@Article{cmes.2005.010.229, AUTHOR = {H. Okada , T. Kamibeppu}, TITLE = {A Virtual Crack Closure-Integral Method (VCCM) for Three-Dimensional Crack Problems Using Linear Tetrahedral Finite Elements}, JOURNAL = {Computer Modeling in Engineering \& Sciences}, VOLUME = {10}, YEAR = {2005}, NUMBER = {3}, PAGES = {229--238}, URL = {http://www.techscience.com/CMES/v10n3/24876}, ISSN = {1526-1506}, ABSTRACT = {In this paper, a three-dimensional VCCM (Virtual Crack Closure-Integral Method) for evaluating the energy release rate and the stress intensity factor is presented. Many engineers and researchers believe that hexahedral finite elements should be used to perform three-dimensional fracture analyses. Previous VCCM formulations assume the use of hexahedral finite elements. In present study, the authors have been developing a VCCM that works with tetrahedral finite elements. In the field of large-scale computation, the use of tetrahedral finite elements has becoming very popular as high performance mesh generation programs became available. Therefore, building a large and complex analysis model with hexahedral finite elements is a much more difficult task than with tetrahedral elements. The outcomes of present research would make three-dimensional fracture mechanics analysis on complex shaped solid/structure a tractable task to do. In this paper, some preliminary results are presented.}, DOI = {10.3970/cmes.2005.010.229} }