Implementation of a symmetric Galerkin boundary element method in quasi-brittle fracture mechanics

摘要

In the context of cohesive fracture mechanics, a non-associated elastic-plastic based cohesive law is considered in modeling quasi-brittle materials. The structural problem is stated by means of boundary integral equations. In the framework of the symmetric Galerkin formulation the non associated nature of the cohesive law implies unsymmetry of the relevant boundary operator. To overcome such a drawback, the problem is transformed into an extended equivalent one governed by a symmetric integral operator. It is shown that the new problem admits of a mm-max characterization.