Numerical Simulation of Multiple Fatigue Crack Growth with Additional Crack Initiation

In this paper, advanced numerical simulations of curved crack growth in the case of mul­tiple crack systems in combination with the analysis of the plastic limit load by the lower bound theorem of plasticity are presented. In order to take additionally initiated cracks during the crack growth process into account, the numerical simulation algorithm has been extended by using the Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT) parameter in combination with a linear fatigue damage accumula­tion.