Implementation of bond-based peridynamics in ansys LS-DYNA for brittle and quasi-brittle material failure analysis

This study presents the implementation of Bond-Based Peridynamic (PD) theory in Ansys LS-DYNA (referred to as PD-DYNA) using native elements to analyze the fracture behavior of brittle and quasi-brittle materials. It employs the classical prototype microelastic brittle (PMB) model for brittle materials and a bilinear PD model for quasi-brittle materials. To address the stochastic nature of quasi-brittle material properties, a novel approach is introduced by considering the randomness of the force-stretch relationship of the bonds. The PD-DYNA implementation is verified through two benchmark cases: an elastic plate with a hole under tension and dynamic crack propagation in an elastic plate with a preexisting edge crack. Also, the validity of the coupled PD-DYNA and finite element (FE) model is assessed using a square plate under tension. Following verification, the PD-DYNA implementation is applied to predict failure in quasi-brittle materials, with results compared to experimental data for three scenarios: (1) an L-shaped concrete panel under bending, (2) concrete beams of varying sizes subjected to three-point bending, and (3) rock specimens under tension. The PD-DYNA models accurately capture the global response of quasi-brittle material failure, aligning with experimental observations. They effectively reproduce characteristic behaviors, including kinked crack paths, material softening, and size effects.