Advanced Numerical Approaches to Simulate Crack Propagation Mechanisms in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Materials

Dear Colleagues,

A wide range of conventional and innovative materials used in various civil and mechanical engineering applications are susceptible to fracture. Fracture mechanisms can develop within a material even under standard loading conditions, leading to a reduction in both stiffness and strength. This, in turn, may result in sudden failure events occurring without any apparent warning signs.

A comprehensive understanding of the fracture behavior of materials is thus essential for preventing failures and ensuring safety.

In recent decades, numerical methods have become a primary investigative tool for analyzing the fracture behavior of materials. Recent advancements in numerical approaches have enabled the simulation of damage evolution within materials, facilitating the identification of key factors that govern the fracture process. Because of the incredible opportunity such methods provide, developing more reliable and computationally efficient numerical models is increasingly in demand.

Potential topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Novel numerical methods.
• Advanced computational analyses.
• Multiscale modeling.
• Linear and nonlinear fracture models for the analysis of composite materials.
• Intra- and inter-laminar failure analysis in composite plates and shells.
• Interface models for mixed-mode crack propagation analysis.
• Simulation of crack growth in heterogeneous materials by using mesh-based and meshless approaches.
• Homogenization techniques for the analysis of damaged materials.
• Interface modeling approaches for mixed-mode crack propagation analysis.

Dr. Arturo Pascuzzo
Guest Editor

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• crack path prediction
• numerical approaches
• mixed-mode fracture models
• multiscale models
• numerical methods
• fracture mechanics
• interface fracture
• homogenization techniques