Simulation of ductile tearing by the BEM with 2D domain discretization and a local damage model

A numerical procedure based on the Boundary Element Method with internal cells and dedicated to the simulation of the ductile tearing of thin metal sheets is presented. Plasticity is handled with an integral formulation based on the initial strain approach involving a discretization of the planar domain. Time integration is performed in an implicit way for the local strain–stress relationships while the global algorithm relies on an explicit formulation. Damage is represented by the scalar parameter of the uncoupled local damage model of Rice and Tracey. Within the scope of our applications, the cracks propagate along paths a priori known. As damage spreads, boundary elements are gradually released. Elastoplastic problems with large yielding zones are solved and compared to reference solutions. At last, the ductile tearing of a specimen is addressed. The calibration of the critical damage parameter leads to numerical results in good agreement with the experimental ones.