Mechanics modeling using a spring network

Abstract

A simple spring network model is utilized to investigate stress concentrations and toughness increases for a variety of traditional mechanics problems. The scaling of crack-tip stress with crack size and separation, the shielding due to a low modulus process zone, and the toughness increase from microcracking and transformation process zones are all in good agreement with available analytic or numerical mechanics results. Also, the, process zone growth and attendant R-curve behavior for microcracking and/or transformation toughening is simulated directly using the network model with only a few simple rules. The network model is thus expected to be useful for obtaining easy quantitative results for related problems which are not so easily solved by other means. In addition, the good agreement found here supports the use of the network model for studying problems involving distributed disorder, as discussed in the previous paper.