Issue 45

G. Gomes et alii, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 45 (2018) 67-85; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.45.06 83 hole, but with the BC2D the values are larger than FEM and far closer to the standard curve, which was expected, since the propagation paths deviate from the main hole, as seen in Fig. 17. For the CTS02 and CTS04 models, the f(a/w) curves are also similar up to a/w ≈ 0.4 and, from there, with higher values than the curve values corresponding to the case without the hole. Note also that the CTS04 values are higher than CTS02 due to the greater proximity to the main hole. Importantly, due to the initial crack size being different between BC2D and FEM, the CTS02 and CTS04 models have also a different final a/w value, as well as two increments over the FEM. Fig. 20 shows fatigue life diagrams for the CTS models, obtained with the ViDa program and Experimental data, both compared with BC2D program. Figure 20: Fatigue life and residual strength for CTS01 and CTS02. D ISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION n this work, the dual boundary element method (DBEM) has been applied to two-dimensional crack propagation modelling. The prediction of the crack path, involving an incremental analysis with the BEM incorporating both the displacement and traction equations, has been performing with the aim of assessing the DBEM formulation and validate their numerical results by the BC2D program with those obtained experimentally and using a conventional FE formulation by the Vida program. The automation of the modelling process and the incremental load analysis were performed with the BEMLAB2D and BemCracker2D programs. The second code is invoked by BEMLAB2D GUI to perform a stress analysis with the DBEM and, within each load increment, compute the stress intensity factors using the J-Integral technique, the crack growth direction with an adjustment of the maximum principal stress criterion and lastly, the fatigue life diagrams using Paris law. I