Analysis and assessment of the laminate free-edge effect by means of the scaled boundary finite element method

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Wilfried Becker
• Subject Area: Mechanics
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 321093336

It is a goal of the currently intended new research project to formulate and generate a specially adapted version of the scaled boundary finite element method as a semi-analytical tool for the analysis of the laminate free-edge effect. It is expected that this tool will reveal and descibe the occuring free-edge stress singularities and also the behaviour of all relevant field quantities with high precision and efficiency. It can also be expected that a relatively coarse boundary discretization will be sufficient which in comparison to the standard finite element method means an advantageously low number of degrees of freedom. Another goal of the intended research project is the assessment of the given structural situation in regard of a potential free-edge delamination in the framework of finite fracture mechanics. This assessment can be implemented in a very advantageous manner by shifting the scaling center to the location of the fictitious delamination front, calculation of the corresponding incremental energy release rate by a respective crack closure integral and eventually by use of a hybrid failure criterion in the sense of Leguillon.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants