A variational model based on isogeometric interpolation for the analysis of cracked bodies

A variational model for the analysis of crack evolution is presented. The method considers strong discontinuities that evolve according to the principles of cohesive fracture mechanics. A novel isogeometric interpolation scheme is presented that, differently from previous proposals, inserts the fracture modifying the blending properties of the interpolation. A method for tracking the discontinuity is also proposed, based on a local distortion of the parametrization of the geometry obtained determining the position of the control points of the isogeometric interpolation as solution of a suitable minimization problem.