Cracks in pre-cracked structures may propagate collinearly or kink into curved paths, depending on specific material properties and geometrical features. Several approaches have been proposed in the literature to study this behaviour, often varying in complexity and in the number of involved parameters.

 

In this study, a Phase Field (PF) model is employed to predict crack paths in brittle geometries under Mode-I loading conditions, allowing for the prediction of the full crack trajectory. The talk will provide a comprehensive overview of PF fracture modelling for brittle materials, followed by an analysis of PF numerical outcomes (including critical loads and crack paths predictions) and a comparative study against experimental results and the Theory of Critical Distances, specifically employing the Point Method and Line Method.