FFM - Finite fracture mechanics: Models and applications
Reliable prediction of crack onset and propagation in solids and structures under quasi-static, cyclic and dynamic loadings is required in many practical applications with high technological impact. Among the recent advances in fracture mechanics, the so-called Coupled Criterion, also known as Finite Fracture Mechanics (FFM), has emerged as a prominent approach that overcomes the limitations of alternative methods, particularly with respect to the prediction of crack onset around stress concentrations and weak singularities. This approach is rapidly evolving to cover an expanding range of problems, recently including non-linear materials and dynamic crack onset and growth, as well as new computational implementations in commercial FEM codes.
The main objective of this minisymposium is to present recent developments in FFM, but also in related approaches such as the Theory of Critical Distances (TCD), focusing on their computational implementations and applications to relevant fracture problems in engineering. The main topics of the minisymposium include, but are not limited to, model developments and theoretical analysis, numerical implementations and benchmark problems, and comparison of predictions with experiments.