Failure analysis of composite materials and multi material interfaces

Composite materials and multi-material interface problem usually have one or more singular points. In the neighborhood of these points the solution of two-dimensional linear elastostatic problems is characterized by a series of eigenpairs and their coefficients, called the generalized stress intensity factors (GSIFs). Accurate and reliable computation of the eigenpairs and the GSIFs is important because failure theories directly or indirectly involve these quantities. New efficient and accurate methods for numerical computation of the eigenpairs and the GSIFs, based on the p-version of the finite element method, are presented and demonstrated. Examples, representing two different kinds of singular points demonstrate that the method works well and produces results of high accuracy. Importantly, the method is applicable to anisotropic materials, multi-material interfaces, and cases where the singularities are characterized by complex eigenpairs.