Dynamic Fracture of Heterogeneous Materials
We study dynamic propagation of fracture in heterogeneous materials using numerical simulations and experiments. Heterogeneity occurs in various form and shape. The fracture interface can be of inhomogeneous nature, which directly affects the crack front shape and its propagation. Stronger areas prevent the fracture from growing, whereas weaker areas help breaking the stronger ones. Other types of heterogeneities occur as inclusions of contrasting elastic properties, which results in wave reflection and a modified energy release rate. Propagation of cracks under heterogeneous conditions is complex and little understood.
We use numerical models to study dynamic fracture propagation in various heterogeneous systems. We develop a hybrid finite-element and boundary-integral method, which is computationally efficient and enable the explicit representation of material inclusion near the failure interface. We further conducted experiments in collaboration with Laurent Ponson (link), to study pinning and depinning during dynamic fracture a model heterogeneous material, which micro-structure is tuned by multi-material 3D printing.