A GPU-Accelerated Three-Dimensional Crack Element Method for Transient Dynamic Fracture Simulation

Abstract: This work presents a novel three-dimensional Crack Element Method (CEM) designed to model transient dynamic crack propagation in quasi-brittle materials efficiently. CEM introduces an advanced element-splitting algorithm that enables element-wise crack growth, including crack branching. Based on the evolving topology of split elements, an original formulation for computing the fracture energy release rate in three dimensions is derived. A series of benchmark examples is conducted to demonstrate that the proposed 3D CEM accurately simulates both single crack propagation and complex crack branching scenarios. Furthermore, all three-dimensional simulations are GPU-accelerated, achieving high levels of computational efficiency, consistency, and accuracy.