Fracture simulation in multiphase materials via ALE-driven cohesive interface strategy

Abstract

In this work, we present a numerical methodology for simulating crack initiation and propagation in multiphase materials. The approach integrates an Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) formulation with an adaptive cohesive interface model, allowing for the dynamic alignment of the crack path and the insertion of cohesive elements along mesh boundaries, without requiring re-meshing. Crack propagation directions are determined based on a stress criterion, while the cohesive interfaces follow a traction–separation law capable of capturing complex failure mechanisms, especially in the presence of material discontinuities between phases. This strategy effectively reduces computational costs and mitigates mesh-dependence issues commonly encountered in standard cohesive zone models. Numerical results confirm the robustness of the proposed framework in predicting arbitrarily evolving crack paths.