Convergence study of the fractal finite element method for a centred crack in orthotropic lamina

The fractal finite element method (FFEM) was extended to calculate the stress intensity factor (SIF) of a centred crack in orthotropic lamina. The reliability of this method was examined by conducting a series of convergence studies on the use of various numerical integration schemes, configurations of fractal meshes, and the variation of self-similarity ratio. A set of guidelines on the preparation of fractal meshes is proposed. In general, the error of the predicted SIFs can be less than 0.3%