Hybrid singular elements in fracture mechanics

Abstract: Amethod using the concept of singular hybrid finite element for the determination of the stress intensity factor and the T stress of cracked panels submitted to plane stress and plane strain states is presented. A complete formulation of a hybrid equilibrium singular super-element is presented. This super-element includes linear, bilinear, and quadratic shape func-tions, allowing its use with linear, bilinear, and quadratic displacement-based conventional finite elements. The method is applied to various typical configurations of cracked rectangular plates, including stiffened panels. The results obtained are discussed and compared with previous available data