Numerical Simulation of cracked orthotropic materials using extended isogeometric analysis

In the present study, extended isogeometric analysis (XIGA) is used to analyse cracks in orthotropic media. NURBS and T-splines geometric technologies are used to define the geometry and the solution. Knot insertion and order elevation are used in NURBS models, while a new local refinement algorithm is applied to T-spline models. In XIGA, the basic idea of the extended finite element method (X-FEM) is used along with isogeometric analysis for modelling discontinuities by including enrichment functions. Special orthotropic crack tip enrichments are used to reproduce the singular fields near a crack tip, and fracture properties of the models are defined by the mixed mode stress intensity factors (SIFs), which are obtained by means of the interaction integral (M-integral). Results of the proposed method are compared with other available results.