Blind prediction of curved fracture surfaces in gypsum samples under three-point bending using the Discontinuous Galerkin Cohesive Zone method

• Published in: Engineering fracture mechanics 2024-08, Vol.306, p.110205, Article 110205
• Main Authors: Pickard, Daniel, Quinn, Christopher, Giovanardi, Bianca, Radovitzky, Raul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Additively manufactured samples; Cohesive zone models; Discontinuous Galerkin finite elements; Mixed-mode fracture
• ISSN: 0013-7944; 1873-7315
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engfracmech.2024.110205

A computational framework based on a Discontinuous Galerkin (DG)/Cohesive Zone formulation is utilized to simulate the experiments of the Purdue Damage Mechanics Modeling Challenge. The inelastic response of the additively-manufactured gypsum material used in the experimental tests is modeled via a dilatational plasticity model. The constitutive and fracture model parameters are calibrated using the load–displacement curves corresponding to three-point bending tests initially provided by the Challenge organizers. The test samples contained initial notches especially designed to force specific types of mixed fracture modes. The calibrated computational modeling framework is used to blindly simulate the more complex configuration of the Challenge experiments. The numerical predictions of the load–displacement curve and the shape of the curved fracture surface are compared to the experimental data provided a posteriori. It is found that the computational method is able to quantitatively describe the fracture response of the material including crack propagation, plastic wake, and the curved geometry of the fracture surface that results from the evolving fracture mode mixity with significant fidelity. •The 2023 Purdue Damage Challenge experiments are blindly simulated with DG/CZM.•The framework is specialized to gypsum-specific models for deformation and fracture.•The constitutive models are calibrated to experiments from the Challenge organizers.•The Challenge configuration is simulated blindly with the calibrated model.•Results from the blind simulations are in excellent agreement with the experiments.•The model provides insights into the complex evolution of the curved crack path.