Abstract
Cohesive models are used for numerical crack extension analyses in order to predict the mechanical behavior of structures in cases of crack path bifurcation. Possible applications range from the macroscopic to the microscopic scale. As an example of applications to macroscopic engineering structures, simulations of a stiffened cylindrical shell under internal pressure are presented, where a skin crack may penetrate the rib or deviate. On the micro-scale, unit-cell calculation for a fiber-reinforced material is performed, where the fiber may debond or break.
