Simplified Qualitative Discrete Numerical Model to Determine Cracking Pattern in Brittle Materials by Means of Finite Element Method

Figure 2

Connecting an overlapping side of two triangular elements by means of two link elements: (a) sketch of two triangular elements in real scale, (b) sketch of two triangular elements and two link elements out of scale, and (c) detailed link element and its orientation with regard to neighboring triangular elements in a virtual gap.

(a)

(b)

(c)