select FibreFailure.. Click OK.
g. Follow the instructions a to f to create the last X-FEM domain.

domain Select the
second group of 0°° plies.
plies Name the domain crack-0-2.
Figure 6: XFEM domain + crack location for the second group of 0°

0 plies

6. Static analysis and post-processing
post
1. Create new output requests. The preselected default output does not include
the X-FEM variables. To visualize the crack propagation in the Visualization
module, you will write additional field output to the output database file.
file
a. Go into the Step Module.

Module Click the Field Output Manager icon.
b. In the Field Output Requests Manager dialog box, click Edit...

... to modify the
request F-Output-1.
c. In the Edit Field Output Request dialog box, in the Output Variables list,
expand the Failure/Fracture list and toggle on the variables PHILSM.
P Then
expand the State/Field/User/Time list and toggle on the variable
STATUSXFEM.

2. Modify the general solution controls to improve convergence behaviour.
a. In the menu bar, click Other → General Solution Controls → Edit → Step-1.
Accept the warning message and click Continue...
b. In the General Solution Controls Editor,

Editor click Specify.. In the tab: Time
Incrementation,, toggle on Discontinuous analysis.. Then click the first tab
labelled More and specify IA = 10.
3. Run the job. Note that the job has been created.
a. Go into the Job Module.

Module Click the Job Manager icon.
b. Optional, if possible to run the analysis on multiple cpus: In the Job Manager
dialog box, click Edit... In the Parallelization tab, toggle on Use multiple
processors and select the number of processors you want to use.
c. In the Job Manager dialog box, click Submit to run the Job: CT01.
CT01

4. Analyse the results of the simulation.
a. When the job submission has been completed, in the Job Manager dialog
box, click Results or open CT01.odb in the Visualization Module.
Module
b. Click the Plot Contours on Deformed Shape icon
c. Click the Field Output Dialog icon or click Result → Field Output.
d. In the Field Output dialog box, in the Primary Variable tab, select the
Output Variable: STATUSXFEM.
STATUSXFEM Then click Apply.
e. Click the Create Display Group icon or click Tools → Display

Displa Group →
Create...
f. In the Create Display Group dialog box, select Items: Elements / Method:
Section assignment and PART-1-1._PICKEDSET66... Click the Replace
icon then click Dismiss. You can now visualise the crack in the 90°
90
plies.

g. In the Field Output dialog box, select the Output Variable: S Component:
S22. Then click Apply.
h. Click the Contour Options icon . In the tab: Limits,, specify Max = 100.
Click OK.. Use the frame selector or the animation tool to visualise the
evolution of the stress field when the crack propagates.
i. Click the Replace all icon . Select the Output Variable: S Component:
S11. Click Apply.
j. Click the Contour Options icon and modify the limits. Specify Max = 1000.
Click Apply. Use the frame selector or the animation tool to visualise the
evolution of the stress field when the crack propagates.
k. In the Contour Plot Options dialog box, click Max: Auto-compute

compute. Then in
the Field Output dialog box, select PHILSM.. You can visualise the values of
the level sets used to locate the crack in the mesh.


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Tutorial 15b:

Strategic Simulation & Analysis Ltd

When you complete this tutorial, you

The geometry of the compact tension specimen is presented in Figure 1. The

Figure 1: Compact tension specimen

Strategic Simulation & Analysis Ltd

In this tutorial, both approaches will be used. X-FEM-based

2. Setting up the model

Strategic Simulation & Analysis Ltd

b. Draw a horizontal line of 11 mm. Click OK.

c. Set the depth of the extrusion at 6 mm.

d. Go into the Assembly Module and instance the part: Crack.

Figure 2: Compact tension specimen with initial crack

Strategic Simulation & Analysis Ltd

Coefficients for matrix failure criterion:

b. In the Edit Material dialog box, name the material T300/920_90..

c. From the material editor’s menu bar, select Mechanical → Elasticity →

d. Select Type: Engineering constants and enter

f. Select Direction relative to local 1-direction:

g. Specify the maximum stress

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i. Click Suboptions and select Damage Stabilization Cohesive.

Strategic Simulation & Analysis Ltd

b. Click the Create Section icon . Name the section: Ply90

c. In the Edit Section dialog box, select Material: T300/920_90

e. In the Edit Section Assignment

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3. Define the material orientation for the 90° plies.

a. Click the Assign Material Orientation icon then select

b. Click Use Default Orientation or Other Method.

c. In the Edit Material Orientation dialog box, select Definition: Coordinate

d. Specify the Additional Rotation Direction: 3 and the Additional Rotation /

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a. Go into the Interaction Module.

c. Specify the selection of the crack domain: geometric cells.

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Figure 4: XFEM domain + crack location for the 90°

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b. In the Edit Material dialog box, name the material T300/920_0.

c. From the material editor’s menu bar, select Mechanical → Elasticity →

2. Create a new section and assign section properties to the 0° plies.

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a. Click the Assign Material Orientation icon then select

b. Click Use Default Orientation or Other Method.

c. In the Edit Material Orientation dialog box, select Definition: Coordinate

d. Accept the default selections

c. From the Contact Property editor’s menu bar, select Mechanical

d. Select Direction of crack

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a. In the menu bar, click Special / Crack/ Manager...

c. Specify the selection of the crack domain: geometric cells.

d. Select the 3 cells highlighted red in Figure 5.

Figure 5: XFEM domain + crack

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g. Follow the instructions a to f to create the last X-FEM domain.

Figure 6: XFEM domain + crack location for the second group of 0°

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a. Go into the Step Module.

b. In the Field Output Requests Manager dialog box, click Edit...

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b. In the General Solution Controls Editor,

a. Go into the Job Module.