FFM: Finite fracture mechanics: Models and applications

Minisymposium organized by

Reliable prediction of the onset and propagation of cracks in solids and structures under quasi-static, cyclic and dynamic loadings is required in many practical applications of high technological impact. Within the recent advances in Fracture Mechanics, the so-called Coupled Criterion, also called Finite Fracture Mechanics (FFM), has emerged as a prominent approach that overcomes the limitations of alternative methods, especially regarding the prediction of crack onset around stress concentrations and weak singularities. This approach is rapidly developing, covering an increasingly wide range of problems, including recently nonlinear materials and dynamic crack onset and growth, as well as new computational implementations in FEM codes.

The main objective of this minisymposium is to present recent developments in FFM, but also in the related approaches such as Theory of Critical Distances (TCD), focusing especially on their computational implementations and applications to relevant fracture problems in engineering. The main topics of the minisymposium include, but are not limited to, model developments and theoretical analysis, and numerical implementations and benchmark problems.