Application of cohesive model in fracture mechanics by WARP3D

In the paper cohesive model implemented in WARP3D code and an example simulation of crack growth analysis ispresented. Cohesive model is an effective tool for a crack growth analysis and it was a main reason to invent it. For the "dassica" constitutive equation the crack growth simulation in the finite element method (FEM) is not possible without an additional crack growth criterion. In the commercial FEM codes cohesive model is not very popular unfortunately. Usually it can be applied as user implemented elements. However there is a code free of charge with high reliability acknowledged in the literature with cohesive elements in standard library. This program is WARP3D and it is dedicated to numerical simulations of three dimensional fracture mechanics problems. The Dugdale's model, void creation, the cellular model of material, the cohesion-decohesion curve, behaviour of cohesive element, comparison of curve shapes for brittle and ductile fracture, the profile of the cohesive element in WARP3D, specimen geometry, changes of crack shape under increasing load, opening stress distribution in the uncracked ligament are presented in the paper.