ELEMENT SPLITTING TECHNIQUE IN DISCONTINUOUS FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

An element splitting technique is introduced into thediscontinuous finite element method which admits discontinuity betweenelements by using joint elements. The method can be appliedto simulate the fracture of materials not only at the interfaces but also inthe material mass based on a given criteria. The validation of this methodis shown by comparing the numerical calculation with the 3-point bendingexperiment.