Article,
Computer simulation of fatigue under diametrical compression
PHYSICAL REVIEW E, (2007)
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.75.046115
Abstract
We study the fatigue fracture of disordered materials by means of
computer simulations of a discrete element model. We extend a
two-dimensional fracture model to capture the microscopic mechanisms
relevant for fatigue and we simulate the diametric compression of a disc
shape specimen under a constant external force. The model allows us to
follow the development of the fracture process on the macrolevel and
microlevel varying the relative influence of the mechanisms of damage
accumulation over the load history and healing of microcracks. As a
specific example we consider recent experimental results on the fatigue
fracture of asphalt. Our numerical simulations show that for
intermediate applied loads the lifetime of the specimen presents a power
law behavior. Under the effect of healing, more prominent for small
loads compared to the tensile strength of the material, the lifetime of
the sample increases and a fatigue limit emerges below which no
macroscopic failure occurs. The numerical results are in a good
qualitative agreement with the experimental findings.
