Numerical Determination of Stress Intensity Factors Using ABAQUS Available to Purchase

Crack assessments for pressure vessels often need to quantify the crack driving force — stress intensity factor K with the linear-elastic fracture mechanics methods. Different numerical methods have been developed to calculate the stress intensity factors for complex cracks. Of which, four typical methods, i.e., the displacement extrapolation method, the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT), the J-integral conversion method, and the direct K output method are selected and evaluated in this paper using the finite element analysis (FEA) and ABAQUS software. The evaluations are performed based on the benchmark FEA calculations in the linear-elastic conditions for the central-cracked panel (CCP) specimen in the two-dimensional (2D) plane strain conditions. The “best method” is then determined and used to calculate the stress intensity factor for the CCP specimen with a through-thickness crack in the three-dimensional (3D) conditions. The results show that ABAQUS can simply determine very accurate K values for both 2D and 3D cracks.