Numerical Simulations of Crack Behavior of Brittle Cellular Materials

Nowadays cellular materials are widely used in the industry because of their good qualities such as low density, high energy absorption, and thermal resistance. New production methods as additive manufacturing will allow cellular structures being easily implemented in future designs. Therefore understanding their mechanics is crucial for an efficient use. However, the behavior in presence of cracks is not yet entirely understood. In this thesis a step forward in the comprehension of crack behavior in cellular materials is made, concretely for the case of short cracks in relation to the cell size.