Virtual grid stress recovery (VGSR): an alternative to singular elements for simplified stress intensity factor evaluation of three-dimensional non-planar cracks

Abstract

Mesh generation for complex three-dimensional non-planar crack surface using singular elements is a time-consuming task for stress intensity factor evaluation. This study demonstrates that a newly developed virtual grid stress recovery (VGSR) method provides an effective alternative to the well-established singular element approach. The VGSR method achieves accuracy comparable to that of the singular elements approach while offering the advantage of simplified mesh generation procedures. The effectiveness of the VGSR method is demonstrated through computational results for four benchmark crack geometries with different boundary and loading conditions.