Nonlinear boundary element method formulations for the material failure description of complex tridimensional structures

• Grant number: 22/03377-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Structural Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Edson Denner Leonel
• Grantee: Edson Denner Leonel
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The adequate prediction and the description of the mechanical-material collapse have great importance in structural engineering, because these tasks enable the accurate definition of limit states and lead to economic and safe designs. The Fracture Mechanics theories can be utilized in this purpose; once various material failures can be explained consistently by cracks action. Because of the limited scope of the analytical solutions provided by the Fracture Mechanics, this approach must be coupled to numerical methods. In this context, the Boundary Element Method (BEM) is an excellent alternative. The BEM does not require domain mesh, which enables less complex remeshing processes during crack propagation and provide high accuracy in the stress concentration assessment at the cracks tips. This research proposal aims the development of nonlinear formulations based on the BEM for the material collapse representation of tridimensional structures. The Dual and Dipoles formulations within Lagrangian and Isogeometric descriptions will be utilized, which lead to the fracture process modelling in structural problems subjected to time dependent loading rates conditions in addition to fatigue with localized overloading. The Heaviside function enriches the displacement field and describes the material discontinuity triggered by the crack surface's intersection with the boundary. The BEM predictions will be compared to numerical, experimental and analytical responses available in the literature. In addition to the scientific contributions with the above-mentioned topics, the proponent intends to contribute to the human resource development, which are provided by the graduate and undergraduate courses from the University of São Paulo. (AU)