Coupled Meshfree and Fractal Finite Element Method : For Fracture Mechanics and Unbounded Domain Problems

This monograph presents a coupling technique for integrating EFGM with FFEM for analyzing homogeneous, two dimensional linear-elastic isotropic, and anisotropic cracked structures subjected to mixed-mode (modes I and II) loading conditions, and unbounded domain problems. The proposed method combines the best features of EFGM and FFEM, in the sense that no structured mesh or special enriched basis functions are necessary and no post-processing (employing any path independent integrals) is needed to determine fracture parameters such as SIFs and T-stress. The monograph focuses on the work carried by the second author at Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India; as a part of his doctoral study.